Letter 298. To Father Doria, Seville, Malagon, December 21, 1579

Affairs of the convents of Malagon Seville, and Veas. The foundation at Madrid. The Prior of Pastrana.

JESUS!

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

SERRANO came to-day, the feast of Saint Thomas. Your letter was very welcome as I wanted to know about your journey. Thank God for such goodness to us! May He prosper your return, though you will not enjoy it so much, for pleasure lightens toil. I thought you would have received my two letters, or at least the one I wrote almost dirccflly after you left, on St. Catharine's day. Both were addressed to the care of Senor Francisco Doria.'

God willed that we should enter the new house on the feast of the Conception, though it cost me very hard work for there was much to do to get it ready, so that I was extremely tired during the eight days I stayed there before the nuns arrived. However, I hold my labour well spent, for though much is wanting, they find it very comfortable.

God has arranged the rest better than I deserve.

I am astounded at the havoc the devil has wrought through misgovernment, and at the fear, or rather the spell, under which he held the nuns. They are certainly all good souls, desirous of perfection, and most of them, indeed, nearly all, were greatly distressed at what was wrong but did not know how to remedy it. They are now thoroughly undeceived, and I feel certain that no one wishes for any change, even for Brianda's sister, who is delighted at not coming here.

I assure your Reverence, my Father, that we must examine carefully as to whom we entrust such charges, for the nuns are so submissive that their chief trouble was a scruple at considering that their superior's a6tion was wrong — as it was. They are delighted with their new prioress, in which they are right. I believe that all the sisters are glad, except two or three who regret the loss of their former confessor. I told them at once that no one had leave to confess to him, of which most of the rest were glad. I managed to keep the matter private, but spoke very plainly to him. I feel sure that he is sincerely religious and has had no ill-will in the matter. As he lives at a distance and has other work, the change was made unnoticed. I invite him to preach to us, and I see him from time to time. All is now straightforward, glory be to God!

My only trouble is that the community are deeply in debt. All the money has been squandered on account of the long period of mismanagement. The sisters knew it must be the case, but the superior told them very little : having been professed so recently, she probably knew no better. Such obstinacy in following one's own opinion does much harm.

Will your Reverence advise the prioress who is about to be reinstated in her office to study carefully what are her obligations towards the Order, to fulfil them, and to keep the Constitutions, and then she cannot go wrong. Otherwise, God makes the best of friends become our accusers. Superiors must not suppose that they can make and unmake rules in their houses like married people. Kindly show her this letter. I felt annoyed at times with her and the other nuns I took to Seville from here, because they told me nothing. However, there was little to relate at first compared with what occurred later on.

If any nun at Seville should wish to confess to some other priest than the usual confessor appointed by your Reverence, let her be given the permission if he is one of the fathers from los Remedios chosen by yourself. The nuns here have had much to suffer on this point, their souls having been bound down in a way that was hard to bear. They tell me here that the Seville sisters have written advising them to insist on having Brianda as prioress: that this course had been successful at Seville, and would be here. Will your Reverence give the prioress a good penance, for she ought to have known that

I am not such a bad Christian as to have taken so serious a decision without grave reason, nor should I have paid so high a price for the house had I considered it worthless. I forgive them for the opinion they must hold of me: may God forgive them too! If His Majesty had not willed that I should see it would be bad for them, I should have tried to bring; back the former Prioress to Mala-gon, as I restored the Prioress at Seville. I assure your Reverence that if Mother Brianda returned, it would completely destroy the peace of the house, not to speak of other drawbacks. In such a weighty matter, those at a distance should not condemn one who would forfeit her own peace for the comfort and good of a single soul.

I heard some days ago that the fathers at Pastrana were ill :' they ought to be well again by this time. Your Reverence should not trouble about it, nor allow it to prevent your doing what is requisite at Seville. The matter that remains to be seen to after Kingtide will require great discretion, and if God should bring the reply from Rome, it would not be fitting that you should be unable to get here in good time.

Fray Gabriel, Prior of la Roda, came to see me before the feast of the Conception. He gave me to understand that he came to arrange about Doiia Isabel Osorio's proje(5l. As Dona Luisa' told me that the Archbishop' would not license the foundation at Madrid unless the house had an annuity,

" Father Doria was prior of Pastrana. Dofia Luisa de la Cerda. '"Of Toledo.

I am delaying the entry of Doiia Isabel until I see whether she could help us in the case. I do not know how it could be managed, even though she gave us all her fortune, for as she could not do so until she entered, we should have to find some one who would stand security for the sum meanwhile. We will discuss the matter when you come here.

I was amused at Father Gabriel's confiding to me as a secret that the despatch had been sent to Rome. He stated that it had already gone, that he had learnt of it from Don Luis" and that he feels sure that as the petition comes from the king himself, it will be answered promptly without waiting for the General Chapter. God grant it may ! I pretended that it was news to me. He declared that he was very glad, as well he might be ! I will tell you the rest when we meet.

The Prioress of Veas sent me some letters for Casademonte, asking him to what address she is to forward the hundred ducats which she has in hand, so we need trouble no more about that afiair.

I am delighted at your tidings of the Archbishop,' but you have ad:ed very wrongly in omitting to give him kind messages from me. Please do so at once. You can assure him that I pray for him specially every day when I receive Holy Communion. May His Majesty have your Reverence in His keeping and bring you here in good health! Never fear that I shall let you leave us soon. Mother Prioress asks to be remembered to you,

" Don Luis Manrique, one of the four assessors. ' Don Cristobal de Rojas, Archbishop of Seville, and the nuns are looking forward to your visit. The unworthy servant of your Reverence, Teresa de Jesus. Father Felipe makes an excellent confessor. Give Fray Gregorio kind messages from me and his sister. She is extremely good and cannot contain her happiness. Consider whether it would not be well for the prioress here to be novice-mistress: there have been so many changes that it would be an advantage for the sisters' affediions to be concentrated on the prioress. One of the nuns could help her to teach them. As regards spiritual matters, such as prayer and temptations, recommend her not to exad: more than the nuns are inclined to say, according to what you made them sign: this is important. I am very glad that Father Prior of las Cuevas is satisfied: truth is a great thing. Remember me kindly to him.