Letter 406. To Mother Mary of St. Joseph, Prioress of Seville, Burgos, February 6, 1582

Difficulties about making the foundation at Burgos. Teresita.

Jesus be with your Reverence, my daughter, and have you in His keeping. Amen. | AM writing from Burgos where we arrived twelve days ago; yet nothing has been done regarding the foundation on account of much the same kind of difficulties as occured at Seville. ] go on with my plans, convinced that God will be greatly served in this convent and that what is happening is for the best, as it will make the Discalced nuns better known. Burgos beingthe capital’, perhaps if we had entered quietly no one would have noticed us. All this clamour and Opposition will do us no harm: in fa@, some ladies are inclined to enter as postulants although the foundation has not yet been made. Will your Reverence and the nuns pray about the matter.

The bearer of this letter is brother to a lady? in whose house we are staying, and who was the cause of our coming to this city. We owe much to her. Four of her daughters are nuns in our convents, and I think two more will enter. I tel] you this so that you may show him every kindness if he goes

TO MOTHER MARY OF S. JOSEPH 291 to Seville: his name is Pedro de Tolosa. You can send me an answer by him, and even the money too. For charity’s sake try your best to pay me and let me have the whole sum, for I have the written promise that the debt should be settled this year. Do not forward it in the same way as the other sum, or I shall be annoyed with your Reverence. It will be safe with Pedro de Tolosa, and if you give it to him he will bring it here. Be good enough to render him any service you can; we shall lose nothing by it—in fact we owe it to him for his sister's sake.

Our Father accompanied us to Burgos and has helped us greatly in our difficulties. He is well. God preserve him to us, for we need him! I brought Teresita with me, for I was told that her relations wished to take her out of the convent, so I dared not leave her. Her perfection is charming. She sends kind messages to your Reverence and the nuns. Give them many from me, and tell them to be sure to pray for me.

The sisters who came here with me wish to be remembered to you: they are excellent religious and bear our trials with great courage. We encountered great dangers during the journey, as owing to the heavy rain, the streams and rivers had overflowed and it was risky to venture across them. It must have affected my health, as ever since I reached Valladolid I have suffered from an acute sore throat which no remedy will cure. Iam better, but cannot eat any food which requires mastication. Do not be distressed about it: with the help of God