Letter 423. To Father Gracian, Burgos, June 25, 1582

The Saint begs him not to go to Seville where the plague ts raging —Virtues and poverty of the community at Burgos.—Wish that Fray Felipe should be made chaplain there —Difficulties at Toledo and at

Salamanca.

JESUS!

May the grace of the Holy Spirit be with your Reverence, my Father.

| HAVE not even yet received an answer to the letters sent you by a special messenger, and I am very anxious to have news of your health. It has been some consolation that until to-day the weather here has kept cool, so I hope that the heat will not be as oppressive as usual where you are. May God direct matters as our needs require. I assure your Reverence that it is a heavy trial that you should be travelling in this weather and that we should be unable to hear from you more often. I very much wish you not to stay long or dream of visitin g Seville, however urgently you may be needed, for the plague is certainly raging there. For love of our Lord, do not be tempted to go to that place. It would overwhelm us all with anxiety, or me at least, for though God may give you good health, any risk your health runs completely ruins mine.

You would be pleased if you could see how well he is now and writes to me continually: he ought not to be left to suffer any longer. If he came, he could hear our confessions as well, and would be happier here than at Granada.5...

You must know, my Father, that the Prioress of Toledo® has written telling me she is very ill, and really my conscience pricks me about what she suffers there, for the place is killing her. It has occurred to me that even if the nuns re-elect her, (and it would create a disturbance if you forbade them) it might be best for your Paternity to send her toAvila. This would havea double advantage: firstly, her health would improve, and secondly, we could see how the president she had chosen to represent her filled the post without being prioress. Such an invalid would be a heavy charge for the nuns of Avila, but if she recovered she would be a great help to them. They are indebted to her, for ever since Saint Joseph’s was founded, she has been the means of their receiving eight ducats a year. This plan offers many difficulties, but she has worked hard for the Order and it would grieve me to leave her there to die. When your Paternity is at Toledo you will be able to arrange matters for the best. She fancies that you are displeased with her, and from the letter you wrote saying that the community were not to touch the money, she imagines you think she is a spendthrift. I wrote explaining your meaning, and saying that you wished the sisters to have an income and to build the church by degrees. You suffer from these nuns, my Father, but it is