Letter (number unidentified). To Father Alonso de Aranda, Priest of Avila, Madrid, Avila, November 10, 1577

Congratulations on his gaining a lawsuit, 'The Saint begs him to try to remedy the state of things at the Incarnation,

JESUS!

May the Holy Spirit be with you, my Father, and may our Lord repay you for the consolation your letters give me !

IT has been the greatest consolation to me to learn that you have won your cause in the lawsuit; I have thanked our Lord for it repeatedly. I do not know whether it is very high perfection to be so glad about a temporal matter. As I think that you, too, must have been much pleased, and that I am right in congratulating you, I do so. We shall miss your presence at Avila at such a time as this: may God remove our difficulties so that we shall not need the favour of my Señora la Marquesa and your own good services.

You must know, my Father, that the nuns of the Incarnation are still in the same state, greatly to my sorrow. I heartily wish that they would submit to the prioress of the house, whom they now obey merely as vice-prioress. It appears to them that the welfare of the community depends upon the person they eleóted, although in that they may be mistaken. They think, that without her, all will be lost immediately, as the Calccd fathers are returning: therefore these nuns say that they shall hold out as long as possible. I beg you, for charity's sake, to enquire whether there is any way of getting Tostado or the Provincial to absolve them, or even the nuncio, if he is going to Madrid.

As the matter stands, the community can do nothing, and theirs will be a very hard case if it lasts some time. Will you consult the Licentiate Padilla and then write to Father Julian de Avila, telling him what measures you have agreed upon, as he has much influence over the nuns and might be able to persuade them to give their obedience to Doña xAna. They pay little attention to what I say because they know I do not wish to return to the Incarnation.

I beg my Señora the Marquesa to do her best in

THE LETTERS OF ST. TERESA the matter. It would be a great comfort to me to see the community at peace again.

I shall not write to the Licentiate Padilla lest I might tire him, for he has work enough to fatigue him, but 1 am longing to hear what is being done about Tostado. Kindly give the Licentiate all particulars relating to the sisters at the Incarnation. Such a situation cannot be allowed to continue long, in fad:, it ought to have been over before now. It is very disturbing, and cannot fail to cause offences against God.

May His Majesty watch over you! Your daughters here commend themselves to your prayers. To-day is the eve of St. Martin.

When once your Reverence has informed yourself of what has happened and has consulted the Licentiate Padilla, if you cannot find a messenger who will start at once, my Señora the Marquesa will put a lad in her service at your disposal. If you see that this inconveniences her, choose some one for the purpose and we will pay him here. This affair cannot be permitted to continue after the end of next week, otherwise the whole house will fall into confusion, as you will see from the enclosed letter written by Fray John.'

If you are sending a messenger, kindly inform the Licentiate Padilla and Señor Roque de Huerta who may perhaps have some letters from our Father to forward to me.

May God redtify the matter (for such things