Letter 224. To Father Gracian, Avila, April 15, 1578

The Saint warns him against elediing a Provincial without permission ; she advises him to have recourse to the King or the Pope or the General instead. Visit of Father Gracians mother and sister to Avila.

Jesus be with your Paternity, my Father.

INCE Father Prior of Mancera left I have O spoken about the province to Master Daza and Doctor Rueda, as I wish you to do nothing with which fault can be found. Even though the matter should succeed, it would grieve me more than any check to our plans for which we were not to blame. Both my advisers say your projecfl would be difficult to carry through unless your Paternity's commission aifords special faculties for it. Dodtor Rueda spoke most strongly and I rely greatly on his opinion as he is very judicious, as well as a most learned man. He declares that it is an extremely difficult matter to hold an eled:ion, because it is a question of juris-did:ion; that without permission from the Pope or the General it could not lawfully be done, and the votes would be invalid.

It would be quite enough to make the Calced rush to the Pope and cry out that the Discalced had withdrawn from obedience by choosing their own superiors in an unauthorized way. It has an ugly sound. Dodlor Rueda thinks it would be more difficult to get such an election confirmed than to obtain permission from the Pope for a separate province, which he would be willing to grant if the king wrote to his ambassador to ask for it. This would be easy to manage if his Majesty were informed how the Calced treat the Discalced. Perhaps, if the matter were laid before him, he might be glad to take the step. The petition would be a great help for the Reform, as the Mitigated would respedl it more and not imagine that they would be able to abolish it.

Would it not be well for your Paternity to submit the question to the Father Master Chaves, enclosing the letter I send by Father Prior.? Pie is very sagacious, and by using his influence with the king might perhaps obtain the latter's intervention. In that case our friars who are going to Rome might take the royal letters with them. But on no account ought they to relinquish their project of going there for as Dod:or Rueda maintains, the most sure and straightforward way is to appeal to the Pope or the General.

I assure you that if Father Padilla and the rest of us had had recourse to the king, our affair would have been settled by this time. In fadt, your Paternity might yourself address his Majesty and the Archbishop on the subjecft, for if the king has to confirm and approve the Provincial's eled:ion it vould be better that he should do so beforehand, so that if he refuses his consent we may avoid the blame and failure of the election's proving invalid. Your Paternity also would be greatly discredited by having undertaken what was beyond your power and committed a blunder.

The Dod:or said it would be more tolerable if the Dominican Visitor or some other person made the eled:ion than that the Discalced superiors should themselves hold it, and that, as I said, in these cases of jurisdiction, the important point is that the principal superior should be invested with lawful authority,

I lose heart at the thought that people would have some right to blame your Paternity, though my courage only takes a stronger flight when you are not at fault, therefore I have not lost a moment in writing this so that you may consider the matter seriously.

Do you know what has occurred to me? that perhaps our Father General may have made use against us of the letters I wrote him (though they were very good in themselves) by showing them to the Cardinals and that perhaps I had better send him no more until our affairs are settled. It would be well, if there is an opportunity, to make the Nuncio a present. I know, my Father, that when you are in Madrid, you do a great deal in a day:

if you talked to one person and another and to your friends at court, and Fray Antonio spoke to the Duchess, much might he done towards persuading the king to carry out what we plan, as he wishes to maintain the Reform. Father Mariano might mention the matter, as he sees him to speak to, and could explain our position, beg him to help us, and remind him that the little saint. Fray Juan, is in captivity. In fadl the king listens to every one, and I do not understand why Father Mariano, especially, does not discuss our affairs with him and beg his aid.

But how I chatter and what nonsense I talk to your Paternity, and you put up with it all ! I assure you that I feel crushed at not being free to carry out and insist on what I have said being done. Now that the king is setting out on a long journey, I wish something could have been settled first. May God accomplish it as He has the power. We are all longing for these senoras' visit. The sisters at St. Joseph's are firmly resolved not to allow your sister to leave them without giving her the habit. It is extraordinary how anxious the nuns are to please your Paternity ! I am very grateful to them as they form a large community and are in need of money, yet they never reckon that, on occount of their longing to have some one among them related to you. Oh ! what does not Teresita say and do ! Yet I am glad to have her here, for if she left she would go so far away that I could not enjoy her company and might perhaps never see her again. However, the decision as to her home rests with me and I ought to oppose her staying here for she has been received for Valladolid where she would be very well off, while the nuns, especially Casilda, would be much disappointed if she did not go there. It is Juliana who will stay here, though I say nothing on the matter. It would be very hard for Dona Juana if I sent her to Seville, and even the girl herself might feel it when she grew up. Oh! how I long to have your other sister, the one who is with the Doncellas. She remains there and is unhappy for want of knowing the remedy, but she would be more at her ease here.

My brother Lorenzo, who is taking you this letter, is on his way to court, and I believe will go from there to Seville. Will your Paternity kindly allow him to enter the convent there to examine a cooking-stove installed by the Prioress, of which they speak wonders. Unless he sees it, we cannot have one made like it here, and if it is what they say, it would be a real treasure for all the friars and nuns. I will write asking her to allow him to enter the enclosure. But if your Paternity thinks this unnecessary, let me know, as he will be spending some days in Madrid. If you only read what they write about that stove you would not be surprised at these nuns wanting one like it. They declare that it surpasses Soto's forge and more could not be said in its favour.

As I believe that Mother Prioress is writing to you, I will conclude, only asking God to have your Paternity in His care for me. The Prioress of Alba is as ill as she can be. Pray for her, for, say what they will, hers would be a great loss to us as she is very obedient, and when that is the case, a nun corrects all her faults when she is told of them. Oh! What a trial the Malagon community is suffering from Brianda's absence! But I laugh at the idea of her returning there.

Dona Luisa de la Cerda has lost her youngest daughter. I am deeply grieved at the troubles God sends her. The widow is now the only daughter left her. I think it would be well for your Paternity to write to console her, for you owe much to her.

Will you consider the question as to your sister's remaining here? I will not oppose it if you prefer it, or if Doila Juana would rather keep her near her. But I fear lest, having already decided on her own account to enter at Valladolid, she might be tempted about it later on if she stayed at Avila for she will hear of things they have there which are lacking here, were it only their garden and orchard, for the soil of Avila is miserably sterile.

God have you in His care for me, my Father, and make you as holy as I wish. Amen, amen. My arm is recovering.

To-day is April 15. Your Paternity's unworthy servant and daughter, Teresa de Jesus.

Dona Yomar is at Avila; she is better in health and very desirous of seeing your Paternity. She is weeping for her Fray John of the Cross as are all the nuns. This has been a painful affair: the Incarnation is beginning to return to its former condition.