Letter 218. To Roque de Huerta, at Madrid, Avila, March 9, 1578

Trials of the Carmelites of the Incarnation.

Jesus be ever with you. Amen.

IT will be a week next Monday since I sent you a letter by a waggoner of Avila, telling you of the proceedings of the Provincial Magdaleno/ and enclosing copies of the chancellor's letters and the notification made to him. 1 do not know whether you have received them, and should be glad if you would tell me, as I feel anxious. The enclosed papers will show you what has occurred since. I am extremely sorry for these nuns: in fadt, I do not know what to think, except that God must love them very deeply since He sends them so many heavy trials.

For the whole ten days that the Provincial and Valdemoro have been at the Incarnation, they have done nothing but persuade and threaten them, bringing people to tell them what they will sufier unless they obey and vote differently and annul the petition they signed to the Council.

The Provincial is in a great hurry, now he has got what he wanted, to go to court; it is supposed that he wishes to present the nuns' signatures to the Royal Council. I implore you, for charity's sake, to take means to make the truth known, and that force has been used: it would he doing a great service to those poor nuns. Do not allow the Council to believe that those fathers' information is true; it has all been a case of tyranny. If Senor Padilla can read these papers, show them to him.'

Father Magdaleno has declared positively that he has a royal mandate to seize your person if you are found in Avila, and that he was two leagues from Madrid when they called him back to give him the order. He adds that Tostado has full powers over both Calced and Discalced and that he has sent Fray John of the Cross to Rome. May God, for His Name's sake, deliver the father from his hands, and may He bestow on you His holy grace.

March 9.

Your honour's unworthy servant, Teresa de Jesus.

For love of God, I entreat you to make known at once to the members of the Council what force has been used with the nuns. It would be a great boon for all of us, and no one pities these martyrs.

It is three days since this was written, and the Provincial is still tormenting the sisters.