Letter 285. To Don Teutonic de Braganza, Archbishop of Evora, Valladolid, July 22, 1579

The Saint sends him a copy of The Way of PerfeBion ' and the Life of St. Albert.' ProspeB of war between Spain and Portugal.

JESUS!

May the grace of the Holy Spirit ever be with your Grace, Amen.

AS I sent a long letter to your Grace last week when forwarding to you the little book, this is but a short note, written because I forgot to ask you to have the pamphlet, The Life of St, Albert which is enclosed in the book, printed together with it. This would be a great comfort to all us nuns, as we only have it in Latin. It has been translated, (for love of me), by a Dominican father, one of the best theologians of these parts and a great servant of God. As he had no idea it was to be printed, he has neither obtained nor asked for his Provincial's permission. However, that can be of little consequence, supposing that your Grace approves of it and orders that it should go to the press.

In my letter to your Grace, I stated that our affairs were prosperous and that I have been told to go to Salamanca, where I expedt to remain for a few days : I shall write to you from thence. For the love of our Lord, do not omit to tell me about your health, if only to compensate for my loneliness when I no longer find you there. I also beg you to let me know whether there is any prosped: of peace,' for as I wrote to you, I am deeply distressed at what I hear about our side. If on account of my sins, the negotiations should end in war, I fear that it would be most unfortunate for your country, and could not fail to be very hurtful even to ours.

escribe. . . Jno de i 582, so that the book was probably published before the Saint's death.

They say that it is the Duke of Braganza who causes the dissension : which, setting aside the many other reasons, grieves me exceedingly as he is a kinsman of yours. For love of our Lord, since you must have great influence over him, persuade him to come to an agreement. Accounts say that our king is doing all he can to bring this about, which is strongly in favour of his cause. Picture to yourself the great evils that may result, as I said, and let your Grace look to the honour of God, as I believe you will, regardless of all else.

May His Majesty diredl the matter as we entreat of Him. I assure your Grace that I feel it so poignantly that I would rather die than witness it, if God allows things to come to the worst. May He deign to preserve you to us for many years for the good of His Church, granting you the sandtity I ask for you and grace to smooth away these difficulties, which would render Him great service. Every one here says that our king is in the right, and that he has neglected no means of making sure of it. May the Lord enlighten men to see the truth without so many lives being lost in battle ! Now that Christians are so few, it would be deplorable that they should kill one another.

All the sisters here, your humble servants, who are known to you, are well, and appear to be making progress in perfediion. They are zealous in praying

John III. The Pope supported Philip's right which was made good by the victory of the Spanish army under the Duke of Alba against the Prince of Crato. Portugal remained under Spanish rule for sixty years.

for your Grace, and I, wretch though I am, do so continually.

To-day is the feast of the Magdalen. Written in the Carmel of the Conception at Valladolid.

Your Grace's unworthy servant and subje(5t, Teresa de Jesus.