Letter (number unidentified). To Father Mariano, Madrid, Toledo, December 12, 1576

Joy at the good done hy Father Gradan in Andalusia and hy the nuns at Paterna. Doctor Velasquez urges the Saint to make fresh foundations. The question of sandals y diet, and manual labour for the friars,

Jesus be with your Reverence.

1HAVE received the packet of letters containing one from the Prioress of Paterna. Perhaps the other large coUeólion you mention may come tomorrow, Thursday. They are safe with this messenger and will not be lost. Those I have read, including your own, were delightful. May God be praised for all things!

O, my Father, what a joy it is to my heart when I see any one in this Order (which has offended God so greatly) render Him honour and glory and prevent sins being committed. Yet I feel very grieved and envious at seeing how little I can do towards it, for I should like to undergo dangers and sufferings, as I long for a share in the spoils won by those who put their hand to the work. I am so wicked that I am glad to be at peace here, but when I hear of what the nuns are enduring at Paterna, I pine with envy of them. It makes me supremely happy when I see that God is beginning to make use of the Discalced nuns, for I often think, when I witness their generosity, that God could not possibly have given them such grace except for some end. Had it only been that they might reform the convent at Paterna, where they have prevented sins being committed against Him, I should have been delighted; how much more when I trust in Him that they will do great good !

Your Reverence must not forget to have inserted in the Declarations that new foundations may be made for nuns as well as for friars. My confessor here is Dodlor Velasquez, canon of the cathedral, a great theologian and servant of God, as others will tell you. He will not hear of no fresh foundations being made for the nuns and ordered me to ask Doña Luisa to obtain permission from the General through the ambassador, or if not, from the Pope, who is to be told that the nuns are mirrors of virtue for all Spain. Doflor Velasquez has promised to write the petition himself. I sent your Reverence word about a new foundation offered us: will you kindly answer me on these two points. Your note was a great comfort: God reward you for it, although what you said was already engraved on my heart. Whv do vou not mention Fray Baltasar? Remember me kindly to all our fathers.

I am amused at Fray Juan de Jesus' saying that the Discalced friars go barefooted by my wish for it was I who always forbade Father Antonio's doing so. He is mistaken if he thinks that I advised it. My wish was that men of talent should enter, who would be frightened away by great austerities. Our different observance was necessary to distinguish us from the Calced. I may have remarked that the friars would feel the cold as much with sandals as without. What I certainly did say was that it looked very bad for religious to be discalced and to ride good mules. It ought not to be allowed except on a long journey or when really needed, for the two things are incompatible. Some young friars who did not appear to have far to go, passed here on mules though they might just as well have walked.

So I repeat that it does not look well that young Discalced friars should be mounted on saddled mules. The other idea never occurred to me for you are too discalced already. Will your Reverence advise that the former rule should be kept, and will you write to our Father about it. The point on which I insisted very strongly was that the friars should be given good food, for 1 well remember what your Reverence told me and often feel very unhappy about it, — in fad:, 1 was grieving about it only yesterday or this very day, before your letter came, for it seems to me that if the religious are so treated, the Reform will come to an end in no time/ I turned to God for consolation, for He Who began the work will direft it: I am glad your Reverence agrees with me on the subjed:.

The other thing for which I have often asked our Father is that he should prescribe some manual labour, were it only basket-making, to be done during recreation if there is no other time. It is most important,except during study time, that such work should be done. You must understand, my Father, that I wish the virtues to be insisted on, not austerities, as you will see in our convents. It must be because I am not much given to penance myself. I thank our Lord sincerely for giving you such light on important questions. It is a great thing to seek His honour and glory in every way. May His Majesty give us grace to die a thousand deaths for that! Amen, amen.

The unworthy servant of your Reverence, Teresa de Jesus.

It is most kind of vou to send me our Father's letters, as when he writes he does so very briefly; this is not surprising for it is by my own request.

In fa6l, I thank God when I read them and your Reverence is bound to do the saine, as it was vou who began the work at Paterna. You should keep the subjeól before the archdeacon. The dean and the other canons are also on our side, and I am making fresh friends.