Letter 165. To Mother Mary Baptist, Toledo, January 21, 1577

PRIORESS OF VALLADOLID.

Profession of Casilda de Padilla. A postulant, Salifications for the Carmelite life. Project of foundation at Aguilar del Campo,

Jesus be with you, my daughter !

I SEND my best wishes to you and your daughter who has taken the veil. God grant you may have the happiness of her company for many years and may you both serve Him with the sand;ity for which I have been asking for you lately. Amen. I have been longing to answer your letter, and this is a very favourable occasion. I will not say much because it might do me great harm, as I am extremely tired. 1 thought of putting it oif until I had more time, but I want you to know that I have received all your letters, which reach me very satisfactorily in this way. I do not send you the Pope's dispensation as it is in Latin and I have been unable to ñnd any one to translate it for me; I will let you have it later. It came yesterday, on the feast of St. Sebastian, and aroused great devotion both in the sisters and myself. God be praised, for it is all His doing ! I am much pleased at hearing

VOL. II. 16 lie THK LETTERS OF ST. TERESA that the Señora Dona Maria is satisfied. Give very kind messages from me to her and a big kiss to my Casilda which I should like to give her myself. I should have much enjoyed being present. You were right in referring to the friars as you did; there is more authority for the whole affair.

As for the other's dowry, you tell me that you are to subtra<il fifty ducats for travelling expenses. Then, as I said, why do you state that the dowry is to be six hundred ducats, when it will not reach that sum? I forget what was arranged about the trousseau. If the girl is what they say she is, it matters little whether her jointure is less; she must bring what she has. I assure you we are in need of capable nuns. As you know, when any one is thoroughly suited to us, we need not care much about her dowry. They tell me her mistress is dying of grief at losing her and it must be true; that is why she gives the girl so little money. Her master has been made to understand that he must take her back if she is not what they say. I have felt so resolute about receiving this nun that I wondered whether it was a temptation.

Read the enclosed letter, seal it, and entrust it to Augustin de Vitoria, or to any one else who will forward it quickly; but the recipient must have nothing to pay for the messenger, and it must be delivered safely.

The Father- Visitor is so resolved upon founding that Convent/ that, if you consent, I will send Antonio Gaitan to whom he gave authority to sign the papers. Then, direólly we receive word, we will have the woman, who is old and very infirm, removed from the house. We may well suffer something, for souls are very destitute in that place. May God dired: the matter and proted: you for me, for you have settled the business well. God be praised for having brought it all about, for you are a very insignificant person in yourself. To-day is January 21.

Your servant,

Teresa de Jesus.