Letter 422. To Don Ruiz de la Pena, Confessor of Cardinal Quiroga, Burgos, June 4, 1582

The Saint asks him to obtain permission for a foundation at Madrid. JESUS!

AY the grace of the Holy Spirit be with your Ae and fill you with His love this Whitsuntide as I ask Him, and may He repay your

Honour for honouring me by your letters, including the last I received, for they are indeed an honour for me.

Now that you are in Madrid, I should be very glad if, by God’s help, the foundation there could be made. I should see you more often and be near his most I]lustrious Lordship.’ It was a great relief that you did not remain at Toledo durin g the warm weather, and I thank God for giving His Eminence good health. May the Lord preserve him to us for many years. Dire€tly a convent is founded we begin to pray for this intention. Glory be to God, the foundation is made here. I am never well in this place but I do not wish to leave until I go to Madrid, as I am saying in my letter to his Eminence. God willing, I shall go on no more foundations, for I am very old and weary.

Some people here say that the king is going to Madrid soon; others expect his visit will be later on, but if the Cardinal consents, it seems best to me that the convent should be founded before he arrives. I feel confident that God will show his Eminence which is best, and that he wishes to oblige me, so I do not wish to be importunate. But as his Illustrious Lordship is so busy, and this matter relates to our Lord’s service, I did not wish It to be set aside through any negle@ on my part, therefore I am reminding him of it, feeling