Letter 407. To the Licentiate Martin Alonso de Salinas, Canon of Palencia?, Hospital of la Concepcion, Burgos, March 1, 1582

Difficulty of getting houses for the nuns in Burgos and Palencia. Unfriendly behaviour of the Calced

Carmelites at Burgos.

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

Reverence.

E are comfortably settled in the hospital, thank God. It reminds me of the great merits you acquire in yours. It is a grand thing to devote oneself to sucha work. Blessed be God, Who is mindful of the poor! It is a real consolation to me. The Archbishop sent some one to see me and ask what I wanted. To reassure me, he promised, on account of the Bishop of Palencia as well as for the sake of myself and those who had petitioned for it, that he would give permission for the foundation when we had taken a house. We are excused from returning where we were, which makes one suspect he had been asked to tell us to go back. Apparently he has been applied to on the subject. . These fathers? defend themselves strongly against having done anything of the sort and complain of my having written to the canon saying they had done so. I do not know who can have told them about it, nor do I care much. Direétly we had left her house they called on Catalina de Tolosa and sent me a message, saying that I need not trouble myself about procuring an interview with them, as they would not see me until we had a house of our own unless the General gave them a mandate from Rome bidding them visit me, because they did not wish people to think our Order was identical with theirs. What a way to behave! They say that half Palencia is inan uproar on account of what I wrote. I have said this so that you might tell Canon Reynoso. I beg that neither of you willinterfere on my behalf. These fathers must have an understanding with one another; later on, some will come who are of a different opinion.

The fact is that if we wish to make the foundation we must obtain a house first. We are waiting until the two sisters at Palencia make their renunciation; until then, Catalina de Tolosa, much as she wishes to, can do nothing for us. Even now that we live at the hospital she is very generous, and takes great care of us. We are negotiating about a house that we are told we could purchase for two thousand ducats. This price is exceedingly cheap, as the house is very well built and no repairs would be needed for a long while, but it is in a most unfavourable position. The owner’s name is Hulano

General, but e/ General, ‘the’ General, as being common to both parties. Nor could any other Order have feared identification with the Discalced Carmelites. (B.Z.)