Letter 381. To Don Sancho Davila, Alba?, Avila, October 9, 1581

St. Teresa consoles him on the death of his mother and gives him some spiritual advice.

JESUS!

May the grace of the Holy Spirit be ever with your Honour.

le was a great favour and pleasure for me to ; receive a letter from you, but my joy was diminish- rf ed on learning that your visit, to which I had been q looking forward, was not to take place. May our Lord be glorified!

What you feel as a calamity, I consider a great mercy from God, for her torturing pain could neither benefit your Mother’s soul nor health, so that you can thank His Majesty for her relief, since in depriving you of her He has not deprived you of the power of serving Him, which is the chief thing.

Though you do not feel a strong determination not to offend God, yet as you are resolute when there is an opportunity of serving Him and in

TO DON SANCHO DAVILA 221 withdrawing from what would displease Him, it is, in my opinion, a true sign of your desire. Your wish to receive the Blessed Sacrament every day, and regret at missing it, is amark of closer friendship with our Lord than the ordinary determination of which you speak. Always keep in mind the mercies He has shown you, so that your love may increase, and cease to brood over your own meanness and miseries, which often crowd before the memory of all of us, especially of mine.

As for my attention wandering while reciting the Divine Office, though perhaps I may be much to blame, I prefer to think it comes from weakness of the head as you should in your case, for our Lord knows well that, when we recite, we wish to do it very well indeed. I confessed it to-day to the Father- Master Fray Domingo’ who told me to take no notice of it. I ask you to do the same, for I believe the evil is incurable.

I am extremely sorry you have tooth-ache, for I know from experience what torturing pain it is. If one tooth is decayed, the rest ache as though they were too. I never found a better remedy than extraction, though if the pain comes from cold, that is useless. May God free you from it, as I ask of Him.

You have done well to write the history of so saintly a life: I could bear witness to its sanctity. I kiss your hands for promising to let me read it.

My health is better: compared with what I was Jast year, I may say I am well, though rarely without suffering. However, as I realize that it is best for us in this life, I accept it willingly.

Ishould like to know whether the Marquis is with you and how his daughter Dofia Juana de Toledo and the Marchioness are. Please tell them that, though I go far away, I do not forget them in my poor prayers. I pray much for your Honour: as you are both my father and my sefior, that is nothing out of the way.

I kiss your hands for assuring me that you will do whatever I ask of you. I wish to make a request now, feeling confident that you will grant it if advisable. I want to confide (to yourself alone) a _ reat sorrow from which I have suffered during ~ the past year: perhaps you may be able to remedy the trouble.

As, for my sins, the matter has been made public, no doubt you have heard of the violent jealousy of Don Gonzalo’s wife on her husband’s account, and that people say, as coming from her, that a guilty love exists between him and my sister’s daughter, Dofia Beatriz. This is afirmed by Don Gonzalo’s wife with such publicity that most persons must believe her. The girl’s good name must have been lost beyond recall, but I am deeply grieved that a relation of mine should have occasioned such offences against God. I have implored my niece’s parents to send her away from Alba, as many theologians have told me they were bound todo. But even if they were not bound, common prudence would teach us to fly from the tongue of a passionate woman as from a wild beast. Other people tell the parents that this would make the

TO DON SANCHO DAVILA 2.23 scandal seem true and that they ought not to leave the place. The husband and wife are said to have separated. The wife’s sister has spread the report in Avila, and many false accusations are made against Dofa Beatriz: it is a subje&t of gossip even in Salamanca. The scandal is developing and nothing is being done to stop it. Her parents take no notice of the tales which are serious: they say Iam mistaken. I beg you to tell me how I can stop these offences against God, for, as I said, my niece’s reputation is hopelessly lost in the eyes of the world. A plan has occurred to me which seems but a poor remedy: though if you have any communication with Don Gonzalo you might suggest it to him. It is this: that, as he has an estate in another part of the country and sees what harm is being done to the young girl on his account, he might go there for a year or six months until his wife returns to her right mind. Meanwhile, perhaps our Lord might ordain that when he returned to Alba, Beatriz should have left the place. Otherwise, as things are going now, I fear great injury to her may result: in faét, much harm has already been done.

I entreat you to do this for me if possible, as it would free me from this trial. May our Lord remedy this matter, as He can do, and may He grant you the sanétity I ask for you.

To-day is October 9. Your Lordship’s unworthy servant and daughter, Teresa de Jesus.

May I ask you to remember me kindly to Don

Fadrique and my sefiora, Dofia Maria, as my head is not equal to writing to them. For the love of God forgive me.