Letter 258. To Roque de Huerta, Madrid, Avila, towards the end of December, 1578

Thanks for his help. Notification of the Odiober Brief at St. "Joseph's, Avila.

JESUS! May the grace of the Holy Spirit be with your

Honour.

ENCLOSED is a letter for the Father Master Chaves, telling him that you will acquaint him with the state or our affairs. Manage to find an opportunity of talking to him and giving him my letter, and tell him how those blessed fathers [bemlitos] treat us. I think this missive will have some etfedl, for I beg him to speak to the king and explain the injuries done to us nuns when we were subje6t to the Calced. God forgive them! for they give your Honour such work that I do not know how you have strength to bear it. I know that the cost must be heavy : it depresses me deeply that I cannot do what I wish on account of the many claims upon me here. Much as I should like to help to pay for the fathers' journey to Rome, I do not see how I can, as the other houses have to subscribe by my means. It will be no small thing if the sum is found. However, I should consider it all well spent, for if we were at peace I could carry out my wishes with regard to him to whom we are under such great obHgations.

This information will show you how little the royal provision avails us with these fathers. I do not know whether they would respe(5l even the king himself. As they are accustomed to do as they choose and matters are favourable to them here, I assure you that it would be the most dangerous risk possible to attempt to arrange affairs with them just now. You mention that the Discalced at Alcala and Pastrana submitted to the Calced, but as I do not know whether their answer was identical with ours, will you be kind enough to tell me, for our Father has said nothing to me on the subjedl. He cannot have been at Pastrana.

I received all the papers you sent, but they arrived too late for the other houses. Will you let us know of what use they are to us unless the authorities order that our fathers should be driven out of their priories or take any other extreme measure. This morning has been a day of doom: all the lawyers, men of letters, and gentlemen present were horrified at the irreligious behaviour of the Calced friars. I was greatly distressed and would willingly have allowed them to hear . . . but we did not dare to speak. Believe me, they cannot truthfully assert that they saw us do anything amiss, as Pedro was at the door and went to tell my brother diredlly the fathers came. I felt anxious until I saw Lorenzo arrive with the corregidor. However, their presence will benefit us little as people will probably put more faith in the inventions of the Calced than in our truthfulness. Be charitable enough to send our Father a statement of all that happened for I have not time to write to him. Also kindly let me know whether you are both well.

I sent another letter by mistake for the one from Valladolid which I asked you to read and forward to him. The one meant for you is still here. I asked him how the Visitation of the Calced friars succeeded and gave him an account of all that had passed. I have asked the nuns of Valladolid and Medina to write to you on the matter

Let me know what you can about Fray Baltasar's interview with the Nuncio, also whether the Mitigated friars are entitled to notify to our fathers, as, according to the wording of the Brief, no one but the Provincial has the right to delegate such authority. So people declare here, but I am uncertain as to its being the case.

Report says that I am to be transferred to another convent; if it should belong to the Mitigated, how much worse a life mine will be than that which they led Fray John of the Cross! I wondered whether an excommunication was to be fulminated against me to-day, as a small document came with the large one. I do not merit the grace of such sufferings as Fray John's. I was extremely glad that the father left so opportunely. . .

CCLVI

Prefatory note.

The Nuncio went to the king to ask for an apology from the Count deTendilla. 'The count owes you satisfaction,' replied Philip, 'and I will see that he offers it, and will show him that no one in my kingdom is allowed to show disrespect to the Holy Father's representative with impunity. But,' he continued in icy tones: 'I am aware of the hostility shown by the Mitigated against the Reform which looks ill, as the Discalced lead austere and perfect lives. See that you favour virtue, for people tell me that you are no friend of the Discalced.' The Nuncio, who knew the inflexible character of the king, was much disturbed by his tone and manner, for now both king and court and council, as well as the people were against him. The count, who was absent from Madrid, wrote an apology containing an account of the wrongs suffered by the Discalced at the hands of the Mitigated. He directed it to Pazos who showed it to Philip by whom it was transmitted to Sega without a word. On the Count's return to court, he called on Sega who cut short his excuses by saying: 'I protest that I have meant to do right in this matter. To prove it, I shall be glad if the king will choose some persons to examine into the affair with me.' Philip, greatly pleased, chose four assessors : Don Luis Manrique, the royal almoner ; Canon Villavicencio, Augustinian, preacher to the court ; Fray Hernando del Castillo, Dominican ; and Fray Pedro Hernandez, Dominican, who, as already stated, the Duke of Alba had summoned to court to take charge of the affairs of the Reform. Of Don Luis Manrique it is told that when Sega said to him: 'You are rather the advocate of the Discalced than their judge,' Manrique replied : ' And your Eminence is more their fiscal-procurator than their judge.' The assessors requested the Nuncio to hand over to them all documents and informations written by the

Mitigated against the Discalced for investigation. (Don Mir. Bk. IV. ch. x.)

In both his Peregrin, and Adkiones to Ribera's Vida de Santa Teresa., Father Gracian says that though he could have cleared his character, yet rather than injure the prospect of the separation of provinces by the delay, he allowed himself to be condemned and punished for the crimes alleged against him by the Caked, merely telling the Nuncio that he was innocent and resigning his fate into Sega's hands.