Letter 198. To Mother Mary of St. Joseph, Seville, Avila, the end of October, 1577

Father Gradan, Retractation of Fray Miguel's and Fray Baltasar s slander, St. Teresa elected prioress of the Incarnation, Punishment infliBed on her supporters, Teresita and Doña Luisa de la Cerda,

Jesus be ever with your Reverence, my daughter.

MY brother and I wrote to you last month by a muleteer, telling you that some difficulties had arisen concerning our affairs. But you will now have heard more details from Fray Gregorio than I could give you then. Thank God, things are better by this time and are improving daily. Our Father is well and retains his office, though I long to see him set free from these people who invent slanders too shocking to write. The best

'The Spanish gives : 'The unworthy servant of God.' Probably the paleographer took vmd. (vuestra merced) for Dio¡ as St. Teresa never made use of the above expression.

' The autograph is in the Valladolid collection.

of it is that the lash falls on their own shoulders while it turns to our benefit.

Your Reverence will have already learnt that Fray Miguel and Fray Baltasar have recanted; indeed, Fray Miguel swears that he did not write a word of the memorial, but was made to sign it by force and threats. This and other statements he made before a notary and witnesses in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The king realizes that it is pure malice, so they have hurt no one but themselves.

My head is in a very bad state. Pray for me and these brethren of ours that God may enlighten them so that they may save their souls.

I assure your Reverence that I believe such a thing as has happened at the Incarnation has never been seen before. By order of Tostado, the Provincial of the Calced' went there a fortnight ago to preside over the election of the prioress. He threatened with severe censures and excommunication any sister who gave her vote to me. However, they took no more notice of it than if he had not spoken : fifty-five of the nuns voted for me. As each of them gave him her vote, he excommunicated and anathematized her, ground the voting papers with his fist, struck them repeatedly, and finally burnt them. These religious have been excommunicated for the last fortnight. He has forbidden them to hear Mass or to enter the choir even when the Divine Office is not being recited, and no one, not even their coiifesscrs or relations, is allowed to speak to them. The wonderful part of it is that the day after this elecflion of thumps, the Father Provincial sent for the nuns who had voted for me and told them to make their eledlion. They replied that there was no election to make, for they had made it. Whereupon he again excommunicated them and, summoning the remaining forty-four nuns, chose a prioress from among them, and sent to Tostado to confirm the choice. This has been done, but the rest of the sisters are determined, and declare that they will only obey her as Vice-Prioress.

Theologians state that they are not excommunicated and that the friars have contravened the Council' by making the nun with a minority of votes prioress. My partisans have written to Tostado saying that they wish me to be prioress but he forbids it, saying that if I like I may go to the Incarnation as my house of reclusión, but that he cannot allow mc to be prioress. I do not know how it will end.

This is the sum of what happened. Every one is astonished and shocked at such doings. I should willingly forgive my supporters if they would only leave me in peace, for I do not want to live in that Babylon again, especially with my bad health which grows worse in that house. May God direót all as serves him best and deliver me from those nuns !

Teresa is well and begs your prayers. She is very bonny and is growing quickly. Ask God to make her His servant.

Let me know whether the widow has entered your convent as I hope she has, and whether her sister returned to tfie Indies.

It would be a great comfort to me to discuss several matters with you. Another day I may have longer time and a more trustworthy messenger than the bearer of this letter.

Doña Luisa is a great help to us and shows us kindness in every way. Pray for her and the Archbishop of Toledo, and never forget the king in your prayers.