Letter 310. To Don Lorenzo de Cepeda, la Serna, About February 10, 1580

On the payment of the money owing to him at Seville.

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

“| P eSAbae I have written to you several times lately, I would do so still more frequently if I could find a messenger. I am sending you this as I am not sure whether I can forward letters from Villanueva. I expected to leave before now, but it will not be long before they come to fetch us, though it injures me to travel during Lent.

I was glad to hear from the Prioress of Seville that she was going to pay her debt to you. She promises to remit about four hundred ducats at once, as you will see by the note enclosed. The letters have so far to go that I have not dared to send them all to you. I have received two from you asking me to request her to pay the money. My letter will have reached you at the place I mentioned before I write to her again. I said that you would be contented with even half the sum, but that if you knew she was in want of the money, you would forgo your own need and not ask for it. I am not sure that it is not safer at Seville, for you always said you wanted it to build a chapel and you will only spend it all if you have it. May God prosper the payment since you say you want it for Him, so that you may gain by your gains !

As I said, my health is better here than at Avila, though I am not exempt from my usual attacks,

Father Nicolas will be going to Pastrana soon. Be good enough to write to him, as you will be nearer to him than I am. When I know that he has reached Pastrana, I will arrange to have your money forwarded. The Prioress of Malagon is charged with collecting the money owing to you in that part of the country. I am writing to her saying that she is to give it to you as soon as she receives It.

Our sisters at Seville are prospering. They inherit eight hundred ducats from the old lady who died in the Indies; the legacy is being brought to them, --- The only other news I have to tel] you is that the Prior of las Cuevas is most dangerously ill on account of a fall he had. Pray for him, for we owe him much. He helps the nuns immensely: his would be a great loss to them. God grant you may gain great riches for eternity in your solitude: all the rest vanishes like fairy money, though there is no harm in any one owning it who makes as good use of it as you do. I kiss your hands repeatedly.

To-day is F ebruary ...

Your Honour’s unworthy servant, Teresa de Jesus. ‘ Mary of St. Joseph gave the legacy to the fund for the affairs in ome,