Letter 161. To Fray Mariano, Madrid, Toledo, the middle of January, 1577

Do?i Nicolas' postulant. Don Gaspar de iroga made Archbishop of Toledo, "The Caked fathers,

Jesus be with your Reverence.

OH, how glad I was to hear you are well! May God be for ever praised, for I have felt sadly anxious about you for some days. For the love of God, take care of yourself, for if your health is good, all will go well. To tell the truth, when I see you ill or in trouble, I realize how much I love you in in the Lord.

Before I forget it, on x<:) account do anything to bring Nicolas to Madrid, as you would be doing the nuns of Seville a very bad turn. Wait until the widow has entered, for the prioress tells me that the devil is doing all he can to prevent her and Nicolas is a match for his plots. The lady very much wants to come, but others suggest scruples to her, and you see how important the matter is for the nuns, as they could pay for their house with her dowry.

I am very glad that God has given Toledo such a good Archbishop. As for the friars' calumnies, I care nothing for them ; they will fall to the ground as the rest did, and are aimed at one who longs for sufferings.'

I sent the archdeacon the letter that came with my own to-day, direélly I received it. I think he will do nothing and I do not want to give him any more trouhle, if only because we have an archbishop now. I have been wondering whether, since the affair is now publicly known, we could persuade him to speak to the religious here on the subjedt.

If they are treating Tostado as you say, there is no fear of those at Toledo (I mean the friars), molesting us any more.

I am glad that you are going to see Doña Luisa, for we owe her much in many ways. She wrote telling me that she expelled a visit from you. The archdeacon promised to ensure that the letter was answered soon, and said he should call on me. I will see to it. These last few days have not been a time for business.

I have not dared to explain the matter more fully in my former letters but can tell you now that I have been unable to withdraw the affair from the hands of the two simpletons to whom Father Juan Diaz had entrusted it. This Cordoba is a cousin of Father Valdemoro:' the other is a friend of the Prior and the Provincial. What they both said — and it was no light accusation to make — they both believed. I do not think they wished to deceive, for they are both good men: still, when anything is manifestly unjust, it cannot be very warmly seconded. As far as we can learn, our Father is now in Granada, to which the Archhishop asked him to return, the Prioress of Seville says: I know nothing more.

Will you thank Nicolas for what he has done for the nuns; if God calls him to attend to more important affairs than the archbishop's, of your charity leave him free to do so, for our Lord will provide His Grace with some one else. I should indeed be sorrv if he met with any trouble, nor is this much to say, for we are both deeply indebted to him.

I have long known for certain that the Grand Inquisitor was coming to Toledo. It will be a very good thing for us, although in some ways it would not seem so. . .