Letter 195. To Philip Ii. King of Spain, Avila, September 18, 1577

St Teresa defends Father Gracian and the nuns against false charges brought against them. The good done by him in the Order, Reasons against Tostado' s making a visitation,

JESUS !

May the grace of the Holy Spirit be ever with your Majesty ! Amen.

A MEMORIAL against Father Gracian which has been presented to vour Majesty has come under my notice. I am astounded at the artifices of the devil and the Calced Fathers, who, not content with defaming the servant of God — and that he can truly be called for he edifies us all, and the communities he visits always write telling me he has put fresh spirit into them — not content with defaming him, as I said, they have tried to tarnish the reputation of the religious houses which serve God so faithfully.

For this purpose they have made use of two Discalced friars, one of whom, before he became a lay brother, was servant in one of our priories and showed by his actions that he was not in his right mind. This Discalced friar and others who were angry with the Father Master Gracian because it was his duty to punish them, were chosen as their instruments by those of the cloth, who made them sign such absurd charges against the Discalced nuns that I should laugh at their inventions, did I not fear that the devil might harm us by them. Such adtions would be monstrous in one who wore my habit. I entreat your Majesty, for the love of God, not to permit such infamous accusations to be heard in the courts for, as the world goes, though they should be thoroughly disproved, people might retain a lingering suspicion that there must be some grounds for such a charge. Besides the Reform would not be promoted by a slur being cast upon what, by the mercy of God, is so genuine a reform. This, if your Majesty wishes, you can learn by reading an attestation drawn up by order of Father Gracian, regarding certain points concerning those convents, by some circumsped: and holy men acquainted with the nuns. As the motives of those who wrote the accusation can also be made clear, for love of our Lord let your Majesty examine the matter as oneaffefting His honour and glory, for if those of the cloth saw that any attention was paid to their efforts to stop the visitation, they would accuse the Visitor of heresy, and people with little fear of God find it easy to prove whatever they wish.

I am grieved at the sufferings of this servant of God, upright and blameless as he is in every way, and I feel in duty bound to beg your Majesty either to proteft him or remove him from danger. He is the son of those employed in your Majesty's service of which he is not unworthy. It seems to me that he has truly been sent us by God and His blessed Mother, for it was his great devotion to her that drew him to our Order to be my helper. During over seventeen years I had suffered all alone from those fathers of the cloth and did not know how to endure it, as my feeble strength was unequal to the task.

I beg your Majesty to forgive my having written so long a letter. In fad:, my great affeftion for you has made me daring, for I thought that as God bears with my presumptuous complaints, your Majesty too would suffer them.

May He hear all the prayers made by the friars and nuns of our Order that your Majesty mav be preserved to us for many years because we have no other earthly helper.

Written at St. Joseph's, Avila, September 18,1 577. The unworthy servant and subjed: of your Majesty, Teresa de Jesus, Carmelite.

I believe that while Tostado is in his present position, no good but great harm would result from the visitation, especially as he has been joined by the preacher who was formerly a Calced friar. I beg your Honour to command thatenquiries should be made concerning Father Gracian's life, and if need be, all we Discalced nuns will swear that we have never heard a word or seen an ad:ion of his that was not edifying. He has shown such extreme rcludlance to enter our convents that, though his entrance seemed indispensable when he held chapters, he has usually conduced them at the grille.