Letter (number unidentified). To Don Diego de Mendoza?, Valladolid, August 21, 1 580

Thanks for letter and kindness received. § piritual advice.

JESUS!

May the Holy Ghost ever be with your Lordship, Amen.

| ASSURE your Lordship that I cannot understand why I and the nuns were so excessively delighted and consoled by your honouring us with more, and that he asks the holy persons with whom he deals to pray for you. He is so earnest about the matter that I believe their prayers will help you, for he told me one day that he is not content with your Lordship’s being a very good man—you must be a great saint. My ideas are more modest. I should be satisfied if you were satisfied with what suffices for yourself and were not so charitable in trying to obtain others’ well-being, for I see that if you were left at peace, you could possess peace, and could occupy yourself in obtaining your eternal well-being, serving Him with Whom you are to dwell for ever, Who never wearies of bestowing blessings.

We know the date of the Saint’s feast you mention, and shall all go to Holy Communion on that day for your intention, paying off our debts to you by doing our best. Your last kindness to me shows that I can always ask for more, if need-be.. But our Lord knows that the greatest you could render me would be to go where you could do me no more such service, though I wished for it. However, when I want anything I shall appeal to you as the master of the house.

I know what difficulty Sisters Maria, Isabel, and your ‘godmother’ find in writing to you. As for Isabelita de San Judas,} she is silent, and being unused to writing, I do not know what she could find to say. I have decided not to alter a word. Your Lordship must bear with their mistakes, as