Letter (number unidentified). To Don Lorenzo de Cepeda, Toledo, November 1576

Paymejít of the debt owing to Don Lorenzo by the Prioress of Seville, How to benefit our own soul by our riches and how we should bear their loss. Loss of property by Don Francisco de Salcedo.

I assure you that this error must have been exploded; there was such a disturbance among them about it that the matter could not be kept secret.

She tells me that she has your money already colle¿led in the convent but does not dare deliver it except to some person chosen by you and introduced by a letter from you. Find out when the muleteer leaves Avila for Seville, for if he is a man to be trusted with bringing, or rather fetching the money, that would be the most convenient way.

Alonso Ruiz is going there on business of his own; if he should be prevented he says that some one from Malagon must go instead. He would be glad to undertake the affair for you as just now he has nothing to do in Malagon. It would be best for him to manage the whole matter, and a great charity to give him the commission which would help him out of his diificulties, while you would lose nothing by it.

When I began writing this letter I fancy that I cared more for aiding these poor people who are so good, than for any advantage you might gain. Yet I wish you were very rich since you make such use of your money. I was thinking, this very morning, that you had better defer the marriage of your sons so that you may be able to do more for the good of your soul, as when you incur other expenses you will not be able to spend so much in charity. In the end, all that will remain to you of what you have worked so hard to earn will be the merit of having spent what you could in the service of Him Who in return will repay you with His kingdom of which death cannot deprive you. May His Majesty bestow this kingdom on you as He can do.

. . . Both your charadler and your gift of fortitude make you far more capable of bearing interior trials than [Don Francisco de Salcedo]. You must always show him great cordiality or he will fancy you find him troublesome. Perhaps it would be true to say that I owe more to him in every way than to any one else in this world, he having been the first to enlighten me, for which I am extremely attached to him. I deeply regret that he does not show more fortitude in bearing the trial of this lawsuit sent him by God, for I cannot believe that it comes from any other source. Pray that Don Francisco may realize this and may fret no more about it. Unless we are deiached from all

VOL. n. 10 things, our soul is disturbed when wc lose the wealth which is so fleeting compared with eternal goods. Thus we forfeit the merit we might have gained better than in any other way. Still, we must not forget that those to whom God has not granted the grace of perfedt detachment will find no comfort in our telling them this, and can only be consoled by seeing that we sympathize with them. While refledting to-day on how God distributes riches as He chooses, I wondered how such a man who has served Him faithfully for many years and who cares more for the poor than for his own interests, could be so grieved at the loss of money, I thought that it would have mattered little to me; but then I remembered how unhappy I felt at Seville on seeing you in danger of losing your fortune. In fait, we never know ourselves, and it must be best to leave all for the All.' Lest human nature should render us slaves of what is base, let those who cannot attain to this meditate frequently on the subjed:. You yourself should do so, and when nature rebels, recoiled: that ....