,,the ,,life  ,,of  ,,st4 ,,frances ,,of
 ,,rome1  ,,by  ,,lady ,,georgiana      
,,fullerton2   ,,of  ,,blessed ,,lucy   
,,of ,,narni1   ,,of  ,,dominica ,,of   
,,paradiso   ,,and ,,of  ,,anne ,,de    
,,montmorency3   ,,with  ,an            
,introductory ,essay  ,,on ,,the        
,,miraculous ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,saints1
  ,,by ,j4 ,m4 ,,capes1 ,,esq4 ,n4,b4   
,the proprietorship of this ,series is  
secured in all countries where the      
,copyright is protected4 ,the           
authorities on which the ,history of    
,st4 ,frances of ,rome rests are as     
follows3  ,her life by ,mattiotti1 her  
,confessor for ten years4 ,mattiotti    
enjoined her1 as a matter of obedience1 
to relate to him from time to time her  
visions in the minutest detail4 ,he was 
a timid and suspicious man1 and for two 
or three years kept a daily record of   
all she told him2 afterwards1 as his    
confidence in her sanctity and sanity   
grew complete1 he contented himself with
 a more general account of her          

ecstasies1 and also put together a      
private history of her life4 ,after her 
death1 he wrote a regular biography1    
which is now to be found in the         
,bollandist collection 7,venice1 #agce1 
vol4 ii474  ,early in the seventeenth   
century1 ,ursinus1 a ,jesuit1 wrote a   
life1 which was highly esteemed1 but    
which was never printed1 and1 except in 
certain fragments1 is now lost4  ,in    
#afda1 ,fuligato1 a ,jesuit1 wrote the  
second life1 in the ,bollandist         
collection1 which contains particulars  
of events that happened after           
,mattiotti's time4  ,other well-written 
lives have since appeared3 especially a 
recent one by the ,vicomte de ,bussire1 
in which will be found various details  
too long to be included in the sketch   
here presented to the ,english reader4  
,,introductory ,,essay4  ,,the          
,,miraculous ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,saints4
  ,in presenting to the general reader a
 newly-written ,life of so extraordinary
 a person as ,st4 ,frances of ,rome1    

together with the biographical sketches 
contained in the present volume1 it may 
be useful to introduce them with a few  
brief remarks on that peculiar feature  
in the histories of many ,saints1 which 
is least in accordance with the popular 
ideas of modern times4 ,a mere          
translation1 or republication of a      
foreign or ancient book1 does not       
necessarily imply any degree of assent  
to the principles involved in the       
original writer's statements4 ,the new  
version or edition may be nothing more  
than a work of antiquarian or literary  
interest1 by no means professing any    
thing more than a belief that persons   
will be found who will1 from some motive
 or other1 be glad to read it4  ,not so1
 however1 in the case of a biography    
which1 though not pretending to present 
the results of fresh researches1 does   
profess to give an account new in shape1
 and adapted to the wants of the day in 
which it asks its share of public       
attention4 ,in this case no person can  

honourably write1 and no editor can     
honourably sanction1 any statements but 
such as are not only possible and       
probable1 but1 allowing for the degree  
of authenticity in each case claimed1 on
 the whole historically true4 ,no honest
 man1 who absolutely disbelieves in all 
documents in which the original         
chronicler has mingled accounts of      
supernatural events with the record of  
his own personal knowledge1 could       
possibly either write or edit such      
,lives as those included in the         
following pages2 still less could they  
be made public by one who disbelieves in
 the reality of modern miracles         
altogether4  ,in presenting1 then1 the  
present and other similar volumes to the
 ordinary reader1 ,i anticipate some    
such questions as these3 ,do you really 
put these stories into our hands as     
history8 ,are these marvellous tales to 
be regarded as poetry1 romance1         
superstitious dreaming1 or as historical
 realities8 ,if you profess to believe  

in their truth1 how do you reconcile    
their character with the universal      
aspect of human life1 as it appears to  
us and to our friends8 ,and finally1 if 
you claim for them the assent to which  
proved facts have a right from every    
candid mind1 to what extent of detail do
 you profess to believe in their        
authenticity8 ,to these and similar     
questions ,i reply by the following     
observations3  ,the last of these       
questions may be answered briefly4 ,the 
lives of ,saints and other remarkable   
personages1 which are here and elsewhere
 laid in a popular form before the      
,english public1 are not all equally to 
be relied on as undoubtedly true in     
their various minute particulars4 ,they 
stand precisely on the same footing as  
the ordinary events of purely secular   
history2 and precisely the same degree  
of assent is claimed for them that the  
common reason of humanity accords to the
 general chronicles of our race4 ,no    
man1 who writes or edits a history of   

distant events1 professes to have       
precisely the same amount of certainty  
as to all the many details which he     
records4 ,of some his certainty is all  
but absolute2 of others he can say that 
he considers them highly probable2 of a 
third class he only alleges that they   
are vouched for by respectable though   
not numerous authorities41 ,still1 he   
groups them together in one complete and
 continuous story1 and gives them to the
 world as history2 nor does the world   
impute to him either dishonesty1        
ignorance1 credulity1 or shallowness1   
because in every single event he does   
not specify the exact amount of evidence
 on which his statement rests4  ,just   
such is the measure of belief to be     
conceded to the ,life of ,st4 ,frances1 
and other biographies or sketches of a  
similar kind4 ,some portions1 and those 
the most really important and prominent1
 are well ascertained1 incontrovertible1
 and substantially true4 ,others again1 
in all likelihood1 took place very much1

 though not literally1 in the way in    
which they are recorded4 ,of others1    
they were possibly1 or even probably1   
the mere colouring of the writer1 or    
were originally adopted on              
uninvestigated rumour4 ,they are all1   
however1 consistent with known facts1   
and the laws on which humanity is       
governed by ,divine ,providence2 and    
therefore1 as they may be true1 they    
take their place in that vast multitude 
of histories which all candid and       
well-informed persons agree in accepting
 as worthy of credit1 though in various 
degrees4  ,supposing1 then1 that        
miraculous events may and do occur in   
the present state of the world's        
history1 it is obvious that these       
various degrees of assent are commanded 
alike by the supernatural and the       
natural events which are here so freely 
mingled together4 ,some are undoubtedly 
true1 others are probably either        
fictitious or incorrectly recorded4 ,the
 substance rests on the genuine         

documents1 originally written by        
eye-witnesses and perfectly competent   
judges2 and as such1 the whole stands   
simply as a result of the gathering     
together of historical testimony4       
,here1 however1 the ordinary ,english   
reader meets us with the assertion1 that
 the supernatural portions of such lives
 are simply impossible4 ,he assumes--for
 ,i am not exaggerating when ,i say that
 he never tries to prove--that these    
marvellous interruptions of the laws of 
nature never take place4 ,consequently1 
in his judgment1 it is purely ridiculous
 to put forth such stories as history2  
and writers who issue them are guilty   
either of folly1 ignorance1             
superstition1 or an unprincipled        
tampering with the credulity of         
unenlightened minds4 ,of those who thus 
meet the question of historical evidence
 by an assumption of a universal        
abstract impossibility1 ,i earnestly beg
 an unprejudiced attention to the       
following considerations3  ,if it be    

once admitted that there is a ,god1 and 
that the soul is not a mere portion of  
the body1 the existence of miracles     
becomes at once probable4 ,apart from   
the records of experience1 we should in 
fact have expected that events which are
 now termed miraculous would have been  
perhaps as common as those which are    
regulated by what we call the laws of   
nature4 ,let it be only granted that the
 visible universe is not the whole      
universe1 and that in reality we are    
ever in a state of most intimate real   
communion with ,him who is its ,creator2
 then1 ,i say1 we should have expected  
to have been as habitually conscious of 
our intercourse with that great ,being1 
as of our intercourse with one another4 
,the true marvel is1 that we are not    
thus habitually conscious of the ,divine
 ,presence1 and that ,god is really out 
of our sight4 ,if there is a ,god1 who  
is ever around us and within us1 why    
does ,he not communicate with us through
 the medium of our senses1 as ,he       

enables us to communicate with one      
another8 ,our souls hold mutual         
communion through the intervention of   
this corporal frame1 with such a        
distinct and undeniable reality1 that we
 are as conscious of our intercourse as 
of the contact of a material substance  
with our material bodies4 ,why1         
then1--since it is so infinitely more   
important to us to hold ceaseless       
communication with our ,maker1--why is  
it that our intercourse with ,him is of 
a totally different nature8 ,why is it  
that the material creation is not the   
ordinary instrument by which our souls  
converse with ,him8 ,let any man        
seriously ponder upon this awful        
question1 and he must hasten to the     
conclusion1 that though experience has  
shown us that the world of matter is not
 the ordinary channel of converse       
between ,god and man1 there yet remains 
an overwhelming probability that some   
such intercourse takes place            
occasionally between1 the soul and that 

,god through whose power alone she      
continues to exist4  ,in other words1   
the existence of miracles is probable   
rather than otherwise4 ,a miracle is an 
event in which the laws of nature are   
interrupted by the intervention of      
,divine agency1 usually for the purpose 
of bringing the soul of man into a      
conscious contact with the inhabitants  
of the invisible world4 ,with more or   
less exactness of similitude1 a miracle 
establishes between ,god and man1 or    
between other spiritual beings and man1 
that same kind of intercourse which     
exists between different living         
individuals of the human race4 ,such a  
conscious intercourse is indeed asserted
 by infidels as well as by atheists1 to 
be1 if not impossible1 at least so      
utterly improbable1 that it is scarcely 
within the power of proof to make it    
credible to the unbiased reason4 ,yet   
surely the balance of probability       
inclines to the very opposite side4 ,if 
there is a ,god1 and our souls are in   

communication 7of some kind7 with ,him1 
surely1 prior to experience1 we should  
have expected to be habitually conscious
 of this communion4 ,and now that we see
 that we are not at any rate habitually 
so1 still the burden of proof rests with
 those who allege that such conscious   
intercourse never takes place4 ,apart   
from all proof of the reality of any one
 professed miracle1 the infidel is bound
 to show why all miracles are improbable
 or impossible2 in other words1 why man 
should never be conscious of the        
presence and will of his ever-present   
,god4  ,protestants1 however1 and even  
weak ,catholics1 regard the record of   
one of those mysterious lives1 in which 
the soul of a man or woman has been     
repeatedly brought into this species of 
communion with invisible beings1 as a   
tale which1 though it is just possible  
that it may be true1 is yet1 on the face
 of it1 so flagrant a violation of the  
laws of nature1 as to be undeserving of 
positive hearty belief4 ,they confound  

the laws of physical nature with the    
laws of universal nature4 ,they speak of
 the nature of this material earth1 as  
if it was identical with the nature of  
things4 ,and this confusion of thought  
it is to which ,i would especially call 
attention4 ,miracles are contrary to the
 ordinary laws of physical nature1 and  
therefore are so far improbable1 but    
they are in the strictest conformity    
with the nature of things1 and therefore
 in themselves are probable4 ,if the    
laws of nature rule ,god as they control
 man1 a miracle is almost an            
impossibility2 but if ,god rules the    
laws of nature1 then it is wonderful    
that something miraculous does not      
befall us every day of our lives4       
,again1 it is in a high degree probable 
that miraculous events will generally1  
so to say1 take their colour from the   
special character of that relation which
 may exist between ,god and man at the  
time when they come to pass4 ,if1 in the
 inscrutable counsels of the ,almighty1 

man is placed1 during different eras in 
his history1 in different circumstances 
towards his ,creator and ,preserver1 it 
would seem only natural that the        
variations in those circumstances should
 be impressed upon the extraordinary    
intercourse between ,god and ,his       
people4 ,or1 to use the common          
,christian term1 each dispensation will 
have its peculiar supernatural aspect1  
as well as its peculiar spiritual and   
invisible relationship4 ,if man was     
originally in a higher and more perfect 
state of being than he is now1 it is    
probable that his communion with ,god   
was singularly1 if not totally1 unlike  
what it has been since he fell from     
primeval blessedness4 ,if after his     
fall1 two temporary states have been    
appointed to him by his ,god1 then the  
miracles of each epoch will bear their  
own special corresponding               
characteristics4 ,and lastly1 if by a   
new exercise of regenerating and        
restoring power it has pleased the      

,invisible ,one to rescue ,his creatures
 from the consequences of their ancient 
ruin1 then again we may expect to       
recognise the history of that redemption
 in the whole course of the miraculous  
intercourse between the ,redeemer and   
the redeemed until the end of time4 ,the
 supernatural elements in the           
,paradisiacal1 the ,patriarchal1 the    
,mosaic1 and the ,christian states1 may 
be expected to be in many respects      
distinct1 each embodying with awful and 
glorious power the invisible relations  
which the ,god of nature and of grace   
has thought fit to assume towards ,his  
creatures4  ,and such1 in fact1 has been
 the case4 ,not only is the ceaseless   
existence of a miraculous intercourse   
between ,god and man one of the most    
completely proved of all historical     
events1 but the miracles of each        
dispensation are found in a wonderful   
degree to correspond with the           
relationship of ,god to man in each of  
the separate epochs4 ,the same          

superhuman consistency is found to      
pervade all the works of ,god1 both     
where nature and grace are separate from
 one another1 and where the common laws 
of nature are burst through1 and the    
material universe is made as it were the
 bondslave of the unseen4 ,the impiously
 meant assertions of unbelief are       
fulfilled in a sense which unbelievers  
little look for2 and they who cry out in
 their hatred of miracles1 that all     
things are governed by unchanging law1  
may learn that in truth unchanging laws 
do rule over all1 although those laws   
have a range and a unity in the essence 
and will of ,god1 of which mortal       
intelligence never dreamed4 ,the natural
 and the supernatural1 the visible and  
the invisible1 the ordinary and the     
miraculous1 the rules of the physical   
creation and the interruptions of those 
rules1--all are controlled by one law1  
shaped according to one plan1 directed  
by one aim1 and bound to one another by 
indissoluble ties1 even where to human  

eyes all seem lost in confusion and     
thwarted by mutual struggle4  ,of what  
we should now call the miraculous1 or   
supernatural1 communion between ,god and
 man in ,paradise1 we know historically 
but little4 ,the records of revelation  
being for the most part confined to the 
state of man as he is1 and his actual   
and future prospects1 present but a     
glimpse of the conscious communion which
 was permitted to the first of our race 
in their original bliss4 ,it is1        
however1 believed by theologians1 that  
in ,paradise what we should now term    
miracles did not exist2 for this reason1
 that what is now extraordinary was then
 ordinary4 ,god conversed with man1 and 
man held communion with angels1 directly
 and habitually2 so that in a certain   
sense man saw ,god and the world now    
unseen4 ,footnote3 ,see ,st4 ,thomas1   
,summa1 pars prima1 qust4 #id4 art4     
#a1b4 ,for it is not the mere possession
 of a body which binds the soul with the
 chains of sense2 it is the corruption  

and sinfulness of our present frames    
which has converted them into a barrier 
between the spirit within and the       
invisible universe4 ,as ,adam came forth
 all pure and perfect from the hands of 
his ,creator1 a soul dwelling in a body1
 his whole being ministered fitly to the
 purposes of his creation1 and with body
 and soul together he conversed with his
 ,god4 ,it was not till the physical    
sense became his instrument of          
rebellion1 that it was dishonoured and  
made his prison-house1 and laid under a 
curse which should never be fully       
removed until the last great day of the 
resurrection4  ,upon the fall of ,adam1 
a new state was introduced1 which lasted
 about two thousand five hundred years4 
,during its continuance1 the            
supernatural intercourse between        
,almighty ,god and ,his degraded        
creatures took an entirely different    
character4 ,what had originally been    
continual1 and as it were natural1      
became comparatively rare and           

miraculous4 ,henceforth there seemed to 
be no ,god among men1 save when at times
 the usual laws of the earth and the    
heavens were suspended and ,god spoke in
 accents which none might refuse to     
hear4 ,of these supernatural            
manifestations the general aspect was   
essentially typical of the future       
redemption of the lost race by a        
,saviour4 ,that promise of deliverance  
from the consequences of sin1 which     
,almighty ,god had vouchsafed to the    
first sinners1 was repeated in a vast   
variety of miraculous interventions4    
,though there may have been many        
exceptions to the ordinary character of 
the ,patriarchal miracles1 still1 on the
 whole1 they wear a typical aspect of   
the most striking prominence4  ,the     
first miracle recorded after the fall is
 the token granted to ,abel that his    
sacrifice was accepted4 ,a deluge       
destroys all but one family1 who are    
saved in an ark1 the type of the ,church
 of ,god1 and a rainbow is set in the   

sky as a type of the covenant between   
,god and man4 ,a child is miraculously  
born to ,abraham in his old age1 who is 
afterwards offered to ,god as a type of 
the ,redeemer1 and saved from death by a
 fresh supernatural manifestation of the
 ,divine will4 ,the chosen race become  
captive in ,egypt1 as a figure of man's 
bondage to sin2 a series of awful       
miracles1 wrought by the instrumentality
 of ,moses himself1 a type of ,jesus    
,christ1 delivers them from their       
slavery1 terminating with the           
institution of the ,passover1 when the  
paschal lamb is eaten1 and they are     
saved by its blood1 as mankind is saved 
by the blood of the ,lamb of ,god4 ,the 
ransomed people miraculously pass       
through the ,red ,sea1 foreshadowing the
 ,christian's regeneration by baptism2  
as they wander afterwards in the desert1
 manna descends from heaven to feed     
them1 and water gushes from the rock to 
quench their thirst1 and to prefigure   
that sacred food and those streams of   

grace which are to be the salvation of  
all men4 ,almost every interruption of  
the laws of nature bespeaks the advent  
of the ,redeemer1 and does homage to    
,him as the ,lord of earth and heaven4  
,at length a code of laws is given to   
the chosen race1 to separate them       
completely from the rest of men1 and a  
promise of perpetual temporal prosperity
 is granted to them by ,god as the      
reward of their obedience1 and as a     
figure of the eternal blessedness of the
 just4 ,from that time with1 as before1 
occasional exceptions1 the supernatural 
events which befall them wear a new     
aspect4 ,their peculiarly typical import
 is exchanged for one more precisely in 
conformity with the leading principle of
 the new dispensation4 ,the rites and   
ceremonies of the new ,law prefigure the
 ,sacrifice and ,redemption of the      
,messias2 but the miracles of the next  
fifteen hundred years are for the most  
part directed to uphold that rule of    
present reward and punishment1 which was

 the characteristic feature of the      
,jewish theocracy4 ,the earth opens to  
punish the disobedience of ,core and his
 companions4 ,fiery serpents smite the  
murmuring crowd with instant death2     
while the promised ,saviour is          
prefigured1 not by a miracle1 but by the
 erection of a brazen serpent by the    
hands of ,moses4 ,the walls of ,jericho 
fall prostrate before the trumpets of   
the victorious ,israelites2 one man1    
,achan1 unlawfully conceals some of the 
spoil1 and an immediate supernatural    
panic1 struck into his countrymen1      
betrays the committal of the sin4       
,miraculous water fills the fleece of   
,gideon1 to encourage him to fight for  
his country's deliverance4 ,an angel    
foretells the birth of ,samson to set   
his people free1 when they are again in 
bondage4 ,samson himself is endowed with
 supernatural strength2 exhausted with  
the slaughter of his foes1 he prays for 
water to quench his thirst1 and a stream
 bursts forth from the ass's jawbone    

with which he had just slain the        
,philistines4 ,bound in chains1 blinded1
 and made a jest by the idolaters1 his  
prayer for a return of his strength is  
heard by ,god1 and he destroys a        
multitude in his last moments4  ,and    
thus1 through all the history of the    
,kings and the ,prophets1 the power of  
,god is repeatedly put forth to alter   
the laws of nature for the purpose of   
enforcing the great rule of the ,mosaic 
law4 ,the disobedience of the ,jews     
might1 if ,god had so pleased1 have been
 invariably punished by the             
instrumentality of the ordinary course  
of events1 shaped by the secret hand of 
,divine ,providence so as to execute    
,his will1 just as now we find that     
certain sins inevitably bring on their  
own temporal punishment by the operation
 of the laws of nature4 ,and so1 in the 
vast majority of instances in which the 
,jews were rewarded and punished1 we    
find that the ,divine promises and      
threats were fulfilled by the occurrence

 of events in the natural order of      
things4 ,but yet frequently miracles    
confirmed and aided the work of         
chastisement and blessing2 and of the   
numerous wonders which were wrought from
 the giving of the law to the coming of 
,christ1 we find that nearly all bore   
this peculiar character4 ,for many      
centuries also a constant miraculous    
guidance was granted to the people in   
the ,urim and ,thummim1 by which they   
were enabled1 when they chose to remain 
faithful1 to escape all national        
calamities and enjoy the fullest        
blessings of the promised land4  ,under 
the ,christian dispensation1 again1 a   
new character is imprinted upon the     
supernatural history of the ,church1    
which is1 in fact1 the impression of the
 ,cross of ,christ4 ,while the          
characteristics of the ,patriarchal and 
,jewish miracles are not wholly         
obliterated1 an element1 which if not   
entirely new1 is new in the intensity of
 its operation1 is introduced into the  

miraculous life of the children of      
,christ1 which life is really the       
prolongation of the supernatural life of
 ,jesus ,christ ,himself4 ,it is        
accompanied also with a partial         
restoration of that peculiar power which
 was possessed by man before he fell1   
when his body became a veil to hide the 
world of spirits from his soul4 ,while  
prophecies of future events have not    
wholly ceased in the ,christian ,church1
 and miracles are frequently wrought for
 the conferring of some temporal        
blessings1 yet these other wonderful    
features distinguish the supernatural   
records of ,christianity from those of  
both ,patriarchal and ,jewish times4    
,the undying power of the ,cross is     
manifested in the peculiar sufferings of
 the ,saints1 in their mystic communion 
with the invisible world1 and in that   
especial sanctity to which alone        
miraculous gifts are for the most part  
accorded under the ,gospel4 ,not that   
all these three peculiarities are to be 

observed in the life of every ,saint    
under the ,gospel4 ,far from it1 indeed4
 ,the supernatural life of the ,saints  
varies with different individuals1      
according to the pleasure of that       
,almighty ,spirit1 who communicates     
,himself to ,his elect in ten thousand  
mysterious ways1 and manifests ,himself 
according to ,his own will alone4       
,still1 at times1 they are found united1
 in conjunction with those miraculous   
powers which were possessed under the   
old dispensations in one individual4 ,in
 such cases we behold the ,life and     
,passion of the ,king of ,saints visibly
 renewed before our eyes2 the law of    
suffering1--that mysterious power1 as   
life-giving as it is unfathomable1--is  
set before us in an intensity of        
operation1 which at once calls forth the
 scoffs of the unbeliever1 and quickens 
the faith of the humble ,christian2 the 
privileges of eternity are anticipated1 
and the blessings of a lost ,paradise   
are in part restored4 ,jesus ,christ    

lives1 and is in agony before us2 the   
dread scene of ,calvary is renewed1     
united with those ineffable             
communications between the suffering    
soul and its ,god1 which accompanied the
 life and last hours of the ,redeemer of
 mankind4 ,our adorable ,lord is1 as it 
were1 still incarnate amongst us1       
displaying to our reverent faith the    
glories of ,his ,passion in the persons 
of those who are1 in the highest sense  
that is possible1 ,his members1 a       
portion of ,his humanity1 in whom ,he   
dwells1 who dwell in ,him1 and whose    
life1 in a degree incomprehensible even 
to themselves1 is hid with ,christ in   
,god4 ,such a ,saint was ,st4 ,frances  
of ,rome1 one of those glorious         
creations of ,divine grace by means of  
which1 at the time when the ,holy ,city 
was filled with bloodshed and ravaged   
with pestilence1 and when the heaviest  
disasters afflicted the ,church1        
,almighty ,god set forth before men the 
undying life of the ,cross1 and the     

reality of that religion which seemed to
 be powerless to check the outrages of  
its professed followers4  ,in ,paradise1
 then1 as has been said1 the whole      
nature of man ministered to the         
fulfilment of the end for which he was  
created1 namely1 the knowledge and love 
of ,god4 ,he came forth from his        
,maker's hands endowed not only with a  
natural soul and body untainted with    
sin1 but with such supernatural gifts1  
arising from the ,divine ,presence      
within him1 that nothing was wanting but
 perseverance to his final perfection4  
,the various elements in his nature were
 not1 as now1 at war with one another4  
,his body did not blind the eye of his  
soul1 and agitate it with the storms of 
concupiscence2 nor did the soul employ  
the body as its instrument of rebellion 
against ,god4 ,though not yet admitted  
to that glorious vision of the ,eternal 
which was to be the reward of his       
obedience1 yet he lived in direct       
commerce with the world of spirits4 ,he 

knew and conversed with ,god and ,his   
angels in a way which is now wholly     
incomprehensible to the vast majority of
 his descendants4  ,when ,adam fell1 he 
became1 in one word1 what we all are now
 by nature4 ,not only was he placed     
under a curse1 but his ,god was hidden  
from his eyes2 and that corporeal       
habitation1 which he had abused to his  
soul's destruction1 became the prison of
 his soul's captivity4 ,though created  
in the image of ,god1 and retaining1    
even when fallen1 certain traces of his 
celestial origin1 he became a mere      
helpless denizen of earth1 and a veil   
descended and hid his ,god and all      
spiritual beings from his mind4 ,from   
that time forwards suffering became not 
merely the law of his daily life1 but   
the only means by which he could be     
first restored to the ,divine favour1   
and finally be taken to a happy         
eternity4 ,and inasmuch as he was to be 
redeemed by the sufferings of ,one who  
was at once man and not man1 ,he was in 

a certain sense to share those          
sufferings1 in order to partake in the  
blessings they purchased for him4 ,a    
mystic union was to take place between  
the ,saviour and the fallen race1 of    
which a community in suffering1 as the  
instrument of restoration1 was to be for
 ever and in every case established4    
,this anguish1 further1 was to be       
twofold1 including all the faculties    
both of the body and the soul4 ,man had 
sinned in his whole being2 in his whole 
being1 therefore1 he was to suffer1 both
 in the person of his ,redeemer1 who was
 to suffer for him1 and in himself1 who 
was to suffer with his ,saviour4 ,a     
holocaust was to be offered to the      
offended ,majesty of ,god2 an offering1 
not only of his entire nature1 but a    
burnt offering2 a sacrifice which should
 torture him in the flames of ,divine   
vengeance1 and kill him with its        
annihilating fierceness4  ,as1 however1 
it pleased the ,divine ,wisdom to       
postpone for forty centuries the advent 

and atonement of the ,redeemer1 so1 for 
the same period1 the race redeemed      
participated1 in a comparatively slight 
degree1 in those restorative sufferings 
which derived all their virtue from the 
sacrifice upon the ,cross4 ,pangs of    
body and bitterness of soul were1 in    
truth1 the lot of man from the moment   
that ,adam sinned2 but they were the    
pangs and bitterness of a criminal under
 punishment1 far more than the          
sacrificial pains of the members of     
,christ crucified4 ,asceticism formed   
but a small portion of the religious    
worship of the people of ,god1 until the
 great atonement was completed upon     
,calvary4 ,not that any degree1 even the
 lowest1 of acceptable obedience could  
ever be attained without some measure of
 the crucifixion of the natural man4    
,patriarchs and ,israelites alike felt  
the power of the ,cross as the          
instrument of their sanctification4 ,but
 still earthly prosperity1 including    
bodily pleasures1 was1 as a rule1 the   

reward with which ,god recompensed ,his 
faithful servants4 ,that which became   
the rule under the ,gospel1 was the     
exception from ,adam till ,moses1 and   
from ,moses until ,christ4 ,here and    
there some great example of ,christian  
asceticism enforced upon a sensual      
people the nature of perfect sanctity4  
,elias fasted on ,mount ,carmel1 and    
beheld the skirts of the glory of the   
,most ,high4 ,the ,baptist fasted and   
tamed his natural flesh in the          
wilderness1 and beheld not only the     
,incarnate ,son of ,god1 but the descent
 of the ,eternal ,spirit upon ,him4     
,yet1 for the most part1 the favoured   
servants of ,god lived the lives of     
ordinary men2 they possessed houses1    
riches1 and honours2 and married wives1 
even more than one4  ,at length the     
,cross was set up in all its awful      
power2 suffering received its perfect   
consecration1 and took its ruling place 
in the economy of man's redemption4     
,jesus1 in descending from the ,cross1  

bestowed that ,cross upon ,his children1
 to be their treasure until the end of  
the world4 ,crucifixion with ,him1 and  
through ,him1 as their ,head1 became    
their portion and their glory4 ,every   
soul that was so buried in ,his wounds  
as to receive the full blessings of ,his
 sacrifice1 was thereby nailed1 in      
,christ1 to the ,cross1 not to descend  
from its hallowed wood until1 like      
,christ1 it was dead thereon4           
,henceforth the sanctity of ,god's      
chosen servants assumes its new         
character4 ,it is no longer written1 ,i 
will bring you into a land flowing with 
the milk and honey of this earth2 but1  
,blessed are the poor1 and they that    
suffer persecution4 ,the lot of ,abraham
 and of ,david is exchanged for that of 
,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul4 ,in place of
 triumph in war with the idolaters1 the 
,christian is promised persecution2 in  
place of many herds and flocks1 and     
treasures of gold1 ,god gives him       
poverty and sickness2 the fast1 the     

vigil1 the scourge1 take place of the   
palaces of cedar and the luxuriant      
couch2 marriage gives way to celibacy2  
and long life is a privilege in order   
that in many years we may suffer much1  
and not that we may enjoy much4 ,such is
 the ordinary course of the ,divine     
dealings with the soul since the ,cross 
received its full mysterious saving     
power4  ,and to the full as mysterious  
is the new character imprinted upon the 
miraculous life of ,christian sanctity4 
,the phenomena of that new existence1 in
 which certain souls are brought into   
mystic communion with the unseen world1 
bear the print of the wounds of the     
,eternal ,son in a manner which fills   
the ordinary ,christian mind with       
amazement and trembling4 ,it is by a    
painful crucifixion of the natural man1 
both soul and body1 carried to a far    
more than ordinary perfection1 that the 
soul is introduced into this miraculous 
condition4 ,imprisoned in her fleshly   
tabernacle1 which1 though regenerated1  

is through sin foul1 earthly1 and       
blinding as ever1 the mind can only be  
admitted to share in the communion which
 ,jesus ,christ unceasingly held with   
,his ,father and with the world         
invisible1 by attaining some portion of 
that self-mastery which ,adam lost by   
his fall4 ,the physical nature must be  
subdued by the vigorous repetition of   
those many painful processes by which   
the animal portion of our being is      
rendered the slave of the spiritual1 and
 the will and the affections are rent   
away from all creatures1 to be fixed on 
,god alone4 ,fasting and abstinence are 
the first elements in this ascetic      
course4 ,the natural taste is neglected1
 thwarted1 and tormented1 till1 wearied 
of soliciting its own gratification1 it 
ceases to interfere with the independent
 action of the soul4 ,the appetite is   
further denied its wonted satisfaction  
as to quantity of food4 ,by fasts       
gradually increasing in severity1 new   
modes of physical existence are         

introduced2 that which was originally an
 impossibility becomes a second law of  
nature2 and the emaciated frame1        
forgetting its former lusts1 obeys      
almost spontaneously the dictates of the
 victorious spirit within4 ,the hours of
 sleep are curtailed under judicious    
control1 until that mysterious sentence 
which compels us to pass a third of our 
existence in unconscious helplessness is
 in part repealed4 ,the soul1 habituated
 to incessant and self-collected action1
 wakes and lives1 while ordinary        
,christians slumber1 and as it were are 
dead4 ,the infliction of other severe   
bodily pains co-operates in the         
purifying process1 and enables the mind 
to disregard the dictates of nature to  
an extent which to many ,catholics seems
 almost incredible1 and to the          
unbeliever an utter impossibility4      
,physical life is supported under       
conditions which would crush a          
constitution not supported by the       
miraculous aid of almighty power2 and   

feeble men and women accomplish works of
 charity and heroic self-sacrifice from 
which the most robust and energetic of  
the human race1 in their highest state  
of natural perfection1 would shrink back
 in dismay as hopeless impossibilities4 
,the senses are literally tyrannised    
over1 scorned1 derided1 insultingly     
trampled on4 ,the sight1 the smell1 the 
hearing1 the touch1 and the taste1 are  
taught to exercise themselves upon      
objects revolting to their original     
inclinations4 ,they learn to minister to
 the will without displaying one        
rebellious symptom4 ,matter yields to   
spirit2 the soul is the master of the   
body2 while the perceptions of the      
intelligence attain an exquisite        
sensibility1 and the mind is gifted with
 faculties absolutely new1 the flesh    
submits1 almost insensible to its       
condition of servitude1 and scarcely    
murmurs at the daily death it is        
compelled to endure4  ,the process is   
the same in all that regards the        

affections and passions of the mind     
itself4 ,the heart is denied every thing
 that it desires1 which is not ,god4    
,however innocent1 however praiseworthy1
 may be the indulgence in certain       
feelings1 and the gratification of      
certain pursuits in ordinary            
,christians1 in the case of these       
favoured souls nature is crushed in all 
her parts4 ,her faculties remain1 but   
they are directed to spiritual things   
alone4 ,possessions of all kinds1 lands1
 houses1 books1 pictures1 gardens1      
husband1 wife1 children1 friends1 --all 
share the same tremendous sentence4 ,god
 establishes ,himself in the soul1 not  
only supreme1 but as the only           
inhabitant4 ,whatsoever remains to be   
done in this world is done as a duty1   
often as a most obnoxious duty4 ,love   
for the souls that ,christ has redeemed 
is the only human feeling that is left  
unsubjugated2 and wheresoever the       
emotions of natural affection and       
friendship mingle with this ,christian  

love1 they are watched1 and restrained  
with unsparing severity1 that the heart 
may come at last to love nothing1 except
 in ,christ ,himself4  ,all this1       
indeed1 repeatedly takes place in the   
case of persons in whom the purely      
miraculous life of the ,christian ,saint
 is never even commenced4 ,it is that   
which all monks and nuns are bound to   
struggle for1 according to the different
 rules to which they have respectively  
received their vocation4 ,and1 by the   
mercy of ,god1 this perfect detachment  
from earth1 and this marvellous         
crucifixion of the flesh1 is            
accomplished in many a devout religious1
 to whom the extraordinary gifts of the 
,holy ,ghost are as unknown as ,his     
extraordinary graces are familiar4      
,still1 in those exceptional instances  
where miraculous powers of any species  
are bestowed1 this bitter death1 this   
personal renewal 7as far as man can     
renew it7 of the agonies of ,calvary1 is
 ordinarily the necessary preparation   

for admission to the revelations of the 
,divine glory1 and to the other         
mysteries of the miraculous life4  ,the 
physical nature1 then1 being thus       
subdued1 and taught to be the obedient  
servant of the sanctified will1 the     
history of the ,catholic ,church records
 a long series of instances in which the
 soul has been brought into direct      
communion with ,god1 with angels1 and   
with devils1 more or less through the   
sensible instrumentality of the bodily  
senses1 thus spiritualised and exalted  
to a new office4 ,the ineffable glories 
of the life of ,christ are renewed in   
those who have thus endured the cross of
 ,christ4 ,the death of the body is the 
life of the soul2 and the ,son of ,god  
is1 as it were1 again visibly incarnate 
in the world which ,he has redeemed4    
,the phenomena of this miraculous state 
are as various as they are wonderful4   
,there is scarcely a natural law of our 
being which is not found to be          
frequently suspended4 ,such is the odour

 of sanctity1 a celestial perfume that  
exhales from the person of the ,saint1  
in conditions where any such delicious  
fragrance could not possibly spring from
 natural causes1 and where even1 as in  
the case of a dead body1 nature would   
send forth scents of the most repulsive 
kind4 ,in such instances1 sometimes in  
life1 sometimes in death1 sometimes in  
health1 sometimes in loathsome diseases1
 there issues from the physical frame an
 odour of unearthly sweetness1 perhaps  
communicating itself to objects which   
touch the saintly form4  ,or a strange  
supernatural warmth pervades the entire 
body1 wholly independent of the         
condition of the atmosphere1 and in     
circumstances when by the laws of nature
 the limbs would be cold2 sometimes1    
while sickness has reduced the system to
 such a degree of exhaustion1 and       
brought on so morbid an action of the   
functions1 that the stomach rejects1    
with a sort of abhorrence1 every species
 of food1 the most holy ,eucharist is   

received without difficulty1 and seems  
not only to be thus received1 but to    
furnish sufficient sustenance for the   
attenuated frame4 ,not unfrequently     
corruption has no power over a sacred   
corpse2 and without the employment of   
any of the common processes for         
embalming1 centuries pass away1 and the 
body of the ,saint remains untouched by 
decay1 bearing the impress of life in   
death1 and not crumbling to dust1 as in 
cases of natural preservation1 when     
exposed to the action of the atmosphere4
 ,add to these1 the supernatural        
flexibility and lightness with which at 
times the living body is endowed by     
,divine power2 the physical             
accompaniment of ecstasy2 the elevation 
of the entire body from the ground1 and 
its suspension in the air for a         
considerable space of time2 and we have 
sufficient examples of the mysterious   
ways in which the bodies of ,saints     
bespeak the purity which dwells within  
them1 and in a degree anticipate the    

corporeal perfections of those glorified
 habitations in which the souls of the  
just will dwell after the resurrection4 
,by another class of miraculous powers  
possessed by ,christian ,saints1 they   
are enabled to recognise the true nature
 or presence of purely spiritual objects
 by the instrumentality of their natural
 organs of sense4 ,thus1 a mere touch at
 times reveals to them the moral        
condition of the person on whom they lay
 their hands4 ,a singular distaste for  
natural food is accompanied by a        
perception of a celestial sweetness in  
the holy ,eucharist4 ,gross sinners     
appear to the sight in the form of      
hideous monsters1 demoniacal in their   
aspect1 or as wearing the look of the   
most repulsive of the brute creation4   
,the sense of smell1 in like manner1    
detects the state of the soul1 while the
 ear is opened to heavenly sounds and   
voices1 and ,almighty ,god speaks to the
 inner consciousness in a manner which1 
inexplicable as it is when defined in   

the language of human science1 is shown 
by incontestable proofs to be a real    
communication from heaven to the        
enlightened intelligence4  ,in certain  
cases the animal creation are taught to 
do homage to the presence of a ,saint4  
,as ,god opened the eyes of ,balaam's   
ass1 and it beheld the messenger of     
,divine wrath standing with a sword in  
his hand1 so birds1 fishes1 insects1    
sheep1 and the wildest beasts of the    
forests1 have at times saluted the      
,saints with joy and sweetness1 laying  
aside their natural timidity or their   
natural ferocity1 and recalling the hour
 when ,adam dwelt in sinless peace in   
,eden1 surrounded by the creatures which
 the hand of ,god had made4 ,all nature 
is bid thus to arise to welcome the     
elect of the ,lord of nature4 ,flowers  
spring up beneath their feet2 fruits    
suddenly ripen1 and invite them to      
gather and eat2 storms cease1 and gentle
 winds refresh the sky4 ,every where the
 presence of ,him who lulled the tempest

 with a word is recognised in the souls 
in whom ,he dwells1 and in whom ,he     
thus1 in a mystic sense1 fulfils ,his   
own promise1 that the meek shall possess
 the land4  ,thus1 again1 time and space
 are in their degree comparatively      
annihilated for the sake of some of     
these favoured servants of the ,eternal 
and ,omnipresent4 ,st4 ,pius ,v41 while 
bodily in ,rome1 was a witness of the   
naval victory of the ,christians over   
the ,turks2 ,st4 ,joseph of ,cupertino  
read letters addressed to him while     
their authors were writing them far     
away2 ,st4 ,dominic foresaw the war of  
the ,albigenses1 and the death of ,peter
 of ,arragon2 and ,st4 ,ignatius beheld 
his successor in the ,duke of ,gandia4  
,a similar mysterious faculty enables   
its possessor to discern the presence of
 relics and other sacred objects1 more  
especially of the adorable ,eucharistic 
species2 or even to behold ,jesus       
,christ ,himself in ,his glorified human
 form1 in place of the usual appearance 

of bread and wine2 while in some        
instances the ,host has darted1 unborne 
by mortal hand1 into the mouth of a     
,saint about to communicate at the foot 
of the altar4  ,on those species of     
miracles which are in no way peculiar to
 the ,christian dispensation ,i need not
 linger4 ,such is the gift of healing1  
whether by the ,saint's will and touch  
while alive1 or by his relics and       
intercession when dead4 ,such is the    
gift of prophecy1 which abounded1 as we 
might have expected1 far more in the    
,saints before the advent of the        
,redeemer than since ,his coming1 and   
which1 indeed1 was not rigidly confined 
to men of religious character4 ,such are
 those supernatural powers by which our 
present temporal blessings1 in addition 
to the cure of diseases1 are conferred  
upon individuals or communities by the  
instrumentality of holy men and women4  
,i confine myself to those more         
peculiarly ,christian privileges1 which1
 though they were not wholly unknown to 

the ,patriarchal and ,mosaic ,saints1   
are yet eminently characteristic of     
those times in which the glorification  
of the humanity of ,jesus appears to    
have shed a measure of glories upon the 
bodies of those who most intensely share
 the sufferings of ,his cross4  ,some of
 these tokens of the perpetual death of 
the ,son of ,god in ,his ,saints were1  
indeed1 for several centuries either    
unknown1 or extraordinarily rare in the 
,christian ,church herself4 ,such is    
that most awful of the displays of the  
undying power of the ,cross1 in which   
the actual wounds and tortures of the   
crucified ,jesus are visibly renewed1 by
 a miraculous agency1 in the persons of 
,his chosen ones4 ,this most terrible of
 the gifts of the great ,god is         
generally preceded by some supernatural 
occurrence foreshadowing the visible    
representation of the scene on ,calvary 
about to be set up before the eyes of   
men4 ,at one time it is a species of    
bloody sweat1 like that of ,jesus       

,christ in the garden of ,gethsemani2 at
 another1 a visible print of the cross  
is impressed upon the shoulders2 or     
angels present a mystic cup of suffering
 to the hands of the self-sacrificing   
,saint4 ,then follows what is termed    
stigmatisation1 or the renewal of the   
actual wounds of the ,crucified1        
accompanied with the bloody marks of the
 crown of thorns upon the sufferer's    
head2 for the most part one by one1     
until the whole awful commemoration is  
complete1 the skin and flesh are rent on
 the forehead and round the head1 in the
 hands1 in the feet1 and in the side2 a 
stream of gore pours forth1 at times    
trickling down in slow drops1 at times  
7as on ,fridays7 in a fuller tide1      
accompanied with agonising pangs of     
body1 and except in the fiercest moments
 of spiritual conflict1 with interior   
consolations of ravishing sweetness4    
,the wounds pierce deep down into the   
flesh1 running even through the hands   
and the feet4  ,the state of ecstasy is 

another of the most wonderful of the    
elements of the miraculous life of the  
,saints4 ,under the ,divine influence   
the physical frame undergoes a change in
 many respects similar to that which is 
supposed 7whether truly or falsely7 to  
result from the operation of magnetism  
or somnambulism4 ,many features1 at the 
same time1 distinguish the ,christian   
ecstatic condition from that which is   
produced by purely physical or 7it may  
be7 diabolical causes1 on which we      
cannot at present enter in detail4 ,it  
is sufficient to say1 that the results  
of the true ecstasy are in the strictest
 conformity with the doctrines of the   
,christian revelation1 and in perfect   
harmony with the perfections and rules  
of the moral world4  ,the soul in this  
state becomes1 as it were1 independent  
of the power of the body1 or she uses   
her physical senses in an absolute      
subordination to her own illumined will4
 ,visions1 such as are recorded in the  
,old ,testament in the case of the      

prophets1 are presented to her          
faculties4 ,she is introduced into the  
courts of heaven1 and beholds and       
converses with ,saints in glory1 with   
the ,mother of ,god1 with ,jesus ,christ
 ,himself4 ,or the whole mystery of the 
,passion is re-enacted before her       
spiritualised sight1 the evangelical    
history being filled up with all those  
actual but minuter details which are    
omitted in the written records of the   
,gospels4 ,in certain cases1 the body   
itself is lifted up from the ground1 and
 so remains for a while in the presence 
of a crowd of bystanders4 ,in others1   
the soul1 while in ecstasy1 is the      
medium of communication between         
,almighty ,god and other persons then   
present1 and the ,saint's voice repeats 
the revelations to those for whom they  
are designed4 ,or1 again1 an unearthly  
flame shining around the head or whole  
person of the ecstatic1 like the cloven 
tongues upon the ,apostles at           
,pentecost1 attests the presence of the 

,invisible1 and symbolises the message  
sent forth from ,his throne to men4  ,a 
more purely intellectual vision or      
revelation is another of the works of   
the ,holy ,ghost in ,his ,saints4 ,by   
such revelations1 for the most part1 the
 truths of holy ,scripture were         
communicated to its writers4 ,god1 who  
created the human soul with all its     
faculties1 and who is able to make known
 ,his will in any way that ,he pleases  
to the intelligence1 has ,his own       
mysterious but not less accurate tests1 
by which ,he enables the favoured spirit
 to discern a revelation from a mere    
product of the human imagination1 and to
 distinguish between the voice of ,god  
and the suggestions of ,satan4 ,nor was 
this mode of intercourse between the    
soul and her ,god confined exclusively  
to the elder dispensations or to        
apostolic ages4 ,many a ,christian      
,saint has been privileged to           
contemplate ,god ,himself1 in a certain 
sense1 in ,his essence2 beholding the   

depths of such mysteries as those of the
 ,holy ,trinity1 the ,incarnation1 the  
,eucharistic ,presence1 or the true     
nature of sin1 with a directness of     
vision1 and comprehending them to an    
extent1 which passes the powers of human
 language to define4  ,lastly1 all that 
we read in the ,bible respecting the    
visible and tangible intercourse between
 man and the angelic and diabolic host  
is continued in the times of            
,christianity4 ,the reality of the      
ministration of angels and of the       
assaults of demons1 in the case of all  
,christians1 is believed by every       
,catholic2 but in very many cases the   
,saints have become as conscious of the 
presence and actions of their unseen    
friends and foes as of the presence and 
actions of mortal men4 ,to some ,saints1
 our blessed ,lord ,himself has appeared
 in human form1 perhaps in that of the  
most despised and miserable of the poor 
and sick2 to others1 their              
guardian-angels or other pure spirits   

have presented themselves1 sometimes in 
the guise of ordinary men1 and sometimes
 in a manifestly supernatural shape4    
,often1 too1 the enlightened soul has   
beheld ,satan and his accursed spirits1 
either working it some bodily injury1 or
 assaulting it with some subtle         
temptation1 or seeking to scare it by   
assuming some hideous loathsome shape1  
or assuming the garb of an angel of     
light for the purpose of accomplishing  
his hellish ends4 ,of all these         
supernatural phenomena1 however1        
illustrations will readily occur to     
those who are familiar with the lives of
 ,saints1 or1 indeed1 to those who have 
studied the ,bible only1 and who read   
the inspired writings as really true1   
remembering that the miraculous events  
there recorded did not cease the moment 
that the canon of ,scripture was closed1
 but that such as was the relation      
between ,god and man and angels and     
devils for more than four thousand      
years1 such it has been until this very 

hour4  ,such1 then1 are the doctrines   
and opinions which are implied in what  
may be termed the miraculous life of    
,catholic ,saints1 and of which the     
history of ,frances of ,rome presents   
one of the most remarkable examples4    
,they are here but briefly sketched3 but
 ,i trust that enough has been said to  
indicate the general character of the   
principles involved in these wonderful  
histories2 and ,i now pass on to offer a
 few remarks on the self-contradictions 
into which those persons fall who refuse
 to investigate this species of subject 
on the ordinary rules of historical     
evidence4  ,i need hardly remind the    
reader that an immense number of        
persons1 both infidels and ,protestants1
 especially in sober-minded ,england and
 ,scotland1 treat every professed       
,catholic miracle as a portion of the   
vast gigantic system of deliberate fraud
 and villany which they conceive to be  
the very life of ,catholicism4 ,from the
 ,pope to the humblest priest who says  

,mass and hears confessions in an ugly  
little chapel in the shabbiest street of
 a country town1 all are regarded as    
leagued in one wide-spreading imposture4
 ,pius ,,ix41 for instance1 it is       
imagined1 knows the liquefaction of ,st4
 ,januarius's blood to be a trick of the
 ,neapolitan clergy2 but he keeps up the
 falsehood for the sake of gain and     
power4 ,in like manner1 he has an       
extensive ,roman laboratory ever at work
 for the manufacture of all the         
instruments of delusion which his       
emissaries propagate throughout         
,christendom4 ,there he makes false     
relics1 from portions of the true cross 
downwards2 there he sells pardons and   
indulgences2 and there he has a corps of
 writers employed in the invention of   
fictitious miraculous tales1 saints'    
lives1 and the like4 ,all over the world
 he has agents for the sale of these    
goods1 the ,catholic ,bishops in        
,england being his ,english             
,correspondents1 who doubtless receive a

 handsome percentage on the profits     
realised4 ,the staff of underlings is   
also complete1 energetic1 and well paid4
 ,thus1 the ,oratorian ,fathers are     
busily employed in scattering ,saints'  
,lives throughout this country1 greatly 
to their own profit4 ,thus1 too1 ,i am  
myself engaged in a similar work1 either
 laughing in my sleeve at the credulity 
on which ,i practise1 or submitting from
 sheer intellectual incompetence to be  
the tool of some wily ,jesuit who       
enjoins the unhallowed task4 ,such1 when
 drawn out into details1 and stripped of
 the pompous declamation of the         
platform1 is1 in serious truth1 the idea
 which innumerable persons imagine to be
 the ,catholic system of propagandism   
and deceit2 and every ,catholic miracle 
is thus accounted for by the supposed   
wickedness of all ,catholics1 except a  
few blinded ignorant devotees4  ,any    
argument1 therefore1 addressed to       
prejudgments of this class must merge in
 the general argument1 which shows that1

 whether the ,catholic religion be true 
or false1 it is beyond the limits of    
credibility that its ruling principle   
can be one of intentional deception4 ,i 
insist1 then1 that it would not merely  
be a miracle1--if is an impossibility   
that such an imposture should remain    
undetected to this day1 and that men and
 women of all ranks1 ages1 and          
countries1 the ablest and the most      
simple1 including uncounted fathers and 
mothers of families1 should persist in  
submitting to and upholding the         
authority of a few thousand priests1 who
 are really no better than incarnate    
devils4 ,whether the ,catholic system be
 an error or not1 it must have fallen to
 pieces a hundred times over1 if its    
chief ruler and his subordinates were   
mere tricksters1 playing upon the       
credulity of a fanatical and besotted   
world4 ,by this same test1 then1 its    
miraculous histories must be judged1    
like the general characters of its      
supporters4 ,they who propagate these   

stories believe them to be true4 ,they  
do not1 of course1 assert that every    
supernatural story is what it professes 
to be4 ,they may even admit that many   
are the mere creations of well-meaning  
but ill-informed report4 ,nor is every  
,catholic priest1 monk1 or layman to be 
accounted a sincere and honest man4     
,there are betrayers of their ,lord1    
from ,judas ,iscariot to the last       
wretched apostates1 who remain for years
 in the ,church1 deceiving others       
without deceiving themselves4 ,but on   
the whole1 and viewed as a body1 the    
,catholic ,church is as honest and      
truthful1 when she asserts that many    
wonderful miracles are incessantly      
taking place within her1 as the most    
scrupulous of moralists can desire4     
,but she is herself deceived1 exclaims  
the more candid separatist or sceptic1  
taking up the argument declined by his  
scoffing brother4 ,catholics1 it is     
supposed1 are under the dominion of so  
abject a superstition1 that the moment  

the subject of their religion is        
introduced1 they cease to exert their   
ordinary common sense and powers of     
criticism1 and believe any thing and    
every thing that seems to be marvellous4
 ,granting them to be sincere1 the      
charitable ,protestant is of opinion    
that they are intellectually incapable  
of testing the pretensions of these     
wonders to be real and true miracles4   
,if1 in plain words1 ,catholics are not 
knaves1 they must be fools4 ,now1 let me
 ask any candid person who thus accounts
 for our belief in modern miracles1 to  
furnish me with an intelligible answer  
on two points4 ,first1 let him explain  
how it comes to pass that an innumerable
 multitude of persons1 many of them     
distinguished for the highest           
intellectual powers1 and proving by     
their lives and their deaths that they  
are ready to make every sacrifice for   
the sake of religion1 should suffer     
themselves to be imposed upon in so     
momentous a subject1 should willingly   

accept as true a series of absurd       
fabrications1 whose falsehood they might
 detect by the exercise of any ordinary 
acuteness1 and should risk their        
reputation with the world by professing 
to believe these fictions4 ,if we are   
sincere in our faith1 it is impossible  
to suppose us so willing to be imposed  
upon4 ,the hollowness of these          
supernatural pretensions must have      
betrayed itself to some amongst us4 ,the
 bubble must have burst somewhere4 ,if  
not at ,rome1 where ,protestants imagine
 ,catholic intellect to be at its lowest
 ebb1 at least in ,england1 or ,france1 
or ,belgium1 or ,germany1 some of our   
great ,catholic philosophers1           
historians1 politicians1 and men of     
science1 must have unveiled the truth4  
,footnote3 ,it is a remarkable fact1    
that the most celebrated work on the    
supernatural gifts accorded by ,god to  
,christians1 is the production of one of
 the greatest intellects1 and by far the
 most influential political writer1 that

 modern ,europe has seen4 ,grres1 the   
author of the ,christliche ,mystik1 was 
the ,wellington of literature during the
 last ,european war4 ,the influence     
which he exercised over the whole       
,german mind by his ,rhenish ,mercury is
 altogether without parallel in the     
history of journalism4 ,it was1 indeed1 
regarded as so formidable by ,napoleon  
himself1 that he styled ,grres a fourth 
continental power4 ,yet this first of   
publicists devoted his whole life to the
 investigation of the wonders of        
,catholic mysticism1 and believed with  
undoubting conviction in their reality4 
,and1 secondly1 ,i desire to be told who
 are the deceivers4 ,if our numerous    
miracles are all errors1 there must be  
gross deception in a host of instances  
somewhere4 ,where is it1 then8 ,i ask2  
which are the dupes1 and which the      
rogues8 ,do the clergy cheat the laity8 
,or do the laity 7who have quite as much
 to do with these miracles7 cheat the   
clergy8 ,do the ,jesuits entrap the     

,pope8 ,or does the ,pope mystify the   
,jesuits8 ,when missionaries shed their 
blood in hundreds in heathen lands1 are 
we to believe that they are the         
fabricators of the wonderful tales which
 they have been in the habit of sending 
home to ,christendom8 ,or did they leave
 ,europe with the intention of becoming 
martyrs1 without troubling themselves to
 ascertain whether they were not the    
dupes of delusions already surrounding  
them in a ,christian land8 ,again ,i    
say1 if ,catholic miracles are all      
false1 there must be boundless trickery 
somewhere1 and ,i demand to know where  
it is4 ,in an ,english court of justice 
a charge of conspiracy cannot be        
entertained unless the accuser can point
 out certain parties on whom to fasten  
his charge4 ,judge and jury would laugh 
at a plaintiff who came into court      
crying out that he was victimised by    
some invisible1 indescribable1 and      
unknown1 but yet very numerous band of  
foes4 ,so it is with this popular theory

 about ,catholic miracles4 ,we are told 
that we are deceived4 ,we are all       
cheated together4 ,the bishops are      
victims2 the priests are victims2 monks 
and nuns are victims2 the laity are     
victims2 the old ,catholics in ,england 
are victims2 the converts are victims2  
the best of us all are victims2 the most
 learned1 the most pious1 the most able1
 the most self-denying1--all these are  
dupes4 ,if there are deceivers1 they are
 the few1 the ignorant1 the cunning1 and
 the vile4 ,the ,roman ,church1 as a    
,church1 is supposed to be under the    
dominion of a band of conspirators1 who 
have blinded her eyes without her having
 found it out1 and who are now using her
 for their own godless purposes4 ,does  
not such a supposition confute itself8  
,is it worth admitting1 even as an      
hypothesis8 ,would such a statement be  
endured for a moment by a judge and     
twelve men in a jury-box8 ,i say1       
therefore1 before moving a step to      
overthrow the ,protestant accusation1   

,make a distinct and intelligible charge
 of certain definite crimes against     
certain definite individuals4 ,when that
 is done1 the proof still remains with  
you4 ,show us both who are the          
deceivers1 and how they deceive us2 or  
admit that there is no credulity so     
open-mouthed as that of ,protestants    
when they attack ,catholics2 no         
superstition so base as that which      
worships this visible order of nature as
 an eternal rule which not even ,god    
,himself can ever interrupt4  ,the fact 
is1 however1 that no ,protestant ever   
attempts any thing like a profound      
investigation of the ,catholic miracles4
 ,a calm1 critical1 and judicial inquiry
 into the worth of the ,roman process of
 canonisation has never been risked4    
,here is an enormous catalogue of       
incidents1 whose supernatural character 
is vouched for by the decrees of a long 
series of ,popes1 professedly based upon
 the most prolonged and anxious legal   
examination4 ,for centuries a tribunal  

has been declaring that one series of   
miracles after another has come before  
it2 that it has weighed them all with   
the utmost care2 that it has heard every
 thing that could be urged against them2
 that it has rejected1 as not proved1 a 
very large number2 and that1 after the  
most searching inquiry1 it has found    
such and such supernatural incidents to 
be established by every law of human    
evidence4 ,footnote3 ,for the steps     
followed in the processes of            
canonisation1 see ,faber's ,essay on    
,beatification1 ,canonisation1 and the  
,processes of the ,congregation of      
,rites4 ,no man can look at the         
processes of the canonisation of        
,catholic ,saints without admitting that
 very few of those secular events which 
we unhesitatingly believe are supported 
by so overwhelming a weight of proof4   
,men's fortunes and lives are           
incessantly taken away by law at our    
very doors on lower degrees of evidence1
 and no one exclaims4 ,and yet the      

decisions of this ,catholic tribunal are
 set aside without hesitation4 ,people  
think them not even worthy of listening 
to4 ,the whole affair they count a      
childish trifling2 and with a shrug or a
 sneer they pass it by4  ,and it is the 
same with those miracles which have not 
been brought before any such high       
tribunal1 but which rest on undeniable  
private evidence4 ,those who are not    
,catholics put them aside simply as     
incredible4 ,they assume that they      
cannot be true1 and therefore that they 
are not true4 ,press them in argument1  
and they will shirk your most stringent 
proofs4 ,you can make no impression upon
 their wills4 ,they will believe any    
thing but that ,god has interrupted the 
course of nature in favour of any one   
but themselves4 ,in short1 if we wish to
 see human reason in its most irrational
 mood1 we have but to enter into        
conversation with a ,protestant who     
asserts and thinks that he believes the 
,bible miracles to be true1 and urge    

upon him the proofs of such modern      
miracles as are recorded of ,st4        
,frances of ,rome4 ,you will perceive   
first1 that though he has made up his   
mind on the subject with unhesitating   
dogmatism1 he has never investigated its
 bearings or facts1 even in outline4    
,nevertheless1 to your surprise1 you    
will find him perfectly ready to start  
some random theory1 at a moment's       
notice1 unconscious of the momentous1   
the awful nature of the matter he is    
handling4 ,you see1 perhaps1 that his   
mind is powerfully influenced by the    
singular character of many ,catholic    
miracles4 ,he thinks them strange1      
unnecessary1 unaccountable1 absurd1     
disgusting1 degrading4 ,his nervous     
sensibilities are shocked by an account 
of the fearful pangs accompanying the   
stigmata4 ,in the phenomena of ecstasy  
he can see nothing more than the ravings
 of delirium1 or 7if he believes in     
mesmerism7 than the tales of a          
clairvoyante1 and the rigidity of       

catalepsy4 ,his physical frame1         
accustomed to its routine of breakfast1 
luncheon1 and dinner1 its sofas and     
easy-chairs1 and its luxurious bed1     
shudders at the thought of the          
self-inflicted penances of the ,saints1 
and at the idea of ,god's bestowing a   
miraculous power of enduring such       
horrors4 ,he would be as much surprised 
to be told that ,smithfield was         
literally the abode of incarnate demons1
 as to hear that demons have often      
assumed the shapes of beasts and        
monsters in their conflicts with the    
elect4 ,the notion that an angel might  
visibly appear to a pious traveller on  
the ,great ,western or ,birmingham      
railroad1 and protect him from death in 
a frightful collision of trains1 makes  
him open his eyes and contemplate you as
 scarcely sane to hint at such a thing4 
,that the ,virgin1 as he calls her1     
should come down from heaven and enter a
 church or a room1 and hold a           
conversation with living men1 women1 or 

children in the nineteenth century1 and 
give them a trumpery medal1 or tell them
 to wear a piece of cloth round their   
neck1 or cure them of some disease1 he  
regards about as likely and rational as 
that the stories in the ,arabian ,nights
 and the ,fairy ,tales should turn out  
to be true histories4 ,be as serious as 
you please1 he simply laughs in his     
sleeve1 thinking to himself1 ,well1 who 
would have believed that the intellect  
of an educated ,englishman should submit
 itself to such drivelling as this8     
,perceiving that this is the state of   
his mind1 you open the ,bible1 which    
lies1 handsomely bound1 upon his table1 
and running rapidly through the four    
,gospels and the ,acts of the ,apostles1
 point out to him a long series of      
supernatural events there recorded2 and 
show him that in their nature they are  
precisely the same as those modern      
miracles which provoke his disgust or   
contempt4 ,you remind him1 first of all1
 that our ,lord ,jesus ,christ is the   

,head of the ,church1 and that all ,his 
people are made like ,him1 in ,his life 
and ,his sufferings1 as well as in ,his 
glory2 and then proceed to your summary4
 ,he accounts the penances of ,saints   
needless and impossible2 you remind him 
of our blessed ,lord's fast of forty    
days and forty nights4 ,he is           
horror-struck at the details of the     
sufferings of those in whom the ,passion
 of ,christ has been visibly renewed2   
you beg him to attempt to realise the   
bloody sweat in the ,garden of ,olives4 
,he speaks of mesmerism and             
clairvoyance1 and derides the thought of
 a ,saint's being illuminated with      
radiant light1 or exhaling a fragrant   
odour2 you ask him how he explains away 
the transfiguration of ,jesus4 ,he says 
that it is physically impossible that a 
man's body can be 7as he expresses it7  
in two places at once2 you desire him to
 say by what law of nature our ,lord    
entered the room where the disciples    
were when the doors were shut2 how ,st4 

,peter was delivered from chains and    
imprisonment by the angel2 how ,st4     
,paul was rapt into the third heaven1   
whether in the body or out of the body1 
he could not tell4 ,he says that when a 
,saint has thought himself attacked by  
devils in hideous shapes1 his brain has 
been diseased2 you entreat him to beware
 of throwing a doubt on the temptation  
of ,jesus ,christ by ,satan in the      
wilderness4 ,he pities you for believing
 that the ,mother of ,god has appeared  
for such needless purposes to excited   
devotees2 you ask him why the ,son of   
,god appeared long after ,his death and 
ascension to ,st4 ,paul1 and told him   
what he might have learnt in a natural  
way from the other ,apostles4 ,he calls 
your miraculous relics childish         
trumpery2 you ask whether the           
handkerchiefs and aprons which cured the
 sick1 after having touched ,st4 ,paul's
 body1 were trumpery also2 and whether  
,st4 ,luke is countenancing superstition
 when he relates how the people crowded 

near ,st4 ,peter to be healed by his    
very shadow passing over them4 ,then1 as
 he feels the overwhelming force of your
 rebukes1 he insinuates that there is   
something divine1 something evidently   
touching1 pure1 and strict in morality  
in the ,bible narratives1 which is      
wanting in these lives of ,catholic     
,saints2 and you refer him to such      
biographies as that of ,st4 ,frances of 
,rome1 and compelling him to read the   
narratives of her revelations1 ask him  
if all that she says when in a state of 
ecstasy does not wear1 even in his      
judgment1 the impress of a ,divine      
origin1 and seem to be dictated by the  
,god of all purity1 humility1 and love4 
,at length your opponent1 after brief   
pondering1 changes his ground1 and      
asserts that you are yourself deceived2 
that the real defect in ,catholic       
miraculous stories is the want of       
evidence4 ,he tells you that he would   
believe1 if he could2 but that you have 
not proved your point4 ,you next call   

his attention to the distinct promise   
made by our blessed ,lord to the        
,church1 that miracles should always    
continue with her2 and ask him how1 on  
his theory1 he accounts for the         
non-fulfilment of this promise4 ,you    
desire him to lay his finger on the     
epoch when its fulfilment ceased2 and   
not only to assert that it then ceased1 
but to prove his assertion4 ,he says    
nothing1 for he has nothing to say which
 he can even attempt to prove2 and you  
proceed to furnish a few examples of    
miracles1 from patristic1 medival1 or   
modern times1 or perhaps of the present 
day1 which are supported by at least as 
cogent an amount of evidence as the     
historical proof of the ,scripture      
miracles4 ,you insist upon his          
disproving these4 ,he cannot4 ,he       
resorts to some new hypothesis4 ,he says
 that there is deception somewhere1     
though he cannot tell where2 and        
probably by this time is showing        
symptoms of a wish to end the           

discussion4 ,you urge him again1 and    
press him to give an intelligible reason
 for supposing that there must be       
deception any where4 ,he thinks a while2
 and when at length you are looking for 
a rational conclusion1 he starts        
backwards to his old assumption that the
 ,catholic miracles cannot be true4 ,he 
begs the whole question1 and says that  
they are in favour of ,catholicism1 and 
that ,catholicism is false4 ,you too    
recur to your old reference to the      
,bible1 and so on4 ,and thus you run    
again the same round2 and you may run it
 a thousand times over1 till you        
perceive that there is but one reason   
why your opponent is not convinced2     
which is1 that he will not be convinced4
 ,and thus it was in the days when those
 very miracles were wrought which       
,protestants profess to believe4 ,the   
,jews would not believe our ,lord's     
words and doctrines4 ,he then bade them 
believe ,him because of ,his miracles2  
and they instantly imputed them to the  

power of the devil4 ,he showed them that
 this theory was impossible2 but1 so far
 from being convinced and converted1    
they went their ways1 and plotted ,his  
death4 ,now1 our controversialists      
cannot1 or do not wish1 to take away our
 lives2 but when not a word is left them
 in the way of argument1 they go their  
ways1 and protest to their fellows1 that
 we are obstinate1 unfair1              
superstitious1 and insolent2 and too    
often encourage one another in the      
bitterest persecution of those who are  
convinced by our reasonings1 and submit 
to the ,church4   ,i now turn to the    
objections which are at times felt by   
,catholics themselves to the publication
 of ,saints' ,lives1 abounding in       
supernatural incidents4 ,such persons   
are1 indeed1 not numerous2 and their    
number is rapidly diminishing4 ,still it
 can scarcely be doubted that           
conscientious ,catholics are to be found
 who take the view ,i am speaking of1   
from ideas which1 though erroneous 7as  

,i believe71 are yet so truly founded in
 sincerity1 as to demand respect and    
explanation from those who differ from  
them4  ,the objections they raise are   
twofold4 ,first1 they allege that such  
books scandalise ,protestants and drive 
them from the ,church2 and secondly1    
they do not see how incidents1 wholly   
unlike our ordinary daily experience1   
can practically serve us in our private 
,christian lives4  ,to the idea that    
non-,catholics are thus needlessly      
prejudiced against the faith1 ,i reply1 
that this assertion is wholly unproved4 
,that they do1 as a matter of fact1     
laugh and attack such biographies1 ,i   
fully admit2 but they laugh at them on  
grounds which we cannot admit without   
giving up the ,christian revelation     
itself4 ,they scoff at them1 not because
 they think them not supported by       
credible testimony1 but because they are
 not what they call dignified1 refined1 
and just such as they should have       
supposed all things to be that come from

 ,god4 ,that such a temper of mind is   
indicative of pure ,deism1 it needs no  
words to prove4 ,a man who derides a    
miraculous event merely as trifling1    
thereby asserts that he himself is the  
judge of what is great and what is      
little in the sight of ,god4 ,he lays   
down laws for the guidance of the       
,almighty4 ,he is adopting the identical
 reasoning of professed infidels1 who on
 this very ground reject ,christianity  
itself4 ,and it is obvious that nothing 
can be more perilous than the           
encouragement of so fatal a principle of
 judgment4 ,once let the acute and      
logical ,protestant perceive that you   
move one step backwards in deference to 
this objection1 and he will press you   
with fresh consequences of the very same
 admission until he lands you in        
undisguised scepticism1 if not in the   
blackest ,atheism4  ,can any single     
instance1 in fact1 be named in which a  
mind that was apparently determined to  
seek salvation at all costs1 has been   

actually deterred from entering the     
,catholic ,church by meeting with these 
extraordinary histories8 ,are they not a
 butt for determined and obstinate      
,protestants1 and for such ,protestants 
only8 ,ask any convert whether1 on      
looking back1 he can say that the       
knowledge of these peculiarities in     
,catholic hagiology ever practically    
held him back for four-and-twenty hours 
in his journey towards the ,church4     
,that the world is angry1 and that the  
world vents its spleen and its contempt 
in bitter jests1 is true enough2 but    
pious souls are not made to sin1 or kept
 away from their ,saviour1 by any thing 
of the kind4 ,and that the rage and     
mocking of man afford not the slightest 
reason for inducing the ,church to turn 
out of her natural path1 ,i shall not   
dishonour my readers by attempting to   
prove to them4  ,that it is her natural 
course to make these histories public1  
for the practical edification of her    
children1 is clear from one fact        

alone1--they are precisely parallel to  
the life of our blessed ,lord1 as       
narrated in the four ,gospels4 ,the     
whole question resolves itself into     
this3 ,if such lives as that of ,st4    
,frances1 and many others1 recently     
published in ,england1 are not edifying 
to the ordinary ,christian1 then the    
life of ,jesus ,christ is not edifying4 
,the ,gospels1 as well as the ,acts of  
the ,apostles and the ,epistles1 must be
 rigorously expurgated and cut down to  
the type of the common domestic life of 
the present day4 ,nothing can be further
 removed from the circumstances of most 
men than the records of our ,lord's     
miracles and supernatural acts in       
general4 ,what has the temptation1 the  
transfiguration1 the driving the devils 
into the swine1 the turning the water   
into wine at what we should now call a  
wedding-breakfast1 and1 in fact1 almost 
every act in our blessed ,lord's life1  
in common with our amusement1 our       
business1 our society1 our whole        

experience8 ,yet1 to say that a devout  
soul can meditate on these              
transcendently mysterious events1 and   
not derive from them practical          
instruction to enable her to fulfil her 
little trivial earthly duties with      
,christian perfection1 is nothing short 
of blasphemy4 ,the ,son of ,god         
incarnate1 all glorious1 all awful1 all 
unfathomable as ,he was even in the days
 of ,his sojourning on earth1 was yet   
our example1 our model1 our embodied    
series of precepts4 ,the eye of the     
simplest regenerate child cannot be     
turned for an instant upon ,his ,divine 
glories and ineffable sufferings without
 drawing light therefrom to guide it    
even in its play with its fellows1 or in
 the most trivial of the duties towards 
its parents and teachers4  ,and such1 ,i
 am convinced1 is the experience of     
,catholics of all ranks1 of every age   
and every degree of intellectual        
cultivation1 who study religiously the  
miraculous lives of the ,saints1        

believing them to be1 on the whole1     
correct histories4 ,it is not needful   
that they should regard them to be      
literally true in all their details1 as 
the ,bible is true4 ,we have but to     
regard them as we regard other authentic
 human narratives1 with the addition of 
that veneration and confidence which is 
due to such portions of them as have    
been formally sanctioned by the ,church1
 to derive from them unceasing spiritual
 comfort and instruction4 ,doubtless1 if
 we are so ignorant as to fancy that all
 ,saints' histories are to be alike in  
details1 and that therefore we ought to 
wish that the circumstances of our lives
 were the same as theirs1 we shall be   
doing ourselves great mischief4 ,but let
 us study them with a true knowledge of 
the mere elements of the ,christian     
faith1 and they will be to us what ,st4 
,paul desires his disciples to seek for 
in his life1 namely1 a continuation1 as 
it were1 of the life of ,jesus ,christ1 
carried on through all the successive   

ages of ,his ,church on earth4 ,they    
will impress upon our minds with an     
intensity peculiarly their own1 the     
reality of the invisible world and the  
ensnaring tendencies of every thing that
 we possess4 ,weak and ignorant as is   
the imaginative and sensitive portion of
 our nature1 it needs every possible    
help that it can find to counteract the 
paralysing effects of the worldliness of
 the world1 of the lukewarmness of      
,christians1 and of the enthralling     
nature of the universe of sight and     
sense4 ,our courage is wonderfully      
strengthened1 and our love for things   
invisible is inflamed1 by every thing   
that forces us1 as it were1 to see that 
this visible creation is not the only   
thing that is real1 mighty1 and present4
 ,the general precepts and the dogmatic 
statements of religion acquire a        
singular and living force when we       
perceive them carried out and realised  
in the actual affairs of life in a      
degree to which our personal experience 

is a stranger4 ,influenced as human     
nature is by example1 these unpretending
 narratives1 whose whole strength lies  
in the facts which they record1 and not 
in the art of the biographer1 undeniably
 strike the mind with an almost         
supernatural force4 ,they enchain the   
attention2 they compel us to say1 ,are  
these things true8 ,are these things    
possible8 ,is religion1 after all1 so   
terribly near to us8 ,are this life and 
this world so literally vain and        
worthless1 so absolutely nothing worth8 
,are suffering and awful bodily anguish 
blessings to be really coveted8 ,are the
 maxims which ,i daily hear around me so
 hopelessly bad and accursed8 ,are      
angels and devils so near1 so very near1
 to us all8 ,is purgatory so terrible   
and so inevitable to all but the        
perfect1 that these fearful visions of  
its pains are in substance what ,i      
myself shall endure8 ,and if ,i fall    
from grace and die in sin before one of 
the innumerable temptations that hourly 

beset me1 is it true that nothing less  
than an eternity of such torments1 the  
very reading of which even thus         
represented makes me shudder with       
horror1 will be my inevitable lot8 ,and 
is the bliss of the ,saints and the joy 
of loving ,god so inexpressibly sweet to
 any souls here on earth8 ,is it        
possible that any one should escape from
 a state of coldness1 deadness1         
worldliness1 and unwilling performance  
of his religious duties1 and positively 
come to lose all taste for bodily and   
mere intellectual pleasures through the 
absorbing of his whole being into the   
love of ,jesus and of ,mary1 and through
 a burning thirst for the beatific      
vision of the ,eternal ,trinity8  ,and  
who will venture to say that it is not  
good for us all to have such thoughts   
frequently pressed upon our attention8  
,if there is any meaning in the command 
that we are to aim at being perfect1    
whatever be the state of life in which  
we are called to seek perfection1 surely

 it is no ordinary advantage thus to    
have the essentially supernatural       
character of our religious life forced  
again and again upon our attention4     
,for1 be it never forgotten1 this very  
supernaturalness is one of its essential
 features4 ,there are innumerable       
varieties in our vocations4 ,the earthly
 circumstances in which we are to serve 
,god are almost innumerable in their    
variety2 but the supernatural element   
appertains to them all alike4 ,our      
actual relationship to the awful and    
glorious realities of the unseen world  
is precisely the same in kind as that of
 the most miraculously endowed ,saints4 
,the only difference is this1 that in   
their case that relationship was        
perceived and visibly manifested in a   
peculiar mode1 to which we are          
strangers4 ,heaven1 purgatory1 and hell 
are as near to us as if we beheld the   
visions of ,st4 ,frances4 ,the cross is 
as literally our portion1 in its        
essential nature1 as if the five sacred 

wounds were renewed physically in our   
agonising frame4 ,our angel-guardian is 
as incessantly by our side1 as if our   
eyes were opened to behold his effulgent
 radiance4 ,satan strikes the same blows
 at our souls1 whether he shows himself 
to our sight or not4 ,the relics of     
,saints1 which we carefully look at or  
criticise1 may be at any moment the     
vehicles of the same miraculous powers  
as the handkerchiefs from the body of   
,st4 ,paul4 ,who would say to a blind   
man1 ,forget the tangible realities of  
this life1 because you cannot see them8 
,who would not rather say1 ,bear        
constantly in mind what is the          
experience of those who can see1 that   
you may practically remember their      
ceaseless nearness to you8 ,and just    
such is the experience of the ,saints1  
in whose histories faith has partly     
merged into sight1 and the veil which   
blinds our eyes has been partially and  
at certain seasons withdrawn4 ,it tells 
us1 as few things else can tell1 of the 

reality of the objects of our faith4  ,i
 add a word or two on the question1 how 
far the actual conduct of the           
extraordinary persons whose lives are   
here related is to serve as a model for 
practical imitation by ordinary         
,christians4 ,to the well-instructed    
,catholic1 it would be an impertinence  
in me to suggest that they are not in   
every detail thus to be followed4 ,it is
 the duty of a ,christian to follow the 
rules for daily life which it has       
pleased ,almighty ,god to lay down in   
the ,gospel1 and not to imagine that    
those exceptional cases of conduct to   
which ,he has supernaturally prompted   
certain individuals are to be imitated  
by those who have only the ordinary     
graces of the ,holy ,spirit4  ,the      
general reader1 however1 may be reminded
 that ,catholics believe1 that as the   
,creator of the universe occasionally   
interrupts the order of the laws of     
nature1 so ,he at times interrupts the  
relative order of the laws of duty2 not1

 of course1 the essential laws of       
morality1 but those positive laws which 
are obligatory simply because they are  
enacted by competent authority4 ,no     
person1 indeed1 can be justified in     
acting on such an idea in his own case1 
unless guided by supernatural light1    
beyond the usual spiritual illumination 
given to all ,christians4 ,this         
supernatural light is rarely vouchsafed1
 and it is accordingly in the highest   
degree presumptuous in any person to    
overstep the ordinary routine of        
distinctly ordered duty1 under the idea 
that he is called by ,god to break the  
rules given for the guidance of mankind 
in general4 ,in all such supposed cases1
 the ,catholic ,church has the proper   
tests to apply1 by which the soul can   
learn whether she is led by a ,divine   
afflatus1 or betrayed by her own        
disordered imagination1 or the deceits  
of an invisible tempter4  ,j4,m4,c4     
,illustration ,,contents4  ,i4  ,,st4   
,,frances ,,of ,,rome4  ,,chapter ,i4   

,general character of the ,saint's      
life--,her childhood and early piety    
,,chapter ,,ii4  ,francesca's early     
inclination for the cloister--,by her   
father's desire she marries ,lorenzo    
,ponziano--,her married life--,her      
illness and miraculous cure  ,,chapter  
,,iii4  ,francesca proceeds in her      
mortifications and works of charity     
--,her supernatural temptations and     
consolations  ,,chapter ,,iv4  ,the     
birth of ,franceseca's first child--,her
 care in his education--,she undertakes 
the management of her father-in-law's   
household--,a famine and pestilence in  
,rome--,francesca's labours for the sick
 and poor--,the miracles wrought in her 
behalf  ,,chapter ,v4  ,the birth of    
,francesca's second son--,his           
supernatural gifts --,the birth of her  
daughter--,satanic attacks upon         
,francesca --,troubles of               
,rome--,francesca's husband is severely 
wounded--,her eldest son1 when given up 
as a hostage to the ,neapolitans1 is    

miraculously restored to her   ,,chapter
 ,,vi4  ,sufferings of ,rome from the   
troops of ,ladislas--,death of          
,francesca's son ,evangelista--,the     
famine and plague in ,rome--,francesca's
 labours for the starving and sick--,her
 miracles   ,,chapter ,,vii4            
,evangelista appears to his mother--,an 
archangel is assigned to her as a       
visible guardian throughout her life    
,,chapter ,,viii4  ,francesca's illness 
and recovery--,her vision of            
hell--,restoration of tranquillity in   
,rome--,return of ,francesca's          
husband--,her power in converting       
sinners   ,,chapter ,,ix4  ,fresh       
supernatural events in ,francesca's     
history--,her obedience to her husband  
and to her confessor rewarded by two    
miracles--,marriage of her son1 and ill 
conduct of his wife--,her conversion    
through ,francesca's prayers--,fresh    
miracles worked by ,francesca           
,,chapter ,x4  ,francesca lays the      
foundation of her future congregation-- 

,her pilgrimage to ,assisi   ,,chapter  
,,xi4  ,death of ,francesca's friend and
 director1 ,don ,antonio-- ,troubles in 
,rome and ,italy foretold by            
,francesca--,death of ,vannozza1        
,francesca's sister-in-law--,foundation 
of the ,congregation of ,oblates of ,tor
 di ,specchi   ,,chapter ,,xii4         
,progress and trials of the young       
community--,it is confirmed by the      
,pope--,troubles in ,rome and the       
,church terminated through ,francesca's 
intercession and the council of         
,florence   ,,chapter ,,xiii4  ,death of
 ,francesca's husband--,she goes to     
reside with the community of ,tor di    
,specchi--,her life as superioress      
,,chapter ,,xiv4  ,francesca's last     
illness and death   ,,chapter ,,xv4     
,francesca's funeral1 and her subsequent
 canonization   ,,ii4 ,,blessed ,,lucy  
,,of ,,narni   ,,iii4 ,,dominica ,,of   
,,paradiso   ,,iv4 ,,anne ,,de          
,,montmorency1 ,,the ,,solitary ,,of    
,,the ,,pyrenees   7,illustration7 ,,st4

 ,,frances ,,of ,,rome     ,,chapter ,i4
  ,,general ,,character ,,of ,,the      
,,saint',s ,,life--,,her ,,childhood    
,,and ,,early ,,piety4  7,illustration7 
,there have been saints whose histories 
strike us as particularly beautiful1 not
 only as possessing the beauty which    
always belongs to sanctity1 whether     
exhibited in an aged servant of ,god1   
who for threescore years and more has   
borne the heat and burden of the day1 or
 in the youth who has offered up the    
morning of his life to ,his ,maker1 and 
yielded it into ,his hands before twenty
 summers have passed over his head2     
whether in a warrior king like ,st4     
,louis1 or a beggar like ,benedict      
,labr1 or a royal lady like ,st4        
,elizabeth of ,hungary2 but also as     
uniting--in the circumstances of their  
lives1 in the places they inhabited1 and
 the epochs when they appeared in the   
world1 much that is in itself poetical  
and interesting1 and calculated to      
attract the attention of the historian  

and the man of letters1 as well as of   
the theologian and the devout4 ,in this 
class of saints may well be included    
,francesca ,romana1 the foundress of the
 religious order of the ,oblates of ,tor
 di ,specchi4 ,she was the model of     
young girls1 the example of a devout    
matron1 and finally a widow1 according  
to the very pattern drawn by ,st4 ,paul2
 she was beautiful1 courageous1 and full
 of wisdom1 nobly born1 and delicately  
brought up3 ,rome was the place of her  
birth1 and the scene of her labours2 her
 home was in the centre of the great    
city1 in the heart of the ,trastevere2  
her life was full of trials and         
hair-breadth escapes1 and strange       
reverses2 her hidden life was marvellous
 in the extreme3 visions of terror and  
of beauty followed her all her days2    
favours such as were never granted to   
any other saint were vouchsafed to her2 
the world of spirits was continually    
thrown open to her sight2 and yet1 in   
her daily conduct1 her character and her

 ways1 minute details of which have     
reached us1 there is a simplicity as    
well as a deep humility1 awful in one so
 highly gifted1 touching in one so      
highly favoured4  ,troubled and wild    
were the times she lived in2 perhaps if 
one had to point out a period in which a
 ,catholic ,christian would rather not  
have had his lot cast1--one in which    
there was most to try his faith and     
wound his feelings1 he would name the   
end of the fourteenth century1 and the  
beginning of the fifteenth4 ,war was    
raging all over ,europe2 ,italy was torn
 by inward dissensions1 by the rival    
factions of the ,guelphs and the        
,ghibellines4 ,so savage was the spirit 
with which their conflicts were carried 
on1 that barbarism seemed once more     
about to overspread that fair land1 and 
the ,church itself was afflicted not    
only by the outward persecutions which  
strengthen its vitality1 though for a   
while they may appear to cripple its    
action1 but by trials of a far deeper   

and more painful nature4 ,heresy had    
torn from her arms a great number of her
 children1 and repeated schisms were    
dividing those who1 in appearance and   
even in intention1 remained faithful to 
the ,holy ,see4 ,the successors of ,st4 
,peter had removed the seat of their    
residence to ,avignon1 and the ,eternal 
,city presented the aspect of one vast  
battle-field1 on which daily and hourly 
conflicts were occurring4 ,the          
,colonnas1 the ,orsinis1 the ,savellis1 
were every instant engaged in struggles 
which deluged the streets with blood1   
and cut off many of her citizens in the 
flower of their age2 strangers were also
 continually invading the heritage of   
the ,church1 and desecrated ,rome with  
massacres and outrages scarcely less    
deplorable than those of the ,huns and  
the ,vandals4 ,in the capital of the    
,christian world1 ruins of recent date  
lay side by side with the relics of past
 ages2 the churches were sacked1 burned1
 and destroyed2 the solitary and        

indestructible basilicas stood almost   
alone1 mournfully erect amidst these    
scenes of carnage and gloom2 and the    
eyes of the people of ,rome were        
wistfully directed towards that tutelary
 power1 which has ever been to them a   
pledge of prosperity and peace1 and     
whose removal the signal of war and of  
misery4  ,it was at that time1 during   
the ,pontificate of ,urban ,,vi41 in the
 year #achd1 that ,francesca was born at
 ,rome2 that she rose as a star in a    
dark night1 according to the expression 
of the most ancient of her biographers4 
,her father's name was ,paul ,bussa2 her
 mother's ,jacobella de' ,roffredeschi2 
they were both of noble and even        
illustrious descent1 and closely allied 
to the ,orsinis1 the ,savellis1 and the 
,mellinis4 ,on the day of her birth she 
was carried to the church of ,santa     
,agnese1 in the ,piazza ,navona1 and    
there baptised4 ,little could the       
worshippers who may have been praying   
there that day for a blessing on their  

bereaved and distracted city1 have      
guessed in what form that blessing was  
bestowed1 and that that little babe1 a  
few hours old1 was to prove a most      
powerful instrument in the hands of ,god
 for the extinction of schism1 the      
revival of piety1 and the return of     
peace4  ,from her infancy1 ,francesca   
was not like other children4 ,her       
mother1 when she held her in her arms or
 hushed her to sleep on her knee1 had   
always an involuntary feeling of        
reverence for her little daughter2 it   
was as if an angel of ,god1 not an      
earthly child1 had been lent her2 a     
heavenly expression shone in her eyes1  
and the calm serenity of her infant     
features struck all who approached her  
with admiration4 ,francesca learned to  
read at the same time that she began to 
speak2 the first words she was taught to
 utter were the sacred names of ,jesus  
and ,mary2 at her mother's knee she     
lisped the ,little ,office of the       
,blessed ,virgin1 and during the whole  

course of her life she never omitted    
that practice4  ,at two or three years  
old she had the sense and intelligence  
of a grown-up person2 an extraordinary  
piety revealed itself in all her words  
and actions4 ,she never played like     
other children2 but when left to herself
 would often retire into silent corners 
of her father's palace1 and kneeling    
down1 join her little hands in prayer2  
and lifting up her infant heart to ,god1
 would read a devout book1 or repeat    
hymns to the ,blessed ,virgin1 her own  
dear mother as she used to call her4    
,silence appeared to be the delight of  
this young child--the deepest reserve   
and modesty an instinct with her4 ,at   
the age of six years the practices of   
the saints were already familiar to her4
 ,she had left off eating meat1 eggs1 or
 sweets of any description1 and lived on
 plainly boiled vegetables and bread4   
,the necessity of eating at all seemed  
irksome to her1 and she never drank any 
thing but pure water4 ,then also had    

begun her unwearied study of the lives  
of holy women1 and especially of the    
virgin martyrs who have shed their blood
 for the love of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the   
,sacrament of ,confirmation1 which she  
received at that time in the church of  
,santa ,agnese1 the same in which she   
had been baptised1 filled her with      
ardour to show her love for her ,lord by
 every imaginable means1 even those the 
most painful to the flesh4  ,her mother 
was a very devout person1 and in the    
habit of visiting every day some of the 
churches1 especially those where        
indulgences were to be gained1 and she  
also frequented the stations with       
affectionate assiduity4 ,for in that    
troubled epoch1 as in the earliest times
 of the ,church1 as now1 as always1 on  
certain days1 in certain places1 the    
relics of apostles1 of martyrs1 and of  
confessors were exhibited to the        
faithful1 often on the very spot where  
they had finished their course with joy1
 having kept their faith and won their  

crown4 ,the devotion of the stations1 as
 it is performed in ,rome1 is one of the
 most touching links with the past that 
it is possible to conceive4 ,to pass    
along the street1 so often trod by holy 
feet in former and in latter days1 and  
seek the church appointed for that day's
 station2 to approach some time-worn    
basilica1 or ancient sanctuary1 without 
the city walls may be1 and pausing on   
the threshold1 give one look at the     
glorious works of ,almighty ,god in the 
natural world1--at the wide ,campagna1  
that land-sea1 so beautiful in its broad
 expanse and its desolate grandeur1 at  
the purple hills with their golden      
lights and their deep-blue shadows1 and 
the arched sky telling so vividly the   
glory of its ,maker2 and then slowly    
lifting the heavy curtain that stands   
between that vision of earthly beauty1  
and the shrine where countless          
generations have come to worship1--to   
tread under feet the green boughs1 the  
sweet-smelling leaves1 the scattered    

flowers1 that morning strewn upon the   
uneven1 time-trod1 time-honoured        
pavement2 bowing in adoration before the
 ,lord in ,his tabernacle1 to thank ,him
 for the wonders that ,he has worked in 
,his saints1--for the beauty of the     
world of grace1 of which that of the    
visible world is but the type and the   
shadow2 and then move from one shrine to
 the other1 wherever the lights upon the
 altars point the way1 and invoke the   
assistance1 the prayers of the saints   
whose relics are there displayed2--all  
this is one of those rare enjoyments    
which at once feed the soul and awake   
the imagination1 and which the devout   
,christian can find in no place but     
,rome4  ,it was these stations that     
,francesca's mother frequented1 and took
 her little daughter with her4          
,sometimes she went to some church in   
the heart of the city2 sometimes to some
 lonely shrine without the walls4 ,then1
 as now1 the beggars 7so we find it     
mentioned later in the life of the      

,saint7 congregated at the doors1 and   
clamoured for alms4 ,then1 as now1 the  
lights burned upon the altars1 and the  
sweet smell of fragrant and crushed     
leaves perfumed the air4 ,during sermons
 the little girl's attention never      
wandered2 and on her return home she was
 wont to repeat what she had heard with 
unction and delight4  ,her mother's     
favourite church was that of ,santa     
,maria ,nuova2 in our day more          
frequently called that of ,san          
,francesca ,romana4 ,it stands in the   
,toro ,romano1 close to the ruins of the
 ancient ,temple of ,peace4 ,it was     
served at that time by the ,benedictine 
monks of ,mount ,olivet2 and to one of  
them1 ,don ,antonio di ,monte ,savello1 
,jacobella de' ,roffredeschi intrusted  
the spiritual direction of her daughter4
 ,he was a man of great learning and    
piety1 and continued her director for   
five and thirty years4 ,every ,wednesday
 the little maiden came to him for      
confession4 ,she consulted him about her

 occupations1 her religious exercises1  
and her studies1 and exactly obeyed his 
most minute directions1 even in         
indifferent things4 ,often she tried for
 his permission to practise greater     
austerities2 and such was her fervour1  
and the plain indications of ,god's     
designs upon her1 that he occasionally  
allowed her to perform penances which   
might have been considered in ordinary  
cases too severe for her tender age4 ,at
 other times he forbade them altogether2
 and she submitted cheerfully to his    
commands1 without a word of remonstrance
 or complaint1 and resumed them again at
 his desire1 with the equanimity of one 
who well knew that the spirit of perfect
 obedience is more acceptable to ,god   
than any works of devotion4    ,a       
celestial brightness1 a more eternal    
beauty1   ,shone on her face1 and       
encircled her form1 when after          
confession   ,homeward serenely she     
walked1 with ,god's benediction upon    
her4   ,when she had passed1 it seemed  

like the ceasing of exquisite   music4  
,footnote3 ,longfellow3 ,evangeline4    
,francesca's daily life was as perfect  
as a child's could be4 ,no untrue words 
sullied her pure lips2 no gross thought 
dwelt in her mind4 ,she seldom laughed1 
though a sweet smile was often on her   
lips4 ,up to the age of eleven1 her life
 was one long continual prayer4 ,every  
little action was performed with a view 
to the glory of ,god4 ,her trifling     
failings she deplored with anguish2     
every stain on the pure mirror of her   
conscience was instantly washed away by 
tears4 ,it was not long before it       
pleased ,god to vouchsafe to her        
extraordinary graces4 ,her early and    
almost intuitive acquaintance with the  
mysteries of religion was wonderful4    
,every day she meditated on the         
,incarnation and the ,passion of ,jesus 
,christ2 and her devotion to the        
,blessed ,virgin increased in proportion
 to her love for our ,lord4 ,her face   
flushed with delight1 and a seraphic    

expression beamed in her eyes1 when she 
spoke of the sufferings of ,jesus1 and  
the glories of ,mary4 ,from the little  
oratory where she held secret communion 
with heaven1 she went out into the world
 with the most ardent desire to serve   
the poor1 to console the afflicted1 to  
do good to all4 ,the affection of her   
young heart found vent in numerous works
 of charity2 and ,francesca's name1 and 
,francesca's sweet voice1 and           
,francesca's fair face1 were even then  
to many of the sufferers of that dark   
epoch a sign of hope1--a pledge that    
,god was still amongst them as of yore1 
and ,his ,spirit at work in the hearts  
of men4    ,,chapter ,,ii4              
,,francesca',s ,,early ,,inclination    
,,for ,,the ,,cloister--,,by ,,her      
,,father',s ,,desire ,,she ,,marries    
,,lorenzo ,,ponziano--,,her ,,married   
,,life--,,her ,,illness ,,and           
,,miraculous ,,cure4   ,from the time   
that ,francesca had understood the      
meaning of the words1 her greatest      

desire had been to enter a convent2 but 
with that spirit of humility and reserve
 which so particularly belonged to her1 
she had kept her desire concealed in her
 heart1 and had manifested it to none   
but ,god and her director4 ,don ,antonio
 encouraged her to persevere in this    
silence1 and to prove her own resolution
 by secretly adhering to the rules1 and 
practising the austerities of one of the
 strictest religious orders4 ,she gladly
 assented to this1 and persevered in it 
for a considerable time4 ,stronger and  
deeper every day grew her inclination to
 forsake the world1 and to hold         
communion with ,god alone in the        
solitude of the cloister2 with that ,god
 whose love had already driven from her 
heart all care for comfort1 for         
pleasure1 and for self4 ,but not so     
smooth was to be her path through life2 
not much longer was she to sit in       
silence at the feet of her ,lord1 with  
no other thought than to live on the    
words1 which fell from ,his lips4       

,though she concealed as much as        
possible the peculiarities of her mode  
of life1 they could not altogether      
escape the notice of her parents2 and   
they soon questioned her on the subject4
 ,when she informed them of her wish to 
embrace the religious life1 her father  
chose to consider her vocation as a     
childish fancy1 and informed her in     
return that he had already promised her 
in marriage to ,lorenzo ,ponziano1 a    
young nobleman of illustrious birth1 and
 not less eminent for his virtues and   
for his talents than from his fortune   
and position4 ,he reckoned amongst his  
ancestors ,st4 ,paulianus1 pope and     
martyr2 his mother was a ,mellini2 and  
his eldest brother ,paluzzo had married 
,vannuzza1 a daughter of the noble house
 of ,santo ,croce4 ,francesca's heart   
sank within her at this announcement1   
and falling on her knees she implored   
her father to alter his determination1  
and allow her to follow what she        
believed to be the will of ,god in her  

regard4 ,she went even so far as to     
protest that nothing should induce her  
to consent to this marriage2 torrents of
 tears fell from her eyes as she poured 
forth her supplications and urged her   
request4 ,but it was all in vain that   
she wept and prayed4 ,paul ,bussa turned
 a deaf ear to her pleadings2 declared  
that his word was pledged1 that nothing 
should ever persuade him to retract it2 
and he insisted that1 as a dutiful      
daughter1 she should submit herself to  
his will4 ,seeing him thus immovable1   
,francesca rose from her knees1 withdrew
 in silence from his presence1 and      
retiring into her little oratory1       
prostrated herself before the crucifix1 
and asked counsel of ,him at whose feet 
she wished to live and to die2 and      
implored ,him1 if such was ,his good    
pleasure1 to exert ,his ,almighty       
,power1 and raise obstacles to the      
projected marriage4 ,then1 strengthened 
by prayer1 she was inspired to seek     
direction from him who was the organ of 

the divine will to her1 and hurrying to 
,santa ,maria ,nuova1 she requested to  
see ,don ,antonio ,savello4  ,kindly and
 gently the good priest spoke to his    
afflicted penitent4 ,he promised to     
consult the ,lord for her in prayer1 and
 suggested some devotions to be used by 
herself for that purpose4 ,then1 seeing 
her countenance assume a calmer         
expression1 he endeavoured to prepare   
her mind for what he doubtless already  
knew was the will of ,god1 and the true1
 though in one so minded1 the singular  
vocation of ,francesca4 ,if your parents
 persist in their resolution 7he said71 
take it1 my child1 as a sign that ,god  
expects of you this sacrifice4 ,offer up
 to ,him in that case your earnest      
desire for the religious life4 ,he will 
accept the will for the deed2 and you   
will obtain at once the reward of that  
wish1 and the peculiar graces attached  
to the sacrament of marriage4 ,god's    
ways are not as our ways1 ,francesca4   
,when ,st4 ,mary ,magdalene had sent for

 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ to come and   
heal her brother1 it was no doubt a     
severe trial to her that ,he came not2  
that the long hours of the day and of   
the night succeeded each other1 and that
 ,he tarried on the way1 and sent no    
message or token of ,his love4 ,but when
 her brother rose from the dead1 when   
the shroud fell from his limbs1 and he  
stood before her full of life and       
strength1 she understood the mystery1   
and adored the divine wisdom of that    
delay4 ,god indeed asks of you your     
heart1 ,francesca2 but ,he also claims  
your whole self as an oblation1 and     
therefore your will that ,he may mould  
it into entire conformity with ,his own4
 ,for works may be many and good1 my    
daughter1 and piety may be fervent1 and 
virtues eminent1 and yet the smallest   
leaven of self-love or self-will may    
ruin the whole4 ,why do you weep1       
,francesca8 ,that ,god's will is not    
accomplished1 or that your own is       
thwarted8 ,nothing but sin can mar the  

first1 and in this your trial there is  
not the least shade of sin4 ,as to your 
own will1 bend1 break1 annihilate it1 my
 child1 and take courage4 ,have but one 
thought--the good pleasure1 the sweet   
will of ,god2 submit yourself to ,his   
,providence4 ,lay down your wishes as an
 oblation on ,his altar2 give up that   
highest place which you had justly      
coveted2 take the lower one which ,he   
now appoints you2 and if you cannot be  
,his spouse1 be ,his loving and faithful
 servant4  ,francesca went home1 and    
awaited in silence her father's further 
commands4 ,she was very pale1 for the   
struggle was a painful one4 ,she prayed 
night and day1 watched and fasted4 ,when
 ,paul ,bussa renewed his injunctions1  
she gently gave her assent1 begged him  
to forgive her past resistance1 and     
henceforward gave no outward signs of   
the suffering within1 all the greater   
that it came in the form of rejoicing1  
and that others deemed that to be       
happiness which cost her so many secret 

tears4 ,the family of ,ponziano were    
overjoyed at the marriage1--the bride   
was so rich1 so beautiful1 and so       
virtuous2 there was not a young man in  
,rome who did not look with envy on     
,lorenzo1 and wish himself in his stead4
 ,there was no end to the banquets1 the 
festivities1 the merry-makings1 which   
took place on the occasion2 and in the  
midst of these rejoicings ,francesca    
left her father's palace for that of the
 ,ponziani4 ,it stood in the heart of   
the ,trastevere1 close to the ,yellow   
,river1 though not quite upon it1 in the
 vicinity of the ,ponte ,rotto1 in a    
street that runs parallel with the      
,tiber4 ,it is a well-known spot2 and on
 the #ith of ,march1 the ,festival of   
,st4 ,francesca1 the people of ,rome and
 of the neighbourhood flock to it in    
crowds4 ,the modern building that has   
been raised on the foundation of the old
 palace is the ,casa dei ,esercizii     
,pii1 for the young men of the city4    
,there the repentant sinner who longs to

 break the chain of sin1 the youth beset
 by some strong temptation1 one who has 
heard the inward voice summoning him to 
higher paths of virtue1 another who is  
in doubt as to the particular line of   
life to which he is called1 may come1   
and leave behind them for three1 or     
five1 or ten days1 as it may be1 the    
busy world1 with all its distractions   
and its agitations1 and1 free for the   
time being from temporal cares1 the     
wants of the body provided for1 and the 
mind at rest1 may commune with ,god and 
their own souls4 ,here they listen      
daily1 nay hourly1 to the instructions  
of devout priests1 who1 in the manner   
prescribed by ,st4 ,ignatius1 place     
before them in turn the most awful      
truths and the most consoling mysteries 
of the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,resolutions   
are thus taken1 conversions often       
effected1 good purposes strengthened in 
a way which often seems little short of 
miraculous4 ,the means are marvellously 
adapted to the end2 and though many a   

wave may sweep over the soul1 when it   
again returns to the world1 a mark has  
been stamped upon it not easily effaced4
  ,over the ,casa dei ,esercizii ,pii   
the sweet spirit of ,francesca seems    
still to preside4 ,on the day of her    
festival its rooms are thrown open1     
every memorial of the gentle saint is   
exhibited1 lights burn on numerous      
altars1 flowers deck the passages1      
leaves are strewn in the chapel1 on the 
stairs1 in the entrance-court2 gay      
carpets1 figured tapestry and crimson   
silks hang over the door1 and crowds of 
people go in and out1 and kneel before  
the relics or the pictures of the dear  
saint of ,rome1 and greet on each altar1
 and linger in these chambers1 like     
kinsfolk met on a birthday to rejoice   
together4 ,the well-dressed and the     
ragged1 the rich and the poor1 without  
distinction1 pay their homage to her    
sweet memory whose living presence once 
adorned the spot which they visit4 ,it  
is a joyous and touching festival1 one  

which awakens tender thoughts1 and      
brings the world of memory into close   
connection with that of hope4 ,the mind 
is forcibly carried back to the day when
 the young bride of ,lorenzo ,ponziano  
entered these walls for the first time1 
in all the sacred beauty of holiness and
 youth--    ,pure as the virgin snow    
that dwells   ,upon the mountain's      
crest1   ,cold as the sheet of ice that 
lies   ,upon the lake's deep breast4    
,pure from the least taint of worldly   
vanity1 cold to all that belongs to     
human passion2 but with a heart burning 
with love to ,god1 and overflowing with 
charity to every creature of ,his4  ,she
 was received tenderly and joyfully by  
,lorenzo himself1 by his father ,andrew1
 his mother ,cecilia1 and ,vannozza1 the
 wife of his elder brother4 ,francesca  
smiled sweetly as she returned their    
caresses2 but the noise1 and the gaiety1
 and the visiting1 that attended a      
wedding in those days weighed heavily on
 her spirits2 and though she never      

complained1 ,vannozza perceived that her
 little heart was oppressed with some   
secret sorrow1 and tenderly inquired    
into its cause4 ,francesca could not    
resist the gentle appeal1 and disclosed 
her grief to her kind sister4 ,she told 
her that the world had never given her  
pleasure1 that her affections were      
elsewhere set1 that she longed to live  
for ,god alone1 and felt sad1 in spite  
of all her efforts1 at the tumult and   
dissipation1 which was now her portion4 
,if such are your feelings1 my beloved  
little sister1 exclaimed ,vannozza1 my  
sympathy may serve to console you2 for  
neither do ,i find any delight in the   
vanities of the world1 but only in      
prayer and meditation4 ,let us be       
friends1 ,francesca2 ,i will help you to
 lead the life you desire1 and together 
we shall arrive at the end we have in   
view4  ,these kind words filled         
,francesca's heart with joy2 and from   
that day forward there sprung up a      
friendship between these two young      

women1 which lasted for eight-and-thirty
 years1 and was a source of the greatest
 consolation to them through all the    
trials they had to encounter1 at the    
same time that it edified all those who 
beheld that tender affection4  ,in her  
new home ,francesca followed the same   
mode of life which she had pursued in   
her father's house2 but her zeal was    
tempered with so much wisdom and        
prudence1 that she offended no one1 and 
contrived to win the affection of all   
her relations4 ,her good sense1 her     
sweetness of temper1 her earnest piety1 
charmed them all2 and they were         
astonished that so young a girl could at
 once assume the part and fulfil the    
duties of a devoted wife and a noble    
matron4 ,anxious in every way to conform
 herself to ,lorenzo's wishes1 she      
received the visits of the high-born    
ladies her equals and companions1 and   
returned them with punctuality4 ,she    
submitted to appear in public with all  
the state which belonged to her         

position1 and accepted and wore the     
costly dresses and the splendid jewels  
which her husband lavished upon her2 but
 under those gorgeous silks and rich    
brocades a hair-shirt was concealed4    
,always ready to comply with any        
observance which duty or propriety      
required1 she at the same time steadily 
abstained even from the innocent        
amusements in which others indulged2 and
 never danced or played at cards1 or sat
 up late at night4 ,her manner was so   
gentle and kind1 that it inspired       
affection in all who approached her2 but
 there was also a profound and awful    
purity in her aspect and in her         
demeanour1 which effectually checked the
 utterance of a free or licentious word 
in her presence4 ,faithful to her early 
habits of piety1 she continued every    
,wednesday her visits to ,santa ,maria  
,nuova2 and after confessing to ,don    
,antonio1 she went to communion with    
such fervent devotion1 that those who   
saw her at the altar absorbed in        

adoration1 foresaw that ,god would ere  
long bestow extraordinary graces on her 
soul4 ,rising betimes in the morning1   
,francesca devoutly said her prayers1   
made her meditation1 and read           
attentively out of a spiritual book4 ,in
 the course of the day1 whenever she had
 a moment's leisure unclaimed by any of 
the duties of her state1 she withdrew   
into a church or into her own room1 and 
gave herself up to prayer4 ,every       
,saturday she had a conference with ,fra
 ,michele1 a ,dominican monk1 the prior 
of ,san ,clemente1 and an intimate      
friend of her father-in-law4 ,he was a  
learned theologian1 as well as a man of 
great piety and virtue1 and instructed  
her with care in all the doctrines of   
religion4  ,at the same tune1 so austere
 and devout a life in a young person of 
twelve years old could not fail to      
attract the attention and draw down the 
censures of the worldly4 ,many such     
began to laugh at ,francesca1 and to    
turn her piety into ridicule4 ,they     

intruded their advice on ,lorenzo       
,ponziano1 and urged him to put a stop  
to what they termed his wife's          
eccentricities4 ,but happily for        
,francesca1 he was not one of those men 
who are easily influenced by the opinion
 of others4 ,he formed his own judgment1
 and pursued his own line of conduct    
undisturbed by the comments and         
animadversions of his would-be advisers4
 ,his young wife was much too precious  
to him1 much too perfect in his sight1  
her whole life bore too visibly the     
stamp of ,god's dealings with her1 for  
him to dream of interfering with the    
course she had taken4 ,on the contrary1 
he looked upon her with that            
affectionate veneration which the       
presence of true sanctity always awakens
 in a noble and religious mind4 ,his    
father and mother were of the same way  
of thinking1 and all but idolised the   
holy child who had come amongst them as 
an angel of peace4 ,they regarded her as
 the blessing of their house1 and the   

comfort of their old age4 ,paluzzo1     
,lorenzo's brother1 delighted in        
encouraging the intimacy that had arisen
 between his young sister-in-law and his
 own wife ,vannozza4 ,there was not a   
single member1 friend1 or servant1 of   
that noble family1 that did not look    
with delight upon ,francesca4 ,she was  
the joy of every heart1 the sweet       
consoler of every sorrow1 the link that 
bound them all by the sacred cord of    
love4 ,day by day her influence--her    
tender1 noiseless1 gentle influence--was
 felt1 subduing1 winning1 drawing them  
all to ,god4  ,the happiness which the  
family of ,ponziano had enjoyed since   
,lorenzo's marriage was interrupted by  
the sudden and dangerous illness of his 
wife1 which baffled all medical skill1  
and soon brought her to the verge of the
 grave4 ,the affliction of her husband  
and of his whole family was extreme4    
,their pearl of great price seemed about
 to be taken from them4 ,no remedies    
afforded the slightest relief to her    

sufferings2 she was unable to rest1 or  
to retain any nourishment2 and every day
 her strength declined4 ,the            
consternation of her friends knew no    
bounds2 her father was inconsolable4 ,he
 secretly reproached himself with the   
constraint he had placed on her         
inclinations1 and considered her illness
 as a ,divine chastisement4 ,francesca  
alone remained unmoved amidst the       
general affliction4 ,she placed her life
 in the hands of ,god1 and waited the   
event with perfect submission4 ,unable  
to speak1 or even to move1 the sweet    
expression of her earnest eyes alone    
spoke her gratitude to those who nursed 
her and wept over her sufferings4 ,at   
other times they were fixed on the      
,crucifix with an unutterable look of   
trust and love4 ,once only she was      
disturbed1 and indignation gave her     
strength to protest against the guilty  
suggestions of some friends of the      
family1 who1 according to the notions of
 that time1 persisted in believing that 

a spell had been cast upon her1 and     
proposed to have recourse to some       
persons in ,rome who dealt1 or pretended
 to deal1 in magic arts4 ,francesca     
declared herself ready to die1 rather   
than countenance so impious a           
proceeding4 ,after all medical resources
 had been exhausted1 when despair had   
succeeded to hope1 ,almighty ,god       
restored her health for a while2 and the
 news of her recovery was hailed with   
rapture within and without the palace4  
,her sufferings1 however1 returned with 
double violence2 she endured the most   
excruciating pains2 and was again       
considered to be at the point of death4 
,during a whole year she remained as it 
were on the brink of eternity3 her soul 
prepared to take its wing2 continually  
sustained by the ,sacraments of the     
,church1 her only remaining thought was 
to soothe the anguish of her husband and
 parents4 ,once again1 those persons who
 had previously proposed to resort to   
magic arts for her cure1 managed to     

thrust into her room1 on some pretence  
or other1 a woman celebrated in that    
line4 ,francesca1 enlightened by a      
divine inspiration1 instantly detected  
the fraud2 and raising herself in her   
bed1 with a voice1 the strength of which
 astonished the bystanders1 exclaimed1  
,begone1 thou servant of ,satan1 nor    
ever venture to enter these walls again6
 ,exhausted by the effort1 she fell back
 faint and colourless2 and for a moment 
they feared that her spirit had passed  
away4 ,but that very day ,god was       
preparing a miracle in her behalf2 and  
as she had refused to hold any          
communication with the ,evil ,one1 ,he  
was about to send ,his young servant a  
heavenly messenger1 with health and     
healing on his wings4 ,it was the eve of
 the ,festival of ,st4 ,alexis1--that   
noble ,roman penitent1 who passed so    
many years at the threshold of his own  
palace1 unpitied1 unrecognised by his   
own relations1 who went in and out at   
the gate1 and stopped not to question   

the silent1 lonely1 patient beggar1 who 
lay there with his face hid in a poor   
cloak1 finding peace in the midst of    
bitterness4  ,the ,ponziani had all     
withdrawn to rest for a few hours2 the  
women who attended on the dying         
,francesca had fallen asleep4 ,she was  
lying motionless on her couch of pain4  
,her sufferings had been sharp2 they    
were sharper than ever that night4 ,she 
endured them in the strength of the     
,cross1 from which neither her eyes nor 
her thoughts wandered4 ,the whole house1
 and apparently the city also1 was wrapt
 in slumber2 for not a sound marred the 
stillness of the hour1--that stillness  
so trying to those who watch and suffer4
 ,suddenly on the darkness of the silent
 chamber a light broke1 bright as the   
day4 ,in the midst stood a radiant      
figure1 majestic in form and gracious in
 countenance4 ,he wore a pilgrim's robe2
 but it shone like burnished gold4      
,drawing near to ,francesca's bed1 he   
said3 ,i am ,alexis1 and am sent from   

,god to inquire of thee if thou choosest
 to be healed8 ,twice he repeated the   
words1 and then the dying one faintly   
murmured1 ,i have no choice but the good
 pleasure of ,god4 ,be it done unto me  
according to ,his will4 ,for my own     
part1 ,i would prefer to die1 and for my
 soul to fly to ,him at once2 but ,i    
accept all at ,his hands1 be it life or 
be it death4 ,life1 then1 it is to be1  
replied ,st4 ,alexis2 for ,he chooses   
that thou shouldest remain in the world 
to glorify ,his name4 ,with these words 
he spread his mantle over ,francesca and
 disappeared1 leaving her perfectly     
recovered4  ,confounded at this         
extraordinary favour1 more alive to the 
sense of ,god's wonderful mercy than to 
her own sudden freedom from pain1       
,francesca rose in haste1 and prostrate 
on the floor1 made a silent and fervent 
thanksgiving2 then slipping out of her  
room without awaking her nurses1 she    
hurried to the bedside of her friend and
 sister4 ,putting her arm round her neck

 and her cheek next to her's1 she       
exclaimed1 ,vannozza cara6 ,vannozza    
mia6 7,my dear ,vannozza1 my own        
,vannozza47 ,and the bewildered         
,vannozza suddenly awoke out of her     
sleep1 and distrusting the evidence of  
her senses1 kept repeating1 ,who calls  
me8 ,who are you8 ,am ,i dreaming8 ,it  
sounds like the voice of my ,cecolella4 
,footnote3 ,the ,italian diminutive for 
,francesca4 ,yes1 it is your ,cecolella2
 it is your little sister who is        
speaking to you4 ,my ,francesca1 whom ,i
 left an hour ago at the point of death8
 ,yes1 the very same ,francesca who now 
holds you to her breast2 you1 you1 my   
beloved companion1 who day and night    
have comforted and consoled me during my
 long illness1 and who must now help me 
to thank ,god for ,his wonderful mercy4 
,then sitting upon her bed1 with her    
hands clasped in her's1 she related to  
her her vision1 and the instantaneous   
recovery that had followed it2 and then1
 as the light was beginning to break    

into the chamber1 she added with        
eagerness1 ,now1 now the day is come4   
,let us not delay a moment longer1 but  
hasten with me to ,santa ,maria ,nuova1 
and then to the church of ,st4 ,alexis4 
,i must venerate his relics1 and return 
him my thanks1 before others learn what 
,god has done for me4  ,this pious      
purpose fulfilled1 they returned home1  
where ,francesca was looked upon as one 
risen from the dead4 ,the affection she 
inspired was mingled with awe2 every one
 considered her as the special object of
 the ,divine mercy1 and venerated her   
accordingly4 ,not so joyfully had       
,lorenzo received her on their          
bridal-day1 as when she came to him now1
 restored to his arms by the miraculous 
interposition of a merciful ,god4       
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,francesca ,,proceeds
 ,,in ,,her ,,mortifications ,,and      
,,works ,,of ,,charity--,,her           
,,supernatural ,,temptations ,,and      
,,consolations4  ,not in vain had       
,francesca been brought so near to      

death1 and so wonderfully restored to   
perfect health4 ,a favour such as she   
had received could not fail of producing
 signal results in one who so well      
corresponded with every degree of grace 
vouchsafed to her4 ,this last           
manifestation of ,god's mercy disposed  
her to meditate deeply and earnestly on 
the designs of ,providence in her       
regard4 ,she seemed now to discern1 in a
 clear and overpowering manner1 the     
nature of the particular judgment which 
she had been about to undergo1 the      
amount of responsibility incurred by    
every grace conferred on her soul1 the  
severe account which would be demanded  
of every talent committed to her charge2
 and at the sight she shuddered1 as a   
man draws back affrighted at the        
distinct appearance of a precipice which
 he has skirted in the night1 or at the 
waves dashing wildly on a beach on which
 he has been landed in safety4 ,her     
meditations at that time assumed a very 
solemn character2 every moment that she 

could spare was spent in the            
neighbouring church of ,st4 ,cecilia or 
in her own oratory1 and employed in a   
minute review of her past life1 and in  
forming heroic resolutions for the      
future4  ,the government of the tongue  
is one of the most difficult and        
important points in the spiritual life4 
,from this time forward ,francesca      
avoided all unnecessary conversations1  
and became habitually silent4 ,there was
 no moroseness in her silence2 it never 
interfered with the kindnesses or the   
courtesies of life2 but as in childhood 
she had been remarkable for it1 so in   
womanhood it distinguished her1 and     
especially since her illness and        
miraculous recovery4 ,vannozza inquired 
of her one day what it was that made her
 so habitually silent1 and she answered1
 ,god expects more of us than           
heretofore2 and then she proposed to her
 a still stricter mode of life than they
 had yet adopted4 ,vannozza willingly   
assented1 and they agreed to give up all

 useless amusements1 fashionable drives1
 and diversions1 and to devote to prayer
 and to good works the hours thus       
withdrawn from the service of the world4
 ,they resolved to observe with the most
 exact punctuality every law of ,god1   
and every precept of the ,church2 to    
obey their husbands with the most       
attentive and ,christian-like           
submission2 to be invariably docile to  
their ghostly father1 and submit to him 
their actions1 their words1 and even    
their thoughts2 and thus to secure      
themselves against the deceits of the   
evil one4 ,they then proceeded to       
arrange for themselves a place of       
retreat1 where they could withdraw to   
pray at any hour of the day or of the   
night4 ,it was not easy to accomplish   
this in a palace inhabited by a numerous
 family and a large number of servants2 
but in a sort of cave at one end of the 
garden1 and in a little room that       
happened to be unoccupied under the roof
 of the house1 they established two     

oratories1 which they furnished with    
crucifixes1 images of our ,blessed      
,lady1 and pictures of saints1 as well  
as with various other objects of        
devotion and with instruments of        
penance4 ,these two little cells became 
their comfort and delight2 whenever     
their domestic duties or their religious
 observances out of doors left them at  
liberty1 they were in the habit of      
retiring into the garden oratory1 and at
 night they frequently spent whole hours
 in prayer in the upper chamber4 ,the   
first dawn of day often found them at   
their orisons4 ,the hours that were not 
devoted to prayer or to the duties of   
their state1 they employed in works of  
charity4 ,almost every day they went to 
the hospital of ,san ,spirito1 and      
nursed the sick with the kindest        
attention2 consoling them by their      
gentle words and tender care1 bestowing 
alms upon the most needy1 and above all1
 tending affectionately the most        
disgusting cases of disease and         

infirmity4 ,throughout their whole lives
 they never omitted this practice4 ,to  
serve ,christ in ,his afflicted brethren
 was a privilege they never consented to
 forego4  ,francesca was at this time   
very anxious to lay aside the insignia  
of wealth and rank1 and to dress as     
simply as the poor she so much loved2   
but1 always obedient1 she would not     
attempt to do so without the permission 
of her spiritual guide4 ,don ,antonio   
,savello would not give her leave to    
relinquish the splendid robes then worn 
by persons of her rank2 he feared it    
might annoy her husband1 and that there 
might be danger of ostentation in any   
thing that attracted public attention2  
but he allowed both the sisters to wear 
a coarse woollen garment under their    
magnificent dresses1 and to practise in 
secret several other austerities4 ,their
 fasts and abstinences became more rigid
 than ever2 but were carried on with so 
much simplicity1 and such a total       
absence of display1 that the very       

persons who habitually took their meals 
in company with them1 scarcely remarked 
their mortifications1 or else attributed
 them to a peculiarity of taste or the  
observance of a regimen4 ,disciplines   
and other bodily penances of a very     
severe nature were by this time habitual
 to ,francesca1 and she persevered in   
them to the end of her life4 ,with      
whatever care they concealed all these  
things1 it was not possible that the    
city of ,rome should remain ignorant of 
their piety and their generosity to the 
poor4 ,the common people looked upon    
,francesca and ,vannozza as two saints2 
and their example began to tell         
beneficially upon the women of their own
 class4 ,several noble ladies were      
inspired with the desire to walk in     
their steps1 and to imitate their       
virtues4 ,but it was not likely that    
,satan should behold unmoved the work of
 grace thus advancing in the hearts of  
these two young servants of ,god1 and   
through them on many others4 ,he chafed 

at the sight2 and now began that long   
series of attacks1 of struggles1 and of 
artifices1 by which he endeavoured to   
mar the glorious progress of these      
heroic souls4 ,almighty ,god seems to   
have granted to the prince of darkness1 
in ,san ,francesca's case1 a permission 
in some respects similar to that which  
,he gave him with regard to ,his servant
 ,job4 ,he was allowed to throw         
temptations in her way1 to cause her    
strange sufferings1 to persecute her by 
fearful manifestations of his visible   
presence1 to haunt her under various    
shapes1 some seductive in their         
appearance1 others repulsive and        
terrific in their nature2 but he was not
 permitted 7as1 thanks be to ,god1 he   
never is permitted17 to deceive or to   
injure ,his faithful servant1 who for   
every trial of the sort obtained some   
divine favour in compensation2 who for  
every vision of diabolical horror1 was  
allowed a glimpse into the world of     
glory2 and to whom at a later period was

 appointed a heavenly guardian to defend
 her against the violence of her        
infernal foe4  ,the first time that     
,satan presented himself in a visible   
form to ,francesca's sight1 ,god gave   
her an earnest of ,his protection in the
 strife about to be waged between her   
and the old serpent by miraculously     
revealing to her the character of her   
visitor4 ,it was under the aspect of a  
venerable hermit1 emaciated with fasts  
and watchings1 that he entered the      
,ponziano palace3 his intention was1 by 
some artful words1 to inspire ,francesca
 with aversion and disgust for the      
solitary life1 and at the same time for 
that hidden life which she so zealously 
practised in the midst of the world4 ,he
 was shown into a large room1 where the 
assembled family were sitting and       
conversing together4 ,no sooner had     
,francesca set her eyes upon him1 than  
she was supernaturally enlightened as to
 his true character2 she knew at once   
the dreadful enemy1 thus for the first  

time made manifest to her sight2 and1   
suddenly changing colour1 she rose and  
left the room4 ,vannozza followed       
7alarmed at her hasty departure71 and   
found her in the oratory kneeling before
 the ,crucifix1 and as pale as death4   
,she inquired into the cause of her     
emotion2 but ,frances simply desired her
 to return to the sitting-room1 and     
request ,lorenzo to dismiss the hermit4 
,as soon as he was departed1 she        
re-appeared amongst them as serene and  
calm as usual2 and to no one but to her 
confessor did she mention the           
circumstance4 ,yet it was a most awful  
moment1 that first initiation into the  
supernatural world1 that first contact  
with the powers of darkness1 that       
opening of the visible war between her  
and the great enemy4 ,no wonder that she
 was habitually silent2 her soul must   
have lived in very close communion with 
the invisible world1 and the presence of
 ,god must have been realised in an     
extraordinary decree by one whose       

spiritual discernment was so            
miraculously keen4  ,a more ordinary    
snare was the tempter's next resource1  
and he chose as his instrument a person 
of piety and virtue1 but whose human    
fears and affections were too strong for
 her faith4 ,he suggested to ,cecilia1  
the mother-in-law of the two saints1 who
 was most fondly attached to them1 and  
maternally solicitous about their       
healths1 that the ascetic life which    
they led must necessarily impair it2    
that amusements were essential to young 
persons2 and that the singularity of    
their conduct reflected discredit on the
 family4 ,under this impression1 she    
strove by every means in her power to   
counteract their designs1 to thwart them
 in their devotional and charitable     
practices1 and to induce them to give up
 more of their time and of their        
attention to the world4 ,she thus gave  
them occasion to practise a very        
peculiar kind of patience1 and to gain  
the more merit in the eyes of ,god1 in  

that they had daily to encounter a sort 
of opposition particularly trying to    
young and ardent spirits4 ,it is        
related1 that one day1 when they had    
gently but steadily refused to pay some 
visits which1 far from being absolute   
duties1 were only pretexts for gossip   
and the most frivolous conversations1   
,francesca and ,vannozza had retired    
into the garden oratory2 and after      
spending some time in prayer1 began     
conversing together on the life which   
the early ,fathers were wont to lead in 
the deserts1 and of the happiness it    
must be to live entirely devoted to the 
service of ,god1 and to commune with    
,him above1 far from the distracting    
thoughts and cares of the world4 ,they  
went on picturing to themselves the     
manner in which they would have divided 
their time and arranged their           
occupations under similar circumstances1
 and together they made out a complete  
rule of life4  ,absorbed in the subject1
 ,vannozza exclaimed1 with childlike    

simplicity1 ,but what should we have to 
eat1 sister8 and ,francesca replied1 ,we
 should search for fruits in the desert1
 dearest2 and ,god would surely not let 
us seek in vain4 ,as she said these     
words they rose to return home1 and from
 a tree which grew out of a ruined wall 
on one side of the garden there fell at 
her feet a quince of the largest size   
and most shining colour1 and another    
similar to it was lying in ,vannozza's  
path4 ,the sisters looked at each other 
in silent astonishment2 for the time of 
the year was ,april1 and nothing but a  
miracle could have brought these apples 
to maturity at this unwonted season4    
,the taste of the fruit was as excellent
 as its colour was beautiful4 ,they were
 divided amongst the members of the     
family1 who wondered at the marvels     
which seemed continually to attend the  
steps of ,francesca4 ,she was profoundly
 grateful for such favours1 but probably
 marvelled less than others at their    
occurrence4 ,her youth2 the simplicity  

of her faith2 her total abstraction from
 worldly thoughts2 her continual study  
and meditation of the ,holy ,scriptures 
and of the lives of the ,saints1--must  
have necessarily familiarised her mind  
with such ideas4 ,it could not seem     
incredible to her1 that the ,god who in 
less favoured times1 and under a severer
 dispensation1 had so often suspended   
the laws of nature1 in order to support1
 to guide1 and to instruct ,his people2 
that the ,saviour who had turned water  
into wine by a single word1 and withered
 the unprofitable fig-tree by a         
look1--should at all times display the  
same power in favour of ,his children1  
in ways not a whit more marvellous or   
mysterious4  ,cecilia made one more     
effort to check what she considered     
exaggeration in the mode of life of her 
daughters-in-law4 ,she urged their      
husbands to interfere1 and by their     
authority to oblige them to mix more    
with the world4 ,but ,paluzzo and       
,lorenzo had too deep an esteem for     

their wives1 and too great a sense of   
the advantages they derived from their  
singular virtues1 to be persuaded into  
putting a restraint on their actions4   
,since they had come into the family1   
and united their pious efforts for their
 own and others' spiritual improvement1 
disputes and quarrels had given way to  
the most edifying concord4 ,the         
servants1 moved by their example1       
performed their duties with exemplary   
zeal1 frequented the churches and the   
sacraments1 and abstained from profane  
or idle words4 ,they accordingly        
entreated their mother to give up her   
fruitless attempts1 and allow the two   
young women liberty to follow the rule  
of life they had adopted2 and thus put  
an end to the kindly meant but trying   
persecution they had gone through4      
,about this time the devil1 thwarted in 
his designs1 but always on the watch1   
was permitted to vent his anger against 
,francesca and her sister-in-law in a   
way to which he often had recourse1 and 

which1 while it seemed to display a     
momentary power over their bodies1 only 
proved in the end that a stronger one   
than he was always at hand to defeat his
 malice1 and snatch from him his prize4 
,francesca and ,vannozza had gone to    
,st4 ,peter's on an intensely hot day in
 ,july1 in the year #acii4 ,absorbed in 
prayer1 they had hardly noticed the     
lapse of time1 and twelve o'clock had   
struck when they set out on their way   
home4 ,in order to avoid observation1   
and the marks of veneration which the   
people lavished upon them as soon as    
they set eyes on the two saints 7as they
 always called them71 they chose the    
most unfrequented streets they could    
find4 ,the heat grew intolerable4 ,the  
sultry air seemed on fire1 and not a    
breath stirred it4 ,exhausted with      
fatigue1 their mouths parched with      
thirst1 they reached the church of ,st4 
,leonardo2 and holding each other's     
hands1 approached the brink of the      
river1 in order to cool their burning   

lips and throbbing heads with a little  
water4 ,as they bent over the stream for
 that purpose1 a violent blow from an   
invisible arm was aimed at ,francesca1  
and hurled her into the ,tiber4         
,vannozza fell with her2 and1 clasped in
 each other's arms1 they were rapidly   
carried away by the current1 and saw no 
means of escape4 ,they were lovely in   
their lives1 and in their deaths they   
were not divided1 might well have been  
said of them1 had the watery grave1     
which seemed inevitable1 swallowed up on
 that day the two brides of the         
,ponziani4 ,but it was not the will of  
,god that they should perish4 ,human aid
 was not at hand2 the stream was rapid1 
the current deep1 and the eddies curled 
around them2 but they called upon ,god  
with one voice1 and in an instant the   
waters1 as if instinct with life1 and   
obedient to a heavenly command1 bore    
them gently to the shore1 and deposited 
them unhurt on the green margin of the  
river4  ,about this time also a         

supernatural favour of the most         
extraordinary nature was vouchsafed to  
,francesca4 ,her guardian angel1 who was
 one day to accompany her1 not by an    
invisible presence only1 as in the case 
of all ,christians1 but1 by a rare      
privilege of grace1 in a visible form1  
ever manifest to her spiritual sight1   
now began to reveal himself to her by   
the most watchful observance of her     
conduct4 ,at all times and in all       
places1 by day and by night1 her        
slightest faults were noticed and       
punished by this still invisible1 but   
now evidently present monitor4 ,at the  
least imperfection in her conduct1      
before she had time to accuse and to    
condemn herself1 she felt the blow of a 
mysterious hand1 the warning of an      
ever-attentive guardian2 and the sound  
of that mystical chastisement was       
audible to others also4 ,great was the  
astonishment of those who could thus    
discern something of ,god's dealings    
with this chosen soul4 ,once1 when she  

had abstained through human respect from
 interrupting the course of a very      
frivolous and useless conversation1 the 
warning was inflicted with such severity
 that she bore the mark of the blow for 
several succeeding days4  ,such a rapid 
advance in holiness1 such new and       
ever-increasing virtues1 were the       
results of this supernatural tuition1   
that ,satan now attempted to seduce her 
by the wiliest of his artifices1 the    
master-piece of his art1 his favourite  
sin1--the pride that apes humility4 ,so 
many miracles wrought in her favour1    
such strange revelations of ,god's      
peculiar love for her soul1 awakened in 
,francesca's mind1 or rather the devil  
suggested to her the thought1 that it   
might be better to conceal them from her
 director1 or at least to acquaint him  
with only a portion of the wonders that 
were wrought in her behalf2 and         
accordingly1 the next time she went to  
confession she refrained from mentioning
 the signal grace which had been        

vouchsafed to her4 ,at the very instant 
she was thrown prostrate on the ground1 
and recognised the hand of her heavenly 
monitor in the blow which thus warned   
her of the grievous error into which she
 was falling4 ,in that short moment she 
had time to perceive and acknowledge it2
 and with intense contrition she        
confessed to her director the false     
humility which had beguiled her into a  
dangerous reserve1 with perfect openness
 revealed to him the whole of ,god's    
past and present dealings with her soul1
 and explained to him the meaning of    
what had just taken place4 ,don ,antonio
 listened with astonishment and         
gratitude1 and thus addressed her3 ,you 
have just escaped from a great danger1  
my daughter2 for those who aim at       
perfection cannot conceal any thing from
 their spiritual guide without running  
the risk of delusion4 ,by your mistaken 
silence you were complying with the     
suggestions of ,satan1 who1 under the   
semblance of humility1 was seeking to   

awaken in you a secret and baneful      
pride4 ,you would have been led by      
degrees to over-estimate these          
supernatural favours1 to deem them not  
merely means of grace1 but rewards due  
to your merits2 to despise those to whom
 ,god does not grant them2 and to give  
yourself up to extravagant and          
unauthorised austerities in order to    
secure their continuance1 and to        
distinguish yourself in your own and    
others' sight4 ,i should have forbidden 
you to practise them2 you would have    
been tempted to renounce my guidance1 to
 take one confessor after another1 until
 you had found one weak or blind enough 
to approve your self-will2 and then the 
arch-enemy of mankind1 under the garb of
 an angel of light1 would have made you 
the prey of his delusions1 till at last 
you might have fallen from one error    
into another1 and made shipwreck of your
 faith4 ,such has been the downward     
course of many a soul1 that has begun by
 yielding to a false humility--the      

offspring of pride--and has ended in sin
 and perdition4  ,from that time        
forward1 ,francesca was on her guard    
against every species of pride and      
self-reliance1 however disguised and    
refined4 ,she related her faults and    
temptations1 the graces she received and
 the favours she obtained1 with the same
 childlike openness and simplicity4 ,it 
was at the age of sixteen that she was  
thus advanced in the science of the     
saints2 and every day her virtues and   
her piety increased4     ,,chapter ,,iv4
  ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,,francesca',s     
,,first ,,child--,,her ,,care ,,in ,,his
 ,,education--,,she ,,undertakes ,,the  
,,management ,,of ,,her                 
,,father-,,in-,,law',s ,,household--,a  
,,famine ,,and ,,pestilence ,,in        
,,rome--,,francesca',s ,,labours ,,fob  
,,the ,,sick ,,and ,,poor--,,the        
,,miracles ,,wrought ,,in ,,her         
,,behalf4  ,the year #adjj was opening  
under melancholy auspices4 ,boniface    
,,ix4 was at that moment in possession  

of the pontifical throne1 and           
celebrating the jubilee1 the periodical 
recurrence of which at the end of every 
fifty years had been decreed by ,clement
 ,,vi4 in #acej2 but ,rome was even then
 in a lamentable state1 and presages    
were not wanting of still more          
disastrous times4 ,the wars for the     
succession of the kingdom of ,naples1   
between ,louis of ,anjou and ,ladislas  
,durazzo1 were agitating the whole of   
,italy2 and the capital of the          
,christian world was exposed to all the 
fury of the contending parties4 ,the    
powerful faction of the ,colonnas1 in   
arms against the ,pope1 invaded the     
,capitol at the head of a numerous body 
of insurgents on horseback and on foot2 
and the air resounded with the cries of 
,long live the people6 ,death to the    
tyrant ,boniface ,,ix46 ,on that day the
 signal was given for a division of     
parties1 which led shortly afterwards to
 the appalling tragedy which decimated  
the nobility of the ,eternal ,city and  

deluged her streets with blood4         
,lorenzo ,ponziano1 from his rank and   
his great possessions1 as well as from  
his fidelity to the ,church and the     
,sovereign ,pontiff1 was especially     
marked out as an enemy by the adverse   
faction4 ,but while on every side the   
storm was brewing1 and the aspect of    
public affairs each day more gloomy1 a  
blessing was granted to him which for   
the last five years he had ardently     
desired4 ,the expectation of an heir to 
the family of ,ponziano filled him and  
his parents with inexpressible delight4 
,francesca1 in the meantime1 was        
incessantly occupied in recommending to 
,god the child she was about to bear2   
and offered up her every little act of  
devotion in its behalf1 with the hope of
 drawing down the ,divine blessing on   
its future existence4 ,in the same year 
she was happily delivered of a son1 who 
was immediately baptised in the church  
of ,santa ,cecilia in ,trastevere1 and  
received the name of ,giovanni          

,baptista4 ,it was not at that time the 
custom for ladies of rank to nurse their
 children2 but ,francesca set aside all 
such considerations1 and never consented
 to forego a mother's sacred privilege4 
,she did not intrust her child for a    
moment to the care of others1 afraid    
that1 in her absence1 the utterance of  
unworthy sentiments1 bad manners and    
habits1 which even in infancy may cause 
impressions not easily eradicated1      
should taint with the least evil the    
heart and mind of her son4 ,it is       
remarkable how careful the holy mothers 
which we read of in the lives of the    
,saints appear to have been of the      
circumstances attending the infancy of  
their children1--that period during     
which we are apt to suppose that no     
impressions can be given or received4   
,are we not perhaps in error on that    
point8--,as much that we read and       
apparently forget leaves notwithstanding
 a certain deposit in our minds1 which  
comes into play when called forth by    

association1 so1 may not certain sights1
 sounds1 and words1 not understood at   
the time1 impart a certain colour1 stamp
 certain images on the mind of an       
infant1 which1 however dim and confused1
 deepen and grow with it as it expands8 
,there have been curious psychological  
instances of names1 of languages1 of    
dormant recollections1 reawakening as it
 were under a peculiar condition of the 
nervous system1 and which could only be 
traced to impressions received in the   
earliest stages of existence4           
,francesca1 in obedience to her         
director1 as well as guided by her own  
sense of duty1 modified for the time    
being her usual mode of life1 and       
occupied herself with the care of her   
child in preference to all other        
observances of charity or of devotion4  
,she did not complain or regret that she
 had to give up her habitual religious  
exercises1 in order to tend and to nurse
 the little creature whom she looked    
upon as the gift of ,god1 and whose     

careful training the best offering she  
could make in return4 ,the joy which she
 had felt in her infant's birth was     
marred by the death of her father1 who1 
when his grandson was placed in his     
arms1 exclaimed in the words of ,st4    
,simeon1 ,lord1 now lettest ,thou thy   
servant depart in peace2 and the words  
seem to have been prophetic1 for he died
 almost immediately afterwards1 and was 
buried in the vaults of ,santa ,agnese1 
in the ,piazza ,nuova4 ,at a later      
period1 when that church was            
reconstructed1 his remains were         
transported to the cloisters of ,tor ,di
 ,specchi1 where the simple inscription1
 ,here lies ,paul ,bussa1 remains to    
this day4 ,francesca1 in pursuance of   
her desire1 not only to exclude evil1   
but to infuse good dispositions at the  
earliest possible period into her baby's
 soul1 lost no opportunity of imparting 
to him the first notions of religion4   
,before he could speak1 she used to     
repeat to him every day the ,lord's     

,prayer and the ,hail ,mary1 clasp his  
little hands together1 and direct his   
eyes to heaven1 and to the images of    
,jesus and ,mary1 whose names were of   
course the first words he learned to    
utter4 ,she checked in him by grave     
looks1 and slight punishments fitted to 
his age1 every ebullition of self-will1 
obstinacy1 and anger2 and later1 of     
deceit1 envy1 and immodesty4 ,though she
 had the most tender mother's heart1 she
 seldom indulged in passionate caresses1
 and never left unchastised any of his  
faults1 or gave way in any instance to  
his tears and impatience4 ,when others  
objected that it was absurd to expect   
self-command from a creature whose      
reason was not developed1 she maintained
 that habits of self-control are to be  
acquired at the earliest age1 and that  
the benefit thus obtained extends to the
 whole of life4 ,the child thus trained 
lived to prove the wisdom of her views1 
and became in difficult times the       
support of his family and an honour to  

their name4  ,about a year after the    
birth of ,giovanni ,baptista1 ,cecilia1 
,lorenzo's mother1 died4 ,andreazzo     
,ponziano1 and both his sons1 fully     
conscious of the prudence and virtue of 
,francesca1 resolved to place her at the
 head of the house1 and to commit to her
 alone the superintendence of their     
domestic affairs and the whole          
management of the household4 ,distressed
 at the proposal1 she pleaded her youth 
and inexperience1 and urged that        
,vannozza1 as the wife of the eldest    
brother1 was as a matter of course      
entitled to that position4 ,vannozza1   
however1 pleaded with such eagerness    
that it was her most anxious desire not 
to occupy it1 and that all she wished   
was to be ,francesca's disciple and     
companion1 that1 overcome by the general
 importunity1 she found herself obliged 
to comply4 ,now it was that her merit   
shone conspicuously4 ,placed at the head
 of the most opulent house in ,rome1 no 
symptom of pride1 of haughtiness1 or of 

self-complacency1 ever revealed itself  
in her looks or in her actions4 ,she was
 never heard to speak a harsh or        
impatient word4 ,firm in requiring from 
every person in her house the proper    
fulfilment of their duties1 she did it  
in the gentlest manner4 ,always         
courteous to her servants1 she urged    
them to serve ,god with diligence1 and  
watched over their souls redeemed by    
,his precious blood4 ,her address was so
 winning and persuasive1 that it seldom 
failed of its effect4 ,she contrived to 
arrange the hours of their labour with  
so much order and skill1 that each had  
sufficient leisure to hear ,mass1 to    
attend the parochial instructions on    
,sundays and holidays1 to frequent the  
,sacraments1 and join every day in      
family prayer1--fulfilling the whole of 
a ,christian's duty4 ,if by any chance  
7and it was a rare one in a house thus  
governed7 a quarrel arose between any of
 the servants1 she was always ready to  
come forward1 appease angry passions1   

and reconcile differences4 ,if1 in so   
doing1 she had occasion to speak with   
what she considered undue severity to   
one of the parties1 she would           
immediately apologise with tears1 and in
 the humblest manner entreat            
forgiveness4 ,this extreme sweetness of 
disposition1 however1 did not degenerate
 into weakness2 and she could testify   
the utmost displeasure1 and reproved    
with energy when offences were committed
 against ,god4 ,it was intolerable to   
her that ,his ,divine ,majesty should be
 insulted in her abode2 and she1 the    
gentlest and most unassuming of women1  
could display on such occasions the     
greatest firmness4  ,one day1 it is     
recorded1 several gentlemen had been    
dining with ,lorenzo2 and one of them   
after dinner drew from his pocket a book
 which contained a treatise on magic4   
,lorenzo took it up1 and was examining  
it with some curiosity1 when his wife   
stole noiselessly behind him1 took it   
out of his hands1 and threw it into the 

fire4 ,nettled by this proceeding1 her  
husband reproached her in rather bitter 
terms for her incivility to their guest2
 but she1 who was habitually submissive 
to his least word1 only replied that she
 could not regret the destruction of    
what might have proved to many an       
occasion of sin4 ,she inexorably        
consigned to the flames in the same     
manner every bad book that came in her  
way4  ,her tender charity was evinced   
when any of the inmates of the palace   
were ill4 ,she was then the affectionate
 nurse of the sufferers1 and spent whole
 nights by their bedside4 ,nothing ever 
discouraged or wearied her2 the lowest  
servant in the house was attended to1 as
 if she had been her own mother or      
sister4 ,more anxious still for their   
soul's health than their body's1 she was
 known to go out herself alone at night 
in search of a priest when a sudden case
 of danger had occurred beneath her     
roof4 ,her charity was in one instance  
miraculously rewarded by a direct       

interposition of ,providence1 in a      
matter apparently trifling1 but on      
which1 humanly speaking1 her dear sister
 ,vannozza's existence seemed to turn4  
,she was dangerously ill1 and had been  
for days unable to swallow any food2 the
 very sight of it caused her intolerable
 nausea2 and from sheer exhaustion her  
life was reduced to so low an ebb1 that 
the worst was apprehended4 ,on          
,francesca's inquiring if she could     
think of any thing which she could      
imagine it possible to eat1 she named a 
certain fish1 which was not in season at
 that time4 ,the markets were scoured by
 the servants1 but naturally in vain1   
and they returned empty-handed to the   
dejected ,francesca1 who1 kneeling by   
the bedside of her friend1 betook       
herself1 with arduous faith and         
childlike simplicity1 to prayer4 ,when  
she raised her head1 the much-wished-for
 article of food was lying before her2  
and the first morsel of it that         
,vannozza eat restored her to health4   

,she had been about a year at the head  
of her father-in-law's house1 when ,rome
 fell under the double scourge of famine
 and pestilence4 ,the ,ponziani were    
immensely rich1 and their palace        
furnished with every kind of provisions4
 ,francesca forbade her servants to send
 away a single poor person without      
relieving their wants2 and not content  
with this1 she sought them out herself1 
invited them to come to her1 and made   
them continual presents of corn1 wine1  
oil1 and clothing4 ,she exhorted them to
 bear their sufferings with patience1 to
 return to ,god and to their religious  
duties1 and to strive by fervent prayer 
to appease the ,divine wrath1 provoked  
by the crimes of mankind4 ,vannozza and 
herself were indefatigable in their     
visits to the hospitals and the         
out-of-the-way corners of the city4     
,andreazzo ,ponziano1 a good man1 but   
not a saint1 was alarmed at the         
excessive liberality of his             
daughter-in-law1 and feared that it     

would end in producing a famine in his  
own house4 ,he began by prudently       
withdrawing from their hands the key of 
the granary2 and then1 for greater      
security1 afraid perhaps of yielding to 
their entreaties1 which he was not      
accustomed to resist1 he took to selling
 whatever corn he possessed beyond what 
was required for the daily consumption  
of the family4 ,nothing1 therefore1     
remained in the corn-loft but a huge    
heap of straw4 ,the provident old man   
followed the same plan with his cellar1 
and sold all the wine it contained1 with
 the exception of one cask1 which was   
reserved for his own and his children's 
use4  ,meanwhile the scarcity went on   
increasing every day1 and the number of 
starving wretches in proportion4        
,franceses1 unable to meet their        
demands1 and still more incapable of    
leaving them to perish1 braved at last  
all false shame and repugnance1 and     
resolved with ,vannozza to go into the  
streets and beg for the poor4 ,then were

 seen those two noble and lovely women  
standing at the doors of the churches1  
knocking at the gates of the palace1    
following the rich in the public places1
 pleading with tears the cause of the   
sufferers1 gladly receiving the abundant
 alms that were sometimes bestowed upon 
them1 and not less gladly the sneers1   
the repulses1 the insulting words that  
often fell to their share in these      
pilgrimages of mercy4 ,at last the      
famine reached its height4 ,at every    
side1--on the pavement1 in the corners  
of the streets1--were lying crowds of   
persons1 barely clothed with a few      
tattered rags1 haggard with hunger1     
wasted with fever1 and calling upon     
death to end their sufferings4 ,it was a
 grievous1 a horrible sight1--one that  
well-nigh broke the heart of our saint4 
,the moanings of the dying were in her  
ears2 the expression of their ghastly   
faces haunted her day and night4 ,she   
would have gladly shed her blood for    
them1 and fed them with her life4 ,a    

sudden inspiration came over her one    
day3 ,come to the corn-loft1 she        
exclaimed1 turning to ,vannozza1 and to 
,clara1 a favourite and pious servant of
 theirs2 ,come with me to the corn-loft2
 let us see if amongst the straw we may 
not succeed in finding a few grains of  
corn for the poor4 ,and on their knees  
for several hours those patient1 loving 
women sifted the straw1 and by dint of  
labour collected about a measure of     
corn1 which they were bearing away in   
triumph1 when the ,god who caused the   
widow's oil not to fail1 and made her   
barrel of meal last through a scarcely  
more grievous famine1 was preparing     
their reward4 ,lorenzo had entered the  
granary just as they were carrying off  
their hard-earned treasure1 and1 looking
 about him1 beheld in place of the straw
 which was lying there a moment before1 
#dj measures of bright yellow corn1 so  
shining and so full1 says ,francesca's  
earliest biographer1 that it seemed as  
though it had been raised in ,paradise1 

and reaped there by angels4 ,in silent  
astonishment he pointed out to them the 
miraculous supply1 and must have felt in
 that hour what such virtue as his      
wife's and his sister's could even in   
this world win of mercy at ,god's hands4
 ,but corn was not enough2 the sick     
wanted wine4 ,they came1 poor pallid    
ghosts1 just risen from their beds of   
suffering1 to beg it of ,francesca2 aged
 men and delicate children1 mothers with
 infants at their breasts1 poor worn-out
 priests sinking with exhaustion1 and   
yet willing to assist others1 they had  
recourse to her for a little wine to    
strengthen them in their works of mercy1
 and she had no wine to give1 save out  
of the single cask in the cellar4 ,she  
gave it1 nevertheless2 and day after day
 drew from it1 till not a drop was left4
 ,andreazzo1 provoked1 waxed very wroth2
 he had never before been angry with    
,francesca1 but now he stormed and raved
 at her2 he had been to the cellar to   
see the wine drawn for that day's use1  

and not a drop was in the cask4 ,charity
 indeed6 he exclaimed1 charity begins at
 home2 a pretty sort of virtue this1    
which1 under the pretext of assisting   
strangers1 introduces penury and        
privation into the midst of a person's  
own family4 ,he vented his anger in     
bitter reproaches2 ,lorenzo and ,paluzzo
 were also inclined to take his part1   
and joined in severely blaming          
,francesca4 ,she the while1 with a      
gentle voice and quiet manner1 breathing
 most probably a secret prayer to her   
who at the marriage-feast of ,cana      
turned to her ,son and said1 ,they have 
no wine1 doubtless with an inward       
assurance that ,god would befriend her  
in an extraordinary1 but not to her an  
unprecedented manner1 thus addressed    
them3 ,do not be angry2 let us go to the
 cellar2 may be1 through ,god's mercy1  
that the cask may be full by this time4 
,they followed her with an involuntary  
submission2 and on reaching the spot1   
saw her turn the cock of the barrel1 out

 of which there instantly flowed the    
most exquisite wine1 which ,andreazzo   
acknowledged to be superior to any he   
had ever tasted4 ,the venerable old man 
turned to his daughter-in-law1 and1 with
 tears in his eyes1 exclaimed1  ,oh1 my 
dear child1 dispose henceforward of     
every thing ,i possess1 and multiply    
without end those alms that have gained 
you such favour in ,god's sight4  ,the  
report of this miracle spread far and   
wide2 and1 in spite of her humility1    
,francesca did not object to its being  
divulged1 as it testified to the ,divine
 virtue of almsgiving1 and encouraged   
the rich to increase their liberality1  
and minister more abundantly to the     
suffering members of ,christ4  ,a kind  
of religious awe seems to have taken    
possession of ,lorenzo's mind1 at the   
sight of so many wonders wrought in his 
house4 ,the great esteem in which he had
 always held his wife1 now took the form
 of a profound veneration4 ,he          
recommended her to follow in every      

respect the divine inspirations she     
received1 and left her entirely free to 
order her life and dispose of her time  
in any way she thought fit4 ,francesca1 
after consulting with her director1 took
 advantage of this permission to execute
 what had been her long-cherished       
desire4 ,selling all her rich dresses1  
her jewels1 and her ornaments1 she      
distributed the money amongst a number  
of poor families1 and from that time    
forward never wore herself any other    
gown than one of coarse dark-green      
cloth4 ,her mortifications became so    
continual and severe1 her fasts so      
rigid1 that it is difficult to conceive 
how her health could have sustained them
 without miraculous support1 or how she 
can have found time for all her duties1 
and the incredible number of good works 
which she daily performed4 ,when we     
consider that she was unremitting in her
 attention to her children1 that she was
 never known to neglect the diligent    
superintendence of household affairs1   

that she repeatedly visited the         
hospitals and the poor sick in their    
houses1 that morning and evening she    
went to the churches where indulgences  
were to be gained1 recited numerous     
vocal prayers1 often spent hours in     
contemplation1 and in the garden        
oratory1 where with ,vannozza1 ,clara1  
and ,rita ,celli1 a devout young person 
who was admitted into their intimacy1   
she read spiritual books or conversed on
 religious subjects1--our admiration is 
quickened2 for that zeal and strong will
 could work wonders all but             
incomprehensible to those who have not  
put their shoulder to the wheel in good 
earnest1 or learnt to appreciate the    
priceless value of every minute of this 
short life4     ,,chapter ,v4  ,,the    
,,birth ,,of ,,francesca',s ,,second    
,,son--,,his ,,supernatural             
,,gifts--,,the ,,birth ,,of ,,her       
,,daughter--,,satanic ,,attacks ,,upon  
,,francesca---,,troubles ,,of           
,,rome--,,francesca',s ,,husband ,,is   

,,severely ,,wounded--,,her ,,eldest    
,,son1 ,,when ,,given ,,up ,,as ,a      
,,hostage ,,to ,,the                    
,n,e,a,p,o,ll,t,a,n,s1 ,,is             
,,miraculously ,,restored ,,to ,,her4   
,,francesca had just attained the age of
 twenty when her second son was born4   
,he was baptised on the day of his      
birth1 and received the name of         
,giovanni ,evan--gelista4 ,the          
contemporary biographer1 some of whose  
sayings have been already quoted1       
mentions of this child that he was      
endowed with wonderful gifts of grace1  
and that the love of ,god was manifested
 in him even before he could speak4 ,in 
his quaint language he thus describes   
him3 ,evangelista was old in sense1     
small in body1 great in soul1           
resplendent in beauty1 angel-like in all
 his ways4 ,he might well have been     
termed1 in familiar language1 his       
mother's own child2 for in his veriest  
infancy his only pleasure was to be     
carried into churches1 or to give alms  

to the needy1 especially to the poor    
religious1 for whom he had a special    
predilection4 ,francesca's delight in   
this lovely little infant was           
indescribable4 ,he was to her as one of 
,god's own angels1 and tears of joy     
filled her eyes as she mused on the     
extraordinary signs of grace which he   
daily evinced4 ,supernatural had been   
the mother's virtues1 supernatural were 
the qualities of the child2 at the age  
of three years old he was endowed with  
the gift of prophecy1 and the faculty of
 reading the un-uttered thoughts of     
men's hearts4  ,singular instances of   
this power are on record4 ,he was in his
 mother's arms one day1 when two        
mendicant friars approached the         
,ponziano ,palace4 ,instantly stretching
 out his little hands1 ,evangelista took
 from ,francesca the alms she was wont  
to bestow on such visitors1 and held it 
out to them2 but at the same time       
looking steadfastly at one of the monks1
 he said to him1 ,why will you put off  

this holy habit8 you will wear a finer  
one2 but woe to you who forget your vow 
of poverty4  ,the friar coloured and    
turned away2 but it was soon evident    
that the words were prophetic1 for      
within a short time1 and after obtaining
 a bishopric through a simoniacal act1  
the unhappy man died a violent death4   
,that same year1 ,evangelista was in his
 parent's room one day2 and his father  
taking him up on his knees1 was playing 
with him1 and devouring him with kisses4
 ,in the midst of his sport1 the child  
turned suddenly pale1 and laying hold of
 a dagger which had been left on the    
table1 he placed the point of it against
 ,lorenzo's side1 and said to him as he 
looked up into his face with a strange  
melancholy smile1 ,thus will they do to 
you1 my father4 ,and it so happened that
 at the time of the invasion of ,rome by
 the troops of ,ladislas ,durazzo1 the  
lord of ,ponziano was dangerously       
wounded in the exact place and manner   
which his little son had pointed out4   

,evangelista was not quite three years  
old when his little sister ,agnese was  
born1 who in beauty1 heavenly sweetness 
of temper1 and precocious piety1 proved 
the exact counterpart of her brother4   
,soon after her confinement1 ,francesca 
had a vision which impressed her with   
the belief that ,god would one day claim
 this child as ,his own4 ,she saw a dove
 of dazzling whiteness1 bearing in its  
beak a tiny lighted taper1 enter the    
room2 and after making two or three     
circles in the air1 it stooped over     
,agnese's cradle1 touched her brow and  
limbs with the taper1 gently fluttered  
its wings1 and flew away4 ,looking upon 
this as a sign that the little maiden   
would be called to the monastic life1   
she brought her up as a precious deposit
 only lent her for a time1 and to be    
delivered up at no distant period4 ,with
 even stricter care than she had used   
with her brother1 if that were possible1
 she watched over the little girl2 never
 leaving her for a single moment1 and   

performing towards her the offices of a 
servant as well as of a mother4 ,she    
kept her in complete retirement1 never  
taking her out of doors except to       
church2 teaching her to love ,jesus     
supremely--better even than her         
parents--and entertaining her with      
descriptions of that dear ,saviour's    
adorable perfections4 ,she encouraged   
her to observe silence1 to work with her
 hands at stated times1 and taught her  
to read in the lives of the saints of   
holy virgins and martyrs4 ,agnese's     
character and turn of mind answered     
precisely to her mother's wishes2 and   
the perfection of her conduct was such1 
that she was generally designated by all
 who knew her as the little saint or the
 little angel4  ,the years of           
,evangelista's and ,agnese's infancy had
 been most disastrous ones to the       
unhappy inhabitants of ,rome4 ,the      
factions which had arisen in consequence
 of the schism1 and of the intrigues of 
,ladislas of ,naples1 had banished all  

security1 and converted the town into a 
field of battle1 where bloody conflicts 
were daily taking place4 ,the principles
 of union seemed banished from the      
world4 ,the nations and sovereigns of   
,europe1 given up to the most selfish   
policy1 ceased to acknowledge the chief 
pastor of the ,church2 and the ,eternal 
,city1 beyond any other place1 had      
become an arena for ferocious struggles 
and sanguinary conspiracies4 ,the year  
#adjf brought with it a momentary       
semblance of peace1 and ,francesca and  
,vannozza availed themselves of that    
breathing-time to revisit some of the   
distant churches1 and attend the        
,italians as before4 ,they used to walk 
to them on foot at the earliest break of
 day1 accompanied by ,rita ,celli1 the  
young person already mentioned1 and     
,lucia degli ,aspalli1 a devout married 
woman nearly related to the ,ponziano   
family4 ,they repeated psalms and       
litanies on their way1 or spent the time
 in pious meditation1 and remained some 

hours in prayer before the altars which 
they visited in turn1--taking care to be
 at home again by the time that their   
presence was required4 ,in that troubled
 epoch the voice of the preacher was    
seldom heard2 sermons1 however1 were    
occasionally delivered by the           
,franciscans and the ,dominicans in the 
churches of ,ara ,coeli and ,santa      
,maria sopra ,minerva2 and at these our 
saints never failed to assist4 ,their   
spiritual guide had given them leave to 
go to communion several times a week4   
,this was a privilege seldom granted and
 seldom sought for in those distracted  
times4 ,the blessed practice of daily   
communion1 which universally prevailed  
amongst the early ,christians1--that    
practice which turns earth into heaven1 
and converts the land of exile into a   
paradise of peace and joy1--was all but 
entirely neglected1 or only kept up in  
some few cloisters4 ,the two sisters    
habitually communicated in the church of
 ,santa ,cecilia1 the nearest to their  

house4 ,one of the priests of that      
parish was scandalised at the frequency 
of their communions1 and persuaded      
himself that it was incredible that     
young women of their age1 and in such a 
position of life1 could possibly be in  
possession of the requisite             
dispositions4 ,this unhappy man ventured
 one day to give ,franeesca an          
unconsecrated wafer2 ,god instantly     
revealed to the saint the sin of the    
priest1 and she informed her director of
 the fact4 ,don ,antonio disclosed to   
the astonished offender the secret which
 had been confined to his own breast4   
,he confessed his fault with the deepest
 contrition1 implored ,god's pardon1    
asked forgiveness of the saint1 and     
received the humiliation as a warning   
against rash judgments4  ,the warfare   
which ,satan was permitted to carry on  
against ,francesca became more and more 
violent at this period of her life4 ,in 
actual outrages1 in terrific visions1 in
 mystical but real sufferings1 which    

afflicted every sense and tortured every
 nerve1 the animosity of the evil spirit
 evinced itself2 and ,almighty ,god     
permitted it1 for she was of those      
chosen through much tribulation to      
ascend the steep path which is paved    
with thorns and compassed with darkness1
 but on which the ray of an unearthly   
sunshine breaks at times4 ,she was to   
partake of the miraculous gifts of the  
saints2 to win men's souls through      
prayer1 to read the secrets of their    
hearts1 to see angels walking by her    
side1 to heal diseases by the touch of  
her hands1 and hold the devils at bay1  
when they thought to injure the bodies  
of others or wage war with her own      
spirit4 ,but such heights of glory are  
not gained without proportionate        
suffering2 the cup of which ,jesus drank
 to the dregs in ,his agony she was to  
drink of1 the baptism of horror with    
which ,he was baptised was to be her's  
also in a measure2 and that mysterious  
weakness1 that divine helplessness of   

,his1 which allowed ,satan to carry     
,him1 the ,lord of all1 to the pinnacle 
of the temple or the brow of the        
mountain1 was not unshared by ,his      
servant4 ,strange and bewildering were  
the assaults she endured1 but still more
 wonderful the defeats of the evil one4 
,of her triumph1 as of those of her     
,lord1 it may be said1 that when the    
devil left her1 then angels came and    
ministered unto her4 ,strange1 that     
those who believe the history of ,jesus 
should turn incredulously away from that
 of ,his saints2 for did ,he not        
expressly say1 that what ,he suffered1  
they should suffer2 that where ,he had  
overcome1 they would triumph2 and that  
the works that ,he performed1 aye and   
greater works still1 they should        
accomplish8  ,on one occasion1 when on  
the point of setting out for the        
,basilica of ,st4 ,peter's1 ,vannozza   
was violently precipitated down the     
stairs of the palace by the power of the
 evil spirit1 and fell at her sister's  

feet1 who at that instant heard a voice 
whispering in her ear1 ,i would kill thy
 sister1 and drive thee to despair2 but 
at the same moment an inward revelation 
bade ,francesca raise up the prostrate  
form of her friend1 and apply to her    
bruised limbs an ointment which         
instantly relieved the pains of her     
fall4 ,another time our saint was lifted
 up by the hair of her head1 and        
suspended over a precipice for the space
 of some minutes2 with perfect calmness 
she called upon ,jesus1 and in a moment 
found herself in safety within her room4
 ,her first act was to cut off her      
beautiful hair1 and1 offer it up as a   
thank-offering to ,him who had saved her
 from the hands of the infernal enemy4  
,these are only specimens of the trials 
of this nature to which ,francesca was  
more or less subjected all her life1 but
 to which it will not be necessary again
 to make more than casual allusion4  ,in
 the year #adji1 when she was about     
twenty-seven years old1 her temporal    

calamities began4 ,after ,ladislas of   
,naples1 befriended by the enemies of   
the ,pope1 and in #adjh gained          
possession of ,rome by fraudulent means 
he left behind him as governor of the   
city the ,count ,pietro ,traja1 a rough 
and brutal soldier1 well fitted to serve
 the fierce passions of his master4 ,he 
was continually looking out for         
occasions to persecute those ,roman     
nobles who remained faithful to the     
cause of the ,church4 ,he was abetted in
 this by the faction of the ,colonnas1  
and some other powerful families1 who   
supported the pretensions of the        
anti-,popes ,gregory ,,xii4 and         
,benedict ,,xiii4 against the legitimate
 pontiff ,alexander ,v41 recently       
elected by the ,council of ,pisa4 ,the  
troops of ,lewis of ,anjou1 the rival of
 ,ladislas in the kingdom of ,naples1   
had in the mean time entered that       
portion of ,rome which went by the name 
of the ,leonine ,city1 and gained       
possession of the ,vatican and the      

castle of ,st4 ,angelo4 ,several        
skirmishes took place between the forces
 of the usurper and the troops of the   
,pope and of ,lewis of ,anjou4 ,lorenzo 
,ponziano1 who from his birth and his   
talents was the most eminent man of his 
party1 and an ardent supporter of the   
legitimate cause1 commanded the         
pontifical army on one of these         
occasions1 and was personally engaged in
 a conflict with the ,count of ,traja's 
soldiers4 ,in the midst of the fray he  
was recognised by the opposite party1   
and became the special mark of their    
attacks4 ,fighting with heroic courage1 
he had nearly succeeded in dispersing   
his assailants1 when1 as ,evangelista   
had foretold the year before1 a dagger  
was treacherously thrust into his side1 
and inflicted so deep a wound that he   
fell to the ground1 and was taken up for
 dead4 ,the terrible news was carried to
 the ,ponziano palace1 and announced to 
,francesca4 ,the anguish that her       
countenance revealed filled the         

bystanders with compassion2 but it was  
only for an instant that she stood as if
 transfixed and overwhelmed with grief4 
,repressing by a strong effort her      
bursting sobs and the cries that were   
breaking from her heart1 she soon raised
 her eyes to heaven with a steadfast    
gaze1 forgave the assassin1 offered up  
,lorenzo's life and her own1 and        
murmured the words of ,job1 ,the ,lord  
had given him1 the ,lord has taken him  
away2 blessed be the name of the ,lord4 
,then1 calm1 composed1 braced for       
endurance1 she courageously advanced to 
meet the slow approach of those who were
 bringing back to his home the body of  
her murdered husband4 ,as they laid him 
in the hall of the palace1 she knelt by 
his side1 and putting her face close to 
his1 she discerned in the apparently    
lifeless form the faint symptoms of     
lingering vitality4 ,the sudden         
revulsion of hope did not overcome her  
presence of mind4 ,she instantly desired
 those about her to send for a priest   

and for a doctor2 and then1 bending over
 ,lorenzo1 she suggested to him1 in     
words which found their way to the      
understanding of the dying man1 whatever
 the most affectionate tenderness and   
the most ardent piety could devise at   
such a moment1--to prepare the soul for 
its last flight1 pardon for his foes1   
and especially for his assassin1 a firm 
trust in ,god1 and the union of his     
sufferings with those of his ,lord4     
,the palace presented a scene of wild   
confusion4 ,armed men were moving to and
 fro2 the clash of arms was mingled with
 the groans of the servants3 the weeping
 and waitings of the women and of the   
children1 vows of vengeance1 curses deep
 and loud1 frantic regrets1 were heard  
on every side4 ,francesca alone was as  
an angel of peace1 in the midst of the  
uproar of passion and the outpouring of 
grief4 ,her's was the keenest sorrow of 
all2 but it was kept under by the       
strength of a long-practised faith1 and 
thus it interfered with no duty and     

staggered at no trial4 ,day and night   
she watched by ,lorenzo's couch4 ,her   
experience in nursing the sick1 and in  
dressing wounds1 enabled her to render  
him the most minute and efficacious     
assistance4 ,her watchful love1 her     
tender assiduity1 received its reward2  
,god gave her that life1 far dearer to  
her than her own4 ,contrary to all      
expectation1 ,lorenzo slowly recovered2 
but for a long time remained in a       
precarious condition4  ,meanwhile the   
,count of ,traja1 pressed on every side1
 began to foresee the necessity of      
leaving ,rome2 but1 in his exasperation1
 resolved previously to wreak his       
vengeance on the families most devoted  
to the ,pope1 and especially on that of 
the ,ponziani1 which was especially     
obnoxious to him4 ,he accordingly       
arrested ,paluzzo1 ,vannozza's husband1 
and kept him in close confinement2 and  
understanding that ,lorenzo had a son of
 eight or nine years old1 he commanded  
that he should be given up into his     

hands as a hostage1 and swore that in   
case of a refusal he would put ,paluzzo 
to death4 ,now1 indeed1 is ,francesca   
tried almost beyond the power of        
endurance3 now is her cup of anguish    
filled to the brim4 ,she can ask counsel
 of none3 ,lorenzo she dares not        
consult3 it might kill him to hear the  
fearful truth4 ,others would say1 ,give 
up the child2 and she looks at his fair 
face1 at his innocent eyes1 at the      
purity of his spotless brow2 and she    
cannot1 she will not1 she must not give 
him up4 ,oh1 that she had the wings of a
 dove to fly away and carry him hence6  
,she takes him by the hand1 and1 like a 
second ,hagar1 goes forth1 whither she  
knows not4 ,it is an instinct1 an       
impulse1 an inspiration4 ,it is the     
mother's heart within her that bids her 
fly from the horrible dilemma1 and save 
her child from the tyrant who seeks more
 than his life1--who would ruin his     
soul4 ,through out-of-the-way streets1  
into the deserted corners of the city   

she goes1 clasping the boy's hand with  
an agonising grasp1 with but one        
thought--to hide him from every eye4    
,suddenly she stops short2 before her   
stands ,don ,antonio1 her long-trusted  
director1 who has led her through the   
green pastures in which her spirit has  
found rest4 ,he questions her1 and hears
 the incoherent account of her fears1   
her anguish1 and her flight4 ,by a      
supernatural light he sees the drift of 
this trial1 and puts her faith to the   
test4 ,francesca1 he said1 you fly to   
save the child2 ,god bids me tell you   
that it is to the ,capitol you must     
carry him--there lies his safety2 and do
 you go to the ,church of ,ara ,cceli4  
,a fierce struggle rose in ,francesca's 
heart--the greatest storm that had ever 
convulsed it4 ,to the ,capitol6 she is  
about to cry4 ,it is at the ,capitol    
that the tyrant awaits him6 ,but ere the
 words are uttered1 they die away on her
 lips4 ,grace has gained the mastery2   
the faith of the saint has asserted its 

power4 ,the wild expression passes away 
from her eyes2 she bows her head in     
silence1 and with a firm step retraces  
her steps1 in obedience to him who has  
spoken in ,god's name4 ,in the mean time
 the report of the event had spread     
through ,rome1 and in the more crowded  
streets which she had to pass through a 
cry of pity and of terror arose4 ,crowds
 press about her1 and bid her turn back2
 they tell her she is mad to surrender  
the child1 they try to take him from    
her1 and to carry him back by force to  
his father's palace2 but in vain4 ,she  
waves them off1 and pursues her way till
 she has reached the ,capitol4 ,she     
walked straight up to the place where   
the ,neapolitan tyrant was standing1 and
 surrendered up the boy to him2 and     
then1 without once looking back1 she    
hurried into the ,church of ,ara ,coeli1
 fell prostrate at the feet of the      
,mother of ,mercy1 and before that      
sacred image1 dear to this day to every 
,catholic parent1 she made the sacrifice

 of her child1 of her life1 of her soul1
 of all that in that hour she had felt  
to give up4 ,then1 for the first time1 a
 torrent of tears relieved her          
tight-bound heart2 and gazing on the    
picture1 she saw the dove-like eyes of  
the ,blessed ,virgin assume the         
tenderest and most encouraging          
expression1 and in her ears were        
whispered words welcome as the dew to   
the thirsty ground2 sweet as the notes  
of the bird when the storm has subsided3
 ,be not afraid2 ,i am here to befriend 
you4  ,she was at peace2 she felt sure  
that her son was safe2 and on her knees1
 in speechless prayer1 she waited the   
event4 ,nor did she wait long4 ,when she
 had left the ,count of ,traja's        
presence1 he had ordered one of his     
officers to take the little ,baptista on
 his horse1 and carry him away to a     
place he appointed2 but1 from the       
instant that the child was placed on the
 saddle1 no efforts could induce the    
animal to stir from the spot4 ,in vain  

his rider urged him with spurs and whip3
 neither the severest blows1 nor the    
accustomed voice of his master1         
succeeded in moving him an inch from the
 place1 where he stood as motionless as 
a statue4 ,four of the knights of       
,naples renewed the attempt4 ,four      
successive steeds were tried for the    
purpose1 and always with the same       
result4 ,there is a strength greater    
than man's will2 there is a power that  
defeats human malice4 ,struck with a    
secret terror and dismay by the evident 
prodigy1 the ,count of ,traja gave up   
the unequal contest1 and ordered the    
child to be restored to his mother4     
,before the altar of the ,ara ,coeli1 at
 the foot of that image1 where in her   
anguish she had fallen and found hope   
when hope seemed at end1 ,francesca     
received back into her arms the son of  
her love1 and blessed the ,god who had  
given her strength to go through this   
the severest of her trials4             
,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,sufferings ,,of      

,,rome ,,from ,,the ,,troops ,,of       
,,ladislas--,,death ,,of ,,francesca',s 
,,son ,,evangelista--,,the ,,famine     
,,and ,,plague ,,in                     
,,rome--,,francesca',s ,,labours ,,for  
,,the ,s,t,a,r,vl,n,g ,,and             
,,sick--,,her ,,miracles4  ,,pope       
,,alexander ,v4 died at ,bologna in     
#adaj4 ,sixteen cardinals assembled in  
that city1 and chose for his successor  
,balthazar ,cossa1 who took the name of 
,john ,,xxiii4 ,while they were         
proceeding with the election1 ,ladislas 
seized the opportunity of the           
interregnum once more to advance upon   
,rome2 and from ,veletri he threatened  
it with a second invasion4 ,the new     
,pope renewing the alliance with ,lewis 
of ,anjou1 they combined their forces   
against ,ladislas1 and endeavoured to   
drive him back from the position he had 
taken4 ,their arms proved successful in 
a first battle2 but ,lewis having       
withdrawn his troops immediately after  
the victory1 ,ladislas deceived the     

,holy ,father by a pretended peace1     
gained possession of ,rome1 and gave it 
up to pillage4 ,the horrors of this     
invasion1 and of the sack that followed 
it1 surpassed in atrocity almost all    
those which had previously afflicted the
 capital of the ,christian world4 ,a    
number of palaces and houses were       
destroyed1 the basilicas were despoiled 
of their treasures and desecrated by the
 most abominable orgies1 the churches   
turned into stables1 and many of the    
faithful adherents of the ,church       
subjected to the torture or barbarously 
put to death4  ,the ,ponziani were      
amongst the principal of the ,pope's    
supporters2 and ,lorenzo1 scarcely      
recovered from his long illness1 was    
persuaded by his friends to withdraw    
himself by flight from the fury of the  
conqueror1 and conceal himself in a     
distant province4 ,it had been          
impossible to remove his wife and       
children2 and ,francesca remained       
exposed to a succession of the most     

trying disasters4 ,the wealth of the    
family chiefly consisted in their       
country possessions1 and the immense    
number of cattle which were bred on     
those broad lands2 and day after day    
intelligence was brought to her that one
 farm-house or another was burnt or     
pillaged1 the flocks dispersed or       
destroyed1 and the shepherds murdered by
 a ruthless soldiery4 ,terrified        
peasants made their escape into the     
city1 and scared the inhabitants of the 
palace with dreadful accounts of the    
death of their companions1 and of the   
destruction of property which was       
continually going on4 ,a cry of despair 
rang from ,mount ,soracte to the ,alban 
,hill1 extended to the shores of the    
,mediterranean1 and resounded in the    
palaces of ,rome1 carrying dismay to the
 hearts of its ruined and               
broken-spirited nobles4  ,francesca     
received the tidings with an aching     
heart indeed2 for her compassion for the
 sufferings of others did not permit her

 to remain unmoved amidst such dire     
misfortunes4 ,still she never lost her  
habitual composure2 her only occupation 
was to console the mourners3 her first  
impulse on these occasions to bless     
,god1 and accept at ,his hands all that 
,his providence ordained4 ,it was well  
that she was resigned1 and had learned  
the lesson of courage at the foot of the
 ,cross2 for1 like a flood at           
spring-tide1 her afflictions were       
increasing every day1 threatening to    
overwhelm all landmarks but those of an 
indomitable faith4 ,one fatal morning1 a
 troop of savage ruffians1 drunk with   
rage1 and vociferating blasphemies1     
broke into the palace1 clamouring after 
,lorenzo1 and threatening to torture the
 servants if they did not instantly     
reveal his place of concealment2 and    
ended by carrying away ,baptista1 who   
clung in vain to his mother's neck1 and 
was only parted from her by force4 ,when
 they had succeeded in tearing him away 
from her arms1 they proceeded to        

pillage1 and all but to destroy1 the    
time-honoured residence of the          
,ponziani4 ,in the space of a few hours 
that gorgeous abode was turned into a   
heap of ruins4 ,bereft of her husband1  
of her son1 and of all the conveniences 
of life1 ,francesca1 with her two       
younger children1 remained alone and    
unprotected2 for her brother-in-law1    
,paluzzo1 who might have been a support 
to her in that dreadful moment1 was     
still a prisoner in the tyrant's hands1 
and her innocent boy shared the same    
fate4 ,it is not exactly known how long 
his captivity lasted2 but it may be     
supposed that means were found of       
effecting his release1 and sending him  
to ,lorenzo2 for it is mentioned that1  
at the period when the troubles were at 
an end1 and peace restored to the city  
of ,rome1 the father and the son        
returned together4  ,in the mean time1  
,francesca took shelter in a corner of  
her ruined habitation2 and there1 with  
,evangelista and ,agnese1 she managed to

 live in the most complete seclusion4   
,these two children were now their      
mother's only comfort1 as their         
education was her principal occupation4 
,evangelista1 as he advanced in age1 in 
no way belied the promise of his        
infancy4 ,he lived in spirit with the   
angels and saints1 and seemed more      
fitted for their society than for any   
earthly companionship4 ,to be with ,god 
was his only dream of bliss4 ,though    
scarcely nine years old1 he already     
helped his mother in all the pains she  
took with ,agnese's education  ,the hour
 for another sacrifice was1 however1 at 
hand4 ,it was not long delayed4 ,the    
second invasion of ,rome had been       
succeeded by a dreadful famine1 which   
was followed in its turn by a severe    
pestilence4 ,already one or two cases of
 the prevailing epidemic had appeared in
 the ,ponziano ,palace1 and then        
,evangelista sickened with it2 and one  
morning ,francesca was told that the son
 of her love was dying4 ,no sooner had  

he felt the first symptoms of the       
plague1 than he asked for a confessor4  
,he never doubted that his last hour was
 come2 and she believed it too4 ,don    
,antonio hurried to the bed-side of the 
boy1 who1 after he had made his         
confession1 sent for his mother1 and    
taking her hand in his1 addressed her in
 some such words as follow3  ,mother    
mine1 ,i have often told you that ,god  
would not leave me with you long2 that  
,he will have me dwell with ,his angels4
 ,jesus is my treasure1 my hope1 and my 
joy4 ,i have ever lived with ,him in    
thought1 in desire1 in unutterable      
longings4 ,every day ,i have said ',thy 
kingdom come2' and now ,he calls me to  
it4 ,there is a crown prepared for me1  
my beloved mother4 ,the ,lord is about  
to give it me1 and we must part for     
awhile4 ,but bless ,his name1 oh my     
mother4 ,praise ,him with me2 for ,he   
delivers me from all that your love     
dreaded for me upon earth4 ,there is no 
sin1 no sorrow1 no sickness where ,i am 

going4 ,nothing but peace and joy and   
the sight of ,god in that better land   
where the blessed are expecting me4 ,i  
must not see you weep4 ,i will not have 
you grieve4 ,rejoice with your child2   
for ,i see them even now1 my holy       
advocates1 ,st4 ,anthony and ,st4       
,vauplerius4 ,they are coming to fetch  
me away4 ,dearest mother1 ,i will pray  
for you4 ,evangelista will love you in  
heaven as he has loved you on earth1 and
 you will come to him there4  ,the dying
 boy then remained silent for a few     
moments4 ,then a sudden light illumined 
his face2 his features seemed           
transformed4 ,raising his eyes with a   
look of rapture1 he exclaimed1 ,here are
 the angels come to take me away4 ,give 
me your blessing1 my mother4 ,do not be 
afraid4 ,i shall never forget you4 ,god 
bless you and my dear father1 and all   
who belong to this house4 ,blessed be   
the name of the ,lord4 ,then crossing   
his little arms on his chest1 he bowed  
down his head1 a last smile passed over 

his face--she had her meed1 that smile  
in death1 and his young spirit passed to
 the regions of endless bliss4  ,a      
touching prodigy1 well adapted to cheer 
the heart of our saint1 took place that 
very day in a house adjoining her own4  
,a little girl1 who had been dangerously
 ill for a long time1 and had completely
 lost the power of speech1 at the very  
moment that ,francesca's son had expired
 suddenly raised herself in her bed1 and
 exclaimed several times in a loud      
voice1 and in a state of evident        
rapture1 ,see1 see6 how beautiful6      
,evangelista ,ponziano is going up into 
heaven1 and two angels with him6 ,the   
mortal remains of the young boy were    
deposited in the family vault in the    
church of ,santa ,cecilia1 in           
,trastevere4 ,a monument was erected    
there with the simple inscription1 ,here
 lies ,evangelista ,ponziano2 and a     
figure in stone1 clothed in a long robe1
 was carved upon it4  ,francesca wept   
over the loss of her dearly-beloved     

child1 but did not grieve for him4 ,how 
could she have done so8 ,he was in      
bliss2 and had only preceded her to that
 heaven for which she was day by day    
preparing4 ,nor was it a time for the   
idle indulgence of sorrow4 ,want and    
sickness were turning ,rome into a      
charnel-house4 ,wild voices were        
screaming for bread on every side4 ,the 
streets were encumbered by the victims  
of contagious disease2 their frantic    
cries and piteous moanings re-echoed in 
each piazza and under every portico4    
,old men were dying surrounded by the   
corpses of their children2 mothers      
pressed to their milkless bosoms their  
starving infants4 ,others crept about   
bereft of all their family1 and haunting
 like pale ghosts the scenes of their   
past happiness4 ,no carriages shook the 
public ways4 ,the grass grew in the     
deserted streets2 one mournful equipage 
alone slowly pursued its course through 
the doomed city1 gathering as it passed 
the dead at every door2 and when the    

dreadful cargo was completed1 bearing it
 away to the crowded cemetery4 ,the ruin
 of private property1 the general penury
 occasioned by the cruelties of         
,ladislas1 and the sacking of ,rome by  
his soldiers1 had cut off almost all the
 resources of private charity4 ,anxiety 
for self1 and the fear of contagion1 had
 worked so deeply on the mind of the    
multitude1 that many persons abandoned  
even their near relatives and friends   
when they were attacked by the plague4  
,nothing but the charity which is of    
divine not of natural origin could meet 
such an emergency1 or cope in any degree
 with the awful misery of those days4   
,francesca1 bereaved of every thing but 
her one little girl1 and lodged with    
,vannozza and ,rita in a corner of their
 dismantled house1 had no longer at her 
command the resources she had formerly  
possessed for the relief of the poor4 ,a
 little food from their ruined estates  
was now and then supplied to these      
lonely women2 and they scarcely partook 

of it themselves1 in order to bestow the
 greatest part on the sick and poor4    
,there was a large hall in the lower    
part of the palace which had been less  
injured than any other portion of the   
building4 ,it was at least a place of   
shelter against the inclemencies of the 
weather4 ,the sisters converted it into 
a temporary hospital2 but of the        
shattered furniture that lay scattered  
about the house1 they contrived to make 
up beds and covering1 and to prepare    
some clothing for the wretched creatures
 they were about to receive4 ,when all  
was ready1 they went in search of the   
sufferers4 ,if they found any too weak  
to walk1 they carried them into the new 
asylum2 there they washed and dressed   
their putrefying sores1 and by means    
which saints have often employed1 and   
which we could hardly bear even to think
 of1 they conquered in themselves all   
repugnance to sights and employments    
against which the senses and the flesh  
rise in rebellion4 ,they prepared both  

medicine and food2 watched the sick by  
day and by night2 laboured incessantly  
for their bodies1 and still more for    
their souls4 ,many were those who       
recovered health through ,francesca's   
care1 and many more who were healed of  
the worst disease of the soul1--a       
hardened impenitence under the just     
judgment of ,god4 ,she had the art of   
awakening their fears1 without driving  
them to despair2 to make them look upon 
their sufferings as a means of expiation
 7that great secret of ,catholic        
consolation71 and bring them by degrees 
to repentance1 to confession1 to the    
practice of long-forgotten duties1 and  
of those ,christian virtues which her   
own example recommended to their hearts4
  ,the example which the ruined and     
bereaved wives of the ,ponziani had     
given kindled a similar spirit among the
 hitherto apathetic inhabitants of      
,rome4 ,the magistrates of the city1    
struck at the sight of such unparalleled
 exertions where the means were so      

slender1 were roused from their         
inaction1 and in several parts of the   
city1 especially in the parishes of ,st4
 ,cecilia and of ,santa ,maria in       
,trastevere1 hospitals and asylums were 
opened for the perishing multitudes4    
,often and often ,francesca and         
,vannozza saw the morning dawn1 and not 
a bit of food of any description did    
they possess for themselves or for their
 inmates4 ,they then went out to beg1 as
 they had done before2 but not merely as
 an act of humility1 nor dressed as     
heretofore as became their rank1 or in  
those places only where their names     
secured respect1 and generally a        
favourable answer2 but in the garb of   
poverty1 in the spots where beggars were
 wont to congregate and the rich to     
bestow alms1 they took their stand1 and 
gratefully received the broken bits that
 fell from the tables of the wealthy4   
,each remnant of food1 each rag of      
clothing1 they brought home with joy2   
and the mouldiest piece of bread out of 

their bag was set aside for their own   
nourishment1 while the best was bestowed
 on their guests4  ,in our own time1 in 
our own rich and luxurious city1 there  
is a counterpart to these deeds of      
heroic charity4 ,there are young and    
well-educated women1 who in their homes 
never lacked the necessaries or the     
comforts1 nay perhaps the luxuries of   
life1 who do the same2 who receive into 
their abode the aged1 the maimed1 the   
crippled1 and the deformed2 lodging them
 in their best rooms1 and themselves in 
cellars or garrets2 tending them as     
their servants1 and feeding them as     
their mothers2 begging for them from    
door to door the crumbs from the tables 
of the rich1 and carrying along their   
basket1 rejoicing when it is heavy1 even
 though their arms ache and their cheeks
 grow pale with the labour2 like        
,francesca1 feeding upon the remnants of
 the poor feast where the poor have sat 
before them4  ,francesca was insulted in
 her career of mercy through the streets

 of ,rome1 when civil war and anarchy   
were raging there in the wildest epoch  
of lawless strife and fiercest passion2 
and the gentle sisters of the poor1 the 
servants of the helpless1 who have      
abandoned home and friends and comforts1
 and1 above all1 respectability1 that   
idol of the ,english mind1 that wretched
 counterfeit of virtue1 for the love    
which they bear to ,christ in ,his      
suffering members1 have been insulted   
and beaten in the streets of ,london in 
the face of day1 and only because of the
 habit they wore1--the badge of no      
common vocation1--the nun's black dress1
 the livery of the poor4 ,the parallel  
is consoling to them1 perhaps also to   
us2 for is not ,francesca now the       
cherished saint of ,rome1 the pride and 
the love of every ,roman heart8 ,and may
 not the day come when our patient1     
heroic nuns will be looked upon as one  
of ,god's best blessings1 in a city     
where luxury runs riot on the one hand1 
and starvation and misery reign on the  

other8 ,will not the eye follow them    
with love1 and many rise up to call them
 blessed8 ,their course is like hers2   
may their end be the same6  ,the        
historians of our saint relate that on  
one of the occasions above alluded to1  
when her only resource was to beg for   
her sick charges1 she went to the       
,basilica of ,san ,lorenzo without the  
walls1 where was the station of the day1
 and seated herself amongst the crowd of
 beggars who1 according to custom1 were 
there assembled4 ,from the rising of the
 sun to the ringing of the vesper-bell1 
she sat there side by side with the     
lame1 the deformed1 and the blind4 ,she 
held out her hand as they did1 gladly   
enduring1 not the semblance1 but the    
reality of that deep humiliation4 ,when 
she had received enough wherewith to    
feed the poor at home1 she rose1 and    
making a sign to her companions1 entered
 the old basilica1 adored the ,blessed  
,sacrament1 and then walked back the    
long and weary way1 blessing ,god all   

the while1 and rejoicing that she was   
counted worthy to suffer for ,his dear  
sake4  ,those who are well acquainted   
with ,rome1 who have frequented the     
stations and love the basilicas1 and    
especially that venerable old pile of   
,san ,lorenzo1 with its upper and lower 
chapel1 its magnificent columns1 its    
beautiful pulpit1 its wide portico with 
half-effaced frescoes1 and its rare     
mosaics--those paintings in stone which 
time itself cannot destroy2 those whose 
eyes have gazed with delight on the     
glorious view as they approached it1 and
 whose ears are familiar with the sound 
of the mendicant's voice1 to whom the   
remembrance of ,francesca's story may   
have won1 perchance1 an additional      
dole1--can form to themselves with ease 
a picture of the scene2 and when they   
visit it again in reality1 may be       
tempted to look out for some saintly    
face1 for some sweet1 angel-like        
countenance1 amongst the sordid and     
suffering groups before them1 and wonder

 if ever again such charity as          
,francesca's will animate a woman's     
heart4 ,not long ago1 for a few short   
years1 in ,francesca's city1 there was  
one who bade fair to emulate the virtues
 of the dear saint of ,rome2 but as she 
was rapidly treading in her footsteps1  
and her name was becoming every day more
 dear to the people amongst whom she    
dwelt1 death snatched her away4 ,her    
memory remains1 and the poor bless it   
even now4 ,may ,god grant us such in our
 own land6 ,saints are sorely needed in 
these busy1 restless1 money-loving times
 of ours2 as much as1 or more than1 in  
the wild middle ages1 or the troubled   
centuries that followed4  ,francesca    
possessed a small vineyard near the     
church of ,st4 ,paul without the walls2 
and in that time of scarcity1 when every
 little resource had to be turned to    
account for the purposes of charity1 she
 used to go there and gather up into    
parcels and faggots the long grass and  
the dry branches of the vines4 ,when she

 had collected a certain number of these
 packets1 she laid them on an ass1 and  
went through the town1 stopping at      
various poor dwellings to distribute the
 fruits of her labours4 ,on one of these
 occasions her donkey stumbled and fell1
 and the wood which he was carrying     
rolled to a considerable distance4      
,francesca was looking about her in     
considerable embarrassment1 not able to 
lift it up again1 when a ,roman         
nobleman1 ,paolo ,lelli ,petrucci1 a    
friend of her husband's1 chanced to pass
 by4 ,astonished at seeing her in such a
 predicament1 he hastened to her        
assistance2 and she received it with as 
much serenity and composure as if her   
occupation had been the most natural    
thing in the world4  ,by this time her  
virtues were destined to receive a      
wonderful reward1 and ,god bestowed upon
 her the gift of healing to a miraculous
 degree4 ,many a sick person given over 
by the physicians was restored to health
 by the single touch of her hands1 or   

the prayers which she offered up in     
their behalf4 ,more than sixty of these 
cases were well attested at the time of 
her canonisation4 ,francesca was        
profoundly sensible of the blessedness  
of this gift1 and grateful for the power
 it afforded her of relieving the       
sufferings of others2 but at the same   
time her humility prompted her to       
conceal it as much as possible4 ,she    
endeavoured to do so by making up an    
ointment composed of oil and wax1 which 
she applied to the sick1 whatever their 
disease might be1 in the hope that their
 recovery would always be ascribed to   
its efficacy4 ,but this holy subterfuge 
did not always succeed4 ,the physicians 
analysed the ointment1 and declared that
 it possessed in itself no healing      
qualities whatsoever4 ,one day1 upon    
entering the ,hospital of the           
,trastevere1 ,francesca found a poor    
mule-driver1 who had just been carried  
in1 his foot having been crushed by the 
fall of a scythe2 it was in such a      

horrible and hopeless condition1 that   
the surgeons were about to amputate the 
limb4 ,francesca1 hearing the cries of  
the poor wretch1 bent over him1         
exhorting him to patience2 and promising
 him a speedy relief1 applied some of   
her ointment to his mangled foot4 ,the  
wounds instantly closed1 the pain       
vanished1 and a short time after the    
mule-driver returned to his customary   
occupation4  ,some days afterwards1 the 
two sisters were returning home from the
 basilica of ,st4 ,john ,lateran2 and   
passing by the bridge of ,santa ,maria1 
now the ,ponte ,rotto1 7the very ancient
 little church opposite to the ,temple  
of ,vesta71 they saw extended on the    
pavement a man whose arm had been       
severed by a sword-cut2 and unable to   
procure medical assistance1 the poor    
wretch had lain there ever since in     
excruciating tortures1 which had reduced
 him to the last extremity4 ,francesca1 
full of compassion for his miserable    
condition1 carried him with ,vannozza's 

aid into her house1 put him in a warm   
bath1 cleansed his wound with the       
greatest care1 and dressed it with her  
ointment4 ,in a short time1 and without 
any medical assistance1 the severed limb
 was restored to its usual position1 and
 a complete recovery ensued4  ,the bowl 
in which ,san ,francesca compounded this
 miraculous remedy is preserved in the  
convent of ,tor di ,specchi4 ,during the
 novena of the saint1 when the doors are
 thrown open to crowds of devout        
persons1 it stands on a table in the    
entrance-chamber1 and is daily filled by
 the nuns with fresh sweet-smelling     
flowers--violets1 primroses1 anemones1  
and the like4 ,the visitor may bear away
 with him some of these fragrant        
remembrances1 and cherish them for her  
sake1 the odour of whose virtues will   
last as long as the seasons return1 and 
the spring brings back to our gladdened 
sight those   ,sweet nurslings of the   
vernal skies1   ,bathed with soft airs  
and fed with dew4  ,a still more        

wonderful miracle than these occurred   
about this time4 ,francesca and her     
faithful companion ,vannozza had been   
visiting several churches in that part  
of ,rome which goes by the name of the  
,rioue de ,monti4 ,passing before a     
mean-looking dwelling1 they heard the   
most heart-rending sobs and cries4      
,stopping to inquire into the cause of  
this despair1 they found a mother       
frantically weeping over the body of a  
child1 who had died a few hours after   
its birth without having received       
baptism4 ,francesca gently reproved the 
woman for the delay which had endangered
 her son's salvation2 then1 taking the  
little corpse into her arms1 she uttered
 a fervent prayer1 and in a moment gave 
back the baby to its mother1 fully      
restored to life and health4 ,she       
desired her to have it instantly        
baptised1 and then made her escape1     
trusting that she should remain         
undiscovered2 and indeed the woman whose
 child she had been the means of saving 

had never seen her1 and wondered awhile 
if an angel had visited her in disguise2
 but the description of her dress1 and  
the miracle she had worked1 convinced   
all who heard of it that the visitor was
 no other than the wife of ,lorenzo     
,ponziano4  ,compassionate to others1   
,francesca was mercilessly severe to    
herself2 her austerities kept pace with 
her increasing sanctity4 ,she was       
enabled to carry on a mode of life which
 must have ruined her health had it not 
been miraculously sustained4 ,she slept 
only for two hours1 and that on a narrow
 plank covered with nothing but a bit of
 rough carpet4 ,the continual warfare   
which she waged against her body brought
 it more and more into subjection to the
 spirit2 and her senses were under such 
perfect control1 that natural           
repugnances vanished1 and the superior  
part of the soul reigned supremely over 
the meaner instincts and inclinations of
 the flesh4 ,such was her spiritual     
proficiency at the early age of         

twenty-nine4 ,,chapter ,,vii4           
,,evangelista ,,appears ,,to ,,his      
,,mother-,,an ,,archangel ,,is          
,,assigned ,,to ,,her ,,as ,a ,,visible 
,,guardian ,,throughout ,,her ,,life1   
,,evangelista had been dead about a     
year4 ,his image was ever present to his
 mother's heart2 she saw him in spirit  
at the feet of his ,lord4 ,never1 even  
in her inmost soul1 was she conscious of
 a wish to recall him from the heaven he
 had reached to the earthly home which  
he had left desolate2 but not for one   
moment could she forget the child of her
 love1 or cease to invoke him as a      
celestial guardian akin to those who had
 so long hovered about her path4 ,her   
faith and resignation were richly       
rewarded4 ,god gave her a sight of her  
child in heaven1 and he was sent to     
announce to her one of the most         
extraordinary favours that was ever     
vouchsafed to a daughter of ,adam4      
,francesca was praying one morning in   
her oratory1 when she became conscious  

that the little room was suddenly       
illuminated in a supernatural manner2 a 
mysterious light shone on every side1   
and its radiance seemed to pervade not  
only her outward senses1 but the inmost 
depths of her being1 and to awaken in   
her soul a strange sensation of joy4    
,she raised her eyes1 and ,evangelista  
stood before her2 his familiar aspect   
unchanged1 but his features transfigured
 and beaming with ineffable splendour4  
,by his side was another of the same    
size and height as himself1 but more    
beautiful still4 ,francesca's lips move1
 but in vain she seeks to articulate2   
the joy and the terror of that moment   
are too intense4 ,her son draws near to 
her1 and with an angelic expression of  
love and respect he bows down his head  
and salutes her4 ,then the mother's     
feelings predominate2 she forgets every 
thing but his presence1 and opens her   
arms to him2 but it is no earthly form  
that she encloses within them1 and the  
glorified body escapes her grasp4 ,and  

now she gains courage and addresses     
him1--in broken accents indeed1 but with
 trembling eagerness4  ,is it you1      
indeed8 7she cries7 ,o son of my heart6 
,whence do you come8 who are your       
companions8 what your abode8 ,angel of  
,god1 hast thou thought of thy mother1  
of thy poor father8 ,amidst the joys of 
,paradise hast thou remembered earth and
 its sufferings8  ,evangelista looked up
 to heaven with an unutterable          
expression of peace and of joy2 and     
then1 fixing his eyes on his mother1 he 
said1 ,my abode is with ,god2 my        
companions are the angels2 our sole     
occupation the contemplation of the     
,divine perfections1--the endless source
 of all happiness4 ,eternally united    
with ,god1 we have no will but ,his2 and
 our peace is as complete as ,his ,being
 is infinite4 ,he is ,himself our joy1  
and that joy knows no limits4 ,there are
 nine choirs of angels in heaven1 and   
the higher orders of angelic spirits    
instruct in the ,divine mysteries the   

less exalted intelligences4 ,if you wish
 to know my place amongst them1 my      
mother1 learn that ,god1 of ,his great  
goodness1 has appointed it in the second
 choir of angels1 and the first         
hierarchy of archangels4 ,this my       
companion is higher than ,i am in rank1 
as he is more bright and fair in aspect4
 ,the ,divine ,majesty has assigned him 
to you as a guardian during the         
remainder of your earthly pilgrimage4   
,night and day by your side1 he will    
assist you in every way4 ,never amidst  
the joys of ,paradise have ,i for an    
instant forgotten you1 or any of my     
loved ones on earth4 ,i knew you were   
resigned2 but ,i also knew that your    
heart would rejoice at beholding me once
 more1 and ,god has permitted that ,i   
should thus gladden your eyes4 ,but ,i  
have a message for you1 my mother4 ,god 
asks for ,agnese3 she may not tarry long
 with you2 her place is ready in the    
,new ,jerusalem4 ,be of good comfort1   
nay1 rather rejoice that your children  

are safely housed in heaven4            
,evangelista communed a short while     
longer with his mother1 and then1       
bidding her tenderly farewell1          
disappeared2 but the archangel remained1
 and to the day of her death was ever   
present to her sight4  ,she now         
understood the sense of the vision that 
had been sent her at the time of        
,agnese's birth4 ,it was not for the    
cloister1 but for heaven itself1 that   
,god claimed her young daughter2 and    
during the few remaining days of her    
earthly life she waited upon her with a 
tenderness mingled with veneration2     
looking upon her as one who scarcely    
belonged to the rough world she was so  
soon to leave4 ,and the chosen child of 
,god1 the little maiden on whom the     
mystic dove had rested in its flight1   
soon drooped like a flower in an        
ungenial air1--soon gave her fond mother
 a last kiss and a last smile2 and then 
her gentle spirit went to seek her      
brother's kindred soul4 ,they were      

buried together2 and the day was now    
come for ,francesca1 when earthly       
happiness altogether vanishes1 when life
 has its duties but has lost all its    
joys1--and then1 what a lesson is in the
 story6 ,god's angel henceforward stands
 visibly by her side1 and never leaves  
her6  ,when ,evangelista had parted from
 his mother1 she had fallen prostrate on
 the ground1 and blessed ,god for ,his  
great mercy to her1 the most worthless  
of sinners1 for such she deemed herself2
 and then1 turning to the angel1 who    
stood near her1 she implored him to be  
her guide and director2 to point out the
 way she was to tread2 to combat with   
her against ,satan and his ministers2   
and to teach her every day to become    
more like in spirit to his and her      
,lord4 ,when she left the oratory1 the  
archangel followed her1 and1 enveloped  
in a halo of light1 remained always     
visible to her1 though imperceptible to 
others4 ,the radiance that surrounded   
him was so dazzling1 that she could     

seldom look upon him with a fixed gaze4 
,at night1 and in the most profound     
darkness1 she could always write and    
read by the light of that supernatural  
brightness4 ,sometimes1 however1 when in
 prayer1 or in conference with her      
director1 or engaged in struggles with  
the ,evil ,one1 she was enabled to see  
his form with perfect distinctness1 and 
by ,don ,antonio's orders thus described
 him3--,his stature1 she said1 is that  
of a child of about nine years old2 his 
aspect full of sweetness and majesty2   
his eyes generally turned towards       
heaven3 words cannot describe the divine
 purity of that gaze4 ,his brow is      
always serene2 his glances kindle in the
 soul the flame of ardent devotion4     
,when ,i look upon him1 ,i understand   
the glory of the angelic nature1 and the
 degraded condition of our own4 ,he     
wears a long shining robe1 and over it a
 tunic1 either as white as the lilies of
 the field1 or of the colour of a red   
rose1 or of the hue of the sky when it  

is most deeply blue4 ,when he walks by  
my side1 his feet are never soiled by   
the mud of the streets or the dust of   
the road4  ,francesca's conduct was now 
directed in the most infallible manner4 
,by a special privilege1 a companion had
 been assigned to her from the heavenly 
hierarchy2 and if she committed any     
faults1 error could not now be pleaded  
in excuse4 ,her actions1 her words1 and 
her thoughts1 were to be ever on a par  
with those of the sinless ,being who was
 to be her guide throughout her earthly 
pilgrimage4 ,it was an awful            
responsibility1 a startling favour2 but 
trusting in ,god's grace1 though fully  
aware of her own weakness1 she did not  
shrink from the task4 ,her greatest wish
 had always been to attain a perfect    
conformity with the ,divine ,will1 and  
now this mysterious guidance furnished  
her with the means of knowing that ,will
 in its minutest details4 ,in her       
struggles with the ,evil ,one1 the      
archangel became her shield of defence2 

the rays of light which darted from his 
brow sent the demons howling on their   
way4 ,thus protected1 she feared neither
 the wiles nor the violence of ,satan4  
,the presence of her heavenly guide was 
also to ,francesca a mirror1 in which   
she could see reflected every           
imperfection of her fallen1 though to a 
great extent renewed1 nature4 ,much as  
she had discerned1 even from her        
earliest childhood1 of the innate       
corruption of her heart1 yet she often  
told her director1 that it was only     
since she had been continually in the   
presence of an angelic companion that   
she had realised its amount4 ,so that   
this divine favour1 far from exalting   
her in her own eyes1 served to maintain 
her in the deepest humility4 ,when she  
committed the slightest fault1 the angel
 seemed to disappear2 and it was only   
after she had carefully examined her    
conscience1 discovered her failing1     
lamented and humbly confessed it1 that  
he returned4 ,on the other hand1 when   

she was only disturbed by a doubt or a  
scruple1 he was wont to bestow on her a 
kind look1 which dissipated at once her 
uneasiness4 ,when he spoke1 she used to 
see his lips move2 and a voice of       
indescribable sweetness1 but which      
seemed to come from a distance1 reached 
her ears4 ,his guidance enlightened her 
chiefly with regard to the difficulty   
she felt in submitting to certain cares 
and obligations which belonged to her   
position as mistress and head of a      
family4 ,she was apt to imagine that the
 hours thus employed were lost in ,god's
 sight2 but her celestial guardian      
corrected her judgment on this point1   
and taught her to discern the ,divine   
will in every little irksome worldly    
duty1 in every trifling contradiction1  
as well as in great trials and on       
important occasions4 ,the light of the  
angelic presence gave her also a        
marvellous insight into the thoughts of 
others4 ,their sins1 their errors1 their
 evil inclinations1 were supernaturally 

revealed to her1 and often caused her   
the ,keenest sorrow4 ,she was enabled   
through this gift to bring back to ,god 
many a wandering soul1 to frustrate bad 
designs1 and reconcile the most         
inveterate enemies4 ,francesca used     
sometimes1 to say to ,don ,antonio1 when
 she requested his permission for some  
additional austerities which he         
hesitated in granting1 ,be not afraid1  
father2 the archangel will not allow me 
to proceed too far in that course4 ,he  
always checks me when ,i am tempted to  
transgress the bounds of prudence4 ,and 
,don ,antonio believed it1 for his      
penitent always spoke the exact truth2  
and in the miraculous manner in which   
she over and over again read his most   
secret thoughts1 and manifested them to 
him1 he had a pledge of her veracity1 as
 well as of her extraordinary sanctity4 
,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,francesca',s       
,,illness ,,and ,,recovery--,,her       
,,vision ,,of ,,hell--,,restoration ,,of
 ,,tranquillity ,,iii ,,rome--,,return  

,,of ,,francesca',s ,,husband--,,her    
,,power ,,in ,,converting ,,sinners4    
,four long years had elapsed1 during    
which ,rome had been given up to        
dissensions and civil discord1 while    
epidemics of various kinds were         
continually succeeding each other1 and  
carrying off many of its inhabitants4   
,at the opening of the year #adad1      
,sigismund1 king of the ,romans1 and    
,john ,,xxiii41 had agreed to convene a 
council at ,constance2 and the faithful 
were beginning to cherish a hope that   
the schism which had so long desolated  
the ,church might be drawing to a close4
 ,but this distant prospect of relief   
was not sufficient to counterbalance the
 actual sufferings of the moment2 and   
,francesca beheld with ever-increasing  
pain the amount of sin and of misery    
which filled the city of her birth4 ,her
 exertions1 her labours1 her bodily and 
mental trials1 told at last upon her    
enfeebled frame1 and about this time she
 fell dangerously ill4 ,almost all her  

acquaintances1 and even her own family1 
fled from her1 terrified1 it would seem1
 by the idea of contagion4 ,vannozza    
alone remained1 and never left her      
bed-side4 ,some there were who came to  
visit1 but not for the purpose of       
consoling her2 on the contrary1 it was  
to reproach the dying saint with what   
they called her absurd infatuation1     
which had introduced the plague into her
 abode1 and endangered her own life1 for
 the sake of a set of worthless         
wretches4 ,she listened with her        
accustomed gentleness1 without          
attempting to defend herself from the   
charge4 ,her soul was perfectly at      
peace2 she could joyfully accept the    
death that now appeared inevitable2 she 
could thank ,god earnestly that the     
struggle was past1 and ,evangelista and 
,agnese safely lodged in ,his arms4 ,she
 looked forward to a speedy reunion with
 these beloved ones2 and marked the     
progress of her disease as the prisoner 
watches the process by which his chains 

are riven4 ,a few words or love and     
faith she now and then whispered to     
,vannozza2 at other times she remained  
absorbed in divine contemplation4       
,overshadowed by an angel's wing1 calm  
in the midst of severe suffering1 she   
performed her habitual devotions in as  
far as her strength permitted1 and only 
gave up painful penances by the express 
order of her director4 ,she who had     
healed so many sick persons cared not to
 be healed herself4  ,it was not1       
however1 ,god's will that she should die
 so soon4 ,after passing several months 
in prolonged sufferings1 her health was 
suddenly restored4 ,it was at this      
period of her life that she had the     
awful and detailed visions of hell which
 have remained on record1 and in which  
many salutary and fearful lessons are   
conveyed4 ,she was rapt in spirit1 and  
carried through the realms of endless   
woe4 ,what was once chosen by the genius
 of man as a theme for its highest      
poetic effort--a journey through the    

mournful city1 amongst that lost people 
,footnote3 ,per me si va nella citt     
dolente1 ,per me si va tra la perduta   
gente4--,,dante4 --was given to the     
saint in mystic trance to accomplish4   
,an angel led her through these terrific
 scenes2 and an intuitive perception was
 given to her of the various sufferings 
of the condemned souls4 ,so deep was the
 impression which this tremendous vision
 left on ,francesca's soul1 that never  
afterwards1 as long as she lived1 could 
she speak of it without tears and       
trembling2 and she would often          
emphatically warn those persons who1    
trusting too implicitly to ,god's mercy1
 forgot in their reckless security the  
terrors of ,his justice4 ,some of the   
fresco paintings in the convent of ,tor 
di ,specchi represent this vision1 and  
are visible to this day4 ,the ,pope     
,john ,,xxiii41 and ,sigismund1 king of 
the ,romans1 had at last succeeded in   
forming a league1 with the object of    
delivering ,italy from the intolerable  

yoke of ,ladislas1 king of ,naples4     
,this tyrant had assembled a numerous   
army1 and was marching upon ,bologna2   
but the measure of his iniquities was   
now full1 and the hand of death arrested
 him on his way4 ,an illness1 occasioned
 by his incredible excesses1 seized him 
between ,nurni and ,perugia1 and he died
 on the #eth of ,august1 #adad4 ,the    
sovereign ,pontiff1 free from the       
terrors which this fierce usurper had   
inspired1 and yielding to the           
importunities of the cardinal1 set out  
for ,constance1 where he was to meet the
 ,emperor ,sigismund4 ,this same        
,council of ,constance was eventually to
 be the means of making void his        
election1 and of ending the great schism
 of the ,west1 by placing in the chair  
of ,st4 ,peter the illustrious ,pontiff 
,martin ,v4 ,the death of ,ladislas     
restored peace to the states of the     
,church1 and in particular to the city  
of ,rome4 ,with the cessation of civil  
broils the famine disappeared2 and with 

it the grievous pestilence that had so  
long accompanied it4 ,the fields were   
cultivated once more2 the peasants      
gradually returned to their farms2 the  
flocks grazed unmolested in the green   
pastures of the ,campagna2 and the      
whilom deserted provinces smiled again  
under the influence of returning        
prosperity4  ,the sufferings of the     
,ponziani were also at an end4 ,they    
were recalled from banishment1 and their
 property was restored4 ,lorenzo and his
 son--now his only son--,baptista4      
returned to their home1 and to the wife 
and mother they had so longed to behold 
again4 ,but mixed with sorrow was the   
cup of joy which that hour seemed to    
offer4 ,lorenzo1 who a few years back   
was in the prime of life--strong1       
healthy1 and energetic1--he who had met 
every foe and every trial without       
shrinking1 was now broken by long       
sufferings2 aged more through exile and 
grief than through years4 ,we are told  
that when he entered his palace and     

looked upon his wife1 deep sobs shook   
his breast1 and he burst into an agony  
of tears4 ,the two beautiful children   
which he had left by her side1 where    
were they8 ,gone6 never to gladden his  
eyes again1 or make music in his home by
 the sound of their sweet voices4 ,and  
,francesca herself1 pale with recent    
illness1 spent with ceaseless labours1  
she stood before him the perfect picture
 of a woman and a saint1 with the divine
 expression of her beloved face         
unchanged2 but how changed in form1 in  
bloom1 in brightness1 in every thing but
 that beauty which holiness gives and   
time cannot efface6  ,long and bitterly 
he wept1 and ,francesca gently consoled 
him4 ,she told him how ,evangelista had 
appeared to her2 how their children were
 only gone before them1 companions now  
of those angels they had so resembled   
upon earth4 ,she whispered to him that  
one of these was ever at her side2 and  
when he looked upon her1 and remembered 
all she had been to him1 doubtless he   

found it easy to believe4 ,taught by    
adversity1 more than ever influenced by 
his admirable wife1 ,lorenzo            
henceforward adopted a more thoroughly  
,christian mode of life than he had     
hitherto followed4 ,not content with    
praising her virtues1 he sought to      
imitate them1 and practised all the     
duties of religion with the utmost      
strictness4 ,on one point alone his     
conduct was inconsistent with the       
principles he professed1 and this was1  
while it lasted1 a source of keen       
anxiety to ,francesca4 ,there was a     
,roman nobleman who1 several years      
before1 had grievously offended the lord
 of ,ponziano1 and with whom he         
absolutely refused to be reconciled4    
,this had formerly been1 and was again  
after his return1 an occasion of scandal
 to many4 ,the more eminent were his    
virtues1 the higher his religious       
profession1 the more glaring appeared   
such an evident inconsistency4          
,francesca herself was blamed for it2   

and people used to wonder that she who  
was so often successful in reconciling  
strangers and promoting peace in        
families1 had not the power of allaying 
an enmity discreditable to her husband  
and at variance with the dictates of    
religion4 ,at last1 however1 by dint of 
patience and gentleness1 she            
accomplished what had seemed for a long 
time a hopeless endeavour4 ,the hearts  
of both parties were touched with       
remorse4 ,lorenzo1 who was the aggrieved
 party1 granted his enemy a full and    
free pardon1 and a perfect              
reconciliation ensued4 ,this triumph    
over himself on the one point where the 
stubborn natural will had so long held  
out1 resulted1 as is almost always the  
case1 in a rapid advance towards        
perfection4  ,lorenzo1 from this time   
forth1 withdrew more and more from      
public life1 refused those posts of     
honour and of responsibility which a    
friendly government pressed upon him1   
and surrendered himself almost entirely 

to the duties and exercises of a        
strictly religious life4 ,in his        
conversations with his wife1 he daily   
gained a deeper insight into the secrets
 of the spiritual life4 ,far from       
complaining of the amount of money which
 she spent in charity1 of the existence 
of an hospital within the walls of his  
palace1 of her various and laborious    
works of mercy1 or of the length of time
 which she spent in prayer1 he renewed  
his request that she would1 in every    
respect1 follow what seemed to her the  
will of ,god1 and the most perfect      
manner of life4 ,francesca gratefully   
complied with this his desire4 ,she     
watched more strictly than ever over the
 conduct of those committed to her      
charge1 and recommended to them by her  
example even more than by her precepts  
an exact observance of the commandments 
of ,god and of the ,church4 ,what money 
was exclusively her own1 she regularly  
divided into two parts3 with one-half   
she bought food for the poor1 with the  

other clothing and medicine for the     
sick4 ,her own dress cost her next to   
nothing2 she continued to wear her old  
green gown patched-up with any odd bits 
of cloth that fell in her way4 ,almost  
every day she went to her vineyard and  
gathered wood for the faggots which she 
gave away on her return4 ,her relations1
 her friends1 and even her servants1    
were annoyed at her employing herself in
 such labour1 and bitterly complained of
 the humiliation it occasioned them to  
meet her so meanly dressed and so meanly
 occupied4 ,lorenzo did not share those 
feelings2 on the contrary1 he used to   
look upon her on these occasions with an
 increase of affection and veneration2  
and supported by his approval1 by the   
approbation of her director1 and the    
dictates of her own conscience1 she     
cared little for the comments of others4
  ,the kind of apostolate which by this 
time she exercised in ,rome was very    
remarkable2 and her power over men's    
minds and hearts scarcely short of      

miraculous4 ,there was a subduing charm1
 an irresistible influence in her words 
and in her manner1 which told on every  
variety of persons4 ,the expression of  
her countenance1 the tones of her voice1
 her mere presence1 worked wonders in   
effecting conversions1 and in animating 
to virtue those whom she approached4    
,her gift of reading the thoughts of    
others1 which had increased ever since  
the archangel had become her companion1 
enabled her in several instances to     
bring about conversions1 several of     
which are related at length by her      
biographers4  ,amongst them was that of 
a young woman who was lying dangerously 
ill in one of the hospitals of the city4
 ,francesca had been distributing food  
to the sick1 and was then attending the 
death-bed of a young man1 who was about 
to receive the last ,sacraments1 when a 
piercing cry from one of the adjoining  
wards reached her ears4 ,she hastened to
 the spot1 and found a young woman      
stretched on one of the narrow beds1 and

 dying in all the agonies of despair4   
,no sooner had she looked upon the poor 
creature than her dreadful history was  
supernaturally revealed to her4 ,she had
 some time before had an illegitimate   
child1 and1 under the pressure of shame 
and terror1 had destroyed it4 ,the      
consciousness of this crime was driving 
her to despair1 and she had not courage 
to confess it4 ,but now words were      
whispered in her ear1 which went        
straight to the point on which the awful
 straggle turned2 which spoke of the    
horrible misery of dying impenitent and 
unabsolved1 and of the boundless mercy  
which has provided a remedy for the     
deepest stains of sin1 the blood of     
,jesus applied to the soul by the grace 
of the ,sacrament4 ,for a long time the 
poor creature resisted1 turned her head 
away1 and refused to be comforted4 ,but 
when ,francesca1 in still more pressing 
terms1 alluded to the intolerable burden
 of an unacknowledged crime1 of the     
life-giving humiliation of a sincere    

confession1 of the dire confusion of an 
unforgiven soul on the day of ,judgment2
 of the love of ,jesus1 of the          
tenderness of ,mary1 of the indulgence  
of the ,church1 the sweetness of pardon1
 the peace of reconciliation2 then the  
stubborn heart yielded1 the seared      
spirit was softened4 ,bursting into     
tears1 the dying sufferer exclaimed1 ,a 
priest6 a priest6 and one was at hand at
 the first call of contrition1 and      
answered that expiring cry1 as ,matthew 
did the royal prophet's confession3 ,the
 ,lord forgives2 thou shalt not perish4 
,and shortly after in ,francesca's arms 
the pardoned sinner breathed her last4  
,about the same time1 ,francesca was the
 means of converting one who would      
doubtless have turned with contempt from
 the poor criminal on the hospital-bed  
with horror1 from the guilty destroyer  
of her own child1 and deemed that to    
breathe the same air as such a wretch   
was in itself contamination4 ,and yet1  
in ,god's right1 ,gentilezza may have   

been as1 or perhaps more guilty than the
 sorely-tempted1 unprotected1 miserable 
being1 who in weakness first1 and then  
in terror1 almost in madness1 had rushed
 into crime2 for she was rich1 noble1   
and beautiful2 had been nursed in pomp  
and pleasure2 hunger had never tempted1 
and scorn never pursued her4 ,her life  
had been one continued scene of         
amusement and of splendour4 ,she cared  
for nothing but the homage of men1 the  
incense of admiration1 the intoxication 
of pleasure4 ,there was not a duty that 
she did not neglect1 nor one sacred     
obligation that she felt herself bound  
to observe4 ,we are not told that she   
committed what men call crimes2 but her 
husband she treated with open contempt1 
and ridiculed him on account of his     
attachment to religious duties2 her     
children she altogether neglected1 and  
abandoned them to the care of servants1 
while her days and nights were devoted  
to amusements and frivolities of every  
description4 ,several of the ,roman     

ladies1 who used to be her companions1  
had been induced1 by ,francesca's       
example and exhortation1 to give up a   
life of dissipation1 and adopt one      
better befitting the ,christian         
profession2 but ,gentilezza laughed at  
her and at them1 and used to say1 with  
insolent derision1 that she had no      
vocation for wearing rags and carrying  
faggots4 ,perfectly indifferent to the  
ridicule with which she sought to cover 
her1 ,francesca prayed incessantly for  
the vain and haughty woman1 who seemed  
beyond the reach of reproach or of      
persuasion4 ,one day1 however1 moved by 
a prophetic impulse1 she thus addressed 
her3 ,you scorn my warnings1            
,gentilezza2 you laugh at the advice of 
your confessor4 ,but remember that ,god 
is powerful1 and not to be mocked with  
impunity4 ,the day is at hand when you  
will rue the stubbornness of your heart4
  ,a few days afterwards1 as            
,gentilezza1 who was with child at the  
time1 was descending the stairs of her  

palace1 her foot slipped1 and she fell  
headlong to the bottom4 ,her servants   
raised her in their arms1 and found her 
all but dead4 ,the physicians1 who were 
summoned in haste1 judged unfavourably  
of her case1 and pronounced that her    
child must infallibly have been killed  
by the fall4 ,the wretched woman burst  
into tears1 but it was not so much her  
own danger1 or the death of her infant  
which she deplored1 as the ruin of her  
beauty1 which had been her pride and her
 snare4 ,her features had been so       
injured by this accident1 that her face 
was completely disfigured1 and with     
rebellious anger she wept over her lost 
loveliness4 ,francesca1 upon hearing of 
this event1 hurried to the spot1 and    
nursed the suffering woman with the     
tenderest care4 ,with the utmost        
kindness she reminded her of the duties 
she had neglected1 and of the means of  
grace she had despised1 and exhorted her
 to recognise the hand of a merciful    
,god in the chastisement she had        

received4 ,she spoke to her of her      
husband1 of her children1 of the true   
and sweet vocations of a wife and a     
mother1 of the transitory nature of all 
earthly enjoyments2 and into the heart  
subdued by pain and disappointment her  
words made their way4 ,it was as if     
scales had fallen from the eyes of the  
sufferer4 ,god is just1 she exclaimed at
 last2 ,i deserved even a greater       
punishment than ,i have met with4 ,pray 
for me1 ,francesca ,ponziano2 pray for  
me2 and oh1 hear me promise1 that if my 
life is spared1 ,i will give up all my  
evil ways1 and henceforward become a    
,christian wife and a ,christian mother2
 so help me ,god1 whom ,i have so       
grievously offended6 ,francesca bent    
over her and embraced her2 she saw that 
her repentance was sincere1 and bade her
 be of good comfort1 and that her       
penitence would be accepted4 ,and so it 
turned out2 for ,gentilezza was safely  
delivered of a healthy little girl1 and 
in time recovered not only her health   

but the beauty which she had once turned
 to such bad account2 and1 while        
faithful to her promise1 she ceased to  
abuse the gifts of ,god1 and devoted    
herself to the diligent performance of  
her duties1 became a chosen friend of   
,francesca's1 and one of the most pious 
and exemplary matrons in ,rome4  ,among 
the relatives of the saint1 there was a 
young man whose name was ,giovanni      
,antonio ,lorenzi1 whose temper was     
fierce and violent in the extreme4      
,having been1 as he considered1 insulted
 by another ,roman nobleman1 he vowed   
that he would take his life1 and        
resolved to have him assassinated4      
,francesca's angel revealed to her his  
criminal design1 which was as yet       
confined to his own breast4 ,she        
instantly sent for the object of his    
enmity1 and charged him1 as he valued   
his existence1 not to leave his own     
house for a certain number of days2 and 
without informing him of the reason1    
obtained his promise to that effect4 ,in

 the mean time she disclosed to ,lorenzi
 her knowledge of his guilty project1   
and induced him to abandon all idea of  
revenge4 ,her influence over ,angelo    
,savelli1 on a similar occasion1 was    
still more remarkable4 ,he had          
quarrelled with a young man of his      
acquaintance1 and a duel had ensued1 in 
which he had been severely wounded4 ,his
 anger was excessive2 he did nothing but
 threaten and curse his adversary4      
,neither his own family nor that of his 
foe could succeed in appeasing him1 and 
he was dying with vengeance in his      
heart1 and accents of rage on his lips4 
,francesca was informed of his          
condition1 and went1 straightway to his 
bed-side4 ,she had no sooner uttered a  
few words1 than he bade her bring his   
enemy to him1 that he might forgive and 
embrace him4 ,he was himself astonished 
at the change thus wrought by her       
presence1 and declared that the ,holy   
,spirit had moved him by her means4 ,he 
received the last ,sacrament with the   

best dispositions1 and died soon after1 
full of peace and hope1 and repeatedly  
assured his family that ,god1 in mercy  
to his soul1 had sent the wife of       
,ponziano to save him from the ruin     
which was so nearly overtaking him4     
,one more instance amongst many of      
,francesca's powers of persuasion may be
 adduced1 in addition to the preceding4 
,she was1 as we have seen1 a constant   
attendant at the church of ,santa ,maria
 ,nuova1 where her confessor1 ,don      
,antonio ,savello officiated4 ,it so    
happened that one of the monks of his   
order1 ,don ,ippolito1 who subsequently 
played a part in the history of the     
saint1 and who had been now residing ten
 years in the convent1 was about this   
time appointed to the office of         
sacristan1 although he had previously   
filled with distinction divers important
 functions in the monastery4 ,he had    
accepted this appointment out of        
obedience and humility of spirit2 but   
after a while the devil sorely tempted  

him to regret having done so2 to repine 
at what he began to consider as an act  
of tyranny and injustice2 and these     
reflections1 gradually indulged in1 made
 sad havoc of his peace of mind4 ,an    
oppressive melancholy beset him2 and at 
last he came to the resolution of       
abandoning his habit and the monastery1 
if the obnoxious appointment were not   
cancelled4 ,but one day that he had been
 invoking ,mary1 our ,lady of good      
counsel1 he felt a sudden inspiration to
 go and communicate to ,francesca his   
discontent1 his restlessness1 and the   
resolution he had formed4 ,she listened 
attentively to his statement1 and then  
quietly addressed to him some questions 
which placed the subject in its true    
light4 ,she asked him with what purpose 
he had entered the religious state2 whom
 he had intended to serve in doing so2  
which he preferred1 the ,god who        
descends and dwells on the altar1 or the
 servants who wait upon ,him elsewhere8 
,which was the highest post1 that of    

watching over the sanctuary1 in company 
with the angels1 or of ministering to   
men1 however holy and eminent they might
 be1 as would be his lot in another     
office8 ,the wisdom and simplicity of   
this answer went straight to ,don       
,ippolito's heart4 ,he instantly        
acquiesced in its justice1 and went     
directly to confession4 ,with earnest   
benevolence he betook himself to the    
duties of his at once humble and exalted
 office1 edified all his brethren by his
 unfeigned humility1 and became in time 
the model of his order4 ,he was         
afterwards successively named sub-prior1
 and then prior of the monastery of     
,santa ,maria ,nuova2 and was later the 
associate and support of ,francesca in  
the foundation of her congregation of   
the ,noble ,oblates of ,tor di ,specchi4
     ,,chapter ,,ix4  ,,fresh           
,,supernatural ,,events ,,in            
,,francesca',s ,,history--,,her         
,,obedience ,,to ,,her ,,husband ,,and  
,,to ,,her ,,confessor ,,rewarded ,,by  

,,two ,,miracles--,,marriage ,,of ,,her 
,,son1 ,,and ,,ill ,,conduct ,,of ,,his 
,,wife--,,her ,,conversion ,,through    
,,francesca',s ,,prayers--,,fresh       
,,miracles ,,worked ,,by ,,francesca4   
,francesca's obedience to her director  
in spiritual matters1 and to her husband
 in other respects1 continued to be     
exemplary4 ,in both instances she       
received a miraculous proof that ,god   
regarded with especial favour that      
humble submission of spirit in one whom 
,he endowed with such marvellous gifts4 
,the story of these miracles mighht well
 furnish a subject to a painter or a    
poet4 ,one day that she and ,vannozza   
had asked permission to visit the shrine
 of ,santa ,croce in ,gierusalemme1 ,don
 ,antonio had given them leave to do so2
 on condition that1 as an exercise of   
self-control1 and a test of their       
obedience1 they should walk there and   
back without once raising their eyes to 
look about them4 ,he wished them to     
employ all the time of that long walk in

 mental prayer and meditation4 ,they    
proceeded on their way without          
interruption1 till1 on approaching the  
hospital adjoining the church of ,st4   
,john of ,lateran1 a sudden rush of     
people overtook them1 and sounds of     
terror were heard on every side4 ,a bull
 had escaped from its leaders1 and      
driven frantic by the cries of the      
multitude1 it was dashing savagely      
along4 ,francesca and ,vannozza stood   
directly in his path4 ,loud shouts      
warned them to get out of the way2 but1 
faithful to the obedience they had      
received1 and probably inwardly assured 
that they would be protected against the
 danger1 whatever it was1 they advanced 
calm and unmoved with their eyes fixed  
on the ground4 ,the bystanders1 who were
 cowering at a distance1 shuddered2 for 
it seemed that the next moment must see 
them under the feet of the bellowing    
animal4 ,but no2 the same influence that
 tamed the lions in ,daniel's den was at
 work with the savage beast4 ,at sight  

of the two women1 it suddenly stopped in
 its course1 became perfectly tranquil1 
stood still while they passed1 and then 
resumed its flight2 while they proceeded
 to the church without having           
experienced the slightest emotion of    
fear4 ,there is an ancient saying1 that 
a wild beast is appeased by the sight of
 a maiden in her purity2 and there can  
be no doubt that those saints who have  
regained in some measure1 by            
mortification1 penance1 and heroic      
virtue1 the purity of man's original    
nature1 have at the same time recovered1
 in a certain degree1 the power which   
,adam possessed over the animal         
creation4 ,it is a fact of frequent     
occurrence in their lives1 that         
mysterious homage paid to them by the   
wild inhabitants of the desert1 or the  
gentle denizens of the grave4 ,st4      
,francis of ,assisi1 and ,st4 ,rose of  
,lima1 amongst others1 were singularly  
endowed with this gift4 ,there are few  
more touching thoughts1 or any better   

calculated to make us understand the    
true character of sanctity1 and the     
gradual restoration of a fallen nature  
to one akin to that of the angels4  ,the
 other miracle was one attested by      
,vannozza1 who witnessed its occurrence4
 ,francesca devoted all her leisure     
moments to prayer1 but never allowed her
 delight in spiritual exercises to      
interfere with her duty as a wife4 ,her 
attention to ,lorenzo's slightest wants 
and wishes was unceasing4 ,she never    
complained of any amount of interruption
 or of trouble which his claims upon her
 time might occasion4 ,one day that she 
was reciting in her room the office of  
the ,blessed ,virgin1 he sent for her4  
,instantly rising from her knees1 she   
obeyed his summons4 ,when she had       
performed the trifling service he       
required1 she returned to her prayers4  
,four successive times1 for the most    
insignificant of purposes1 she was sent 
for3 each time1 with unwearied good     
humour1 she complied1 and resumed her   

devotions without a shadow of discontent
 or annoyance4 ,on resuming her book the
 last time that this occurred1 great was
 her astonishment in finding the        
antiphon1 which she had four times begun
 and four times left unfinished1 written
 in letters of gold4 ,vannozza1 who was 
present1 witnessed the miracle2 and the 
archangel whispered to ,francesca1 ,thus
 the ,lord rewards the virtue of        
obedience4 ,the gilded letters remained 
in the book to the day of her death4    
,her prayers were frequent2 her fervour 
in proportion4 ,beginning with the ,our 
,father and the ,hail ,mary1 it was her 
practice to recite them slowly1 and to  
ponder on each word as she pronounced   
it4 ,the ,office of the ,blessed ,virgin
 she repeated daily at the appointed    
hours1 and almost always on her knees2  
the ,rosary also1 and a great number of 
psalms besides1 as well as various      
devotions for the holy souls in         
purgatory4 ,as to mental prayer1 her    
whole life was one continued orison2    

ever in communion with ,god1 she never  
lost the sense of ,his presence4 ,from  
this time forward 7she was now          
thirty-two years old71 her life grew    
more and more supernatural4 ,the        
mystical wonders that have manifested   
themselves in so many saints were       
displayed in her to an eminent degree4  
,when she approached the tribunal of    
penance1 but1 above all1 in going to    
communion1 her body sometimes emitted a 
fragrant odour1 and a halo of light     
surrounded her head4 ,often and often1  
after receiving the ,bread of ,life1 she
 fell into a long ecstasy1 and for hours
 remained motionless1 and wrapt up in   
silent contemplation1 unable to move    
from the spot but at the command of her 
director2 the virtue of obedience       
overcoming even the mystical            
insensibility to all outward objects4   
,her intimate intercourse with heaven   
during those moments2 the prophecies    
which she uttered2 the manner in which  
distant and future occurrences were made

 manifest to her spiritual perceptions1 
testified to the supernatural nature of 
these ecstasies4 ,an intimate union     
established itself between her and the  
objects of her incessant contemplation4 
,when she meditated on the glorious     
mysteries1 on the triumphs of ,mary1 or 
the bliss of the angelic spirits1 an    
intense joy beamed in her face1 and     
pervaded her whole person4 ,when1 on the
 other hand1 she mused on the ,passion  
of our ,lord1 or on the sorrows of ,his 
,mother1 the whole expression of her    
face was changed1 and bore the impress  
of an unutterable woe2 and even by      
physical pains she partook in a measure 
of the sufferings of her ,god4 ,the     
anxious torments of the ,passion were   
rehearsed as it were in her body2 and   
ere long a wound in her side manifested 
one of the most astonishing but         
indubitably established instances of the
 real though mystical share which some  
of the saints have had in the           
life-giving agonies of the ,lord4 ,none 

but ,vannozza1 who used to dress that   
touching and awful wound1 and ,don      
,antonio1 to whom she revealed it in    
confession1 were acquainted with this   
extraordinary token of union between the
 crucified ,redeemer and ,his favoured  
servant4 ,she suffered intense pain     
while it lasted1 but it was a joyful    
suffering4 ,love made it precious to    
her4 ,she had desired to drink of ,his  
cup1 and be baptised with ,his baptism2 
and ,he destined her one day to sit at  
,his side and share ,his glory4 ,she had
 drunk to the dregs the cup of earthly  
sorrow2 the anguish of bereavement1 the 
desolation of loneliness1 the torments  
of fear1 the pangs of sickness and      
poverty4 ,and now the most mysterious   
sufferings fell to her lot1 of a nature 
too sacred for common mention1 for man's
 investigation1 but not the less real   
and true than the others4 ,the relief   
was as miraculous as the infliction4 ,in
 a vision she saw herself transported   
into the cave of ,bethlehem1 and into   

the presence of the ,infant ,jesus and  
of ,his ,mother4 ,with a sweet smile1   
the ,blessed ,virgin bade ,francesca    
discover the wound which love had made1 
and then with water that flowed from the
 rock1 she washed her side1 and         
dismissed her4 ,when her ecstasy was    
over1 she found that the miraculous     
wound was perfectly healed4  ,it was at 
this time that she predicted in the most
 positive manner1 and when appearances  
were all against such a result1 that the
 papal schism was about to end4 ,the    
,council of ,constance was sitting1 and 
new difficulties and conflicts          
continually arose4 ,war was on the point
 of bursting out again1 and every body  
trembling at the thought of fresh       
disasters4 ,contrary1 however1 to all   
expectations1 the last weeks of the year
 #adae saw the conclusion of the schism4
 ,the assembled fathers1 with a courage 
that none had foreseen1 and indifferent 
to the threats of ,frederick of ,austria
 on the one side1 and of the ,king of   

,france on the other1 who were each     
advocating the cause of an              
anti-pope1--the former supporting ,john 
,,xxiii41 the latter ,benedict          
,,xiii41--they deposed these two        
usurpers1 obliged ,gregory ,,xii4 to    
renounce his pretensions also1 and on   
the #aath of ,november unanimously      
elected ,otto ,colonna1 ,cardinal       
,deacon of ,st4 ,george in ,velabro1 who
 took the name of ,martin ,v42 and by   
his virtues and his talents succeeded in
 restoring3 peace to ,rome itself1 and  
to the whole ,catholic world4 ,it was   
generally supposed1 even during her     
lifetime1 and much more after her death1
 that ,francesca's prayers1 her tears   
and her sufferings1 had accelerated that
 blessed event1 and drawn down the mercy
 of ,god on ,his afflicted ,church4     
,the son of ,lorenzo and ,francesca4    
,baptista ,ponziano1 had now arrived at 
the age of eighteen1 and was considered 
the most promising of the young ,roman  
noblemen4 ,the excellent education he   

had received was bearing its fruits4 ,in
 appearance and in manners1 in talents  
and in character1 he was equally        
distinguished4 ,lorenzo1 anxious to     
perpetuate his family1 and secure heirs 
to his large possessions1 pressed his   
son to marry4 ,it was with the greatest 
satisfaction that ,francesca seconded   
his wishes4 ,she longed to give up to a 
daughter-in-law the management of       
domestic affairs1 and to be more free to
 devote her time to religious and       
charitable employments4 ,the young      
person on whom the choice of ,baptista  
and of his parents fell was ,mobilia1 a 
maiden of whom it is recorded that she  
was of noble birth and of singular      
beauty1 but her family name is not      
mentioned4 ,immediately upon her        
marriage1 according to the continental  
custom of the time1 the bride came to   
reside under the same roof as her father
 and mother-in-law4 ,she was received as
 a beloved daughter by ,francesca and   
,vannozza2 but she neither returned     

their affection nor appeared sensible of
 their kindness4 ,brought up by an      
excellent mother in a very strict manner
 and entire seclusion1 her head was     
completely turned at suddenly finding   
herself her own mistress3 adored by her 
husband1 furnished with the most ample  
means of gratifying all her fancies1 she
 was bent on making up for the somewhat 
austere life she had led as a young     
girl1 and gave no thought to any thing  
but her beauty1 her dress1 and all the  
amusements within her reach4 ,wholly    
inexperienced1 she declined to ask or to
 receive advice1 and chose in every     
respect to be guided by her inclinations
 alone4 ,imperious with her equals1     
haughty with her superiors1 she gave    
herself all the airs imaginable1 and    
treated her mother-in-law with the most 
supreme contempt1 hardly paying her more
 attention than if she had been the     
lowest menial in the house4 ,in the gay 
societies which she frequented1 it was  
her favourite amusement to turn         

,francesca into ridicule1 to mimic her  
manners and her style of conversation2  
and she often declared herself perfectly
 ashamed of being related to a person so
 totally ignorant of the ways of the    
world4 ,how can one feel any respect1   
she used to ask1 for a person who thinks
 of nothing but the poor1 dresses as one
 of them1 and goes about the streets    
carrying bread1 wood1 and old clothes8  
,it was not that ,mobilia's disposition 
was absolutely bad2 on the contrary1 she
 was naturally sweet-tempered2 but never
 having been left before to her own     
management1 and tasting for the first   
time the exciting pleasures of the      
world1 the contrast which her           
mother-in-law's appearance1 manners1 and
 whole mode of life presented to that   
which seemed to her so attractive1      
irritated her beyond measure1 till at   
last her dislike amounted to aversion2  
she could hardly endure ,francesca in   
her sight4 ,vain were the remonstrances 
of her husband and of her father-in-law1

 vain their entreaties and their        
reproofs2 unavailing also proved the    
interference of some mutual friends1 who
 sought to convince her of the          
culpability of her conduct1 and to      
persuade her that she was bound to show 
,baptista's mother at least the         
attentions of ordinary civility4 ,the   
headstrong young woman persisted in     
exhibiting the utmost contempt for her4 
,the ,saint endured all her frowardness 
with unvarying gentleness and patience1 
never uttering a sharp or unkind word in
 return1 and spending long hours in     
prayer that the heart so closed against 
her1 and so given up to the world1 might
 through ,god's mercy be softened and   
changed4 ,one day1 when she was renewing
 these petitions with more than common  
fervour1 she heard the following words  
distinctly pronounced in her hearing3   
,why do you grieve1 ,francesca8 and why 
is your soul disquieted8 ,nothing takes 
place without ,my permission1 and all   
things work together for the good of    

those who love ,me4 ,and her trial was  
even then about to end4 ,it happened a  
few days afterwards1 when all the       
inhabitants of the palace were assembled
 round the fire in the hall 7for it was 
in the winter season71 that ,mobilia    
began as usual to attack her            
mother-in-law1 and to turn her mode of  
life into ridicule1 with even greater   
bitterness than usual2 and turning to   
her husband and to his father1 she      
exclaimed impatiently that she could not
 understand how they allowed her to     
follow her mean and degrading pursuits1 
to mix with the refuse of the rabble1   
and draw down upon the whole family not 
only merited disgrace1 but intolerable  
inconveniences4 ,she was going on in    
this way1 and speaking with great       
violence1 when all of a sudden she      
turned as pale as death1 a fit of       
trembling came over her1 and in a moment
 she fell back senseless4 ,francesca and
 ,vannozza carried her to her bed1      
where1 recovering her consciousness1 she

 was seized with most acute pains4 ,the 
intensity of her sufferings drew from   
her the most piteous cries4 ,then her   
conscience was roused2 then1 as if      
suddenly awakened to a sense of the     
enormity of her conduct1 with a         
faltering voice she murmured3 ,my pride6
 my dreadful pride6 ,francesca bent over
 her gently1 entreated her to bear her  
sufferings patiently1 assured her they  
would soon subside4 ,then ,mobilia burst
 into an agony of tears1 and exclaimed  
before all the bystanders1 ,they will   
subside1 my dear mother1 if you ask it  
of ,god2 but ,i have deserved more1 much
 more1 by my horrible behaviour to you4 
,forgive me1 dear mother2 pray for me4  
,i acknowledge my fault4 ,henceforward1 
if ,god spares my life1 your daughter   
will be to you the most loving1 the most
 obedient of handmaids4 ,take me in your
 arms1 mother1 and bless your child4    
,francesca pressed to her bosom the     
beautiful young creature in whom such a 
change had been suddenly wrought1 and   

while she fervently blessed her1        
,mobilia felt that all her pains had    
left her4  ,from that day forward the   
whole tone of her mind was altered2 her 
conversion was complete4 ,francesca     
became to her an object of the most     
affectionate veneration2 she consulted  
her about all her actions1 and          
communicated to her her most secret     
thoughts4 ,utterly despising the        
vanities of the world which had led her 
astray1 she adopted her views and       
opinions1 and set entirely at naught the
 seductions of worldly grandeur4 ,the   
sanctity of ,francesca was now so       
evident to her that she began to watch  
her actions1 her words1 every detail of 
her life1 with a mixture of awe and of  
interest2 and kept a record in writing  
of all that she observed1 and of the    
miraculous occurrences which were so    
often taking place through her          
instrumentality1 as well as in her own  
person4 ,the forementioned particulars  
she attested upon oath after the        

,saint's death1 when the depositions    
were taken which served at a later      
period for the process of her           
canonisation4 ,the most intimate        
friendship established itself between   
,baptista's wife and his mother2 nothing
 could exceed the devoted and           
affectionate reverence of the one1 or   
the tenderness with which it was repaid 
by the other4 ,francesca1 with the most 
watchful love1 attended to ,mobilia's   
slightest wants or wishes3 nursed her   
assiduously in her confinements1 and    
bestowed upon her grandchildren the same
 cares that she had lavished on her own 
children4 ,it was a great relief to her 
that ,mobilia1 who was now only occupied
 with her duties1 assumed at her request
 the management of the house1 and the   
regulation of all domestic affairs4 ,she
 was thus enabled to devote herself more
 unreservedly to the service of the poor
 and of the hospitals4 ,the hospital    
which she visited most constantly was   
that which her father-in-law had founded

 near the ,chiesa del ,salvatore1 called
 at a later period ,santa ,maria in     
,cappella4 ,the miracles wrought by the 
laying on of her hands became more      
numerous than ever1 and her fame        
increased in proportion4 ,the degree in 
which her assistance was sought1 her    
prayers implored1 and the reputation of 
her sanctity extended1 was painful to   
her humility2 but her supernatural gifts
 were too evident to be concealed from  
others or from herself1 and there only  
remained to her to humble herself more  
deeply at the feet of the ,god who thus 
showed forth ,his power in one whom she 
deemed the most worthless of ,his       
creatures4  ,a great work was preparing 
for her hand to do2 the first stone of a
 spiritual building was to be laid2 she 
was growing ripe for the work2 and ,god 
was drawing men's eyes upon her with    
wonder and with awe1 that when that day 
came they might listen to her voice4    
,the warnings which she gave to persons 
threatened by secret dangers were       

innumerable2 her insight into the       
condition of their souls marvellous4    
,one day she sends word to her confessor
 that he will be sent for on the        
following night to attend a sick person1
 but that he must on no account leave   
his house2 and it turns out that        
assassins were lying in wait for him in 
the street1 and that the pretended sick 
man was a lure to draw him out4 ,another
 time a youth of sixteen1 ,jacopo       
,vincenzo1 is lying dangerously ill in  
the ,piazza ,campitelli4 ,his mother    
hastens to the ,saint1 who smiles when  
she enters the room1 and bids her go in 
peace1 for her son has recovered2 and on
 her return she finds him in perfect    
health4 ,she sees a priest at the altar1
 and he appears to her sight as if      
covered with a frightful leprosy4 ,by   
her confessor's order she relates her   
vision to the object of it2 and1        
confounded and amazed1 the unhappy man  
acknowledges that he was celebrating in 
a state of mortal sin4 ,he repents1     

confesses1 and amends his life4 ,two men
 pay a visit together to the ,ponziano  
,palace2 one is the nephew of ,vannozza1
 a pious and exemplary priest2 the other
 a young man of twenty1 whom he has     
adopted4 ,anger is working in the bosom 
of the youth2 he has suffered from his  
benefactor some imaginary wrong1 and he 
is planning his revenge1 and is about to
 utter a calumny which will affect his  
character4 ,francesca takes him aside3  
what can she know of what is passing in 
his soul3 how read what has not been    
revealed to any human creature8 ,she    
tells him what he designs1 and awakens  
him to a sense of his ingratitude1 he no
 sooner has left the house than1 falling
 at the feet of his companion1 he       
confesses to him his crime1 and implores
 his forgiveness4 ,cecca ,clarelli1 a   
relation of the ,ponziani1 is delivered 
of a little girl in such apparent good  
health that no one thinks of baptising  
her2 a grand ceremony for the purpose is
 preparing in a neighbouring church1 to 

take place the following day2 but in the
 middle of the night ,francesca arrives1
 and entreats that the child may be     
instantly baptised4 ,the parents and the
 priest object1 but the ,saint is       
urgent2 she will take no denial2 with   
reluctance her request is complied with1
 and no sooner has the sacrament been   
conferred than the infant expires4 ,a   
child of the same parents1 a lovely     
little girl1 is dumb2 she is four years 
old1 and not a single word has she ever 
pronounced4 ,andreozzo1 her father1     
entreats his wife to carry her to the   
,saint1 and implore her assistance4     
,francesca's humility cannot endure this
 direct appeal1 and she tries to put    
them off2 but1 deeply affected by their 
tears1 she at last touches with her     
finger the tongue of the little         
,camilla1 and says1 ,hope every thing   
from the mercy of ,god2 it is as        
boundless as ,his power4 ,the parents   
depart full of faith and comfort2 and   
ere they reach their house1 the child   

has uttered with perfect distinctness   
the blessed names of ,jesus and ,mary2  
and from that day forward acquires and  
retains the power of speech4  ,no wonder
 that the name of ,francesca grows every
 day more famous1 and that she is every 
day more dear to the people amongst whom
 she dwells2 that hearts are subdued1   
sinners reclaimed1 mourners consoled by 
the sight of her blessed face1 by the   
sweet sound of her voice4 ,many rise    
about her and call her blessed2 but     
children1 and more especially her own   
spiritual children1 are soon to call her
 mother4 ,a new epoch is now at hand in 
her career4 ,god had placed in her heart
 many years ago a hope which she had    
nursed in secret1 and watered with her  
tears1 and fostered by her prayers4     
,never impatient1 never beforehand with 
,god's providence1 she waited3 ,his time
 was she knew to be her time2 ,his will 
was the passion of her heart1 her end1  
her rule1 and ,god had made her will    
,his1 and brought about by slow degrees 

its accomplishment4 ,permission to      
labour first1--the result far distant1  
but clear1 the vision of that result1   
when once ,he had said to her1 ,begin   
and work4 ,to tarry patiently for that  
signal1 to obey it unhesitatingly when  
once given1 is the rule of the saints4  
,how marvellous is their instinct6 how  
accordant their practice6 ,first1 the   
hidden life1 the common life2 the       
silence of the house of ,nazareth2 the  
carpenter's shop2 the marriage-feast1 it
 may be1 for some2 and at last1 the hour
 is come1 and the true work for which   
they are sent into the world has to be  
done1 in the desert or in the cloister1 
in the temple or in the market-place1 on
 ,mount ,thabor or on ,mount ,calvary2  
and the martyr or the confessor1 the    
founder or the reformer of a religious  
order1 comes forth1 and in an instant1  
or in a few years1 performs a work at   
which earth wonders and angels rejoice4 
,,chapter ,x4  ,,francesca ,,lays ,,the 
,,foundation ,,of ,,her ,,future        

,,congregation--,,her ,,pilgrimage ,,to 
,,assisi4  ,,lorenzo ,,ponziano',s      
admiration and affection for his wife   
had gone on increasing with advancing   
years2 the perfection of her life1 and  
the miracles he had so often seen her   
perform1 inspired him with an unbounded 
reverence4 ,his continual prayer1 the   
ardent desire of his heart1 was to have 
her by his side as his guide and his    
guardian angel during the remainder of  
his life and at the hour of his death4  
,perhaps it was to win1 as it were1 from
 ,providence the favour he so earnestly 
implored1 that he resolved in no way to 
be a clog on her actions1 or an obstacle
 in the way of ,god's designs upon her4 
,taking her aside one day1 he spoke to  
her with the greatest affection1 and    
offered to release her from all the     
obligations imposed by the state of     
marriage1 to allow her the fullest      
liberty of action and the most absolute 
control over her own person1 her own    
time1 and her own conduct1 on one only  

condition1--that she would promise never
 to cease to inhabit his house1 and to  
guide him in the way in which her       
example had hitherto led him4           
,francesca1 profoundly touched by his   
kindness1 did not hesitate to give this 
promise4 ,she accepted his proposal     
joyfully and gratefully1 in so much as  
it conduced to the accomplishment of    
,god's will and of ,his ulterior designs
 upon her2 but she continued to devote  
herself to her excellent husband1 and   
with the most attentive solicitude to   
render him every service in her power4  
,he was now in very declining health1   
and she rendered him by day and by night
 all the cares of the tenderest nurse4  
,the religious life1 the natural        
complement of such a course as hers had 
been1 often formed the subject of her   
meditations2 and ,god1 who destined her 
to be the foundress of a new            
congregation of pious women1 suggested  
to her at this time the first steps     
towards its accomplishment4  ,it will be

 remembered that from her childhood     
upward she had been used to frequent the
 church of ,santa ,maria ,nuova1 on the 
,foro ,romano2 her mother had done so   
before her1 and had intrusted her to the
 spiritual direction of one of the most 
eminent members of the order by whom    
that church was served4 ,santa ,maria   
,nuova is one of the oldest churches in 
,rome4 ,it had been destroyed and       
rebuilt in the eighth century2 and in   
#aceb had been given up to the ,olivetan
 monks of ,st4 ,benedict4 ,as the       
congregation which ,francesca instituted
 was originally formed on the model1 and
 aggregated to that of the religions of 
,mount ,olivet1 it will not be          
irrelevant to give some account of their
 origin and the life of their           
illustrious founder4  ,bernard ,ptolomei
 or ,tolomei1 who was supposed to be    
descended from the ,ptolemies of ,egypt1
 was born in #abgb4 ,distinguished by   
his precocious abilities1 he became1 at 
the early age of twenty-two1            

chief-magistrate 7gonfaloniere7 of his  
native town1 ,sienna2 and at twenty-five
 attained to the dignity of doge4 ,soon 
after he was suddenly struck with       
blindness1 and the material darkness in 
which he found himself involved opened  
his mental sight to the light of        
religious truth4 ,he turned with his    
whole heart to ,god1 and irrevocably    
devoted himself to ,his service and to a
 life of austerity and meditation4 ,the 
,blessed ,virgin miraculously restored  
his sight1 and his purpose stood firm4  
,dividing his fortune into two equal    
parts1 he bestowed one half on the poor1
 and the other to the foundation of     
pious institutions4 ,with a few         
companions he retired into the          
mountainous deserts of ,accona1 about   
fifteen miles from ,sienna1 where they  
gave themselves up to a life of         
asceticism and prayer1 which attracted  
to their solitude many devout souls from
 various parts of the world4 ,satan1 as 
usual1 set his batteries in array       

against the new anchorites1 and trials  
of various sorts assailed them in turn4 
,they were even denounced to ,pope ,john
 ,,xxii4 as persons tainted with heresy2
 but ,tolomei1 with ,piccolomini1 one of
 his companions1 made their way to      
,avignon1 and there1 in the presence of 
the sovereign ,pontiff1 completely      
cleared themselves from the calumnious  
imputation4 ,their order was approved1  
and they returned to ,accona1 where they
 took the name of ,congregation of ,mary
 of ,mount ,olivet of the ,benedictine  
,order4 ,this was by the express desire 
of the ,blessed ,virgin1 who had        
appeared to the saint1 and enjoined him 
to adopt the rule of ,st4 ,benedict1    
promising at the same time her          
protection to the new order4 ,on the    
#bfth of ,march1 #acai1 the new         
religious received their habits2 and    
,mount ,accona took the name of ,mount  
,olivet1 in honour of the agony of our  
,lord4 ,terrible were the conflicts of  
the holy founder with the ,evil ,one2   

but out of them all he came victorious4 
,his expositions of ,scripture were     
wonderful1 and derived1 it was said1    
from his mystical colloquies with the   
archangel ,st4 ,michael4 ,the austerity 
of his life was extreme2 his penances   
severe and continual4 ,in #acdh ,st4    
,benedict appeared to him and announced 
the approach of the pestilence which was
 soon to visit ,italy1 and warned him of
 his own death1 which speedily followed4
 ,many of his disciples had visions of  
the glorious translation of his soul to 
heaven2 and numerous miracles wrought at
 his tomb bore witness to his sanctity4 
,his monks inhabited the church and the 
cloisters of ,santa ,maria in ,dominica1
 or1 as it is more commonly called1 in  
,navicella1 from the rudely-sculptured  
marble monument that stands on the grass
 before its portal1 a remnant of bygone 
days1 to which neither history nor      
tradition has given a name1 but which   
has itself given one to the picturesque 
old church that stands on the brow of   

the ,coelian ,hill4 ,as their numbers   
afterwards increased1 they were put to  
great inconvenience by the narrow limits
 of their abode2 and ,cardinal          
,beltorte1 titular of ,santa ,maria     
,nuova1 obtained for them from ,pope    
,clement ,,vi4 possession of the church 
of that name4 ,they accepted the gift   
with joy2 for not only did it owe its   
origin to the first ages of             
,christianity1 but it contained many    
valuable relics2 and amongst other      
treasures one of those pictures of the  
,blessed ,virgin which tradition has    
ascribed to ,st4 ,luke the ,evangelist2 
to this day it is venerated in that     
spot2 and those who kneel at the tomb of
 ,st4 ,francesca ,romana1 on raising    
their eyes to the altar above it behold 
the sacred image which has been         
venerated for so many generations4      
,through prosperity and adversity       
,francesca had never ceased to frequent 
that church4 ,at its confessional and at
 its altars she had been a constant     

attendant4 ,other women1 her friends and
 imitators1 had followed her example2   
bound by a tender friendship1 bent on   
the same objects1 united by the same    
love of ,jesus and of ,mary1 often and  
often they had been there together1     
those noble women who had resolved to   
glory in nothing but the ,cross1 to have
 no rank but that of handmaids in the   
house of the ,lord4 ,francesca was their
 model1 their teacher1 their cherished  
guide3 they clung to her with the       
tenderest affection2 they were1         
according to an ,eastern poet's         
expression1  ,footnote3,they a row of   
pearls1 and ,i   ,the silken cord on    
which they lie4  a row of goodly pearls1
 and she the silken cord which bound    
them together4 ,they were coming out of 
the church one evening1 when ,francesca 
gave them the first intimation of her   
hopes of their future destiny4 ,they    
were not shown the distant scene1 only  
the first step they were to take4       
,footnote3,lead thou me on2 ,i do not   

ask to see ,the distant scene3 one step 
enough for me4 ,newman's ,verses on     
,religious ,subjects  ,it was one of    
those small beginnings so trifling in   
men's sight1 so important in their      
results1--the grain of mustard-seed     
hereafter to grow into a tree4          
,francesca spoke to them1 as they walked
 along1 of the order of ,st4 ,benedict1 
of the sanctity of its founder1 of the  
virtues1 the piety1 the good works of   
its members1 and submitted to them that 
by taking the name of ,oblates of ,mount
 ,olivet1 and observing conjointly      
certain rules1 such as might befit      
persons living in the world1 they might 
participate in their merits1 and enjoy  
their privileges4 ,her companions hailed
 this proposal with joy1 and begged her 
to use all her efforts to carry it into 
effect4 ,don ,antonio1 to whom          
,francesca communicated their pious     
wishes1 lent a favourable ear to the    
request1 and in his turn brought it     
under the notice of the ,vice-,prior    

,don ,ippolito1 who1 in the absence of  
the superior1 was charged with the      
government of the monastery4 ,he was the
 same who at one time formed the project
 of leaving the order1 and was deterred 
from so doing by ,francesca's advice4   
,he readily received their overtures1   
and obtained for her and for her        
companions from the ,general of the     
,order permission to assume the name of 
,oblates of ,mary1 a particular         
aggregation to the monastery of ,santa  
,maria ,nuova1 and a share in the       
suffrages and merits of the order of    
,st4 ,benedict4  ,greatly rejoiced at   
the happy result of their application1  
they gave themselves to fasting1 prayer1
 and penance1 in preparation for their  
special consecration to the ,blessed    
,virgin4 ,it took place on the ,feast of
 the ,assumption of the year #adbe4  ,at
 break of day1 in the church of ,santa  
,maria ,nuova1 ,francesca1 ,vannozza1   
,rita de ,celli1 ,agnese ,selli1 and six
 more noble ,roman ladies1 confessed1   

received the pious instructions of ,don 
,antonio1 and communicated at a ,mass   
which ,don ,ippolito said before the    
miraculous image of the ,blessed        
,virgin4 ,immediately after the holy    
sacrifice1 they dedicated themselves to 
her service1 according to the formula   
used by the ,olivetan monks2 only that  
the phrase me offero was substituted for
 profiteor2 and that instead of taking  
solemn vows1 they were simply affiliated
 to the ,benedictine ,order of ,mount   
,olivet4 ,such was the first beginning  
of the congregation of which ,francesca 
was the mother and foundress4 ,in these 
early times1 ,don ,antonio1 their       
director1 did not assign them any       
special occupation1 and only urged them 
to the most scrupulous obedience to the 
commandments of ,god and of the ,church1
 to a tender devotion to the ,mother of 
,god1 a diligent participation in the   
,sacraments1 and the exercise of all the
 ,christian virtues1 and the various    
works of mercy4 ,the link between them  

consisted in their constant attendance  
at the church of ,santa ,maria ,nuova1  
where they received communion on all the
 ,feasts of our ,lady1 and in a tender  
veneration for ,francesca1 whom they    
looked upon as their spiritual mother4  
,they had incessant recourse to her     
advice2 and her simplest words were as a
 law to them1 her conduct their example4
 ,she assumed no power1 and disclaimed  
all authority2 but the sovereign empire 
of love was forced into her reluctant   
hands4 ,they insisted on being governed 
by one they held in such affection1 and 
gave up every pleasure for the sake of  
being with her1 and sharing in her      
pursuits4  ,it was in the summer of the 
following year that ,francesca decided  
on performing a pilgrimage to ,santa    
,maria1 or1 as it is more commonly      
called ,la ,madonna degli ,angeli1 in   
honour of our ,lady and of the seraphic 
,saint of ,assisi4 ,vannozza and ,rita  
eagerly agreed to accompany her2 and    
they resolved to set on on the #b;d of  

,august1 in order to arrive in time for 
the celebrated indulgence del ,perdono4 
,it was in poverty1 not only of spirit  
but of actual reality that they wished1 
to perform their journey to the tomb of 
the great apostle of poverty1--to go on 
foot1 and unprovided with money1        
provisions1 or comforts of any sort4    
,lorenzo and ,parazza1 who had readily  
consented to the proposed pilgrimage1   
demurred for a while at this mode of    
carrying it out2 but ,francesca prayed  
in her oratory that ,god would incline  
their hearts to consent to it2 and soon1
 with a reluctant smile1 they consented 
to all she proposed1 and both only      
ejaculated1 ,go on your way in peace2 do
 as you list1 and only pray for us4 ,out
 of the gates of ,rome they went1       
through that country so well known to   
those who have often visited the        
,eternal ,city2 up the hill from whence 
the first sight of its domes and its    
towers1 of its tombs and of its pines1  
is hailed with rapture1 from whence a   

long last lingering look of love is cast
 upon what the heart whispers is its own
 ,catholic home4 ,it was the first1 and 
as it would seem the only occasion 7at  
least none other is mentioned in her    
life7 in which ,francesca left its      
walls1 and trod other ground than that  
which the steps of so many martyrs have 
hallowed1 the blood of so many saints   
has consecrated4 ,the valleys of ,veii  
on the one hand1 the heights of ,baccano
 on the other1 the beautiful and stately
 mountain of ,soracte1 met their eyes as
 they do ours3 would that we looked upon
 them with the same earth-abstracted    
gaze as theirs6 ,the ,gothic towers of  
,civita ,castellana looked down upon the
 humble pilgrims as they passed by in   
pious meditation4 ,the sound of their   
sweet voices1 reciting prayers or       
chanting hymns1 mingled with the murmurs
 of the stream that bathes the old walls
 of ,nurni2 and then through the wild   
defile of ,monte ,somma into the lovely 
,umbrian ,vale they went1 through that  

enchanting land where every tree and    
rock wears the form that ,claude        
,lorraine or ,salvator ,rosa have made  
familiar to the eye and dear to the     
poetic mind2 where the vines hang in    
graceful garlands1 and the fireflies at 
night dance from bough to bough2 where  
the brooks and the rivers are of the    
colour of the sapphire or the emerald1  
and the purple mountains smile rather   
than frown on the sunny landscape2 where
 the towns and the convents1 the        
churches and the cottages1 are set like 
white gems in the deep verdure that     
surrounds them4 ,there is no land more  
fair1 no sky more tenderly blue1 no     
breeze more balmy1 than the land where  
,spoleto and ,toligno and ,assisi rise  
in their picturesque beauty1 than the   
sky which spreads its azure roof over   
the ,umbrian traveller's head1 than the 
airs which are wafted from the heights  
of ,monte ,falco1 or the hill of        
,perugia4 ,beautiful is that country6   
fair these works of ,god6--but more     

beautiful still is the invisible world  
which ,francesca and her companions     
contemplated1 the while1 with weary     
patient feet1 in the sultry ,august     
weather1 they trod the lengthening road 
from one humble resting-place to        
another4 ,fairer the inward perfection  
of a soul which ,god has renewed1 than  
all the gorgeous but evanescent         
loveliness of earth's most lovely       
scenes4  ,at length their pilgrimage is 
drawing to a close2 the towers of the   
,madonna degli ,angeli are conspicuous  
in the distance2 half unconsciously they
 hasten in approaching it2 but the heat 
is intense1 and their lips parched with 
thirst2 they can hardly speak1 for their
 tongues cleave to the roof of their    
mouths1 when a stranger meets them1 one 
of striking and venerable appearance1   
and clothed in the religious habit of   
,st4 ,francis4 ,he hails the travellers1
 and straightway speaks of ,mary and of 
,jesus1 of the mystery of the ,passion1 
of the wonders of ,divine love4 ,never  

have such words of fire met the ears of 
the astonished pilgrims4 ,their hearts  
burn within them1 and they are ready to 
exclaim1 ,never did man speak like to   
this man4 ,francesca sees her angel     
assume his brightest aspect4 ,hays of   
light seem to dart from his form1 and to
 envelope in a dazzling halo the monk   
who is addressing them4 ,she knows him  
now2 and makes a sign to her companions4
 ,it is ,st4 ,francis himself4 ,it is   
the seraphic saint of ,assisi4 ,he      
blesses the little troop1 and touching a
 wild pear-tree by the road-side1 he    
brings down to the ground a fruit of    
such prodigious size1 that it serves to 
allay the thirst and restore the        
strength of the exhausted travellers4   
,that day they reached the shrine where 
they had so longed to kneel2 that little
 hut1 once the abode of the saint1 which
 stands in its rough simplicity within  
the gorgeous church2 where the rich and 
great of the world come daily to do     
homage to the apostle of poverty1 the   

close imitator of ,him who had not often
 where to lay ,his head4 ,there they    
received communion the next morning2    
there they prayed for their absent      
friends2 there ,francesca had a vision1 
in which she was encouraged to persevere
 in her labours1 to accomplish her pious
 design1 and the protection of ,jesus   
and ,his ,mother was promised to her4   
,let us follow them in thought up the   
steep hill to ,assisi--to the church    
where the relics of the saint1 where his
 mortal remains are laid4 ,let us       
descend into the subterranean chapel1   
pause at every altar1 and muse on the   
records of that astonishing life1 the   
most marvellous perhaps of any which it 
has ever been permitted to mortal man to
 live4 ,let us go with them to the home 
of his youth1 where his confessorship   
began in childish sufferings for the    
sake of ,christ4 ,let us venerate with  
them the relics of ,st4 ,clare1 the     
gentle sister spirit whose memory and   
whose order are linked with his2 and for

 a moment think what prayers1 what vows1
 what acts of faith1 of hope1 of        
charity1 must have risen like incense   
from those devoted hearts in such       
scenes1 amidst such recollections4      
,doubtless they bore away with them a   
host of sweet and pious thoughts4 ,their
 faces must have shone with heaven's own
 light as they retraced their steps to  
the home where loving hearts were       
awaiting them4 ,few such pilgrimages can
 have ever been performed1 ,francesca at
 the tomb of ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi   
must have been a blessed sight even for 
an angel's eyes4        ,,chapter ,,xi4 
,,death ,,of ,,francesca',s ,,friend    
,,and ,,director1 ,,don                 
,,antonio--,,troubles ,,in ,,rome ,,and 
,,italy ,,foretold ,,by                 
,,francesca--,,death ,,of ,,vannozza1   
,,francesca',s ,,sister ,,in            
,,law--,,foundation ,,of ,,the          
,,congregation ,,of ,,oblates ,,of ,,tor
 ,,di ,,specchi4  ,,the extraordinary   
graces which had attended our ,saint    

during her pilgrimage were the prelude  
of a trial which was awaiting her in    
,rome4 ,her earliest friend1 her        
long-trusted guide1 ,don ,antonio       
,savello1 had died during her absence4  
,though she accepted this dispensation  
of ,god's providence with her habitual  
resignation1 it cut her to the heart4   
,she had deeply loved and reverenced her
 spiritual father2 he had instructed her
 in childhood2 directed her ever since  
with wisdom and faithfulness2 and his   
loss was in one sense greater to her    
than that of any other friend4 ,it      
occurred1 too1 at the very moment when  
she was about to carry out the ,divine  
intimation with regard to the foundation
 of a new ,congregation1 when           
difficulties were every where staring   
her in the face1 and the want of a      
powerful and willing auxiliary more than
 ever needful4 ,she did not1 however1   
lose courage1 but prayed fervently that 
,god would inspire her choice of a      
director2 and much time she spent on her

 knees imploring this favour4 ,no doubt 
the selection she made was the result of
 these prayers2 and one of the proofs   
that ,god's ways are not as our ways1   
nor ,his thoughts as our thoughts4 ,her 
choice fell on ,don ,giovanni           
,mattiotti1 the curate of ,santa ,maria 
in ,trastevere1 to whom she had already 
sometimes been to confession4 ,he was a 
man of irreproachable character and     
distinguished piety1 but of an          
irresolute and vaccillating disposition1
 easily disheartened2 nor would he at   
first sight have appeared qualified for 
the direction of a person as far        
advanced in perfection as ,francesca1 on
 whom ,god had such great designs1 and  
with whom ,he chose to deal in such     
wonderful ways4 ,but the trials which   
,francesca had to endure from the       
irresolution of ,don ,giovanni2 the     
patience with which she submitted to his
 varying commands2 and the supernatural 
means through which he was taught to    
recognise her sanctity1 and to assist in

 carrying out her designs1 tended in the
 end to the glory of ,god1 and the      
praise of the ,saint1 whose very        
humility was a trial to her1 in those   
days of small beginnings1 and often of  
painful doubts4 ,crosses of various     
kinds arose in connection with the      
undertaking4 ,some of the monks of      
,santa ,maria ,nuova1 for instance1 took
 occasion1 on the visits of a father    
inspector1 to complain of ,don          
,ippolito1 and to accuse him of         
transgressing the statutes1 and going   
beyond his powers1 in admitting a       
congregation of women to the name and   
the privileges of their order2          
especially considering that several of  
these women were married1 and living in 
the world4 ,but the visitor was a man of
 piety and prudence4 ,he closely        
examined into the question1 and         
satisfied himself that the institution  
tended to edification1 and was pleasing 
to ,god2 and he sanctioned it           
accordingly1 as far as was in his power1

 and promised to advocate its cause with
 the father-general4  ,in the month of  
,july of #adcj ,francesca had a         
remarkable vision1 which indicated to   
her the events that were speedily to    
follow1 and which she prophesied with an
 accuracy1 that1 in the end1 occasioned 
general astonishment4 ,one night1 after 
spending several hours in prayer1 she   
saw a lurid light1 through which a      
number of ,satan's ministers were       
hurrying to and fro1 shaking their      
torches1 and rejoicing with dreadful    
glee over the impending calamities of   
,rome4 ,the ,saint fell on her knees1   
and besought the ,lord to spare her     
unhappy country4 ,then falling into     
ecstasy1 she beheld the ,infant ,jesus  
in ,his ,mother's arms surrounded with  
angels1 and ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,paul1 and
 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist in the attitude
 of prayer1 pleading for mercy to the   
,eternal ,city1 which they seemed to    
protect by their fervent supplications4 
,at the same time she heard a voice that

 said1 ,the prayers of the saints have  
stayed the arm of the ,lord2 but woe to 
the guilty city if she repent not1 for  
great afflictions are at hand4 ,some    
days afterwards the lightning fell      
simultaneously on the churches of ,st4  
,peter1 ,st4 ,paul1 and on the shrine of
 ,st4 ,john ,baptist in the ,lateran    
,basilica4 ,francesca shuddered when she
 heard of it2 she felt at once that the 
day of grace had gone by2 and in        
thrilling words described to her        
confessor1 and to several other persons 
that were present1 the misfortunes that 
were about to fall upon ,rome4  ,the    
fulfilment of her predictions was not   
long delayed1 though nothing at the time
 seemed to give them weight4 ,the       
unwearied exertions of ,martin ,v4 had  
succeeded in healing the wounds of      
,christendom4 ,in ,rome he had repressed
 anarchy1 recalled the exiled citizens  
to their homes1 rebuilt the churches1   
given a new impulse to the government1  
to the administration of justice1 to    

politics1 to literature1 to science1 and
 to art4 ,he had worked hard to promote 
a reformation in the manners of the     
clergy1 and effected in many places the 
re-establishment of the discipline of   
the ,church4 ,the legates whom he sent  
to all the courts of ,europe had        
restored some degree of union between   
the ,christian princes1 and preached a  
crusade against the ,turks and the      
followers of ,john ,huss4 ,he had called
 together a council1 which was first    
convened at ,pavia1 and afterwards      
removed1 first to ,sienna1 and then to  
,basle4 ,but before he could him self   
join the assembly1 death overtook him4  
,worn out with his indefatigable labours
 for the welfare of ,christendom1 he    
went to receive his reward at an        
unadvanced age1 in the month of         
,february of the year #adca4  ,gabriel  
,candalucero succeeded him under the    
name of ,eugenius ,,iv4 ,the first      
,consistory which he held was marked by 
a fearful accident1 which people chose  

to consider as an evil omen4 ,the floor 
of the hall gave way1 and in the midst  
of the confusion that ensued a bishop   
was killed1 and many persons grievously 
wounded4 ,a discontented monk put about 
the report that ,martin ,v4 had died in 
possession of a considerable treasure2  
and the ,colonnas1 catching eagerly at  
this pretext1 took up arms to make good 
their claims to this supposed heritage4 
,once more the adverse factions rose    
against each other1 and blood flowed in 
the streets of ,rome4 ,the ,colonnas    
were constrained to fly2 and the monk1  
convicted of having conspired to deliver
 up the ,castle of ,st4 ,angelo to the  
rebels1 and to get the ,pope            
assassinated1 was condemned to death and
 executed4 ,a temporary reconciliation  
was effected between ,eugenius ,,iv4 and
 the too powerful family of the         
,colonnas2 but their haughty and violent
 temper soon brought about a rupture4   
,they advanced upon ,rome at the head of
 their troops2 a bloody engagement took 

place under the walls of the city1 in   
which the pontifical troops had the     
upper hand1 but many of the nobles      
perished in the affray4  ,conflicts of a
 still more harrowing nature now arose  
between the ,pope and the ,council of   
,basle4 ,duke ,philip of ,milan availed 
himself of this opportunity to retrieve 
the sacrifices he had made in a treaty  
which the ,pope had led him to sign with
 the ,venetians4 ,he forged a decree    
which1 purported to proceed from the    
fathers of the council1 appointing him  
lieutenant-general of the ,church in    
,italy2 and armed with this assumed     
title1 he despatched to the ,roman      
,states ,francesca ,sforza and ,nicholas
 ,fortebraccio1 two famous adventurers  
in his pay4 ,the latter advanced upon   
,rome1 and began to devastate its       
neighbourhood4 ,the ,pope1 wholly       
unprepared for defence1 warded off the  
danger by sowing dissension between the 
two generals1 which he effected by      
giving up to ,sforza1 for his lifetime1 

the possession of ,ancona1 and of the   
provinces which he had conquered in the 
states of the ,church4 ,sforza1 in      
consequence1 took part with ,eugenius1  
and defeated ,fortebraccio at ,tivoli2  
but in the meantime a general           
insurrection broke out in ,rome itself4 
,the ,ghibelline party attacked the     
,pope1 laid siege to the church of the  
,holy ,apostles1 where he had taken     
shelter1 and from whence he escaped with
 difficulty disguised as a monk1        
embarked on the ,tiber1 and found a     
refuge first at ,pisa and then at       
,bologna4 ,rome was given up for five   
months to all the horrors of anarchy1   
the pontifical palace pillaged1 and new 
magistrates chosen in lieu of those     
appointed by the ,pope2 the garrison of 
the castle of ,st4 ,angelo alone        
remaining firm in its allegiance to the 
sovereign ,pontiff4 ,weary at last of so
 much disorder1 the city of its own     
accord submitted itself to lawful       
authority4 ,eugenius sent a legate1 who 

in some measure succeeded in            
re-establishing peace2 but he himself   
remained in the north of ,italy1 engaged
 in convoking a council1 wherewith to   
oppose the irregular decrees of that    
assembled at ,basle4  ,these events1    
which spread over several years1 are    
related in confirmation of the          
prophetical gifts of ,francesca1 who    
accurately foresaw and foretold them    
when nothing presaged their occurrence4 
,at the time when this storm was about  
to burst over ,italy1 and the beginning 
of sorrow was at hand1 she was doomed to
 experience another of the heavy        
afflictions that life had yet in store  
for her4 ,vannozza1 her cherished       
companion1 her sister1 her counsellor1  
her bosom friend1 was summoned to       
receive her heavenly crown2 and she     
herself to add to all her virtues a more
 perfect detachment from all earthly    
ties4 ,they had been united by every    
link that affection1 sympathy1 and      
similarity of feeling1 tastes1 and      

opinions can create between two hearts  
devoted to ,god1 and through ,him to    
each other4 ,their union had not been   
obscured by the smallest cloud4         
,together they had prayed1 suffered1 and
 laboured2 and in trials and joys alike 
they had been inseparable4 ,francesca   
had been warned in a vision of the      
approaching end of her sister-in-law2   
and at length1 strong in faith1 she     
stands by her dying-bed2 and when the   
,evil ,one1 baffled in life1 makes a    
final effort to disturb the departing   
soul1 she prays for the beloved of her  
heart1 sprinkles holy water on that     
much-loved form1 reads aloud the history
 of the ,passion of our ,lord2 and      
,vannozza1 supported by those           
sacramental graces which ,satan cannot  
withstand1 followed almost beyond the   
verge of life by that watchful          
tenderness which had been her joy on    
earth1 sees the evil spirit retire      
before the might of ,francesca's angel1 
and breathes her last in perfect peace4 

,the soul which had served and loved    
,god so fervently upon earth was carried
 up to heaven in a form visible to the  
eyes of her friend2 a pure flame1       
enveloped in a light transparent cloud1 
was the symbol of that gentle spirit's  
flight into its kindred skies4  ,the    
mortal remains of ,vannozza were laid in
 the church of the ,ara ,coeli1 in the  
chapel of ,santa ,croce4 ,the ,roman    
people resorted there in crowds to      
behold once more their loved            
benefactress1--the mother of the poor1  
the consoler of the afflicted4 ,all     
strove to carry away some little        
memorial of one who had gone about among
 them doing good2 and during the three  
days which preceded the interment1 the  
concourse did not abate4 ,on the day of 
the funeral1 ,francesca knelt on one    
side of the coffin1 and1 in sight of all
 the crowd1 she was rapt in ecstasy4    
,they saw her body lifted from the      
ground1 and a seraphic expression in her
 uplifted face4 ,they heard her murmur  

several times with an indescribable     
emphasis the word1 ,when8 when8         
7,quando8 quando87 ,when all was over1  
she still remained immovable2 it seemed 
as if her soul had risen on the wings of
 prayer1 and followed ,vannozza's spirit
 into the realms of bliss4 ,at last her 
confessor ordered her to rise1 and to go
 and attend on the sick4 ,she instantly 
complied1 and walked away to the        
hospital which she had founded1         
apparently unconscious of every thing   
about her1 and only roused from her     
trance by the habit of obedience which1 
in or out of ecstasy1 never forsook her4
  ,from that day her visions grew more  
frequent and more astonishing4 ,she     
seemed to live in heaven2 and during    
those hours of mystical intercourse with
 saints and angels1 and with the ,lord  
of angels and of saints1 to obtain      
supernatural lights which guided her in 
the foundation of her new congregation4 
,the ,blessed ,virgin revealed to her   
that ,st4 ,paul1 ,st4 ,benedict1 and    

,st4 ,mary ,magdalene were to be its    
protectors2 and that ,don ,giovanni     
,mattiotti1 her director1 ,fra          
,bartolommeo ,biondii1 of the order of  
,st4 ,francis1 and ,don ,ippolito1 of   
the ,olivetan ,obedience1 were to       
co-operate with her in its              
establishment4 ,to ,don ,giovanni a     
particular message was sent to confirm  
him in the intention of forwarding the  
work1 and to warn him against           
discouragement from the many            
difficulties it would meet with4        
,wonderful were the sights which it was 
given her to see in those long          
ecstasies1 during which her soul seemed 
to absent itself from her all-but       
spiritualised body4 ,sometimes a        
speechless contemplation held all her   
faculties in abeyance2 at others1 in    
burning words1 she described what passed
 before her mental sight4 ,at times her 
motionless attitude almost wore the     
semblance of death2 while often she     
moved about and performed various       

actions in connection with the subjects 
of her visions4 ,in the churches which  
she frequented1--in ,santa ,croce in    
,gerusalemme1 in ,santa ,maria in       
,trastevere1 in the ,chapel of the      
,angels in ,santa ,cecilia1 in her own  
oratory1--she is favoured with the      
presence of celestial visitants4 ,the   
various ecclesiastical feasts of the    
year bring with them analogous          
revelations2 she spends her time in the 
cave of ,bethlehem and the house of     
,nazareth1 on the mountains1 where      
,jesus was wont to pray1 where ,he was  
transfigured1 where ,he agonised1 and   
where ,he died4 ,she adores with the    
shepherds and the wise men2 she listens 
to ,his voice with the disciples and the
 devout multitude2 she suffers with the 
,mother of sorrows1 and weeps with the  
,magdalene at the foot of the ,cross4   
,the beauties of the ,new ,jerusalem1   
the lovely pastures1 the fresh waters1  
the bright flowers1 the precious stones1
 which typify the glories of the world  

to come1 are spread before her in those 
mystic trances4 ,deeper and more        
mysterious revelations are vouchsafed1  
wonderful secrets disclosed to her under
 expressive symbols1 and ,st4 ,paul is  
her guide through those regions where he
 was ravished in spirit while still1    
like her1 an inhabitant of earth4 ,one  
day that she was in ecstasy a voice of  
more than common sweetness addressed to 
her these words--,thy path is strewn    
with thorns1 ,francesca1 and many an    
obstacle will stand in thy way1 ere thy 
little flock can be gathered together in
 our abode4 ,but remember that hail does
 not always follow upon thunder1 and    
that the brightest sunshine often breaks
 through the darkest clouds4            
,encouraged by this intimation1 the     
,saint began in earnest to consider of  
the means of establishing her           
congregation4 ,during a short absence   
which her husband made from ,rome1 she  
invited all the ,oblates to her house1  
and having made them share her slight   

repast1 she assembled them around her1  
and spoke to them to the following      
effect3 ,my dear companions1 ,i have    
called you together in order to impart  
to you the lights which ,i have received
 from the ,lord and ,his blessed ,mother
 with regard to our congregation4 ,for  
seven years we have been especially     
consecrated to her service1 and have    
bound ourselves to live in chastity and 
obedience1 and to observe the rules     
prescribed to us2 and ,i have long      
thought that as we have been united in  
spirit and in intention1 so ought we to 
be in our outward mode of life4 ,for a  
while ,i fancied that this my desire    
might only be the result of my maternal 
affection for you1 and of my solicitude 
for your advancement4 ,but the ,lord has
 at last revealed to me that it is ,his 
will that ,i should found a new         
spiritual edifice in this city1 the     
ancient stronghold of religion and of   
faith4 ,it will form an asylum for those
 persons of your sex and of your rank   

who have conceived the generous         
resolution of forsaking the world and   
its allurements2 ,i have tagged of the  
,lord to select for ,his purpose one    
less unworthy than myself1 but ,i dare  
no longer withstand the manifestation of
 ,his will4 ,i am prepared to accomplish
 ,his bidding2 but without you1 my      
sisters what can ,i do8 ,you are the    
foundations of the building1 the first  
stones of the new spiritual house of    
,his mother4 ,you are the seed from     
which a plentiful harvest is to spring4 
,earthly cares1 the temporal affairs of 
life1 must no longer take up your time4 
,he summons you to a retreat1 where you 
will live in ,his presence1 imitate ,his
 example1 and copy the virtues of ,mary1
 where you will pray for ,rome1 and turn
 away ,his wrath from the degenerate and
 guilty city4 ,have you not heard how   
two years ago the thunderbolts fell on  
her sacred towers8 ,do you not see how  
every day fresh miseries are gathering  
on the devoted heads of her people8 ,but

 ,god is full of mercy2 when most       
incensed at our sins1 ,he casts about   
for souls that will appease ,his anger4 
,he has turned ,his eyes upon us4 ,he   
bids us unite1 and stand in the breach  
between ,him and the daring sinners who 
each day defy ,him4 ,why tarry we       
longer8 why further delay8 ,the arms of 
the ,blessed ,virgin are wide open to   
receive us4 ,shall we draw back from her
 embrace8--,no1 rather let us fly to her
 feet4  ,as she pronounced these last   
words ,francesca fell into an ecstasy1  
which lasted for some time1 and during  
which she pleaded with ,god for those   
who were to belong to the new institute4
 ,her companions gazed upon her with    
silent veneration2 and when she came to 
herself1 all with one accord1 and with  
tears of joy1 professed themselves ready
 to make every sacrifice which ,god     
might require of them1 and to adopt the 
mode of life and the rule which         
,francesca might suggest4 ,but their    
assent was only a preliminary step in   

the undertaking4 ,it was necessary to   
find a house suitable to their purpose1 
to obtain the consent of the still      
existing parents of some of the         
,oblates1 to fix in a definitive manner 
their rule and constitutions1 and       
finally to procure the sanction of the  
,holy ,father1 and his approval of the  
new order4 ,francesca attended in turn  
to each of these objects4 ,to the first 
place she consulted her three coadjutors
 on the choice of a house2 and          
difficulties without number arose on    
this point4 ,the priests were alarmed at
 the sensation which this undertaking   
would produce1 and were quite at a loss 
to find money for the purchase4         
,francesca had long since given away    
almost all that she possessed4 ,what    
little remained was devoted to works of 
charity which could not be abandoned1   
and all agreed that she was on no       
account to have recourse on this        
occasion to her husband or to her son4  
,while they were deliberating1          

,francesca was favoured with a vision1  
in which the divine assistance was      
promised to the ,oblates1 and their     
protectors 7,don ,giovanni in           
particular7 exhorted to perseverance4   
,encouraged by these assurances1 they   
looked out for a house adapted to the   
requirements of a religious community2  
and after many researches ,don ,ippolito
 proposed to ,don ,giovanni a building  
in the ,campitelli district1 on the spot
 where the old tower1 known by the name 
of ,tor di ,specchi1 used to stand1     
directly opposite to the ,capitol1 and  
not far from the ,santa ,maria ,nuova4  
,various obstacles arose to the purchase
 of this house1 which was neither as    
large nor as convenient as might have   
been wished2 but they were finally      
overcome1 and the acquisition completed 
towards the end of the year #adcb4 ,this
 house1 which was at first considered   
only as a temporary residence1 was      
subsequently added to1 and has remained 
to this day the central house of the    

order2 and in the pontifical bull the   
congregation is designed by the name of 
,oblates of ,tor di ,specchi4 ,this     
matter once arranged1 ,francesca        
succeeded in dissipating the objections 
raised by the parents of some of the    
younger ,oblates1 and to reconcile them 
to the proposed alteration in their     
daughters' mode of life4 ,it was        
doubtless a trial to her that while she 
was removing all the difficulties in the
 way of the more perfect life which her 
companions were about to lead1 she      
herself could only1 like ,moses1 look on
 the promised land of spiritual         
seclusion which they1 her disciples and 
her children1 were entering on1 and     
after which she had yearned from the    
days of her childhood4 ,but she never   
hesitated as to her line of duty2 it was
 clear before her4 ,lorenzo had released
 her from all obligations but one--that 
of residing in his house and watching   
over his old age4 ,his infirmities were 
increasing1 and her attentions          

indispensable to his comfort4 ,no one   
could supply to him ,francesca's care4  
,she offered up to ,god the daily       
self-denial of her existence2 and by    
fresh tokens of ,his favour ,he rewarded
 her obedience4  ,her next anxiety was  
the formation of the constitution and of
 the rules which were to govern the     
infant congregation2 and in frequent    
conferences with her pious coadjutors   
the subject was discussed4 ,after many  
deliberations1 during which they could  
arrive at no conclusion1 it was agreed  
that the matter should be laid before   
,god in prayer2 and their hope was not  
deceived4 ,in a series of visions1--in  
which ,st4 ,paul in the first instance1 
and on other occasions the blessed      
,virgin and ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 
appeared to ,francesca1--directions were
 given her so ample and so detailed as  
to the rule which her spiritual         
daughters were to follow1 that there    
remained no room for hesitation4 ,the   
several fasts which they were to        

observe2 the length of time which they  
were to devote to prayer1 to work1 and  
to sleep2 the manner in which their     
actions were to be performed2 the vocal 
prayers they were to recite2 the        
solitude1 the silence they were to keep2
 the poverty1 the community of goods    
which they were to practise2 their      
dress1 their occupations1 their         
separation from the world1 their        
detachment from all earthly ties of     
interest and kindred which they were at 
all times to be inspired with2 the      
precautions to be taken in procuring the
 consent of parents1 and securing the   
free action of the ,oblates who might   
hereafter join the order1 were all      
indicated with the greatest precision2  
and instructions were transmitted to    
,don ,giovanni and his co-operators to  
enlighten them as to the guidance and   
government of the congregation4 ,the    
miraculous manner in which the ,saint   
had often read their most secret        
thoughts1 the miracles they saw her     

perform1 and the admirable tenour of her
 life1 in which the most active virtues 
were combined with the deepest humility1
 and supernatural favours received with 
the most profound self-abasement1 were  
to them a warrant of the genuineness of 
her revelations1 the substance of which1
 condensed and reduced into a series of 
rules1 are to this day observed by the  
,oblates of ,tor di ,specchi4           
,,chapter ,,xii4  ,,progress ,,and      
,,trials ,,of ,,the ,,young             
,,community--,,it ,,is ,,confirmed ,,by 
,,the ,,pope--,,troubles ,,in ,,rome    
,,and ,,the ,,church ,,terminated       
,,through ,,francesca',s ,,intercession 
,,and ,,the ,,council ,,of ,,florence4  
,it was on the #beth of ,march1 the     
,feast of the ,annunciation1 in the year
 #adcc1 that the ,oblates1 ten in       
number1 met in the church of ,santa     
,maria in ,trastevere1 where their holy 
foundress had so long been in the habit 
of resorting4 ,they all heard ,mass1 and
 went to communion with the utmost      

fervour1 and then in procession         
proceeded to the house they were        
henceforward to inhabit4 ,that house1   
which now-a-days is thrown open during  
the ,octave of the ,feast of ,san       
,francesca1 where young women come with 
their little children1 and point out to 
them the room which they inhabited in   
their own childhood1 when under the     
gentle care of the ,oblates of ,mary4   
,it is no gloomy abode1 the ,convent of 
,tor di ,specchi even in the eyes of    
those who cannot understand the         
happiness of a nun4 ,it is such a place 
which one loves to see children in2     
where religion is combined with every   
thing that pleases the eye and recreates
 the mind4 ,the beautiful chapel2 the   
garden with its magnificent             
orange-trees2 the open galleries1 with  
their fanciful decorations and scenic   
recesses1 where a holy picture or figure
 takes you by surprise1 and meets you at
 every turn2 the light airy rooms where 
religious prints and ornaments1 with    

flowers1 birds1 and ingenious toys1     
testify that innocent enjoyments are    
encouraged and smiled upon1 while from  
every window may be caught a glimpse of 
the ,eternal ,city1 a spire1 a ruined   
wall1--something that speaks of ,rome   
and its thousand charms4 ,on ,holy      
,thursday no sepulchre is more beautiful
 than that of ,tor di ,specchi4 ,flowers
 without end1 and bright hangings1 all  
sweet and costly things1 do homage to   
the ,lord in the hours of ,his loving   
imprisonment4  ,but on the day when     
,francesca's companions first entered   
those walls1 there was nothing very fair
 or beautiful to greet them1 though they
 earned there1 however1 in their hearts1
 from the altar they had just left1 the 
source of all light and love2 and to the
 eyes of faith the scene must have been 
a bright one4 ,with delight they        
exchanged then ordinary dress for that  
which the rule prescribed3 ,francesca   
alone stood among them no nun in her    
outward garb1 but the truest nun of all1

 through the inward consecration of her 
whole being to ,god4 ,agnese de ,sellis1
 a relation of hers1 and a woman highly 
distinguished for virtue and prudence   
was elected superior of the house4      
,there was a truly admirable spectacle  
presented to the people of ,rome2 these 
women were all of noble birth1 and      
accustomed to all the comforts and      
conveniences of life4 ,most of them had 
been wealthy2 some of them were still   
young2 and for the love of ,god they had
 given op every thing1 and made over    
their possessions to their relations2   
for it was not to lead a life of ease1  
of religious quietude1 of holy          
contemplation alone1 that they had      
separated themselves from the world4 ,it
 was to imitate the poverty of ,christ1 
to place in the common stock1 as the    
first ,christians did1 the little they  
had reserved1 and to endure all the     
privations incident on poverty4 ,their  
exact and spontaneous obedience to the  
gentle ,agnese was as remarkable as the 

sweetness and humility with which she   
ruled4 ,seldom seen abroad1 their hours 
were divided between prayer1 meditation1
 spiritual reading1 and works of mercy4 
7,footnote3 ,the rule which they then   
adopted remains the same to this day4   
,the ,oblates of ,tor di ,speechi are   
not1 strictly speaking1 nuns3 they take 
no vows1 and are bound by no obligations
 under pain of sin2 they are not        
cloistered1 and their dress is that     
which was worn at the period of their   
establishment by the widows of the      
,roman nobles47 ,francesca1 obliged to  
be absent from them in body1 was ever   
present with them in spirit4 ,she was   
the tenderest mother to the little flock
 that had gathered under her sheltering 
wing3 ministering to their necessities2 
visiting them as often as she could     
leave her husband's side2 exciting them 
on to perfection by her words and       
example2 consoling the weak1 and        
confirming the strong4  ,it was not to  
be expected that the infant congregation

 could be free from evil reports1 and   
from the kind of persecution which ever 
attends the undertakings and tries the  
courage of ,god's most faithful         
servants4 ,the mode of life of the      
,oblates became the general subject of  
conversation2 and though the wiser and  
better portion of the community were    
filled with respect and admiration for  
their virtues1 there were not wanting   
persons to raise a cry against them and 
against their foundress1 and to complain
 that women should be allowed to lend an
 existence which was strictly speaking  
neither secular nor religious2 a        
monastery without enclosure1 without    
vows1 without revenues1 without any     
security for its permanent support4     
,their comments were not without effect 
on the naturally irresolute mind of ,don
 ,giovanni ,mattiotti and ,fra          
,bartolommeo ,biandii4 ,the former1 in  
particular1 grew discontented and       
desponding4 ,the direction of the order 
was a heavy burden to him2 and his faith

 in ,francesca's revelations was shaken 
by the many worldly difficulties which  
he foresaw4 ,the miraculous manner in   
which the ,saint read his thoughts1 and 
transmitted to him and his companion the
 reproofs and encouragements which were 
supernaturally addressed to them through
 the medium of one of her visions1      
opened their eyes to a sense of their   
pusillanimity1 and made them ashamed of 
their misgivings4  ,another threatened  
trial was1 by the mercy of ,god1 turned 
into a consolation4 ,one of the youngest
 of the ,oblates1 ,augustina ,coluzzi1  
was the only child of her mother1 who   
was a widow4 ,this mother had made a    
generous sacrifice to ,god in gladly    
surrendering this beloved daughter to   
the exclusive service of ,him who had   
called her to that high vocation2 but   
she had miscalculated her sacrifice1 or1
 perhaps1 trusted too much to her own   
strength4 ,when the sacrifice was made1 
the human feelings rose in her heart    
with terrible violence1 and life        

appeared to her as one dreary blank1 now
 that her home was shorn of its light1  
now that the beloved child of her heart 
had ceased to gladden her eyes4         
,self-reproach for their vain repinings 
heightened her misery1 and misery at    
last grew into despair4 ,in an instant  
of wild recklessness she seized a knife1
 and was about to destroy herself1 when1
 like an angel at the hour of her utmost
 need1 her daughter was at her side1 and
 arrested her arm4 ,it was so against   
all rules and all probabilities that she
 should have come to her at that moment1
 that she gazed on her in silent        
astonishment4 ,francesca was in prayer  
at the moment1 when ,satan had been     
tempting the unfortunate woman2 and the 
dreadful danger she was in was          
miraculously revealed to her4 ,she      
instantly ordered ,augustina to leave   
what she was about1 and hurry to her    
mother4 ,the young girl arrived in time2
 and so great was th impression which   
this merciful interposition produced on 

the mother1 so deep her sense of the    
peril to which her soul had been        
exposed1 that she hastened to throw     
herself at ,francesca's feet1 and with  
blessings on her and on her daughter1   
she expressed her gratitude for         
,augustina's vocation1 and her earnest  
wish that she should remain faithful to 
it4  ,another trial arose in those early
 days at ,tor di ,specchi from the      
resolution formed by a wealthy young    
heiress to join the order4 ,she belonged
 to one of the noblest families in      
,rome1 and was bent on employing her    
fortune in supporting the infant        
congregation4 ,francesca was reluctant  
to receive her2 but1 over persuaded by  
the opinions of others1 she gave way4 ,a
 violent opposition immediately arose2  
and there was no end to the calumnies   
and vituperations which were employed on
 the occasion4 ,francesca1 again        
enlightened by a divine intimation1     
insisted on restoring the young person  
to her family2 and a rule was           

henceforward made that none but persons 
of a more advanced age should be        
admitted into the order4  ,these and    
many other difficulties rendered it very
 desirable that the approval of the     
,holy ,father should set its seal on the
 work1 and furnish it with a shield     
against the malice of the world4 ,the   
permissions which they sought were as   
follows3 #ast1 that the ,oblates should 
be allowed the rights to live in        
community1 and to admit other persons   
into their society2 #b;d1 that they     
might elect for themselves a            
superioress2 #c;d1 that this superioress
 should have the power of choosing a    
confessor for the house2 #dth1 that they
 should have a chapel in which to hear  
,mass1 to go to confession and to       
communion1 and be exempted from the     
jurisdiction of the parish and the      
parish priests4 ,this scheme was fully  
approved of by the three coadjutors2 but
 it was some time before ,don ,giovanni 
could be induced to lay it before the   

sovereign ,pontiff4 ,he alleged that the
 disturbed state of ,rome1 and the many 
distracting cares which were besetting  
the ,holy ,father1 held out no prospect 
of success in such a mission2 but1 urged
 by various irresistible proofs that    
,god willed that he should undertake it1
 he at last consented4 ,the petition was
 framed in the name of the ,oblates1    
,francesca absolutely refusing to be    
mentioned as the foundress4 ,while he   
bent his way to the pontifical palace1  
the ,oblates of ,tor di ,specchi and the
 monks of ,santa ,maria ,nuova joined in
 fervent prayer to ,god for the success 
of his application4 ,eugenius ,,iv4     
received ,francesca's messenger with    
great kindness1 and bade him carry back 
to her assurances of his favourable     
disposition towards the congregation1   
recommending himself at the same time to
 her prayers and to those of her        
sisters4 ,he commended the examination  
of the case to ,gaspard1 ,archbishop of 
,conza1 and enjoined him to verify the  

facts recited in the petition1 and to   
communicate on the subject with the     
prior and the monks of ,santa ,maria    
,nuova2 and if satisfied with the       
result1 to grant the privileges therein 
requested4 ,the archbishop applied      
himself with diligence to the execution 
of these orders2 and the original       
document in which this authorisation is 
recorded still exists amongst the       
archives of the monastery4 ,it          
stipulates that the ,oblates shall be   
subject to the jurisdiction of the      
superior and of the monks of ,santa     
,maria ,nuova1 and that they may        
continue to inhabit the house of ,tor di
 ,specchi until such time as they shall 
have made purchase of another4 ,a short 
time afterwards the ,oblates1 full of   
gratitude and joy at the favours which  
had been granted them1 and every day    
more satisfied with their abode1        
solicited and obtained permission to    
remain in it in perpetuity4 ,this last  
transaction took place at the very time 

when ,rome was given up to anarchy1 and 
frightful disorders reigned within its  
walls2 when the pontifical magistrates  
had been thrust aside1 and furious      
demagogues installed in their places4   
,the ,pope had taken refuge in ,bologna1
 and it is from that town that is dated 
the last-mentioned decree4 ,the         
congregation was successively confirmed 
by three of the generals of the         
,olivetan order2 and in #addd ,eugenius 
,,iv4 extended still further the        
privileges and franchises of the        
,oblates4  ,francesca was deeply        
impressed with the responsibility she   
had incurred in the establishment of her
 congregation1 and felt herself bound to
 advance more and more in virtue        
herself1 as well as further the piety of
 her spiritual daughters4 ,during her   
visits to the convent she used to work  
indiscriminately in the kitchen or in   
the parlour2 waited at table1 and       
cleaned the plates1 as it might happen2 
and could not bear to be treated with   

the least distinction4 ,in coming in1   
and in going away1 she always reverently
 kissed the hand of ,agnese de ,sellis  
the superioress1 and asked for her      
blessing4 ,she sometimes accompanied the
 sisters to her vineyard near ,st4 ,paul
 without the ,walls1 where they gathered
 wood1 and carried it back to ,rome     
bound in faggots for burning4 ,she      
gently reproved one of the ,oblates who1
 on one of these occasions1 sought to   
screen her from observation when an     
illustrious personage was passing by4   
,she took them with her to visit the    
hospitals and the poverty-houses in the 
city3 and the miraculous cures which she
 performed in their presence confirmed  
their faith1 and inflamed them with the 
most ardent desire to imitate her       
example4  ,at the time that the         
misfortunes of ,rome were at their      
height1 ,francesca appeared one morning 
at the monastery1 and gathering around  
her her spiritual daughters1 she thus   
addressed them3 ,what shall we do1 my   

children8 ,the wrath of ,god is warring 
fierce against our unhappy country2     
,rome is in the hands of cruel and      
lawless men2 the ,holy ,father in exile2
 his ministers prison1 his life sought  
after as if he were an odious oppressor1
 and we know not when to look for his   
return4 ,immorality is increasing1 vice 
triumphant1 hell yawning for souls which
 ,christ's blood has redeemed1 and those
 who ought to extinguish do but excite  
the flame1 and draw upon us the just    
judgment of ,god4 ,the ,blessed ,virgin 
requires at our hands more fervent      
prayers1 more tears1 more penances4 ,we 
must supply for the great dearth of     
love4 ,mortifications and prayer are the
 weapons we are furnished with2 our     
hearts are the victims which must he    
slain for men's sins2 our tears must    
quench those unholy fires2 we shall not 
be true ,oblates until we have made a   
complete sacrifice of ourselves1 of our 
souls and of our bodies1 to the ,lord4  
,we are few2 but do not doubt the       

strength of prayer4 ,let us be fervent  
and persevere1 and soon we shall reap   
the fruit of our intense supplications1 
of our long-continued pleadings2 and    
liberty1 peace1 and all ,god's          
blessings1 will be restored to ,rome4   
,francesca's exhortations had their     
effect1 and the fervent prayers they    
drew forth had theirs also2 for in the  
same year the ,bishops of ,recaunti and 
of ,turpia reassumed1 in the ,pope's    
name1 possession of the city2 and the   
,romans1 wearied with anarchy1 gladly   
welcomed their rule4  ,a more terrible  
evil1 a more appalling danger now       
threatened not only ,rome but the whole 
,catholic world4 ,the undutiful conduct 
of the ,council of ,basle1 with the     
violence of their language with regard  
to the ,holy ,see1 brought matters to   
such a point that a deplorable schism   
appeared inevitable4 ,pope ,eugenius was
 divided between the fear of hurrying it
 on1 and that of compromising by undue  
concessions the legitimate authority of 

the ,chair of ,peter4 ,it was at this   
juncture that the ,blessed ,virgin      
appeared one night to ,francesca1       
surrounded by saints and apostles1      
serenely beautiful1 and with a          
compassionate expression in her         
countenance4 ,after some preliminary    
spiritual instructions1 she intimated to
 the ,saint that ,god was waiting to    
have mercy1 and that ,his wrath had to  
be softened by assiduous prayers and    
good works4 ,she named certain religious
 exercises1 certain penitential         
practices2 which were to be observed on 
the principal feasts of the ensuing     
year2 and recommending to the faithful  
in general1 and more particularly to the
 ,oblates1 a great purity of heart1 a   
sincere contrition for past sin1 and a  
spirit of earnest charity1 she charged  
,francesca to see that her orders were  
complied with2 and disappeared after    
bestowing her blessing4 ,it was in vain1
 however1 that this revelation was      
communicated by ,don ,giovanni to the   

clergy of ,rome4 ,they rejected it as   
the dream of a pious and sickly woman2  
and even the most earnest amongst them  
absolutely declined to attach to it the 
slightest importance4 ,not so the ,vicar
 of ,christ1 when ,francesca's confessor
 carried to him at ,bologna the message 
of the saint2 he listened to it with    
reverence and gratitude1 and sent back  
by his means all the necessary mandates 
for the execution of the orders which   
the ,blessed ,virgin had given4 ,when he
 arrived at ,tor di ,specchi1 ,francesca
 met him2 and before he could open his  
mouth1 she gave him an exact account of 
all that had taken place on his journey1
 and of the very words which the ,holy  
,father had used during their interview4
 ,the ,pope's directions were attended  
to1 the appointed ,masses said1 the     
processions organised2 and in a short   
time it was seen that a favourable      
result ensued4 ,the ,pope was happily   
inspired to convene the council that met
 at ,ferrara1 and subsequently continued

 its labours at ,florence4 ,this at last
 put an end to the pretensions of the   
illegal assembly at ,basle1 and the     
wounds of the ,church were gradually    
healed4 ,there was but one opinion at   
the time as to the cause of this        
favourable change in the aspect of      
affairs4 ,it was unanimously ascribed to
 the prayers of ,francesca and to the   
,pope's compliance with the orders she  
had received2 and in the process of her 
canonisation this point is treated of at
 length1 and satisfactorily established2
 and those who are acquainted with the  
extreme caution observed on these       
occasions in admitting evidence on such 
a subject1 will he impressed with the   
conviction that she was used as an      
instrument of ,god's mercy towards ,his 
suffering ,church4     ,,chapter ,,xiii4
  ,,death ,,of ,,francesca',s           
,,husband--,,she ,,goes ,,to ,,reside   
,,with ,,the ,,community ,,of ,,tor ,,di
 ,,speccc--,,her ,,life ,,as            
,,superioress4  ,,francesca had been    

forty years married to ,lorenzo         
,ponziano2 and through her married life1
 the heart that had been consecrated to 
,god from the first dawn of existence   
had been faithful in its love to him    
whom ,god ,himself had appointed to be  
her chief earthly care3 and blessed had 
been the course of that union2 blessed  
by the tender affection which had       
reigned between the husband and the     
wife1 and by the exercise of no common  
virtues1 multiplied by the pursuits of  
one common object4 ,francesca had led   
the way2 in meekness1 in humility1 in   
subjection2 but with a single aim and an
 unwavering purpose4 ,many and severe   
trials had been their portion at        
different epochs of their lives2 but the
 latter part of ,lorenzo's existence had
 been comparatively tranquil4 ,lorenzo  
was the first to be called away4 ,god   
spared him the trial he had probably    
dreaded4 ,we seldom are called upon to  
suffer the particular grief that fancy  
has dwelt upon4 ,his health had been    

breaking for some years past1 and now it
 utterly failed1 and his disease assumed
 an alarming character4 ,francesca1     
though apparently worn out with toil1   
with abstinence1 and mental and bodily  
labours1 found strength for every duty1 
and energy for every emergency4 ,during 
,lorenzo's prolonged and painful        
illness1 she was always at his side1    
nursing him with indefatigable          
tenderness1 and completing the work     
which her example had wrought4 ,his     
passage from life to eternity appeared  
but a journey4 ,the efforts of ,satan to
 disturb him on his death-bed1 though   
often repeated1 were each time          
frustrated4 ,lorenzo had been a just    
man1 and his death was the death of the 
righteous4 ,few men would have shown    
themselves as worthy as he did of such a
 wife as ,francesca4 ,from the moment of
 his marriage he had appreciated her    
virtues1 rejoiced in her piety1         
encouraged her good works1 and to a     
great extent shared in them4 ,no mean   

feelings of jealousy1 no human respect1 
no worldly sentiment of expediency had  
influenced him4 ,when he saw her        
renouncing all the pleasures and        
vanities of the world1 dressing like a  
poor person1 wearing herself out in the 
zeal of her charity1 turning the half of
 his palace into a hospital1 he did not 
complain1 but rather rejoiced that she  
was one of those whom fools have for a  
time in derision1 and for a parable of  
reproach2 whose life is esteemed        
madness1 and their end without honour2  
but who are numbered amongst the        
children of ,god1 and whose lot is      
amongst the saints4 ,he had his reward2 
he had it when his sight failed him and 
his breath grew short1 when he felt that
 his hour was come4 ,he had it when in  
his dying ears she whispered words of   
peace2 and ,satan1 with a cry of        
despair1 for ever fled away from his    
couch2 and when the everlasting portals 
opened1 and the sentence was pronounced 
at the immediate judgment that follows  

death4 ,masses1 prayers1 fervent        
communions1 and pious suffrages followed
 him beyond the grave2 and when the     
saint1 who had been the model of wives1 
stood by that grave a widow1 her earthly
 task was1 in one sense1 done3 but work 
remained2 but it was of another sort4   
,from her earliest youth she bad been a 
nun in spirit2 and the heart which had  
sighed for the cloister in childhood    
yearned for its shelter in these her    
latter days4 ,she must go and live in   
the shade of the tabernacle2 she must be
 alone with her ,lord during the few    
remaining years of life4 ,this must have
 been foreseen by her children2 and yet1
 like all trials of the kind1 however   
long looked forward to1 it came upon    
them at last as a surprise4 ,when she   
said1 ,i must go1 there was a loud cry  
of sorrow in the ,ponziano palace4      
,baptista1 the only son of her love1    
wept aloud4 ,mobilia threw herself into 
her arms1 and with impetuous grief1     
protested against her leaving them4 ,are

 you not afraid for me8 she exclaimed1  
if you abandon me1 you who have taught  
me to love ,god and to serve ,him ,i    
,what am ,i without you8 ,too much1 too 
tenderly you have loved me4 ,it cannot  
be that you should forsake me4 ,i cannot
 endure existence without you4 ,her     
grandchildren also1 whom she was        
tenderly attached to1 clung to her1     
weeping4 ,moved by their tears1 but     
unshaken in her resolution1 she gently  
consoled them2 bade them recollect that 
she was still to inhabit ,rome2 that her
 affection for them would be unchanged1 
and that she would always be at hand to 
advise and to aid them2 but that her    
vocation must now he fulfilled1 and the 
sacrifice completed4 ,then turning to   
,mobilia1 as to a dearly-beloved child1 
she fondly said1 ,do not weep1 my       
daughter2 you will survive me1 and bear 
witness to my memory4 ,this prediction  
was fulfilled2 for ,mobilia was alive at
 the time that the process for          
,francesca's canonisation was commenced1

 and the testimony she gave to her      
virtues and to her miracles was on that 
occasion most important1 and the most   
detailed4  ,after this1 ,francesca took 
leave of her family1 and went straight  
to the ,tor di ,specchi4 ,it was on the 
#bast of ,march1 the festival of ,st4   
,benedict1 that she entered its walls1  
not as the foundress but as a humble    
suppliant for admission4 ,at the foot of
 the stairs1 having taken off her black 
gown1 her veil1 and her shoes1 and      
placed a cord around her neck1 she knelt
 down1 kissed the ground1 and1 shedding 
an abundance of tears1 made her general 
confession aloud in the presence of all 
the ,oblates2 described herself as a    
miserable sinner1 a grievous offender   
against ,god1 and asked permission to   
dwell amongst them as the meanest of    
their servants2 and to learn from them  
to amend her life1 and enter upon a     
holier course4 ,the spiritual daughters 
of ,francesca hastened to raise and to  
embrace her2 and clothing her with their

 habit1 they led the way to the chapel1 
where they all returned thanks to ,god4 
,while she remained there engaged in    
prayer1 ,agnese de ,sellis the          
superioress1 assembled the sisters in   
the chapter-room1 and declared to them1 
that now that their true mother and     
foundress had come amongst them1 it     
would be absurd for her to remain in her
 present office2 that ,francesca was    
their guide1 their head1 and that into  
her hands she would instantly resign her
 authority4 ,they all applauded her     
decision1 and gathering around the      
,saint1 announced to her their wishes4  
,as was to be expected1 ,francesca      
strenuously refused to accede to this   
proposal1 and pleaded her inability to  
the duties of a superioress4 ,the       
,oblates had recourse to ,don ,giovanni1
 who began by entreating1 and finally   
commanded her acceptance of the charge4 
,his orders she never resisted2 and     
accordingly1 on the #beth of ,march1 she
 was duly elected to that office4  ,she 

was favoured with a vision which        
strengthened and encouraged her in the  
new task she had before her4 ,the angel 
who for twenty-four years had been by   
her side1 defending and assisting her on
 all occasions1 took leave of her now   
with a benignant smile1 and in his place
 another1 more refulgent still1 was     
ordained to stand4 ,by day and by night 
he was continually weaving a mysterious 
woof1 the threads of which seemed to    
grow out of the mystical palm which he  
carried4 ,st4 ,benedict appeared to     
,franceses on the day of her election1  
and explained to her the meaning of     
those symbols4 ,gold was the type of the
 love and charity which was to govern   
her dealings with her daughters1 while  
the palm implied the triumph she was to 
obtain over human weakness and human    
respect4 ,the unceasing labours of the  
angel was to mark the unwearied efforts 
she was to use for the right ordering   
and spiritual welfare of the community  
intrusted to her care2 and truly she    

laboured with indefatigable zeal in her 
new vocation4 ,she had ever before her  
eyes the words of ,st4 ,paul to ,timothy
 and to ,titus3 ,preach the word4 ,be   
patient in season and out of season4    
,entreat1 rebuke1 in all patience and   
doctrine4 ,in all things show thyself an
 example of good works1 in doctrine1 in 
integrity1 in gravity4 ,preaching far   
more by her actions than by her words1  
she gave an example of the most heroic  
virtues4 ,it would be difficult to      
imagine any thing mom perfect than her  
life in the world2 but the new duties1  
the new privileges of her present       
vocation added each day new splendour to
 her virtues4 ,she appointed ,agnese de 
,sellis her coadjutress1 and begged her 
to share her room1 and watch over her   
conduct1 entreating her at the same time
 to warn her of every fault she might   
commit4 ,her strictness with her        
spiritual children1 though tempered by  
love1 was extreme4 ,she never left a    
single imperfection unreproved1 and     

allowed of no infractions1 however      
slight1 of the rule4 ,sometimes1 when   
through shyness or false shame1 they    
concealed some trifling offence which   
they were bound to confess1 she read    
their hearts1 and reminded them not to  
give ,satan a hold upon them by such    
reserve4 ,she was most careful of their 
health1 and sought to procure them as   
often as she could some innocent        
recreation4 ,they used occasionally to  
go with her to one or other of her      
vine-gardens without the walls1 to take 
exercise in the pure open air4          
,francesca's gentle gaiety on these     
occasions increased their enjoyment2 and
 the labour of gathering wood and grass1
 of making up faggots1 and carrying away
 their spoil on their heads at night1   
was a part of their amusement4 ,the     
conversation that was carried on between
 them the while was as merry as it was  
innocent4 ,these young persons1 born in 
palaces and bred in luxury1 worked like 
peasants1 with more than a peasant's    

lightness of heart4  ,one fine sunny    
,january day--and those who have        
inhabited ,rome well know how fine a    
,january day can be--,francesca and     
seven or eight of her companions had    
been since early dawn in the            
vine-gardens of ,porta ,portese4 ,they  
had worked hard for several hours1 and  
then suddenly remembered that they had  
brought no provision with them4 ,they   
soon became faint and hungry1 and above 
all very thirsty4 ,perna1 the youngest  
of all the ,oblates1 was particularly   
heated and tired1 and approaching the   
,mother ,superior1 with a wearied       
expression of countenance1 she asked    
permission to go and drink some water at
 a fountain some way off on the public  
road4  ,be patient1 my child1 ,francesca
 answered2 the fountain is too distant4 
,she was afraid of these young persons  
drinking cold water1 heated as they were
 by toil and exposure to the sun4 ,they 
went on with their work2 and withdrawing
 aside1 ,francesca knelt down1 clasped  

her hands1 and with her eyes raised to  
heaven1 said1 ,lord ,jesus1 ,i have been
 thoughtless in bringing my sisters     
here1 and forgetting to provide food for
 them4 ,help us in our need4  ,perna1   
who had kept near to the ,mother        
,superior1 probably with the intention  
of urging her request1 overheard this   
prayer1 and1 a little irritated by the  
feverish thirst she was enduring1 said  
to herself with some impatience1 ,it    
would be more to the purpose to take us 
home at once4  ,francesca read the      
inward thought1 and turning to the      
discontented girl she said1 ,my child1  
you do not trust enough in ,god4 ,look  
up and see4 ,perna obeyed1 and following
 the direction of ,francesca's hand1 she
 saw a vine entwined around a tree1 from
 whose dead and leafless branches were  
hanging a number of the finest bunches  
of grapes1 of that purple and burnished 
hue which the fervid sunbeams of ,august
 and ,september impart to that glorious 
fruit4  ,a miracle6 a miracle6 exclaimed

 the enraptured ,perna2 and the other   
,oblates assembled round the tree in    
speechless astonishment1 for they had   
seen all day the bare and withered      
branches4 ,twenty times at least they   
had passed and repassed before it2 and  
at all events the season for grapes had 
long gone by4  ,after kneeling to give  
thanks to ,god for this gracious        
prodigy1 they spread a cloth on the     
grass1 and gathered the precious fruit4 
,there were exactly as many bundles as  
persons present2 and with smiling faces 
and joyful hearts ,francesca's children 
fed on the supply which her prayer had  
obtained for them4 ,obedience was a     
virtue of which the ,saint herself gave 
a most perfect example1 and which she   
unremittingly required of others4 ,one  
of the ,oblates having refused one day  
to comply with an order she had         
received1 ,francesca fixed her eyes upon
 her with an expression of so much      
severity1 that the person in question   
suddenly fainted away1 and remained     

afterwards speechless and in a state of 
insensibility4 ,the doctors were sent   
for1 and declared that her life was in  
imminent danger4 ,this was a severe     
trial to the ,saint2 she could not      
reproach herself for a severity which   
had been a matter of duty1 not of       
passion1 but at the same time she       
trembled for the soul of one who had    
apparently lost the use of reason at the
 very moment she was committing a       
serious fault4 ,after addressing a      
fervent prayer to ,god1 and invoking the
 ,blessed ,virgin1 she went straight to 
the bed-side of the sister1 and taking  
her by the hand with great solemnity1   
addressed to her these words3 ,if it be 
true that our congregation is approved  
of ,god1 and has ,his ,holy ,mother for 
its foundress1 in the name of ,holy     
,obedience1 ,i command you to speak to  
me4 ,the ,oblate seemed to awake from a 
long dream1 and opening her eyes1 she   
distinctly said1 ,mother1 what would you
 have me to do8 ,from that moment she   

rallied1 and was soon restored to       
health4  ,another time1 when an aged    
member of the congregation was dying1   
and every moment expected to be her     
last1 ,franceses prayed that she might  
not be allowed to depart in the absence 
of ,don ,giovanni1 the director of the  
house4 ,for six days and six nights the 
sick woman lingered between life and    
death4 ,on the arrival of her spiritual 
father she revived1 went to confession1 
and received the last ,sacrament ,then1 
as she again sank into insensibility1   
,francesca bent over her and said1      
,sister ,catherine1 depart in peace1 and
 pray for us2 and in that instant the   
aged woman expired4  ,the poverty of the
 congregration was extreme4 ,the slender
 means of the first ,oblates had been   
exhausted by the purchase of the house  
and the erection of a small chapel4     
,francesca had indeed made over to it   
her two vineyards of ,porta ,portese and
 of ,st4 ,paul without the ,walls2 but  
the trifling revenue they furnished was 

wholly inadequate to the support of     
fifteen persons2 and moreover the       
religions were so endued with the spirit
 of their foundress1 that they never    
could bring themselves to turn away a   
beggar from their doors as long as they 
had a slice of bread to bestow4 ,they   
often went a whole day without eating1  
rather than deny themselves the         
happiness of feeding the poor4          
,francesca1 happy in the virtues of her 
children1 but tenderly anxious for their
 welfare1 was indefatigable in her      
efforts to procure them the necessaries 
of life4 ,she used on these occasions to
 beg of her relations1 or even of       
strangers2 and ,almighty ,god allowed   
her sometimes to provide for them in a  
miraculous manner4  ,one day that the   
sister whose turn it was to attend to   
the victualling department found herself
 unable to put upon the table any thing 
but two or three small fragments of     
bread1 she went to consult the ,saint1  
who immediately proposed to go out with 

her and beg4 ,according to her          
invariable custom1 she asked ,agnese de 
,sellis1 her coadjutoress1 for          
permission so to do4 ,contrary to her   
habit on such occasions1 ,agnese        
refused1 and said1 that if it was       
necessary for any one to beg1 she1 with 
another of the sisters1 would undertake 
it4 ,then ,francesca1 after a moment's  
thought1 replied1 ,i think that ,god    
will provide for us without any one     
going out of the house2 and calling the 
,oblates to the refectory1 she asked a  
blessing on the bread1 and distributed  
it in minute portions amongst them4     
,each on beginning to eat her share saw 
it multiply apace2 and not only were    
their wants thus supplied at the moment1
 but enough remained when they had done 
to furnish them with food for the next  
day4  ,the gift of prophecy she also    
exercised more frequently than ever at  
this period4 ,once1 when she was praying
 in her cell1 the nuns heard her        
exclaim1 ,o ,king of ,heaven1 support   

and comfort that poor unhappy mother2   
and some hours afterwards1 they heard   
that at that very moment a young        
nobleman1 ,jacobo ,maddaleni1 had been  
thrown from his horse and killed on the 
spot1 to the inexpressible grief of his 
mother4 ,lorenzo ,altieri was dying1 and
 his wife ,palozza overwhelmed with     
sorrow2 she had several young children1 
and was almost in despair at the idea of
 losing her husband4 ,the physician had 
declared his case hopeless2 and when she
 sent for ,francesca her heart was      
breaking4 ,the ,saint came up to her1   
and said compassionately1 ,dear sister1 
give up the love and the vanities of the
 world1 and ,god will take pity upon    
you4 ,lorenzo will yet recover2 he will 
be present at my burial4 ,the prediction
 was fulfilled1 and ,lorenzo1 restored  
to health1 assisted1 as she had said1 at
 the funeral of the ,saint2 and         
,palozza1 whose heart had been entirely 
converted at that moment1 and who had   
vowed in case of his death to retire    

into a convent1 whenever her children   
could spare her1 led henceforward1 in   
every respect1 the life of a ,christian 
wife and mother4  ,the ,superioress of  
the ,sisters of the third order of ,st4 
,francis consulted her one day on the   
admission of a young girl1 who had      
requested to be admitted among them4    
,francesca had not seen or known any    
thing of the candidate1 but             
unhesitatingly answered1 that the       
vocation was not a real one1 and she    
recommended that she should be refused4 
,she will enter another monastery1 she  
added1 and after remaining in it a short
 time1 will return to the world1 and    
soon after she will die4 ,it happened   
exactly as the ,saint had foretold3     
,francesca da ,fabrica went into the    
convent of ,casa di ,cento ,finestre1 on
 the shores of the ,tiber1 gave up the  
habit before the end of the year1 and a 
sharp fever carried her off soon after  
her return4 ,gregorio and ,gentilesca   
,selli had a little girl of four years  

old1 who was paralysed1 and up to her   
waist her frame appeared completely     
withered4 ,they had often been urged to 
have recourse to the spells or charms   
then so much in vogue1 but had always   
refused to seek a blessing through such 
means4 ,they were carrying the little   
child to ,francesca1 full of faith in   
her prayers1 which they were coming to  
ask1 when she exclaimed at the first    
sight of them3 ,happy are you who have  
not sought your child's recovery in     
unlawful ways4 ,in three days1 my       
friends1 she will be restored to health2
 and the prediction was fulfilled to the
 letter4  ,it would be useless to       
multiply such recitals as these4 ,as she
 advances in years1 especially since her
 retirement at ,tor di ,specchi1 more   
and more frequent become the exercise of
 those supernatural gifts with which    
,god had endowed the gentle ,saint of   
,rome4 ,no day elapses that some new    
prodigy does not call forth the grateful
 enthusiasm of the warm-hearted and     

devout ,trasteverini4 ,if a child is    
trodden under foot by a runaway horse1  
,francesca is sent for1 and at the sight
 of the ,saint he revives4 ,if a young  
boatman1 in the prime of youth1 is      
thrown into the ,tiber1 and curried away
 by the stream under the arches of the  
,ponte ,rotto1 from whence his afflicted
 mother receives him into her arms      
without a symptom of life1 she calls out
 to her friends1 ,run1 ran to the       
servant of ,god3 go to ,francesca dei   
,ponziano1 and bid her pray for the boy4
 ,and when they return1 the mother is   
weeping still over her apparently       
lifeless child2 but they shout from a   
distance1 ,the servant of ,god says he  
will not die2 and in a few instants1    
,paul ,guidolini opens his eyes1 and    
smiles on his mother1 who some years    
later becomes one of the ,oblates of    
,tor di ,specchi4 ,if ,francesca sits   
down for a moment to rest on the steps  
of a church1 as she did one ,good       
,friday1 after the service at ,st4      

,peter's1 a paralytic woman kneels at   
her feet1 and obtains that she should   
lay her hand on her withered limbs1     
which are instantly restored4 ,there is 
no illness on record which her prayers1 
or the touch of her hand1 does not      
dispel and subdue4 ,she restores sight  
to the blind1 the dumb speak1 the deaf  
hear1 the lame walk at her bidding2     
pestilence and madness and fits and     
wounds and possession itself disappear  
before the power with which ,almighty   
,god has endued her2 and she walks this 
earth of ours dispensing blessings1 as  
the faithful handmaid of ,him who went  
about doing good4  ,at the same time1   
more and more ecstatic grew her prayers1
 more visible to all eyes the indwelling
 of the ,holy ,spirit in her soul1 more 
removed from the natural conditions of  
existence the tenour of her life4 ,at   
the hours of meals1 which she observed  
in obedience to the rule1 her companions
 notice that she hardly ever eats1 but  
that her face is turned to the window1  

and her eyes fixed on the sky1 while    
rays of light seem to play around her1  
and her countenance grows dazzling from 
the celestial brightness which          
overspreads it4 ,longer and longer      
became her orisons2 often in visiting a 
church she falls into an ecstasy1 which 
lasts till night4 ,the sublimity of her 
vision1 the glimpses of heaven which she
 enjoys1 the sight of angels1 and of the
 ,lord of angels1 is occasionally       
exchanged for the terrific apparitions1 
the renewed assaults of ,satan1 who     
attack her at times with redoubled      
violence1 now that her ultimate triumph 
is at hand1 and the crown about to      
descend on a brow which already shines  
with the mystic radiance of sanctity4   
,the old frescoes of the original chapel
 of ,tor di ,specchi represent some of  
these mysterious struggles between      
,francesca and the ,evil ,one2 and her  
cell bears the impress of that strange  
violence which ,satan is permitted to   
exercise at certain moments1 and which  

is the type of the warfare which is ever
 waged between him and ,god's ,church4  
,he can shake it at times by the storms 
he raises2 but vain are his attempts to 
overthrow it4 ,the mark of ,satan's fury
 is stamped on the roof of ,franceses's 
lowly cell2 but the relics of the       
canonised ,saint now fill the chamber   
which1 in his impotent rage1 the tempter
 once sought to destroy4 ,but this life 
of wonders1 of trials1 and of miracles1 
was drawing to a close4 ,she who had    
been the holiest of maidens1 of wives1  
and of widows1 had all but finished her 
course1 and many were the intimations   
she received of her approaching end4    
,on one of these occasions she selected 
one of the chapels in ,santa ,maria     
,nuova as a place of sepulture for the  
,oblates1 and obtained from the         
,olivetan ,monks that it should be      
reserved for that purpose4 ,she often   
spoke of her death to the sisters1 and  
told ,rita1 one of the companions of her
 youth1 that she would succeed her in   

the government of the congregation4 ,don
 ,ippolito1 one of her coadjutors in the
 foundation of the order1 had often     
implored two favours of her1 that she   
would look upon him as her spiritual    
son1 and that she would summon him to   
her death-bed4 ,she assured him that the
 prayers of such a worthless sinner as  
herself were not deserving of a thought2
 but1 moved by his importunities1 she   
promised in the end to comply with his  
request4 ,accordingly1 towards the end  
of the year #adci1 when he was in       
,sienna on business1 he received a      
letter from ,francesca1 in which she    
reminded him of his desire to be present
 at her last moments1 and in consequence
 exhorted him to conclude his affairs1  
and return to ,rome as soon as possible1
 which he accordingly did4 ,on          
,christmas-day and on the ,feast of ,st4
 ,stephen she had visions of the        
,blessed ,virgin and of the infant      
,jesus1 which she communicated to ,don  
,ippolito in the church of ,santa ,maria

 ,nuova1 where she had gone on her way  
back from ,san ,lorenzo without the     
,walls and ,st4 ,john of ,lateran1 which
 she had successively visited4 ,the     
religious said to her with emotion3     
,mother1 you will now grant me the      
favour ,i have so often asked of you4   
,yes1 replied the ,saint1 who had been  
all day in a kind of ecstasy1 though she
 moved from one place to another2 yes2  
,i look upon you now as my father1 as my
 brother1 and as my son4 ,and so saying 
she left him1 and returned to ,tor di   
,specchi1 still absorbed in             
contemplation4  ,don ,ippolito followed 
her with his eyes till she had          
disappeared from his sight1 and joy and 
sorrow were struggling in his heart2 for
 he felt that the time was come for her 
great gain and her children's           
unspeakable loss4     ,,chapter ,,xiv4  
,,francesca',s ,,last ,,illness ,,and   
,,death4  ,,francesca was fifty-six     
years old4 ,her frame1 worn out with    
labour1 with fastings1 and austerities1 

was enfeebled also by frequent          
illnesses2 but her activity1 her        
indomitable energy1 was still the same4 
,she never flagged1 never wearied1 never
 gave way under the pressure of physical
 or moral sufferings4 ,it was probably a
 trial of the latter description1 one   
which she had always been keenly alive  
to1 that hurried her end4  ,a fresh     
schism broke out in the ,church1 to the 
scandal and grief of all the faithful4  
,the refractory bishops assembled at    
,basle1 ventured to decree the          
deposition of ,pope ,eugenius1 and to   
elect as anti-pope the aged ,amadeus1   
,duke of ,tuscany1 who had abdicated in 
favour of his son1 and was living as a  
hermit on the shores of the ,lake of    
,geneva4 ,the usurper took the name of  
,felix ,v41 and this unhappy schism     
lasted ten years4 ,francesca turned to  
heaven her weary eyes--she besought her 
,lord to take her away from this scene  
of trial3 too keenly did she feel the   
woes of the ,church2 too deeply did she 

sorrow over these renewed conflicts1 and
 the consequent dangers to which the    
souls of ,christians were exposed4      
,perhaps it was given to her in that    
hour to foresee the fearful storm that  
was lowering over the ,church1--the     
monster heresy that1 in less than a     
century1 was to rise against the        
,mystical ,bride of ,christ1 and rob her
 of her children4  ,on the #c;d of      
,march1 #addj1 ,francesca was sent for  
by her son ,baptista1 who was laid up   
with a sharp attack of fever4 ,she      
instantly obeyed the summons2 and1 on   
arriving at the ,ponziano palace1 found 
him already much better1 and able to    
leave his bed2 but1 at the earnest      
request of the whole family1 she agreed 
to spend the whole day with them1 the   
,oblate ,augustina1 who had accompanied 
her1 also remaining to return with her  
at night4 ,towards evening she grew so  
weak that she could hardly stand2 and   
,baptista and ,mobilia implored her to  
stay at the palace1 or else to let      

herself be carried in a litter to the   
convent2 but she persisted in setting   
out on foot4 ,stopping on her way at the
 church of ,santa ,maria in ,trastevere1
 she went in to ask1 for the last time1 
her spiritual father's blessing1 and    
found ,don ,giovanni in the ,chapel of  
the ,angels--that spot where she had so 
often been favoured with divine         
revelations4 ,as he was inquiring after 
,baptista1 he was struck with the more  
than habitual paleness of her face1 and 
the evident exhaustion she was labouring
 under1 and commanded her1 as a matter  
of obedience1 instantly to return to the
 ,ponziano ,palace1 and to spend the    
night there1 ,this order was a severe   
trial to ,francesca1 for she felt at    
once that if she was not now to return  
to ,tor di ,specchi1 she would never    
again enter those hallowed walls2 but1  
faithful to the spirit of perfect       
obedience1 she meekly bowed her head in 
token of submission1 and went back to   
her son's house4  ,in the course of the 

night a virulent fever came on1 and in  
the morning she was as ill as possible4 
,francesca's first care was to send for 
her director1 and to request him to     
apprise her spiritual daughters of her  
illness4 ,four of them 7,agnese1 ,rita1 
,catherina1 and ,anastasia17 hurried to 
her side2 and when they heard her       
entreat ,don ,giovanni not to omit any  
of the necessary precautions for her    
soul's welfare1 they all burst into     
tears1 and seemed at once to understand 
that their beloved mother was about to  
leave them4 ,francesca gently consoled  
them1 and dismissed them towards the    
evening1 only keeping with her          
,augustina1 who watched her during the  
night1 and witnessed the ecstasy during 
which the following vision was          
vouchsafed to the sufferer3--,our ,lord 
appeared1 surrounded with angels and    
with saints1 and announced to her that  
in seven days she would die1 and receive
 the crown which was prepared for her in
 heaven4 ,sister ,augustina saw her face

 shining with supernatural brightness2 a
 radiant smile playing on her lips1 and 
heard her say with ineffable unction3   
,be ,thou eternally praised and blessed1
 ,o my dear ,lord ,jesus ,christ6       
,thanks be to ,thee for the unmerited   
favours ,i have received at ,thy hands4 
,to ,thee1 to ,thee alone1 do ,i owe all
 the blessings ,i have1 and have yet to 
receive4 ,when ,don ,giovanni saw her   
afterwards1 he imagined she was         
rallying2 but she related to him her    
vision1 and bade him tell her daughters 
that her end was approaching4 ,their    
tears and their sobs choked their       
utterance2 and the ,saint gently        
reproved that excess of sorrow1 and bade
 them rejoice with her1 and bless the   
,divine goodness for the great mercy    
that was shown to her4 ,during the next 
two days she suffered much2 but no word 
or sound of complaint escaped her4 ,her 
face was as serene as if her body had   
been perfectly free from pain2 and to   
those who expressed a hope that she     

would yet recover1 she only answered    
with a sweet smile1 ,god be praised1 my 
pilgrimage will end from ,wednesday to  
,thursday next4 ,she asked for the      
,sacraments1 confessed1 went to         
communion1 and received ,extreme        
,unction4 ,ardent ejaculatory prayers1  
devout aspirations1 burning expressions 
of love1 were ever rising from her heart
 to her lips4 ,each day she repeated1 as
 if she had been in perfect health1 the 
,office of the ,blessed ,virgin1 the    
,rosary1 and all her usual prayers4 ,the
 ,oblates watched by her in turns1 and  
,mobilia hardly ever left her side2 so  
that the smallest particulars of that   
wonderful death-bed were carefully      
recorded4 ,francesca allowed all those  
who wished to see her to come in4 ,she  
had words of advice1 of warning1 and of 
consolation for all4  ,when the news of 
her illness was spread in ,rome1 the    
heart of the great city was stirred to  
its very depths1 and a mournful1        
anxious1 loving multitude beset the     

palace and the very bed of the dying    
,saint4 ,nowise disturbed or annoyed at 
this oppressive testimony of their      
affection1 she had a smile1 or a look1  
or a kind word for each4 ,no cloud      
obscured her understanding2 no          
irritability affected her temper4 ,peace
 was within and around her1 and heaven's
 own calm on her brow and in her heart4 
,the evil spirits1 the arch-enemy       
himself--who1 for her sanctification and
 the glory of ,god1 had been permitted  
so often to haunt her path and assault  
her during life--are banished now1 and  
stand at bay1 gazing1 no doubt1 from    
afar1 with envious rage1 on that peace  
which they may no longer mar4 ,don      
,giovanni1 who had known so well her    
former trials1 often inquired1 during   
her last illness1 if ,satan's ministers 
were molesting her4 ,no1 she wouldd     
answer1 with a smile2 ,i see them no    
more4 ,god has conquered2 ,his foes have
 fled4 ,but the bright archangel1 whose 
task is nearly at an end1 is still at   

his post2 he weaves the last threads of 
the mystic woof1 and seems to make haste
 to finish his work4 ,the halo of light 
which surrounds him grows brighter and  
brighter1 and ,francesca's dying form   
reflects that splendour4  ,on the       
,monday morning she is still in the same
 state4 ,glorious visions pass before   
her2 divine forms bend over her1 and    
whisper words of welcome4 ,during ,mass1
 which her confessor says in her room1  
the ,lord ,himself appears to her again2
 and from the consecrated ,host ,he     
speaks to her entranced soul4 ,the      
,blessed ,virgin and the angels surround
 her1 and the voices of the blest make  
sweet music in her ears4 ,late on that  
day1 when her ecstasy was over1 the     
weeping ,oblates surround her bed1 and  
with suppliant accents implore her to   
ask of ,god yet to leave her upon earth1
 for the sake of the souls intrusted to 
her care4 ,it was a hard request3 to    
have had a glimpse of heaven1 and to    
turn back2 to have tasted the cup of    

celestial bliss1 and to draw back from  
its sweetness6 ,full of love1 of pity1  
of resignation1 of holy indifference1   
she exclaims3 ,god's will is my will2   
,his good pleasure mine4 ,if ,he        
,chooses me to tarry yet on earth1 so be
 it then4 ,i am ready to remain in this 
miserable world1 if ,he commands it4    
,but it was not ordained4 ,the next day 
she grew rapidly worse1 and from that   
time slept not again4 ,i shall soon rest
 in ,god1 she replied to those who were 
urging her to repose4 ,the ,oblates once
 more kneel around her to receive her   
last instructions3 one of them alone1   
,francesca del ,veruli1 is kept away by 
a severe illness1 which confines her to 
her bed4 ,touching were the last words  
of the dying mother to her spiritual    
children2 sweet the words of blessing   
she pronounced on their heads4 ,love1   
love1 was the burden of her teaching1 as
 it had been that of the beloved        
disciple4 ,love one another 7she said71 
and be faithful unto death4 ,satan will 

assault you1 as he has assaulted me2 but
 be not afraid4 ,you will overcome him  
through patience and obedience2 and no  
trial will be too grievous1 if you are  
united to ,jesus2 if you walk in ,his   
ways1 ,he will be with you4 ,then with  
earnest accents she thanked ,don        
,giovanni1 in her own name and in that  
of the order1 for all he had done to    
them2 and commended the ,oblates to his 
fatherly care4  ,at that moment her son 
,baptista entered the room4 ,his mother 
sat up in the bed1 and gazing upon him  
with an expression of anxious scrutiny1 
she said3 ,and can it be that you       
quarrel with poor shepherds8 ,and do you
 rob ,god of ,his glory by unlawful     
dealings with hell8 ,the persons who    
were standing around the bed looked at  
each other in surprise1 and imagined    
that ,francesca was delirious2 but      
,baptista's countenance and actions soon
 undeceived them4 ,tears rushed into his
 eyes1 and with great emotion he        
publicly acknowledged that he had been  

guilty of striking1 in his anger1 some  
peasants who had injured his fields1 and
 had gone to consult in secret one of   
the persons who dealt in occult         
sciences1 as to the possibility of his  
mother's recovery4 ,no one but himself  
knew of his twofold sin2 and the rebuke 
of the dying ,saint came upon him as a  
direct reproof from ,god1 and an awful  
warning for the rest of his life4 ,as   
the day advanced1 ,francesca grew weaker
 and weaker2 but the flame of love was  
burning more brightly1 as that of life  
was waning4 ,what are you saying8 asked 
,don ,giovanni at one moment1 on seeing 
her lips move4 ,the ,vespers of the     
,blessed ,virgin1 she answered in a     
scarcely audible voice4 ,as an infant   
almost she had begun that practice2 and 
on the eve of her death she had not yet 
omitted it4 ,on the seventh day of her  
illness1 as she had herself announced1  
her life came to a close4 ,a sublime    
expression animated her face2 a more    
ethereal beauty clothed her earthly     

form4 ,her confessor for the last time  
inquires what it is her enraptured eyes 
behold1 and she whispers1 ,the heavens  
open6 ,the angels descend6 ,the         
archangel has finished his task4 ,he    
stands before me4 ,he beckons to me to  
follow him4 ,these are the last words   
that ,francesca utters2 a smile of      
indescribable brightness beams from her 
face4 ,the eyes that have so long been  
closed to the vanities of life are now  
closed in death1 and her spirit has     
taken its final leave of earth4         
,,chapter ,,xv4  ,,francesca',s         
,,funeral1 ,,and ,,her ,,subsequent     
,,canonization4  ,,the body of the      
,saint remained during a night and a day
 at the ,ponziano palace1 the ,oblates  
watching by turns over the beloved      
remains4 ,their grief was tempered with 
joy1 for they felt she was in heaven2   
though the pang of separation was keen1 
and their home on earth desolate4 ,don  
,giovanni1 ,don ,ippolito1 and ,don     
,francesco dello ,schiano recited the   

prayers of the ,church over the corpse2 
and though deeply affected themselves1  
strove to console the bereaved          
sisterhood1 chiefly by extolling the    
rare merits and the heroic virtues of   
their departed mother4 ,almighty ,god   
vouchsafed1 even during the first night 
of their loving watch1 to give them a   
proof of that sanctity which was so soon
 to be triumphantly demonstrated4       
,sister ,margaret1 of the third order of
 ,st4 ,frances1 had been present at     
,francesca's death1 and remained by her 
side during the night that followed4    
,her arm had been paralysed for six     
months1 and to all appearance withered4 
,inspired with a lively faith1 she      
touched the body of the ,saint1 and was 
instantaneously cured4 ,the ,oblates all
 fell on their knees at the sight of    
this miracle1 and blessed ,god for the  
earnest ,he thus gave of the wonders    
which ,francesca's intercession was to  
accomplish4 ,each moment they were      
confirmed in the blessed assurance of   

her immediate admission into heaven2    
each moment brought with it a new       
occasion for joyful exultation4 ,the    
sweet perfume1 the odour of sanctity1   
which expression is so often supposed to
 be simply metaphorical1 whereas it     
often indicates an actual physical and  
miraculous fact1 soon pervaded the room 
and filled it with fragrance4           
,francesca's face1 which had recently   
borne the traces of age and of          
suffering1 became as beautiful again as 
in the days of youth and prosperity2 and
 the astonished bystanders gazed with   
wonder and awe at that unearthly        
loveliness4 ,many of them carried away  
particles from her clothes1 and employed
 them for the cure of several persons   
who had been considered beyond the      
possibility of recovery4 ,in the course 
of the day1 the crowd augmented to a    
degree which alarmed the inhabitants of 
the palace1 and ,baptista took measures 
to have the body removed at once to the 
church and a procession of the regular  

and secular clergy escorted the         
venerated remains to ,santa ,maria      
,nuova1 where they were to be interred4 
,the popular feeling burst forth on the 
occasion2 it was no longer to be        
restrained3 a sort of pious             
insurrection1 which the ,church smiles  
upon1 even though it refuses to sanction
 it2 as a mother can scarcely rebuke a  
somewhat irregular action in one of her 
children when it springs from a generous
 feeling1 even though she feels herself 
bound to check it4 ,francesca was a     
saint--,francesca was in heaven4        
,francesca was invoked by the crowd1 and
 her beloved name was heard in every    
street1 in every piazza1 in every corner
 of the ,eternal ,city4 ,it flew from   
mouth to mouth2 it seemed to float in   
the air1 to be borne aloft by the       
grateful enthusiasm of a whole people1  
who had seen her walk to that church by 
her mother's side in her holy childhood2
 who had seen her kneel at that altar in
 the grave beauty of womanhood1 in the  

hour of bereavement1 and now in death2  
carried thither in state1 she the       
gentle1 the humble ,saint of ,rome1 the 
poor woman of the ,trastevere1 as she   
was sometimes called at her own desire4 
,francesca del ,veruli1 the ,oblate whom
 illness had detained from the death-bed
 of her beloved mother1 hears from her  
sick-room the confused hum of voices1   
the sound of hurrying feet1 which       
indicate the approach of the procession4
 ,full of faith1 she starts up1 and with
 clasped hands exclaims1 ,oh1 my mother6
 oh1 ,francesca6 ,i have not seen you   
die2 ,i have not received your last     
blessing2 obtain for me now that ,i may 
visit your remains4 ,with a violent     
effort1 and leaning on one of her       
sisters1 she contrives to rise and to   
make her way to the bier4 ,the very     
instant she has touched it1 her health  
and strength return4 ,meanwhile the     
crowd augments1 and hurries into the    
church4 ,they press round the precious  
body2 they refuse to let it be buried4  

,as a favour1 as a boon of the greatest 
price1 they obtain that the obsequies be
 put oft to the ,saturday2 and in the   
meantime1 day and night1 there is no    
limit to the concourse of people that   
assemble in the chapel4 ,still the      
saintly body exhales its perfume2 still 
the sweet features retain their beauty2 
and to that spot1 in an apparently      
never-ending succession1 come the blind1
 and the lame1 and the halt1 and the    
sick1 and the suffering2 and each of    
those who touch the bier1 or to whom is 
carried something that has belonged to  
,francesca1 is instantaneously cured4   
,truly ,god was wonderful in this ,his  
,saint1 and wonderful are the details of
 the miracles wrought during those days2
 and not only were the ills of the body 
relieved by contact with the holy       
corpse1 but grace reaches the souls of  
many who have been hitherto steeled     
against its entrance4  ,amongst others1 
two young men of dissolute lives and    
irreligious spirits1 on hearing of the  

miracles at ,santa ,maria ,nuova1 begin 
to jeer and laugh on the subject1 and1  
moved only by curiosity1 go to the      
church1 approach the bier with mock     
demonstrations of respect4 ,but no      
sooner have they knelt before it1 than  
their hearts are simultaneously touched2
 a sudden change comes over them4       
,having come to scoff1 they remain to   
pray1--they rise from their knees only  
to seek a confessor2 and return home    
that night converted to ,god1 and ever  
after lead the lives of pious           
,christians4 ,the miracles wrought      
before and after ,francesca's burial are
 so multifarious1 that it might be      
tedious 7a strange word to use on such  
an occasion1 but nevertheless correct7  
to attempt to relate them all4 ,great   
was the moral effect of this singular   
outpouring of ,god's powers through ,his
 servant4 ,faith grew more timid1 and   
hope more strong2 charity burned in the 
hearts of many with an ever-increasing  
fervour2 and the examples which the     

,saint had given1 and which were now    
dwelt upon with affectionate veneration1
 induced many to walk in the same path1 
and look to the same end4 ,it was in    
,lent that she had died2 and from every 
pulpit in ,rome her praises were heard4 
,the most eminent ecclesiastics of the  
time all foretold her canonisation2 and 
the public voice and the public devotion
 ratified the burst of popular          
enthusiasm that had hailed her as a     
,saint on the very day of her death1 and
 long preceded the formal recognition of
 her sanctity by the authority of the   
,church4  ,a few months after her death1
 her tomb was opened in order to remove 
the corpse into a monument which        
,baptista1 ,mobilia1 and several ,roman 
noblemen had erected in her honour4 ,it 
was found in a state of perfect         
preservation1 and still exhaling the    
same fragrance as before4 ,the most     
exact and detailed examinations were    
taken in the year of her death1 both as 
to all the particulars of her life1 and 

as to the supernatural and miraculous   
events which had marked its course1 as  
well as those which had succeeded her   
death4  ,from time to time earnest      
endeavours were made to hasten her      
formal canonisation4 ,the materials were
 ample1 and the evidence complete2 but a
 variety of circumstances interfered    
with the conclusion of the process2 and 
though several ,popes1 namely1 ,eugenius
 ,,iv41 ,nicholas ,v41 ,pius ,,ii41     
,innocent ,,viii41 and ,julius ,,ii41   
promoted the question1 it was not much  
advanced till the accession of ,clement 
,,viii41 who had a great devotion to the
 ,saint1 and brought the matter nearly  
to a close2 but his death occurring in  
the meantime1 and his successor1 ,leo   
,,xi1 only outliving him twenty-seven   
days1 it was ,paul ,v4 7,borghese7 who  
decreed the canonisation of ,francesca1 
to the joy of the ,oblates of ,tor di   
,specchi1 of the monks of ,santa ,maria 
,nuova1 and of the whole people of      
,rome4 ,her festival was appointed to be

 kept on the #ith of ,march2 and those  
who have been in ,rome on that day can  
tell how vivid is the devotion that     
still exists1--the worship that is yet  
paid to the holy ,francesca1 the beloved
 ,saint of the ,trastevere1 the model of
 ,christian matrons2 and in the church  
of ,santa ,francesca ,romana1 as the old
 ,santa ,maria ,nuova is now called1 and
 in the ,casa dei ,esercizii ,pii 7the  
old ,ponziano ,palace71 and in the      
time-honoured walls of ,tor di ,specchi1
 a tribute of love and of devotion is   
yielded1 which touches the heart1 and   
carries the mind back to the days when1 
amidst the strife of war and the        
miseries or anarchy1 faith1 fresh1      
strong1 and pure1 asserted its power1   
and wrought wonders through such feeble 
instruments as a woman's heart and a    
woman's works4  ,on the #bith of ,may1  
#afjh1 in the church of ,st4 ,peter1    
then lately erected1 and adorned for the
 occasion with the utmost magnificence1 
after a pontifical ,high ,mass1 in the  

presence of the ,sacred ,college1 and of
 an immense affluence of strangers as   
well as of ,romans1 the decree was      
proclaimed which placed ,francesca      
amongst the canonised saints1 and       
sanctioned the worship which a devout   
people had paid her1 with but few       
interruptions1 since the day of her     
death4 ,rome was illuminated that night2
 the fiery cupola of ,st4 ,peter1 and   
the sound of innumerable bells1 told the
 neighbouring plains and hills that ,god
 had regarded the lowliness of ,his     
handmaiden1 and that1 in her measure1   
all generations were to call her        
,blessed4  ,in #afcc1 the tomb of       
,francesca1 which1 in consequence of    
some alterations in the church1 had     
remained out of sight for a great number
 of years1 was1 through the pious       
exertions of the ,oblates1 assisted by  
the abbot of ,santa ,maria ,nuova1 and  
the ,cardinals ,borghese1 ,barberini1   
and ,altiere1 discovered in the spot    
where it had been placed two centuries  

before4 ,her bones were exposed to the  
veneration of the faithful1 and a number
 of religious processions and services  
took place on the occasion4 ,various    
miracles again gave testimony to the    
virtues of those holy relics1 and a     
magnificent monument was erected beneath
 that altar where the ,saint had so     
often prayed4 ,,blessed ,,lucy ,,of     
,,narni4 ,,blessed ,,lucy ,,of ,,narni4 
,,it was towards the latter end of the  
#aeth century that ,lucia ,broccoletti  
was horn in the ancient city of ,narni1 
in ,umbria1 where her father's house had
 long held a noble and distinguished    
rank4 ,even as a baby in the cradle1    
there were not wanting signs which      
marked her as no ordinary child2 and if 
we may credit the account given us by   
her old biographers1 both her nurses and
 mother were accustomed to see her daily
 visited by an unknown religious dressed
 in the ,dominican habit1 whose majestic
 appearance seemed something more than  
human1 and who1 taking her from her     

cradle1 embraced her tenderly1 and gave 
her her blessing4 ,they watched closely1
 to see whence this mysterious visitor  
came and whither she went1 but were     
never able to follow her2 and the mother
 becoming at length alarmed at the daily
 recurrence of this circumstance1 it was
 revealed to her that her child's       
unknown visitor was no other than ,st4  
,catherine of ,sienna1 to whom she was  
given as an adopted daughter4  ,the     
accounts that have been preserved of    
,lucia's childhood have a peculiar      
interest of their own4 ,whilst the early
 biographies of many saints present us  
with instances of extraordinary graces  
and favours granted to them in infancy1 
quite as numerous and remarkable as     
those bestowed on ,blessed ,lucy1 yet in
 her case we find them mixed with the   
details of a characteristic vivacity of 
temperament1 which give them a lifelike 
reality1 and show her to us1 in the     
midst of her supernatural visitations1  
with all the impetuosity of an          

imaginative child4 ,when she was only   
four years old1 her mother's brother1   
,don ,simon1 came on a visit to his     
sister's house1 and brought with him    
from ,rome various toys and presents for
 the children4 ,lucy was given her      
choice2 and whilst the others were      
loudly clamouring for the dolls and     
puppets1 she selected a little rosary   
with an image of the ,child ,jesus2 and 
this being given to her1 she took it in 
her arms1 bestowing every name of       
childish endearment on it1 kissing its  
hands and feet1 and calling it her dear 
,christarello1 a name which continued to
 be given to it ever afterwards4 ,the   
rest of the day she spent in her own    
little room1 where she arranged a corner
 for the reception of the ,christarello1
 and was never tired of seeing and      
caressing her new treasure4 ,henceforth 
it was here that she spent the happiest 
moments of the day4 ,if ever she got    
into any trouble in the house1 it was   
here she came to pour out all her       

sorrow2 and the innocent simplicity of  
her devotion was so pleasing to ,god1   
that more than once ,he permitted that  
the ,christarello should wipe away the  
tears which she shed on these occasions 
with ,his little hand1 as was several   
times witnessed by her mother1 who      
watched her through the half-open door4 
,as she grew a little older1 she began  
to accompany her mother to church2 and  
they frequently went to visit the great 
church of ,st4 ,augustine1 which was    
close to the house where they lived4    
,now it happened that in this church1   
among other devout images1 there was a  
small has-relief of the ,blessed ,virgin
 holding her ,divine ,son in her arms1  
which took the child's fancy the first  
time they entered1 so that she stopped  
to look at it4 ,her mother observed her 
as she lingered behind3 ,lucy1 she said1
 do you know who that beautiful lady is 
whom you see there8 ,she is the ,mother 
of your ,christarello2 and the little   
,child whom she carries in her arms is  

the ,christarello also4 ,if you like1 we
 will come here sometimes2 and you shall
 bring the rosary you are so fond of1   
and say it before her image4 ,lucy was  
delighted at the idea2 and whenever she 
could escape from her nurse's hand1 she 
found her way to the church1 to admire  
this new object of her devotion4 ,one   
day1 being thus occupied1 the thought   
came into her head1 how much she would  
like to hold the ,christarello for once 
in her own arms1 as she had learnt to   
hold her little baby brother4 ,she      
therefore prayed to the ,blessed ,virgin
 with great earnestness that her request
 might be granted1 and immediately the  
marble figure of the little ,jesus was  
extended to her by ,his ,mother1 and    
placed in her arms4 ,nor was this all3  
no sooner had she received her precious 
burden1 than she felt the cold marble   
become a living ,child2 and1 full of    
delight1 she ran home still carrying    
,him2 and though she met many people on 
the way1 who stopped her as she hurried 

along1 and tried to take ,him from her1 
she succeeded in getting safe to her own
 room at home1 where she shut herself up
 with her treasure1 and remained with   
,him for three days and nights without  
food or sleep1 insensible to all the    
entreaties and remonstrances of her     
astonished mother4 ,conquered at length 
by fatigue1 on the third day she fell   
asleep2 and when she woke she became    
sensible of the truth that ,god abides  
only with those who watch with ,him2    
for1 on opening her eyes1 the first     
thing she perceived was that the        
,christarello was gone4 ,her cries of   
distress were heard by her mother1 who1 
to console her1 carried her once more to
 the church2 and there they found the   
marble child restored to the image as   
before1 although for the three previous 
days its place in the arms of the       
,virgin's figure had been empty4  ,she  
was accustomed from time to time to pay 
a visit to the uncle before mentioned1  
and when about seven years old she went 

as usual to spend some time with him at 
his country house4 ,she remembered1 on  
the occasion of a former visit1 to have 
seen a room in some part of the house   
where there were some little angels     
painted on the walls1 as it seemed to   
her1 holding their hands and dancing2   
and the first morning after her arrival1
 she determined to set out on a diligent
 search after the dancing angels4 ,the  
room in which they were painted was in a
 wing of the house which had fallen out 
of repair1 and was no longer used by the
 family2 a staircase had led to the     
upper story1 but this was now fallen and
 in ruins2 and though ,lucy1 as she     
stood at the bottom1 could see the      
little angels on the wall above her     
head1 all her efforts were unavailing to
 climb the broken staircase and reach   
the object of her search4 ,she had      
recourse to her usual expedient1 prayer 
to the ,christarello1 and instantly     
found herself in the empty room1 without
 well knowing how she came there4 ,but  

her thoughts were soon busy with the    
angels4 ,there they were2 little winged 
children1 their heads garlanded with    
flowers1 their mantles floating as it   
seemed in the air2 and they danced with 
such an air of enjoyment and superhuman 
grace1 that ,lucy sat on the ground     
before them1 absorbed in admiration4 ,as
 she sat thus1 she heard her own name   
called from the window4 ,she turned     
round1 expecting to see her uncle or    
some of the servants of the house2 but a
 very different spectacle met her eye4  
,a glorious company of saints and angels
 stood round the ,person of ,jesus      
,himself4 ,on ,his right was ,his       
,virgin ,mother2 on ,his left1 ,st4     
,catherine and the great ,patriarch ,st4
 ,dominic1 with many others4 ,then those
 mystic espousals were celebrated which 
we read of in so many other tales of the
 ,saints of ,god3 the ,divine ,spouse   
receiving the hand of the delighted     
child from ,his ,blessed ,mother1 placed
 a ring on her finger1 which she        

preserved to the hour of her death2     
after which ,he assigned her to the     
special guardianship of ,st4 ,dominic   
and ,st4 ,catherine1 whom from that day 
she always was used to call her father  
and mother4 ,and have you nothing to    
give ,me8 ,he then asked of ,his little 
,spouse2 will you not give ,me that silk
 mantle and pretty necklace8 ,lucy was  
dressed in the rich fashion of the day1 
with a crimson damask mantle over her   
other garments1 and a necklace of gold  
and coral beads about her neck2 but at  
these words of her ,spouse1 she hastily 
stripped them off1 and lay them at ,his 
feet4 ,he did not fail1 however1 to give
 her a richer dress in their place2 for 
she had no sooner taken off the silk    
mantle1 than ,st4 ,dominic clothed her  
with the scapular of his order1 which   
she continued to wear during the rest of
 her life under her other clothes4 ,when
 the vision had disappeared1 ,lucy found
 herself full of a new and inexpressible
 joy4 ,she turned to the little angels  

on the wall1 the only companions left   
her after the last of the heavenly train
 had faded from her eyes1 and with the  
simplicity of her childish glee1 she    
spoke to them as though they were alive4
 ,you dear little angels1 she said1 are 
you not glad at what our ,lord has done8
 ,then the angels seemed to move from   
the wall1 and to become1 indeed1 full of
 life2 and they spoke to her in reply1  
and said they were very glad to have her
 for their queen and lady1 as the       
,spouse of their dear ,lord4 ,and they  
invited her to join in their dance of   
joy1 and sang so sweet and harmonious a 
music1 and held out their hands so      
kindly and graciously1 that ,lucy would 
have been well content never to have    
left her happy place of retreat2 nor    
would she have done so1 if she had not  
been found by her uncle1 and carried    
against her will back to the house4     
,the death of her father1 left her      
whilst still young1 to the guardianship 
of her uncle4 ,all her own wishes were  

fixed on a life of religion1 but her    
uncle had different views for her2 and  
after long resistance on her part1 he   
succeeded in inducing her to accept as  
her husband ,count ,pietro of ,milan1 a 
young nobleman of considerable worth and
 abilities4 ,the marriage was           
accordingly celebrated2 but not until1  
in answer to earnest prayers1 ,lucy had 
received a divine revelation that a life
 so contrary to all her own wishes and  
intentions was indeed ,god's will       
regarding her4  ,doubtless it is one of 
those cases in which it is not easy for 
us to follow the ways of ,divine        
,providence4 ,the marriage was followed 
by much suffering to both parties2 yet1 
if we be willing to take the ,saints'   
lives as they are given us1 without     
seeking to reduce the supernatural      
elements we find in them to the level of
 our own understanding1 we shall not he 
disposed to doubt the truth of the      
revelation which commanded it1 or to    
fancy things would have been much better

 if ,blessed ,lucy had never been placed
 in a position so little in harmony with
 her own wishes4 ,on the contrary1 we   
must admire the grace of ,god1 which    
would perhaps never have been so amply  
manifested in ,his servant1 had she been
 called to a more congenial way of life4
 ,we are accustomed to admire the       
wonderful variety of examples which are 
presented to us in the lives of the     
,saints3 that of ,blessed ,lucy offers  
us one of a soul with all her sympathies
 and desires fixed on the higher life of
 religion1 yet fulfilling with perfect  
exactitude the minutest duties of a     
different vocation4 ,she sanctified     
herself in the will of ,god1 though that
 will was manifested to her in a        
position which the world is used to call
 the hardest of all to bear--an         
ill-assorted marriage4 ,she found means 
to practise the humiliation of the      
cloister1 without laying aside the      
duties1 or even the becoming dignity1 of
 her station4  ,her first care1 on      

finding herself the young mistress of a 
house full of servants1 was with them1  
whom she ever looked on less as menials 
than as a cherished portion of her      
family4 ,and in the beautiful account   
given us of her intercourse with them1  
we must remember that at the period in  
which she lived1 it was considered      
nothing uncommon or unbecoming for      
ladies of the highest rank to join in   
the household occupations1 and take     
their part in the day's employment1     
working with their servants1 and        
presiding amongst them with an          
affectionate familiarity1 which1 without
 rendering them less a mistress1 gave   
them at the same time almost the        
position of a mother4 ,blessed ,lucy    
delighted in the opportunities1 which   
the simple manners of the day thus      
afforded her1 of laying aside her rich  
dress and ornaments1 and assisting in   
her own kitchen1 where she always chose 
the meanest and most tiresome offices4  
,what was with others only done in      

compliance with the ordinary habit of   
the day1 was with her made the occasion 
of secret humiliations4 ,one of her     
servants1 a woman of very holy life and 
disposition1 she took into her          
confidence1 submitting herself to her   
direction1 and obeying her as a         
religious superior4 ,on ,holy ,thursday1
 she washed the feet of all her         
domestics2 and that with so touching a  
devotion as to draw tears from the eyes 
of the rudest and most indifferent among
 them4 ,so perfect was the discipline   
she succeeded in introducing among them1
 that1 far from presenting the spectacle
 of disorder so common in households    
filled with a crowd of feudal retainers 
of all kinds1 her palace had the        
quietude and serenity of a monastery4   
,never was an oath or licentious word   
heard among them2 the name of ,god was  
honoured2 and habits of devotion became 
cherished and familiar1 where before    
they had been too often an occasion of  
mockery4 ,all the family dined at the   

same table2 and during the repast the   
,lives of the ,saints1 or the ,holy     
,scriptures1 were read aloud4 ,if any   
fault were committed by any of the      
household1 ,blessed ,lucy knew how to   
punish it so rigorously as to prevent a 
repetition of the offence2 and in this  
she was often assisted by the gift of   
prophecy1 which she enjoyed in a        
remarkable degree4 ,we read an amusing  
account of two of her maidens1 who took 
the opportunity of their mistress's     
absence at church to kill two fine      
capons1 which they resolved to dress    
privately for their own eating4 ,the    
birds were already on the spit1 when    
their mistress was heard entering the   
house4 ,fearful of discovery1 they took 
the half-roasted capons from the fire1  
and hid them under a bed4 ,blessed      
,lucy1 however1 knew all that had       
happened4 ,where are the capons1 she    
said1 that were in the court this       
morning8 ,they have flown away1 said the
 two women1 in great confusion3 we have 

been looking for them every where4 ,do  
not try to deceive ,god1 my children1   
replied ,blessed ,lucy3 they are both   
under your bed2 if you will follow me1  
,i will show them to you4 ,the servants 
followed her in silent dismay2 but their
 astonishment was still more increased1 
when not only did she lead them to the  
very place where they had hidden their  
spoils1 hut calling the birds to come   
out1 they flew out alive1 and began to  
crow lustily4  ,in another story of her 
life1 we find her represented with her  
women washing the linen of the house by 
the side of a river that flowed by the  
castle4 ,whilst so engaged1 one of them 
fell into the river and sank to the     
bottom2 but ,blessed ,lucy made the sign
 of the cross over the water1 and       
immediately the drowning woman appeared 
on the surface safe and sound1 close to 
the river's bank4  ,and in the midst of 
these simple and homely occupations1 the
 supernatural life of prayer1 and       
ecstacy1 and communion with ,god1 was   

never for a moment interrupted4 ,strange
 and beautiful sights were seen by many 
of those who were present in the church 
when she communicated3 sometimes a      
column of fire rested on her head2      
sometimes her face itself shone and     
sparkled like the sun4 ,once two little 
children1 whom she had adopted as her   
own1 saw1 as they knelt behind her1 two 
angels come and crown their mother with 
a garland1 of exquisite roses4 ,but the 
children began to weep2 for they said   
one to another1 ,certainly our mother   
cannot have long to live1 for the angels
 are even now crowning her with flowers4
  ,the beauty of her face1 and its      
extraordinary brilliancy at these times1
 had a singular power in controlling    
those who beheld it4 ,even ,count       
,pietro himself was tamed and conquered 
by a glance from her eye1 when it shone 
with this more than human splendour4    
,this mention of ,count ,pietro's name  
reminds us that it is tune we should say
 something of him1 and of his share in a

 story which has in some parts1 as we   
read it1 the character of a romance4 ,he
 was not a bad man2 he seems indeed to  
have had many good qualities1 and to    
have been possessed in some respects of 
a degree of refinement beyond what was  
common at the time4 ,he was sincerely   
attached to his saintly wife2 but he    
could not understand her4 ,they were    
beings of different worlds2 and the very
 qualities which extorted his respect   
and admiration often sadly perplexed and
 worried him4 ,her very affection for   
himself was above his comprehension2 his
 own feelings were too much made up of  
the ordinary selfishness of the world1  
for him to know how to measure the love 
of one whose love was in ,god4 ,he felt 
her power over himself2 and whilst he   
yielded to it1 it irritated him1 and not
 the less because there was nothing of  
which he could complain4 ,this          
irritation showed itself in a morose    
jealousy1 sometimes varied by fits of   
passionate violence2 in which he went so

 far as to confine his wife to her room1
 and once even to threaten her life4    
,all this1 and the yet more wearing     
trial of their daily intercourse1 was   
borne by ,blessed ,lucy with unvarying  
sweetness and gentleness4 ,but though   
she accommodated herself in every thing 
to his sullen temper1 and even showed   
him a true and loyal obedience1 the     
desire after those heavenly espousals to
 which she had been promised whilst     
still a child never left her heart2 and 
as time went on1 she began to look about
 for some opportunity of carrying her   
wishes into effect4 ,in those days it   
was no uncommon spectacle to see a wife 
or a husband1 in obedience to the       
interior call of heaven1 abandon every  
tie of flesh and blood for the          
retirement of the cloister2 nor was the 
propriety of such a step ever           
questioned4 ,society1 as a body1 in the 
ages of faith1 acknowledged the         
principle1 that one whom ,christ calls  
should leave all and follow ,him4 ,when1

 therefore1 we hear that ,blessed ,lucy 
at length resolved to leave her         
husband's house1 and take the habit of  
religion in the ,order of ,st4 ,dominic1
 we must remember that she was no more  
acting contrary to the custom of the    
age1 than when she worked with her      
servants in the kitchen4 ,it is not an  
easy matter at any time for us to judge 
of the vocation or conscience of        
another2 but when we have to carry back 
our investigation four hundred years1 we
 can hardly hope that the whole history 
of a resolution of this nature1--why it 
was carried out now1 and why it was not 
carried out before her marriage1--should
 be laid open before us like the pages  
of a book4 ,of one thing only we cannot 
doubt1--,god's will had been very       
clearly and sufficiently declared2 both 
at first1 when she consented to give up 
her own wishes1 and now1 when the time  
was come for them to be granted4 ,she   
contented herself at first with         
receiving the habit of the third order1 

and remaining in her mother's house for 
a year2 during which time she had to    
endure much from the indignation of her 
husband1 who expressed his own          
disapproval of her step in a very       
summary way1 by burning down the        
monastery of the prior who had given her
 the habit4 ,but her uncles at length   
took the case into their own hands2 and 
after considering the very extraordinary
 signs of a divine call which had been  
made manifest in her life1 they decided 
that she should be suffered to follow it
 without further molestation1 and placed
 her in the monastery of ,st4 ,catherine
 of ,sienna at ,rome4  ,within a year   
from her entrance there1 the fame of her
 sanctity had become so universal1 that 
,father ,joachim ,turriano1 the ,general
 of the ,order1 being about to found a  
new convent of nuns at ,viterbo1        
selected her as the prioress of the new 
foundation2 on which office she         
accordingly entered in the year #adif1  
being then exactly twenty years of age4 

,so great was the reputation she        
enjoyed1 that though the number of      
religious sent with her to ,viterbo by  
the general was only five1 the crowds   
that applied for admission as soon as   
her presence was known was so great that
 the convent had to be enlarged2 and she
 soon saw herself at the head of a      
numerous and flourishing community4     
,meanwhile1 her unhappy husband had not 
abandoned all hopes of inducing her even
 yet to return to the world4 ,he had    
followed her to ,rome1 and made vain    
efforts to see and speak with her3 he   
now followed her also to ,viterbo2 and  
though unsuccessful in his attempts to  
obtain the slightest answer to his      
continual applications and appeals1 he  
continued to linger about the convent1  
in the restless mood of one who would   
not give up his design as hopeless4     
,every tongue around him was busy with  
the fame of ,lucy's saintliness2 from   
one he heard of her almost continual    
prayer1 from another1 of the glory which

 was seen to hover over her face in the 
presence of the ,blessed ,sacrament3 but
 soon1 in the ,february following her   
removal to ,viterbo1 the interest of all
 was absorbed in a new report1--that she
 had received the sacred stigmata2 and  
that in so remarkable a manner as to put
 all doubt on the subject out of the    
question4 ,for it was hi the choir1 with
 the other religious1 that1 being       
engaged in profound meditation on the   
,passion1 she was observed by one of the
 sisters to look pale and as if         
suffering acute pain4 ,the sister went  
up to her to support her1 and was struck
 with the appearance of her hands1 the  
bones of which seemed dislocated1 and   
the nerves torn4 ,mother of ,god6 she   
exclaimed1 what is the matter with your 
hands8 ,nothing1 was the faint reply2   
they are only gone to sleep4 ,but within
 a few moments the agony she was        
enduring and endeavouring to conceal    
overpowered her1 and she became         
perfectly senseless4 ,they carried her  

from the choir and restored her to      
consciousness1 so that she was able to  
return within an hour and receive ,holy 
,communion2 but the same sister who had 
first observed her1 being convinced     
something very extraordinary had        
happened1 continued to watch her1 and   
followed her to her cell4 ,she then     
remarked that her hands were livid1 and 
the skin raised and much inflamed2 and  
by the end of the week the wounds became
 large and open1 and shed so great an   
abundance of blood that it could no     
longer be concealed4 ,the excitement    
which followed1 when these circumstances
 became generally known1 can hardly be  
described4 ,a minute investigation was  
first made by the ,bishop of ,viterbo2  
after which three successive commissions
 of inquiry were appointed by the       
command of the ,pope to examine the     
affair1 and each of these inquiries     
terminated in the declaration that the  
truth of the miracle was beyond all     
dispute4 ,multitudes flocked to the     

convent to see and touch the sacred     
wounds1 and came back full of the       
wonders which their own eyes had        
witnessed4 ,duke ,hercules of ,este1 the
 ,pope's nephew1 made earnest           
applications to his uncle to suffer her 
to be removed to his own city of        
,ferrara2 and whilst all these things   
were going on1 ,count ,pietro still     
remained in ,viterbo4  ,the world about 
him was echoing with his wife's renown1 
but none knew his own connection with   
her4 ,each marvel that he heard did but 
seem to widen the gulf between them2 yet
 still he stayed and lingered within    
sight of the walls that shut her from   
him for ever3 now bitterly accusing     
himself for the blindness of his own    
conduct towards her2 now striving to    
keep alive a kind of despairing hope    
that1 could he but once gain admittance 
to her presence1 he might even yet      
regain possession of a treasure which1  
when it was his1 he knew not how to     
value4 ,at length his desires were      

granted4 ,a sudden inspiration induced  
,lucy to consent to an interview3 it was
 the first that had taken place since   
she had fled from his house1 and it was 
the last they ever had in this life4    
,it must have been a singular meeting3  
the two years of their separation had   
altered both4 ,as to the ,count1 his    
restless despair had worn him to an old 
man4 ,he had never seen ,narni since the
 day of her departure for ,rome1 whither
 he had followed her2 and had spent the 
long days of those two years hanging    
about the convent-gates like some       
miserable beggar4 ,and the same two     
years had placed ,lucy far beyond his   
reach1 as it were in a supernatural     
world above him4 ,when she stood before 
him at the grate1 and he beheld her     
marked with those sacred and mysterious 
wounds1 and bearing in her whole        
appearance the air of one whose         
sympathies were for ever removed from   
the affections of humanity1 his heart   
failed him4 ,he had thought to speak to 

her of her home1 and the claims which   
should recall her to the world2 he saw  
before him something a little lower than
 the angels2 and falling on his knees1  
he bent his eyes to the ground1 and     
remained silent4 ,then she spoke2 and   
heaven seemed to speak to him by her    
voice4 ,the mists of earthly passion    
rolled away from his heart as he        
listened2 the world and its hopes died  
in him at that moment2 an extraordinary 
struggle tore his very soul1 then passed
 away1 and left it in a profound calm4  
,for the first time he caught a glimpse 
of that reality which till now he had   
treated as a dream2 the world and its   
unquiet joys were now themselves the    
dream1 and heaven opened on him as the  
reality4 ,all life fell away from him in
 that hour2 and when his wife ceased    
speaking1 she had won his soul to ,god4 
,he dragged himself to her feet1 and    
bathed them in his tears2 he conjured   
her pardon for all the persecutions and 
violence of the past1 and renounced     

every right or claim over her obedience 
for ever4 ,then1 leaving her without    
another word1 he obeyed the voice which 
had so powerfully spoken to his heart2  
for within a few weeks he took the habit
 of the ,friars ,minor of the strict    
observance2 and persevering in it for   
many years1 died a little before his    
wife1 with the reputation of sanctity4  
,were this a romande1 the story of      
,blessed ,lucy might well end here4 ,but
 her life was yet scarcely begun4       
,shortly after the interview with her   
husband just spoken of1 ,duke ,hercules 
obtained the ,pope's orders for her     
removal to ,ferrara4 ,this was only done
 by stealth2 for the people of ,viterbo 
having got intelligence of the design1  
guarded the city night and day2 so that1
 in order to gain possession of the     
,saint1 the duke was reduced to the     
expedient of loading several mules with 
large baskets1 as if full of goods2 and 
in one of these ,blessed ,lucy was      
concealed and carried off1 under the    

guardianship of a strong body of armed  
men4 ,being arrived at ,ferrara1 the    
duke received her with extraordinary    
honours1 and built a magnificent convent
 for her reception1 to which ,pope      
,alexander ,,vi4 granted singular       
privileges1 by a brief wherein he       
declared her to have followed the       
footsteps of ,st4 ,catherine of ,sienna 
in all things4 ,in this convent she gave
 the habit to her own mother1 as well as
 to many noble ladies of ,ferrara4  ,it 
were too long to tell of all the signs  
of ,divine favour which were granted to 
her during the first years of her new   
government2 of the miracles wrought by  
her hands1 the visions of marvellous    
beauty that were given to her gaze2 and 
the familiarity with which she seemed to
 live among the saints and angels4 ,thus
 one day1 passing into the dormitory1   
she was met by the figure of a          
religious1 whom she knew to be ,st4     
,catherine of ,sienna4 ,prostrating     
herself at her feet1 she prayed her to  

bless the new monastery1 which was      
dedicated in her name4 ,the saint       
willingly complied1 and they went       
through the house together2 ,blessed    
,lucy carrying the holy water1 whilst   
,st4 ,catherine sprinkled the cells1 as 
the manner is in blessing a house4      
,whilst they went along1 they sang      
together the hymn ,ace ,maris ,stella2  
and having finished1 ,st4 ,catherine    
left her staff with ,blessed ,lucy1 and 
took her leave4 ,and another time they  
saw in the same dormitory a great       
company of angels1 and the form of one  
of surpassing beauty1 and clad in an    
azure robe in the midst of them1        
standing among them as their queen4     
,then she sent them hither and thither1 
like soldiers to their posts1 and bid   
them guard the various offices of the   
monastery2 for1 she said1 we must take  
possession of this house4  ,one lingers 
over this period of her story1 unwilling
 to pass on to the sorrowful conclusion4
 ,god1 who had elevated her so highly in

 the sight of the world1 was about to   
set upon her life the seal of a profound
 humiliation4 ,hitherto she had been    
placed before the eyes of man as an     
object of enthusiastic veneration3 her  
convent gates were crowded by peisons of
 all ranks1 who thronged only to see her
 for a moment4 ,duke ,hercules of ,este 
applied to her for counsel in all       
difficulties of state4 ,the ,pope had   
issued extraordinary briefs to enable   
the religious of other convents and     
orders to pass under her government1 and
 even to leave the second order to join 
her community1 which belonged to the    
third1--a privilege we shall scarcely   
find granted in any other case4 ,but now
 these triumphs and distinctions were   
about to have an end4 ,blessed ,lucy was
 about twenty-nine years of age4 ,the   
honour in which she was held1 and the   
public celebrity she enjoyed1 were a    
continual source of sorrow and          
humiliation to her2 and with the desire 
to escape from something of the popular 

applause which followed her1 she ceased 
not earnestly to implore her ,divine    
,spouse to remove from her the visible  
marks of the sacred stigmata1 which were
 the chief cause of the veneration which
 was paid her by the world4 ,her request
 was in part granted1 the wounds in her 
hands and feet closed2 but that of the  
side1 which was concealed from the eyes 
of others1 remained open to the hour of 
her death4 ,whether the withdrawal of   
these visible tokens of the ,divine     
favour was the cause of the change in   
the sentiments of her subjects1 we are  
not told2 but we find shortly after1    
that some among them1 disgusted at her  
refusal to allow the community to become
 incorporated with the second order1    
rose in rebellion1 and even attempted   
her life4 ,the scandal of this crime was
 concealed through the exertions of     
,lucy herself2 but on the death of her  
great protector1 ,duke ,hercules1 in    
#aeje1 the discontented members of the  
community recommenced their plots       

against her authority and reputation4   
,then--designs were laid with consummate
 art2 and at length they publicly       
accused her of having been seen in her  
cell endeavouring to re-open the wounds 
of her hands and feet with a knife1 in  
order to impose on the public4 ,their   
evidence was so ably concocted1 that    
they succeeded in gaining over the heads
 of the order to their side4 ,hasty and 
violent measures were at once adopted2  
every apostolic privilege granted by    
,pope ,alexander was revoked2 she was   
degraded from her office of prioress1   
deprived of every right and voice in the
 community1 and placed below the        
youngest novice in the house4 ,she was1 
moreover1 forbidden to speak to any one 
except the confessor1 kept in a strict  
imprisonment1 and treated in every way  
as if proved guilty of an infamous      
imposture4 ,nor was this disgrace       
confined within the enclosure of her own
 monastery2 it spread as far as her     
reputation had extended4 ,all ,italy was

 moved with a transport of indignation  
against her2 the storm of invective     
which was raised reached her even in her
 prison2 her name became a proverb of   
reproach through ,europe2 and the nuns  
whonad been professed at her hands made 
their professions over again to the new 
prioress1 as if their vows formerly made
 to her had been invalid4  ,one can     
hardly picture a state of desolation    
equal to that in which ,blessed ,lucy   
now found herself4 ,it was as if this   
token of deep abjection and humiliation 
were required as a confirmation of her  
saintliness4 ,if any such proof were    
indeed needed1 it was furnished by the  
conduct which she exhibited under this  
extraordinary trial4 ,during the whole  
remaining period of her life1 a space of
 eight-and-thirty years1 she bore her   
heavy cross without a murmur4 ,perhaps  
its hardest suffering was1 to live thus 
among those whom she had gathered1      
together with her own hands1 and had    
sought to lead to the highest paths of  

religion1 compelled now to be a silent  
witness of their wickedness4 ,her life  
was a long prayer for her persecutors1  
and we are assured that no sorrow or    
regret ever seemed to shadow the deep   
tranquillity of her soul4 ,so far as it 
touched herself1 she took it as a more  
precious token of her ,spouse's love    
than all the graces and favours ,he had 
ever heaped on her before4 ,but it is no
 part of saintliness to be indifferent  
to the sins of others2 and we can       
scarcely fathom the anguish which must  
hourly have pierced her heart1 at the   
ingratitude and malignity of her        
unworthy children4  ,and so closed the  
life which had opened in such a joyous  
and beautiful childhood4 ,god indeed    
knew how to comfort one whom the world  
had utterly cast out2 and though cut off
 from the least communication with any  
human being1 she could scarcely be      
pitied whilst her neglected and solitary
 cell was the resort of celestial       
visitants and friends4 ,the reader is   

possibly a little tired of such tales2  
yet we ask his indulgence whilst        
referring to one of these last incidents
 in the life of ,blessed ,lucy1 which we
 can scarcely omit4 ,there lived at the 
same time1 at ,caramagna in ,savoy1     
another beatified saint of the same     
illustrious order1 ,blessed ,catherine  
of ,raconigi4 ,she had never seen       
,blessed ,lucy2 but had heard of her    
saintly fame1 and the lustre of her life
 and miracles1 and then also of her     
sufferings and disgrace4 ,but the saints
 of ,god judge not as the world judges2 
and ,catherine knew by the light of     
divine illumination the falsehood of the
 charges brought against her sister4    
,she had ever longed to see and speak   
with her2 and now more than ever1 when  
the glitter of the world's applause was 
exchanged for its contumely and         
persecution4 ,the thought of her sister1
 never seen with mortal eye1 yet so     
dearly loved in ,god1 never left her    
mind2 and she prayed earnestly to their 

common ,lord and ,spouse1 that ,he would
 comfort and support her1 and1 if such  
were ,his blessed will1 satisfy in some 
way her own intense desire to hold some 
kind of intercourse with her even in    
this life4 ,one night1 as she was thus  
praying in her cell at ,caramagna1 her  
desires were heard and granted4 ,the    
same evening ,lucy was also alone and in
 prayer2 and to her in like manner ,god 
had revealed the sanctity of ,catherine1
 kindling in her heart a loving sympathy
 with one who1 though a stranger in the 
world's language1 had been brought very 
near to her heart in the mysteries of   
the ,heart of ,jesus4 ,we cannot say how
 and in what way it was1 but they spent 
that night together2 but when morning   
came1 and found her again alone as      
before1 ,lucy had received such strength
 and consolation from her sister's      
visit1 that1 as her biographer says1 she
 desired new affronts and persecutions  
for the glory of that ,lord who knew so 
well how to comfort and suppoit her in  

them4  ,her last illness came on her in 
her sixty-eighth year3 for              
eight-and-thirty years she had lived    
stripped of all human consolation2 and  
the malice of her enemies continued     
unabated to the last4 ,none came near   
her1 as she lay weak and dying on her   
miserable bed4 ,like her ,lord and      
,master1 they hid their faces from her1 
counting her as a leper4 ,the ordinary  
offices of charity1 which they would    
have done to the poorest beggar in the  
streets1 they denied to her2 she was    
left to die as she had lived1 alone4    
,but if the world abandoned her1 ,god   
did not4 ,her pillow was smoothed and   
tended by more than a mother's care4    
,saint ,catherine did not neglect her   
charge4 ,it is said she was more than   
once seen by the sick-bed1 having in her
 company one of the sisters of the      
community1 who had departed a short time
 before1 with the reputation of         
sanctity2 and together they did the     
office of infirmarians to the dying     

,saint4 ,when the last hour drew nigh1  
she called the sisters around her bed1  
and humbly asked their pardon for any   
scandal she had given them in life4 ,we 
do not find one word of justification1  
or remonstrance1 or even of regret2 only
 some broken words of exhortation1 not  
to be offended at her imperfection1 but 
to love ,god and be detached from       
creatures1 and abide steadfastly by     
their rule4 ,at midnight1 on the #aeth  
of ,november1 #aedd1 she felt the moment
 of release was at hand2 and without any
 death-struggle or sign of suffering1   
she raised her hands and cried1 ,up to  
heaven1 up to heaven6 and so expired1   
with a smile that remained on the dead  
face with so extraordinary a beauty1    
that none could look on it without a    
sentiment of awe1 for they knew it was  
the beauty of one of ,god's ,saints4    
,the truth could not longer be          
concealed2 one supernatural token after 
another was given to declare the        
blessedness of the departed soul4       

,angelic voices were heard singing above
 the cell by all the sisters2 an        
extraordinary perfume filled the cell   
and the whole house2 and the community1 
who had probably for the most part been 
deceived by one or two in authority1    
without any malice on their own part1   
now loudly insisted on justice being    
done to the deceased4 ,it was done1 so  
far as funeral honours can make amends  
for a life of cruelty and calumniation4 
,the body was exposed in the church2 and
 the fickle crowds who had called her an
 impostor while living1 crowded now to  
see and touch the sacred remains4 ,the  
wound in her side was examined1 and     
found dripping with fresh wet blood2 the
 sick were cured1 and evil spirits cast 
out1 by cloths which had been placed on 
the relics4  ,four years after the body 
was taken from its grave1 and found     
fresh and beautiful as in life4 ,then it
 was again exposed in the church to the 
veneration of the faithful1 who crowded 
once more to pay it honour1 and were    

wonder-struck at the perfume1 as of     
sweet violets1 which issued from it1 and
 attached to every thing which it       
touched4 ,and it was again disinterred1 
little more than a century ago1 in      
#agaj1 when it presented the same       
appearance as before1 and the sacred    
stigmata were observed distinct and     
visible to all4 ,on this occasion a part
 of the body was translated to ,narni1  
where it now reposes in a magnificent   
shrine1 and receives extraordinary      
honours1 amid the scene of her childish 
devotion to the ,christarello4 ,perhaps1
 as we read of these honours to the     
dead1 we may feel they were but poor    
reparation for the calumnies and        
injuries heaped on her while living3 or1
 if we seek to measure these things in  
the balance of the sanctuary1 we can    
believe that to her blessed spirit now1 
those long years of abandonment and     
desolation1 which cut her off from all  
communion with this earth for more than 
half her mortal life1 were a far more   

precious gift than all the shrines1 and 
funeral honours1 and popular veneration1
 which the world in its tardy repentance
 was moved to give her4  ,she was       
finally beatified by ,benedict ,,xiii4  
towards the middle of the last century4 
,,dominica ,,of ,,paradiso ,,dominica   
,,of ,,paradiso4  ,about four hundred   
years ago there lived at a small country
 village near ,florence1 called         
,paradiso1 a poor gardener and his wife1
 whose names were ,francis and          
,costanza4 ,they had several children1  
of whom the youngest was named          
,dominica1 who was brought up to the    
life of labour and hardship ordinary    
among the poorer peasantry of ,italy1   
and whose daily task it was to help in  
the cultivation of the garden on which  
the whole family depended for support4  
,beyond the first rudiments of the      
,christian faith1 ,dominica received no 
education2 for her parents were in no   
way superior in intelligence to others  
of their class in life4 ,nevertheless1  

from her very infancy she showed signs  
that the few instructions which they    
were able to give her had made a        
wonderful impression on her heart2 and  
as her soul received each new religious 
idea1 it was cherished and meditated on2
 so that she gathered materials enough  
out of these simple elements to build up
 a life of the highest contemplative    
prayer4 ,among all the biographies of   
the saints which have been preserved to 
us1 there are few which so vividly      
illustrate the growth of a profound and 
supernatural devotion in the heart of an
 uneducated child as that before us4    
,nor will it be thought that the extreme
 simplicity which mingles with some of  
the passages of her life which are here 
selected1 lessens the beauty of a       
narrative whose incidents charm us like 
a poem4  ,dominica was marked in a      
special way as the child of ,mary1 even 
from her cradle4 ,the first occasion    
when we read of the ,blessed ,virgin    
appearing to her was one day when she   

was lying on her poor little bed1 being 
then only four years old4 ,the presence 
of the ,divine ,mother with a train of  
shining angels then first awoke in her  
little heart a longing after ,god and   
heaven2 and she began to pray-though    
scarcely knowing the meaning of the     
words she uttered-that she might be     
taught the way to reach that glory1 the 
vision of which had captivated her      
imagination4 ,then she came to          
understand that fidelity to ,god's      
precepts1 and contrition for sin1 was   
the path of saintliness2 and so were    
traced out on her soul the first        
lineaments of perfection4 ,now she had  
learnt that contrition was a sorrow for 
sin2 and the simple sort of catechism   
which her mother was accustomed to teach
 her spoke also of the heart being full 
of sin1 and how tears of penitence were 
necessary to wash it from its corrupt   
steins4 ,a metaphor of any kind was far 
beyond the reach of ,dominica's         
comprehension2 she therefore took these 

expressions in a very straightforward   
way1 and wept heartily to think her     
heart should be so defiled and dangerous
 a thing4 ,and the handkerchief which   
was wet with her childish tears she laid
 over her breast1 thinking that this    
must be the way to wash away the stains 
they talked of4  ,all day long she      
revolved in her mind the one idea which 
had been revealed to her                
soul1--perfection1 as the road to ,god's
 presence2 and thinking incessantly of  
these things amid the various           
occupations in which she was engaged1   
she came to make every part of her day's
 work associated with the subjects of   
her meditation4 ,to her eye1 all        
untaught by man1 but enlightened by the 
,divine light1 the invisible things of  
,god were clearly seen by the things    
that were visible4 ,once she was helping
 an elder sister to make some cakes     
mixed with poppy-seeds1 to give to her  
brother who was ill and suffering from  
want of sleep4 ,as she baked the cakes1 

her thoughts were1 as usual1 busy       
finding divine meanings in the things   
before her4 ,the interior voice1 whose  
whispers she as yet scarcely understood1
 seemed to speak to her of another kind 
of food which should satisfy the soul1  
so that it should slumber and repose in 
the sleep of ,divine love4 ,then she    
prayed very earnestly to be given this  
wonderful food2 and the voice spoke in  
answer1 and said1 ,daughter1 the food of
 which ,i spake is none other than ,my  
love1 with which when the saints in     
heaven are filled and satisfied1 they   
sleep so sweetly1 that they forget all  
created things1 and watch only unto ,me4
 ,and ,dominica wondered how the saints 
took this marvellous slumber1 and       
whether it were on beds made like her   
own straw mattress1 or in the bosom of  
,god1 even as her mother was wont to    
rock the little baby to sleep4 ,when she
 was at work1 in the garden1 she would  
raise her eyes to heaven1 and think how 
she could make her heart a garden of    

flowers for the delight of ,god4 ,and   
once1 as she so mused1 ,he who had      
undertaken the office of teacher and    
director to her soul appeared to her1   
and taught her that prayer would keep   
that soul ever fresh and green before   
,him2 and that ,he would open in that   
garden five limpid and crystal fountains
 to refresh it1 even the five wounds of 
,his ,sacred ,passion2 and that she1 on 
her part1 must keep it free from weeds1 
daily plucking up evil passions1 and the
 idle thoughts of vanity and the world2 
that so it might be beautiful to the    
eye1 and abundant in all-pleasant       
fruits4 ,if she ran upstairs1 her       
thoughts ascended to heaven2 if she came
 down1 she abased herself in the depths 
of lowliness and humility4 ,the oxen    
ploughing in the field reminded her to  
bear meekly the yoke of obedience2 and  
as she stood in her father's wine-press 
she taught herself to tread under her   
own will and nature1 if she would taste 
of the sweetness of divine consolations4

 ,once the sight of a hen with her brood
 of chickens so vividly brought before  
her the mystery of the ,incarnation1 and
 that wonderful love which gave its life
 to cover our sins and shield us from   
the wrath of ,god1 that she was rapt in 
a state of ecstasy1 and so remained in  
the garden all that day and the         
following night4 ,and again1 as she     
gathered the ripe apples which her      
mother was hoarding for the winter1 she 
became absorbed in contemplating the    
beauty of that soul wherein the fruits  
of virtue are brought forth1 making it  
pleasant in the eye of ,god4 ,and she   
sighed deeply1 and said1 ,oh1 that ,i   
knew how to store my soul with these    
precious fruits6 how happy should ,i    
then be6 ,and the ,spouse of her heart  
came swiftly to her1 and showed her how 
for every apple she gathered for the    
love of ,him1 there was brought forth a 
glorious fruit within her soul1 more    
gracious and beautiful in ,his sight    
than the fairest apples of her garden4  

,all this was going on in her mind      
whilst yet not six years old2 and so her
 life divided itself between the homely 
exterior labour and rough discipline of 
a peasant life1 and an interior of      
spiritual contemplation1 wherein were   
revealed to her many of the profoundest 
secrets of mystic theology4 ,the world  
became to her a book written within and 
without with the name of ,god2 all      
creatures talked to her of ,him4 ,and   
this was sometimes permitted to be      
manifested in extraordinary ways2 as    
once1 when walking by the side of a lake
 near their cottage1 the thought        
suggested itself that the fish1 being   
creatures of ,god1 must be obedient to  
,him1 and ready to do ,him service4     
,therefore she stood by the water-side1 
and called them to come and help her    
whilst she sang ,his praises2 and the   
fish1 swimming to the shore1 did so     
after their kind1 leaping and jumping   
about out of the water2 while she sat on
 the grass1 and sang a little song which

 she had learnt1 and was fond of        
repeating to herself over her work in   
the garden4  ,one day she was ill1 and  
her mother desired her to eat some meat1
 which she did1 although it was ,friday2
 and afterwards felt great scruples1    
fearing she had committed a great sin4  
,she had never yet been to confession1  
being under the age when it is usual for
 children to confess4 ,but she now felt 
very anxious to relieve her conscience  
of this weight2 only1 being confined to 
her bed1 she could not get to the       
church2 nor did she dare to ask her     
mother to send for the priest4 ,she     
therefore considered within herself what
 she should do2 and she remembered to   
have seen the people in the church not  
only kneeling in the confessionals1 but 
also before the crucifixes and devout   
images on the altars2 and in her        
simplicity1 she thought that they were  
likewise confessing their sins to them4 
,now there was a little picture of the  
,madonna holding the ,holy ,child in her

 arms1 which hung in her room1 and      
,dominica thought she could confess to  
this2 therefore1 getting out of bed1 she
 knelt down devoutly before it1 and     
confessed her fault in eating the meat  
with many tears1 praying the little     
,jesus to give her absolution for her   
fault1 which she thought ,he would do by
 placing ,his hand on her head1 as she  
had seen the old priest do to the little
 children of the village4 ,but when she 
had knelt a long time1 and saw that the 
image did not move1 she became very     
unhappy1 and prayed all the harder that 
,he would not deny her absolution1 but  
would give her the sign she asked for4  
,then it pleased our ,lord to grant her 
the answer which her simple confidence  
extorted from ,him2 and the figures of  
the ,mother and the ,son raised their   
hands1 and placed them on the child's   
head1 who remained filled with delight  
at the thought that her sins were now   
forgiven her1 and her conscience at     
rest4  ,after this her mother took her  

once a year to confession in the church4
 ,it grieved her much not to be able to 
go oftener2 but her angel-guardian      
taught her to submit in this matter to  
her mother's pleasure1 and to supply the
 place of more frequent confession by   
every evening examining her conscience1 
and confessing her daily faults before  
the same picture as before4 ,nor was    
this the only teaching which she        
received from him2 he taught her that   
the path to ,paradise was a way of      
suffering2 and that they who aspired to 
the mystic nuptials of ,christ were     
careful to clothe themselves with the   
livery of the cross4 ,and ,dominica1 in 
obedience to these instructions1 began  
to afflict her body with fasts and other
 austerities1 and gave the food which   
she saved from her own dinner to the    
poor4 ,she ever showed great devotion to
 the ,blessed ,virgin1 especially after 
the circumstances narrated above2 and   
made it her particular duty to light the
 lamp before her picture every          

,saturday1 and to garland it with       
flowers on that day1 as being specially 
dedicated to her4 ,on one of these      
occasions1 ,mary appeared to her with   
her ,divine ,child in her arms1 and     
promised her that in reward for her     
devotion she should one day become ,his 
spouse1 but not until she had grown     
further in perfection and in ,his love4 
,this promise became thenceforth the    
absorbing subject of her thoughts2 and  
at seven years of age she consecrated   
herself to ,him1 whom from that hour she
 considered her ,spouse1 by a solemn    
vow1 cutting off her beautiful golden   
hair1 as she understood the custom was1 
and offering it to her ,lord4 ,when her 
mother saw her hair cut off1 she was    
greatly displeased1 and commanded her to
 suffer it to grow again1 and not to    
attempt to cut it a second time4        
,dominica obeyed2 but she secretly      
prayed that ,god would send her some    
infirmity of the head1 which might      
prevent the growth of the hair4 ,and    

this indeed happened2 so that the head  
remained closely cut until her fifteenth
 year1 when it was cured1 and           
miraculously crowned1 as we shall see1  
by ,god4  ,our ,blessed ,lady very often
 favoured her with her visible presence2
 but on these occasions she appeared    
alone1 and without her ,son4 ,dominica  
was greatly grieved at the absence of   
her ,lord1 and at length one day        
resolved to ask the ,blessed ,virgin the
 reason why ,he never came4 ,o ,divine  
,lady1 she said1 you come very often to 
see me and talk to me2 but you never    
bring ,him who is to be my ,spouse2 why 
is this1 for it grieves me that ,i never
 see ,him8 ,then our ,lady1 smiling on  
her1 showed her the ,holy ,infant       
sleeping in her bosom4 ,dominica was    
delighted at the sight4 ,but how very   
small ,he is6 she exclaimed ,he will    
grow1 replied ,mary1 when you will1 and 
as much as you will2 and as she spoke1  
,dominica perceived that ,he was already
 much larger4 ,ah6 ,he is already       

growing1 she exclaimed2 now ,he is twice
 the size ,he was6--how is that8 ,he    
grows with your growth1 again replied   
,mary2 and your growth must be not in   
the flesh1 but in the spirit3 when you  
have attained to your full growth in    
holiness1 ,he will come and celebrate   
those espousals which you desire so     
much4 ,then the ,child extended ,his    
hand to ,dominica as a token of ,his    
renewed promise2 and the vision         
disappeared4 ,she remained very sad and 
disconsolate2 and her grief1 when she   
thought of the loveliness of ,jesus1 and
 the long time that was yet to elapse   
before ,his promise could be fulfilled1 
became so poignant1 that she fell ill1  
and spent eight days in continual tears 
and sorrow of heart4 ,this abandonment  
of her soul to grief was by no means    
pleasing to the ,blessed ,virgin1 who   
appeared again at the end of the eight  
days1 and gave her a sharp reproof for  
her want of resignation4 ,daughter1 she 
said1 you grieve for the loss of        

sensible consolations2 but know this1   
that to those who attach themselves to  
such things1 visions1 and revelations1  
and the sensible presence of the        
,beloved1 are not blessings but evils3  
wherefore put away your sorrow1 and     
serve ,god with a joyful and contented  
heart4 ,but how can ,i be joyful1 said  
the weeping child1 whilst ,i am so far  
from my ,spouse and ,his palace1 and    
still kept a prisoner in this vale of   
tears8 ,then the merciful heart of ,mary
 was moved with pity1 and she said1     
,follow me with your eyes1 and you shall
 see a glimpse of the country where ,he 
dwells2 and so saying1 she rose towards 
heaven before her eyes4 ,dominica       
watched her as she had said1 and she saw
 how the heavens opened to receive their
 queen2 and caught through the parted   
doors of those celestial regions        
something of the glory of the ,new      
,jerusalem4 ,she saw her pass on through
 the countless choirs of the angels1    
till she came close to the throne of    

,god2 and in the midst of the           
unapproachable light she saw the ,child 
,jesus1 more beautiful and glorious than
 she had ever seen ,him before2 and     
then1 even as she gazed on ,him1        
forgetting all beside1 the golden gates 
closed on the scene1 and shut it from   
her eyes4 ,now when ,dominica looked    
round1 and saw that it had all passed   
away1 she remained full of an           
unspeakable longing to reach that       
glorious country1 or at least to see it 
once again4 ,she kept her eyes          
constantly fixed on the sky1 for she    
thought perhaps it might once more open2
 and in her simplicity she thought she  
should be nearer to her ,lord1 and to   
the beauty amid which ,he dwelt1 on high
 places3 therefore1 at night1 when all  
the family were asleep1 she rose softly1
 and taking a ladder1 mounted to the    
roof1 where she spent the night in      
prayer1 looking wistfully at the stars1 
which she thought were at least little  
sparks of that great glory which had    

been revealed to her4 ,and having       
repeated this several times1 it pleased 
,god more than once to open the vision  
of heaven to her again2 so that she came
 to have a familiarity with that blessed
 place1 and to know the choirs of angels
 one from another1 and to tell the      
different degrees of the blessed by the 
crowns they wore1 and many ether        
mysteries which1 whilst she beheld1 she 
as yet did not fully comprehend4  ,when 
,easter came1 her mother took her to    
church1 and she saw all the people going
 to ,communion1 and grieved much to     
think she was too young to be suffered  
to approach with them4 ,it seemed also  
very strange to her that they should    
come to so wonderful a banquet1 and go  
away again1 just as if nothing had      
happened to them2 and she thought it    
would not be so with her3 for1 indeed1  
whenever she was present at ,mass1 and  
the priest elevated the ,sacred ,host   
before her eyes1 she saw the visible    
person of her divine ,spouse1 adorned   

with so wonderful a beauty that it      
seemed marvellous to her that no one    
else seemed moved by the sight2 and she 
thought that all saw what she saw1 and  
never dreamt that it was a revelation   
granted to her eyes alone4 ,and once1 as
 she thus reasoned within herself1 and  
looked sorrowfully on the crowds who    
were going to receive a happiness which 
was denied to her1 the ,lord of her soul
 ,himself drew near to comfort her with 
a foretaste of ,his presence1 and       
,dominica felt on her tongue a drop of  
,his precious ,blood4  ,autumn brought  
the harvest1 and with it hard work in   
the fields for ,dominica1 whose prayers 
and visions never interrupted her life  
of daily labour4 ,she was one day in the
 fields watching them burn the stubble1 
and helping to heap the loads of straw  
and rubbish on to the fire4 ,with       
childlike glee1 she danced and clapped  
her hands to see the flames leaping high
 into the air2 and she thought to       
herself that the fire was like ,divine  

love1 and longed that her own heart     
could be consumed in its flames like the
 worthless straw4 ,then the voice of her
 ,spouse spoke within her and said1     
,what would you do1 ,dominica1 if you   
saw your ,spouse in the midst of those  
flames8 ,and she answered1 ,i would run 
to ,him and embrace ,him4 ,but1 replied 
the voice1 would you not fear the fire8 
do you not remember how terrible was the
 pain when your sister burnt her hand8  
,and even at that moment ,dominica saw  
through the flames1 how a beautiful lady
 entered the field on the other side of 
the fire1 leading a child of surpassing 
loveliness by the hand4 ,as she looked  
at them the lady spoke to her3          
,dominica1 she said1 why are you here1  
and what do you seek8 ,and ,dominica    
replied1 ,i am looking at the flames1   
and ,i am seeking for ,god in them6     
,god4 answered the lady1 is very near   
you1 and yet you do not know ,him4 ,then
 her eyes opened1 and she knew that she 
had been speaking to no other than      

,jesus and ,mary2 and forgetting the    
fire and her own danger1 and all but the
 presence of her ,beloved1 she ran      
through the flames to the other side1   
and cast herself at ,his feet4 ,in doing
 this she was severely burnt1 for her   
legs and arms were bare like other      
peasant children2 but ,dominica did not 
feel the pain1 for she was gazing on her
 ,lord4 ,and the glorious ,child took   
her lovingly by the hand1 and said1 ,o  
,dominica1 thou has conquered flames for
 the love of ,me2 therefore shall thou  
ever abide in ,my grace1 and shalt dwell
 with ,me for ever4 ,then he blessed    
her2 and disappearing from sight1       
,dominica was again alone4 ,on looking  
round her1 she found that it was quite  
dark1 and the stars were shining        
brightly2 for the moments that had      
seemed to her to fly so quickly had     
indeed been hours1 and it was now night4
 ,she began to be very frightened2      
knowing that her absence would cause    
great alarm2 but we are assured that1 on

 returning in the morning1 she found she
 had not been missed1 her angel-guardian
 having taken her form1 and discharged  
all the household offices which it was  
her duty to perform4  ,on another       
occasion1 she was as usual at work in   
the garden1 whilst her brothers were    
bringing in a load of manure which smelt
 very offensive4 ,the habit of drawing  
spiritual meanings from all external    
objects had become so completely second 
nature to ,dominica1 that her thoughts  
seem to have shaped themselves into     
these analogies on all occasions4 ,the  
bad smell therefore suggested to her    
mind an image of mortal sin1 and she    
prayed that she might be taught in some 
way how it appeared in the eyes-of ,god4
 ,at that moment a soldier entered the  
garden for the purpose of purchasing    
some vegetables1 and ,dominica perceived
 that his soul was very offensive in the
 sight of ,god4 ,she looked in his face1
 and it seemed to her so disfigured by  
foul and monstrous deformity1 that she  

was moved with a deep compassion for    
him2 she prayed therefore very          
earnestly1 that ,god would give him the 
grace of conversion1 and save him from  
his miserable state4 ,she longed to say 
something to him2 but not daring to     
address him1 she remained before him1   
still looking up in his face1 and       
weeping bitterly4 ,her manner at length 
drew his attention1 and he asked her    
what was the matter1 and why she kept   
thus looking at him and weeping4 ,i     
weep1 she answered1 because your soul is
 so ugly2 you must certainly be very    
unhappy4 ,how is it you do not remember 
the ,precious ,blood which redeemed you 
from the power of the devil8 ,do you not
 see the bow bent1 and the arrow ready  
to fly8 ,what bow1 and what arrow1 are  
you talking of8 said the astonished man4
 ,the bow1 replied the child1 is divine 
justice1 and the arrow is death and the 
judgment1 which will certainly overtake 
you if you do not change your wicked    
life and become a good man4 ,as she     

spoke1 the simplicity of her words      
fairly conquered the obdurate heart to  
which they were addressed4 ,with tears  
rolling down his cheeks1 he knelt before
 her1 and confessed he was indeed an    
enormous sinner1 who deserved nothing   
but hell2 but that if she would help him
 with her prayers1 he would go that very
 day to confession1 and begin a new     
life2 and with this promise he left her4
 ,for eight days ,dominica continued in 
very earnest prayer for him1 in spite of
 unheard-of troubles and persecutions of
 the devils2 but on the eighth she knew 
that her prayers had been heard1 for she
 saw his soul white and clean like that 
of a newly-baptised child2 and he       
himself came to thank her for the grace 
she had obtained for him1 and by means  
of which he had been enabled to make a  
good and contrite confession4 ,he told  
her1 moreover1 that he was resolved to  
leave the world and retire to a         
hermitage1 to spend the remainder of his
 life in penance2 but prayed her1 before

 he went1 at least to give him her      
blessing4 ,this request puzzled         
,dominica2 and she replied she would    
readily oblige him1 but she did not know
 how4 ,then her angel raised her little 
hand1 and guided it to sign the sign of 
the ,cross above his head2 and a voice  
which was not hers said for her1 ,may   
,god bless thee in this world and in the
 world to come4 ,fourteen years after1  
this man died in his hermitage1 with the
 reputation of sanctity4  ,this first   
conversion awoke in her soul an ardent  
thirst for the salvation of sinners4 ,it
 was a new feeling1 and to her quick and
 sensitive soul one which soon became   
wholly absorbing4 ,happening about this 
time to see a little picture            
representing the sufferings of the souls
 in hell1 she was greatly touched with  
compassion1 and innocently prayed ,god  
to relieve them and set them free4 ,then
 her faithful guardian instructed her on
 this matter1 and taught her that the   
only way to save souls from hell was1 to

 prevent sin and convert sinners by her 
prayers4 ,and to increase her zeal he   
showed her1 not a picture1 but the real 
sufferings of the lost souls2 and the   
sentiments of pity which these excited  
were so lively1 that a desire awoke     
within her to suffer something in her   
own body1 in order to save other souls  
from these terrible flames4 ,and with   
the idea of experiencing something of a 
like kind of suffering1 she took a      
lighted torch1 and courageously held it 
to her shoulder till the flesh was      
burnt1 which caused her agonies of pain 
for many days4 ,these1 however1 she had 
self-command enough to conceal1 in spite
 of some emotions of very natural alarm1
 which determined her to find out if    
possible some other less dangerous      
method of afflicting her body4 ,she even
 prayed ,god to teach her in what way   
she should do this2 and one day seeing a
 picture in the church of ,st4 ,john    
,baptist clothed in his garment of      
camel's hair1 the thought was suggested 

to her mind of forming some such garment
 for herself out of horsehair2 which she
 accordingly did1 and wore it for nine  
years4 ,and here one can hardly fail to 
admire the means by which1 step by step1
 she was led on in the path of a saintly
 life4 ,human teaching she had none2 she
 had probably never seen a book3 but yet
 we see how the commonest incidents and 
accidents1 being accompanied by ,god's  
grace1 were enough to reveal the secrets
 of ,his counsels to her soul4 ,a       
picture1 or a chance word1 or the       
thought which rose spontaneously out of 
some image of the visible things around 
her1 were food enough for a soul which  
literally waited continually upon ,god2 
it drew sustenance and life out of what 
seemed the very barrenest desert4  ,from
 this time commenced a new life of      
austerity1 so rigorous and continual1   
that extraordinary strength must have   
been supplied to have enabled her to    
live under the perpetual tortures she   
inflicted on her innocent flesh4 ,and   

though in the details of these          
austerities we find many things         
precisely similar to those related of   
other saints1 yet it is certain that    
their lives and examples were wholly    
unknown to her1 and therefore that in   
this matter she must have followed the  
instinct of her own devotion1 guided by 
the ,spirit of ,god4 ,but1 again1 we    
observe how she was directed by that    
quick and watchful eye of the soul which
 let nothing escape its vigilance2--a   
coarse and common print of the          
,scourging of our ,divine ,lord1 once   
seen1 was enough to teach ,dominica     
those sharp disciplines to blood in     
which she persevered during the         
remainder of her life4  ,we pass over   
the account of many temptations and     
apparitions of evil spirits1 to give the
 story of one vision with which she was 
favoured1 whose beauty can perhaps      
scarcely be equalled by any similar     
incident to be met with in the ,lives of
 the ,saints4 ,it has been said that she

 was accustomed to observe ,saturday as 
a day of special devotion in honour of  
the ,madonna1 whose image on that day   
had its garland of fresh flowers hung   
up1 and its little lamp brightly burning
 in the midst4 ,now it happened that one
 ,saturday ,dominica had taken unusual  
care in the decoration of her little    
image2 she had picked her choicest      
flowers1 and hung them in wreaths and   
bunches which took her some little time 
to arrange4 ,but her trouble was well   
rewarded2 for the ,blessed ,virgin      
reached out her hand and took some of   
the flowers1 and smelt them1 and then   
gave them to her ,son1 that ,he might   
smell them likewise4 ,dominica1 full of 
delight1 besought them ever thus to     
smell her flowers1 and to forget the    
unworthiness of her who offered them4   
,and then she remembered that she could 
not stand there looking at her beloved  
,madonna any longer2 for it was the hour
 when she was accustomed to go to the   
cottage-door with the scraps she had    

saved from her dinner1 that she might   
give alms to any poor beggar who should 
be passing by4 ,accordingly1 she ran to 
the door with her basket of broken      
bread1 and waited patiently till some   
object of charity should pass that way4 
,at length she perceived a woman        
approaching1 leading a child by the     
hand4 ,by their dress she saw that they 
were very poor2 yet there was an air of 
dignity1 almost of majesty1 in the      
manner and appearance of both4 ,they    
came up to the spot where she stood2 and
 the child1 addressing himself to her   
with a certain gracious sweetness1 held 
out his hands1 as if begging1 and said1 
,you will certainly give me something1  
my good little peasant girl8 ,and as he 
did so1 she perceived that in either    
hand there was a large open wound2 and  
that his dress was likewise covered with
 blood1 as from a fresh wound in his    
side4 ,touched with compassion1 she bade
 them wait whilst she entered the house 
for something to give them2 but she had 

scarcely done so1 when she perceived    
that they were by her side4 ,ah6 said   
,dominica1 what have you done6 if my    
mother knows ,i have let any one in1 she
 will never forgive me4 ,fear nothing1  
said the woman2 we shall do no harm1 and
 no one will see us4 ,then ,dominica saw
 that the child's feet were likewise    
bleeding2 and pitying him very much1 she
 said1 ,how can your son walk on the    
rough roads with those wounded feet of  
his8 ,and his mother replied1 ,the      
child's love is so great1 he never      
complains of himself4 ,now as they were 
thus talking1 the child was looking at  
the image garlanded with the lovely     
fresh roses2 and with a winning and     
innocent grace he held up his little    
hands and asked for some of the flowers3
 and ,dominica could not refuse to give 
them to him2 for spite of their poor    
rags1 there was something about her     
strange visitors which captivated her   
heart4 ,and the mother took the roses1  
and smelt them1 and gave them to her    

son2 and turning to ,dominica1 she said1
 ,why do you garland that image with    
flowers8 it would seem as if you cared  
for it very much4 ,it is the ,madonna   
and the ,holy ,child ,jesus1 answered   
,dominica2 and ,i give them my flowers  
because ,i love them dearly4 ,and how   
much do you love them8 continued the    
woman4 ,as much as ,i can1 said         
,dominica4 ,and how much is that8 said  
the woman again4 ,ah6 replied ,dominica1
 it is as much as they help me too4 ,but
 still as she spoke she could not take  
her eyes off the child2 for his         
extraordinary grace and beauty filled   
her with an emotion she could not       
comprehend4 ,why do you stand thus      
gazing at my son8 said the woman2 what  
do you see in him8 ,he is such a        
beautiful child1 said ,dominica2 and she
 leant over him to caress him4 ,but she 
started back with surprise1 for those   
wounds gave forth a wonderful odour1 as 
of ,paradise2 and turning1 to the woman1
 she exclaimed1 ,mother of ,god6 what is

 this8 with what do you anoint your     
son's wounds1 for the odour of them is  
sweeter than my sweetest flowers8 ,it is
 the ointment of charity1 said the      
mother2 but ,dominica scarcely heard the
 reply3 she was still gazing at the     
child1 and trying to attract his notice1
 as the manner is with children4 ,come  
to me1 my child1 she said1 and ,i will  
give you this piece of bread4 ,it is of 
no use1 said the mother2 tell him of    
,jesus1 and how you love ,him1 and the  
child will come readily enough4 ,and at 
the words he did indeed come2 and       
looking up sweetly into ,dominica's     
face1 he asked1 ,and do you really love 
,jesus8 ,and that sweet odour became so 
marvellously powerful1 that she was yet 
more filled with surprise2 and she said1
 ,o beautiful child1 what wonder is     
this8 if your wounds give forth this    
delicious perfume1 what will the perfume
 of ,paradise be like8 ,do not wonder1  
said the mother1 that the perfume of    
,paradise should be where ,god is2 and  

then the blindness fell from her eyes1  
and she knew that she was talking to    
none other than to ,jesus and ,mary4    
,and even at that moment the poor rags  
fell off them1 and she saw them dressed 
in royal robes of surpassing splendour2 
and the ,child ,jesus grew to the       
stature of a man1 whilst over the wound 
of ,his side there gleamed the radiance 
of a brilliant star4 ,dominica fell     
prostrate at their feet as they rose    
into the air2 and taking the roses from 
,his mother's bosom1 the ,divine ,spouse
 scattered them over the head and       
garments of ,his beloved1 and said1 ,o  
,my spouse6 thou hast adorned ,my image 
with garlands and roses1 and therefore  
do ,i sprinkle thee with these flowers1 
as an earnest of the everlasting garland
 with which ,i will crown these in      
,paradise2 and so saying1 they both     
disappeared4 ,dominica strove in vain to
 follow them with her eyes2 but for     
eight days after there remained the     
perfume of the wounds1 and her head and 

dress were seen covered with flowers4   
,at length she arrived at the age when  
it is customary for children to make    
their first ,communion2 and her mother1 
therefore1 took her during ,lent to the 
priest1 that he might examine and       
prepare her for that purpose4 ,a very   
few words satisfied him that she was    
full of ,divine grace1 and he           
accordingly desired her to go to        
communion at the approaching ,easter1   
which was considerably sooner than her  
mother had intended4 ,how can ,i do so8 
said ,dominica2 ,i am only eleven years 
old1 and my mother is used to say1      
',children should not go to ,communion  
till they are twelve4' ,moreover1 there 
are but three weeks to ,easter1 and in  
that short time ,i can never prepare    
fitly to receive our ,lord2 and so      
saying1 she began to weep4              
,nevertheless1 the priest laid her under
 obedience to do as he had said1 and    
sent her away2 and ,dominica returned   
home with her thoughts full of this     

weighty matter of the three weeks of    
preparation4 ,now the dignity of the    
,holy ,sacrament appeared to her so very
 great1 that she thought a year would be
 too little to make ready the chamber of
 her heart2 and thinking how she could  
make the most of the short time allowed 
her1 she determined not to go to bed for
 that time but to remain in prayer and  
meditation all night1 that she might    
make the weeks longer2 for indeed1 she  
was so simply impressed with the        
conviction of her own vileness1 that she
 dreaded lest the ,sacred ,host should  
disappear1 or some other token of       
,divine displeasure should be evinced1  
if she approached without much          
preparation and examination of heart4   
,so1 as we have said1 she never went to 
bed2 but remained kneeling and praying  
all night1 examining her innocent       
conscience1 and going over a world of   
resolutions and forms of preparation1   
which she believed were necessary to be 
got through in the time4 ,it was a      

child's simple thought2--we love        
,dominica all the better for the        
childishness that forgot that its       
excellent resolve was an impossible one 
for flesh and blood to keep2--for very  
often the poor little girl was conquered
 by weariness1 and fell asleep in the   
midst of her long prayers1 and in spite 
of her manful efforts to keep awake2 and
 then she would try to rouse herself    
with the thought of her preparation for 
,communion1 and begin all over again1   
with a kind of nervous terror that the  
time would be too short after all4  ,at 
length ,holy ,week came1 and her mother 
took her to ,florence to hear the       
preaching of the ,passion at the great  
church of ,st4 ,reparata4 ,it was a new 
life to ,dominica3 seated by her        
mother's side1 she drank in every word  
of the impassioned eloquence of the     
preacher2 and with her usual innocence1 
believed that ,christ would really      
visibly appear1 and suffer before the   
eyes of the people as ,he did on        

,calvary4 ,and when the preacher said1  
yesterday ,he was betrayed1 and to-day  
,he is led to death1 she believed he    
spoke literally2 for she had not learnt 
to understand metaphors better than     
when1 a child of four years old1 she had
 desired to know the kind of bed that   
the angels slept on4 ,and1 indeed1 the  
spectacle was given to her eyes1 and she
 saw the scene of the ,crucifixion1 and 
how ,mary stood beneath the ,cross1 and 
how ,nicodemus took down the ,sacred    
,body and laid it in her arms4 ,she saw 
it1 as it were1 in the midst of the     
crowd of people who stood round her1 and
 wondered how they looked so            
unconcerned2 and she herself longed to  
push her way through them to get nearer 
to her dying ,lord2 but the crowd kept  
her back4 ,then1 when she got back to   
her own room at home1 she knelt down to 
think of what she had witnessed2 and the
 ,blessed ,virgin appeared to her1 and  
taught her that it had been but a       
vision1 and one revealed to her alone1  

and not to the people4 ,dominica then   
told her all her fears that her         
preparation had been too short2 that our
 ,lord would certainly never allow her  
to come to ,him2 and that she was so    
unworthy and unfit to communicate1 she  
should drive ,him out of the church4    
,but ,mary comforted her1 and assured   
her that the tears of contrition she had
 shed were all the preparation ,he      
required4  ,when ,dominica heard this   
she was a little consoled2 yet her fear 
lest the ,sacred ,host should indeed fly
 from her as unworthy was so great1 that
 she spent ,holy ,saturday in incessant 
prayer1 promising pilgrimages1 fasts on 
bread and water1 and every devotion she 
could remember1 if only our ,lord would 
deign to remain with her on the         
following day4 ,thus the whole night    
passed1 and in the morning she went1    
pale and trembling to the church to     
receive ,holy ,communion with her       
mother4  ,her agitation increased every 
moment2 but at length it was her turn to

 go up to the alter steps4 ,she did so1 
and the priest came to her and          
pronounced the customary words2 but she 
did not seem to hear him3 he bent down  
over her to rouse her from her stupor2  
and it was not till he had shaken her by
 her dress that she was sufficiently    
recovered to receive4 ,yet this was not 
an emotion of terror1 but an ecstasy of 
joy2 for at that moment her fears and   
scruples had been removed by the sight  
of the ,sacred ,host1 not flying from   
her as she had feared1 but shining like 
a glorious sun1 whose brilliant rays    
overpowered her by their excessive      
lustre4  ,it would be tedious to give in
 detail any thing like a faithful       
narration of the ecstasies with which   
from this time she was favoured every   
time she communicated4 ,they were so    
wonderful and so numerous1 that we are  
assured she made a vow by which she     
obliged herself never to move from the  
spot where she knelt2 and that she did  
this in order to control the impulse    

which urged her to cast herself at the  
feet of her ,lord1 whom she saw in so   
glorious a shape whenever the ,sacred   
,host was elevated before her eyes4     
,time went on1 and ,dominica was no     
longer a child4 ,with womanhood came the
 cares and charge of the entire family2 
for her mother1 seeing her grave1       
diligent1 and prudent1 left every thing 
in her hands1 and troubled herself with 
none of the household duties4 ,with     
unmurmuring obedience ,dominica accepted
 every thing that was laid on her2 she  
swept and washed the house1 cooked the  
food1 washed the clothes1 looked after  
the garden and the horses1 and saw to   
every thing which was sent to the       
market4 ,long before break of day she   
had to be up to load the mules1 and give
 them in charge to her brother ,leonard4
 ,when they came home late in the       
evening1 it was she1 tired with her     
innumerable labours1 who had to take    
them to the stable and make up their    
stalls4 ,not a moment of her time but   

was filled up with hard bodily work and 
fatigue2 yet1 thanks to the habits of   
her childhood1 she knew how to infuse   
into all these the spirit of prayer2 and
 her incessant occupations never put a  
stop to the devotions and austerities   
which she had accustomed herself to     
practise2 nay1 she found means to make  
them assist her in her mortification4   
,she contrived two crosses of wood      
garnished with sharp nails1 which she   
constantly wore in such a way1 that at  
every movement of the body1 in washing1 
sweeping1 and working in the garden1 the
 nails pressed into the flesh2 and so   
constantly reminded her of the          
sufferings of her ,lord1 even when      
externally engaged in the commonest     
employments of her peasant life4  ,but  
in spite of the way in which she strove 
to do all in and for ,god1 she secretly 
sighed after the retirement of the      
desert or the cloister1 and for space   
and time to pour out her soul in that   
fulness of contemplation and love which 

swelled like a deep ocean within it4    
,when she was fifteen1 she accidentally 
heard the history of ,st4 ,mary         
,magdalen for the first time2 and the   
account of her retirement and long      
penance in the desert of ,marseilles    
made an impression on her mind which was
 never effaced4 ,she longed to imitate  
her1 and to find some secret place where
 she might commence a similar life4     
,believing this desire to be the        
vocation of ,god1 she accordingly       
determined on the experiment2 and       
secretly leaving her mother's house one 
night1 she went on foot to a            
neighbouring mountain1 and entered a    
thick wood1 where she hoped to find some
 cavern where she might take up her     
abode4 ,her first adventure was the     
meeting with a wolf2 but ,dominica knelt
 down on the earth1 not without some    
secret emotions of terror1 and          
recommended herself to ,god2 after which
 she rose1 and commanded the animal in  
,god's name to depart without hurting   

her1 which he did1 and she pursued her  
wav without further alarm4 ,at length1  
near the ,valle del ,monte1 she found   
such a spot as she was in search of4    
,there was a grotto sunk in the rocky   
side of the mountain1 and near its mouth
 ran a stream of crystal water4 ,it was 
the very picture of a hermitage2 and    
,dominica's happiness was complete4 ,she
 immediately prepared to take up her    
night's lodging in her grotto4 ,but     
alas6 picturesque and inviting as it    
seemed1 it was very small2 so small1    
that when the fervent little devotee had
 crawled into it1 and knelt down to give
 vent to her joy and thankfulness1 she  
found it impossible to get her whole    
body into its shelter2 but her feet     
remained outside1 and what was worse1   
dipping into the cold water of the      
stream4 ,these inconveniences1 however1 
were neither cared for nor even noticed 
by ,dominica4 ,she was alone with ,god1 
and that was enough for her4 ,three days
 and nights she spent in her little     

cavern1 absorbed in ecstatic            
contemplation1 and without food of any  
kind2 but on the third day a voice spoke
 to her1 and roused her from her long   
trance of silent happiness4 ,dominica1  
it said1 rise and come forth2 ,i have   
already forgiven thee thy sins4 ,at     
these words she rose and left her       
cavern1 and beheld a beautiful sight4   
,the ,valle del ,monte was before her1  
at she had seen it the evening of her   
arrival2 there was not a human          
habitation to be seen1 nothing but the  
green woods which clothed the mountain  
side1 and the clear waters of the little
 stream1 and the rocky summits of the   
hills which rose above the trees4 ,but  
all these objects were now lit up by a  
wonderful light1 brighter than that of  
the sun which fell on them from heaven4 
,it grew every moment more and more     
dazzling1 and then she saw in the midst 
the form of her ,divine ,lord1 attended 
by his ,blessed ,mother and a vast      
company of angels4 ,he spoke again1     

,dominica1 what seekest thou here1 amid 
these rocks and woods8 ,i have been     
seeking ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 she replied1   
and it seems to me that ,i have found   
,thee4 ,but1 returned her ,spouse1 when 
,i chose thee for my divine espousal1 it
 was not to do thine own will1 nor to   
enjoy aught else than ,my good pleasure1
 in doing which thou shalt alone find   
peace4 ,i have not called thee to the   
quietude of the desert1 but that thou   
shouldst help me to bear ,my cross in   
the great city yonder1--the heavy cross 
which sinners make for ,me by their     
sins4 ,hereafter shalt thou see ,my face
 in heaven and contemplate ,me there for
 ever2 but for the present moment1      
return to thy mother's house1 and wait  
for the manifestation of ,my will4 ,i   
go1 said ,dominica2 yet ,i know not what
 ,i can do for ,thee in the world2 ,i am
 nothing but a poor peasant girl1 who   
have been brought up among beasts and   
oxen4 ,moreover1 if ,i go back1 my      
mother will certainly beat me1 for ,i   

have been away three days4 ,fear        
nothing1 was the answer2 for an angel   
has taken thy form1 and they do not know
 of thine absence4  ,then ,dominica     
found herself transported1 she knew not 
how1 back to her own little room in her 
mother's house2 and whilst she still    
wondered1 she heard her brother's voice 
calling hastily to her from below to    
come and help unload the mules4         
,dominica obeyed2 but she was not a     
little confused1 when on coming down he 
began to ask her about some money which 
he had given her the evening before4    
,she knew of no money1--for1 indeed1 it 
had been given not to her1 but to the   
angel in her likeness2 and she would    
have been sorely puzzled how to satisfy 
his demands1 if the angel had not       
discovered to her the place where the   
money was placed4 ,and so her absence   
remained a secret to the family2 nor    
were the circumstances ever revealed1   
until many years after1 when1 a short   
time before her death1 her confessor    

obliged her under obedience to reveal   
all the graces with which ,god had      
favoured her4  ,at length1 in her       
twentieth year1 ,dominica resolved to   
leave the world altogether and enter    
religion4 ,her wish was not opposed by  
her mother1 and she entered as          
lay-sister in the ,augustinian convent  
at ,florence4 ,the sisters received her 
very warmly1 for her character for      
holiness and her discretion and industry
 were well known to them2 and they      
immediately employed her1 much to their 
own satisfaction1 in the garden and     
kitchen2 and kept her so constantly and 
laboriously occupied1 that poor         
,dominica found that she had even less  
time for her exercises of prayer than   
when at home4 ,she endeavoured to make  
up for the loss by secretly rising at   
night2 but when this was discovered1 the
 ,superior1 with a mistaken charity1    
would send her to bed again1 saying that
 after all her hard day's work she      
needed rest2 not perceiving that the    

real rest she required was time for her 
soul to commune with ,god4 ,dominica1   
therefore1 became very unhappy2 and one 
day as she was digging in the garden she
 heard a mournful voice speak plainly   
and articulately by her side1 saying1   
,ah1 ,my spouse6 why hast thou left ,me 
thus8 ,and it seemed to her that it was 
the voice of her ,lord1 who tenderly    
expostulated with her for suffering the 
intercourse which had so closely bound  
them together to be broken and          
interrupted by so many occupations4 ,she
 threw the spade on the ground1 and     
sitting down1 covered her face with her 
hands and wept bitterly4 ,was it never  
to end1 this life of many cares8 ,it    
seemed as though her soul1 which was    
struggling to rise into the serene and  
quiet atmosphere of contemplation1 was  
ever destined to be kept down amid cares
 and labours from which she could not   
escape1 and which yet seemed1 as it     
were1 to separate her from her ,lord4   
,so long as it had been ,his will1 she  

had never resisted nor complained2 but  
now it was not ,his will4 ,he had said  
so2 and the sweet sorrowful tone pierced
 her very heart1 as she dwelt on the    
words1 and the accent in which they were
 uttered1--,ah6 why hast thou left ,me  
thus8 ,and as she wept and prayed and   
sorrowed1 yet saw no way of escape1 the 
same voice spoke again2 but now they    
were words of comfort and encouragement3
 ,be at peace1 ,dominica2 ,god will     
follow ,his own will1 and you shall be  
comforted4 ,and1 indeed1 a short time   
after she was attacked by a sickness1   
which compelled the sisters to send her 
back to her mother's house2 and though  
on recovering she returned to them1 yet 
she was again taken ill1 and again      
forced to leave4 ,a third time her      
mother took her back to the convent2 but
 ,dominica knew that it was not ,god's  
wish that she should receive the        
,augustinian habit3 and the nuns        
themselves seemed to feel that this was 
the case2 though1 as they well knew her 

worth and sanctity1 it cost them many   
regrets before they could consent to her
 finally leaving their community4 ,she  
returned home1 therefore2 and now1 with 
the advice of her confessor1 entered on 
a life of strict religious retirement in
 her mother's house1 until the designs  
of ,god regarding her should be more    
plainly manifested4  ,the manner of this
 new life was not a little remarkable4  
,next to the room where her mother slept
 was a little rubbish-closet1 scarcely  
large enough to stand in2 this she      
cleared from its rubbish1 and chose for 
her cell4 ,the constant sickness and    
infirmities which she suffered after her
 illnesses at the convent prevented her 
from going out at night and             
contemplating the heavens1 as had been  
her custom when a child4 ,but she       
retained her old love for them1 and     
contrived to make a little heaven of    
blue paper on the roof of her closet1   
and to cover it with gold stars2 which1 
though but a poor substitute for an     

,italian sky--that sea of deep liquid   
sapphire1 wherein float the bright      
stars1 looking down like the eyes of the
 seraphim1--yet doubtless had its charm 
to the simple taste of its designer2 and
 at any rate it reminded her1 during the
 hours of her prayer1 of the beautiful  
days of her childhood1 when the heavens 
opened to her wondering eyes1 and she   
became familiar with its inhabitants1   
and thought to get nearer to them and to
 her ,lord by climbing on the roof of   
the house4 ,then at one end of the      
closet was a small altar1 and on it a   
crib1 and a representation of ,mary1 and
 the ,divine ,child lying on the        
straw1--much after the fashion of those 
still in common use among the peasants  
of ,italy2 for she always bore a special
 devotion to the mystery of the         
,infancy4 ,a stool before the altar1 a  
wooden bench1 and two boxes1 completed  
the furniture of her cell4 ,there was no
 bed3 she allowed herself but two hours'
 sleep2 and this refreshment1 such as it

 was1 was taken on the floor1 with her  
head leaning on the stool1--when she lay
 down in this way1 the straightness of  
the closet preventing her from taking   
any position that was not painful or    
constrained4  ,yet this strange prison1 
which she never left save to go to the  
neighbouring ,church of the ,bridgetines
 to hear ,mass1 was a paradise in       
,dominica's eyes2 for here1 at least1   
she was left at peace and with ,god4    
,she kept a continual silence1 and      
divided her time between prayer and work
 with her needle2 and so perfect a      
mistress was she in all kinds of        
embroidery1 that she obtained large sums
 of money by her labour4 ,this she left 
in her mother's hands1 who was thus well
 satisfied to leave her undisturbed in  
the possession of her little closet1    
whilst the profits of her daily labours 
kept the house4 ,the austerity she      
practised extended to every kind of     
bodily denial4 ,her food was bread and  
water1 taken so sparingly1 that we are  

assured she sometimes spent a week      
without drinking at all3 when she ate   
any thing1 it was on her knees1 as she  
bound herself ever to accompany the     
necessary refreshment of the body with  
interior meditation on the ,passion4    
,after some little time1 she was moved  
to give the proceeds of her labour no   
longer to her mother1 but to distribute 
them in alms to the poor2 and feeling   
this inspiration to be the will of ,god1
 she immediately executed it1 greatly to
 her mother's dissatisfaction and her   
own discomfort2 for all the indulgence  
and toleration she had received at her  
hands so long as the profits of her work
 were at the disposal of the family1    
were now turned into sharp reproaches4  
,dominica1 however1 cared very little   
for the sufferings which her resolution 
brought on her2 for ,god did not fail to
 evince ,his pleasure in many ways4     
,she was accustomed to wear the         
,bridgetine habit1 with the consent of  
the nuns2 not as belonging to their     

community1 but because it was deemed    
advisable that she should have the      
protection and sanction of some outward 
religious habit in her present mode of  
life4 ,as she returned one morning from 
church1 a miserable beggar met her and  
asked an alms ,she had nothing to give  
him2 yet1 rather than send him away     
without any relief1 she took the veil   
from her head1 and giving it to him1    
continued her way4 ,but presently she   
felt a great scruple at what she had    
done2 the veil was part of her religious
 habit2 and she accused herself of a    
great fault in appearing in the public  
roads without it1 so as possibly to     
scandalise the passers by1 and be taken 
for one who mocked the holy garb of     
religion4 ,but as these thoughts passed 
in her mind1 there met her a man1 the   
surpassing beauty and nobleness of whose
 countenance revealed him to be her     
,lord4 ,he carried in his hand the veil 
she had just given away2 and throwing it
 over her head1-- ,henceforth1 ,he said1

 ,my spouse1 shalt thou have the poverty
 thou desirest1 and shalt live for ever 
on alms1 and as a pilgrim in the world1 
as ,i did4 ,from this time she redoubled
 her labours in order to obtain large   
means for the purpose of charity1 and   
besides this1 spent much of her time in 
nursing and tending the sick1 as well as
 relieving them by her alms2 and        
whenever she did this1 her own          
sicknesses and pains were for a time    
suspended1 and she found herself endowed
 with strength sufficient for the most  
extraordinary fatigues and exertions4   
,it was during her residence at home1 in
 her twenty-fourth year1 that she       
received the sacred stigmata4 ,these    
were not bloody1 as in so many cases2   
but the exact form of the nails appeared
 in the flesh of the hands and feet2 the
 head protruding on the upper part1 and 
the point coming out in the palms and   
soles4 ,the crown of thorns was not     
visible in like manner1 though the pain 
of her head in the part which           

corresponded to its position was        
excessive2 but very often1 in after     
years1 her spiritual children in the    
monastery of her foundation saw1 as she 
prayed1 how the crown appeared round her
 head in light1 and bright rays came out
 from it and formed its points4         
,dominica strove to conceal the favour  
she had received1 by wearing long       
sleeves to hide her hands2 but the nails
 were so large and distinct1 that it was
 impossible to prevent the fact from    
being known and observed by many4 ,after
 a while1 in answer to her earnest      
prayer1 this extraordinary formation of 
the nails in the flesh disappeared1 and 
the scars of the wounds alone remained1 
causing her excessive agony1 which      
redoubled every ,friday and during      
,passion-tide4 ,at length1 in her       
forty-fourth year1 the wounds became    
invisible2 but the pain of them         
continued during her whole life4  ,she  
remained at home for three years after  
the reception of the sacred stigmata4   

,they were years of continual suffering 
and persecution4 ,the violence and      
coarse selfishness of her mother's      
nature was vented on her in every way   
and on all occasions4 ,she was made the 
object of the most bitter reviling1 and 
had to listen to a torrent of abuse1 and
 what was worse1 of blasphemous cursing1
 whenever she appeared in her presence4 
,once her mother threw her so violently 
against the wall as to cause her to     
rupture a blood vessel2 yet she bore all
 meekly and uncomplaining1 until at     
length some friends who lived at        
,florence1 having asked her to take up  
her abode with them1 it was revealed to 
her that she should remove thither1     
which she accordingly did4 ,the change  
of residence1 however1 brought her      
little or no relief from persecution2   
for after a few months1 the women with  
whom she was staying1 moved by some     
jealousy1 or disgusted at the retired   
manner in which she lived1 and refused  
to go about with them or join in their  

way of life1 accused her of every crime 
they could imagine1 and even attempted  
to poison her4 ,her mother1 hearing of  
the sufferings to which she was exposed1
 was moved with a very natural          
contrition for her own cruelty to her1  
and set out for ,florence to see her1   
and if possible remove her from the     
house4  ,unable to obtain admission1 she
 had recourse to one of the canons of   
the city1 and implored him to take her  
daughter under his protection1 and      
defend her against the cruel restraint  
and persecution to which she was exposed
 in her present residence4 ,by his      
interference she was allowed to leave2  
and a charitable gentleman of ,florence1
 named ,giovanni1 to whom the           
circumstances of the case were known1   
received her into his own home1 where   
she--lived very peaceably for some time4
 ,in all these most painful and         
disturbing changes in her life1         
,dominica's tranquillity and resignation
 remained unmoved4 ,she knew that the   

will of ,god had its own designs        
regarding her1 and that these were not  
yet manifested2 but until they were1 she
 was content with whatever was assigned 
her1 and received ill treatment1        
abandonment1 and the desolate destiny of
 passing from one strange home to       
another1 with an astonishing calmness   
and indifference4 ,her position in      
,giovanni's house was a very singular   
one4 ,his wife was a weak and indolent  
woman1 and with little religious        
character about her2 she was the first  
of the family1 however1 over whom       
,dominica's influence was felt4 ,in a   
short time her habits of vanity and     
self-indulgence were laid aside2 and she
 began to pray night and morning1 and to
 attend ,mass1 which till then she had  
neglected4 ,then one of the sons1 who   
was to all outward seeming given up to  
the thoughtless dissipation of his age1 
and had always neglected his religious  
duties1 was won over by her1 and began a
 new life4 ,giovanni himself soon saw   

what sort of a person he had brought    
into his house1 and that he was in fact 
entertaining an angel unawares4 ,he     
therefore insisted on her taking the    
entire government of the family2 and    
,dominica consented1 with the           
characteristic simplicity which would   
have made her undertake the government  
of a kingdom1 if her guardian-angel had 
assured her it was the wish of ,god4    
,whilst she ruled and directed them1    
however1 in things spiritual1 she       
herself did the servile work of the     
house1 and waited on them in the        
humblest and most submissive manner4    
,she never affected any other position  
than that o a simple peasant girl2 but  
every one who came within her influence 
felt its power over them1 and owned her 
as their mistress and mother4  ,it was  
whilst living in this way that ,god     
revealed to her that she was no longer  
to remain concealed and retired from the
 world2 but that ,he was about to make  
her the spiritual mother of many        

daughters1 and to do great things for   
,his own glory through her means4 ,now  
,dominica was naturally of a very timid 
and bashful disposition2 and when she   
heard of being brought before the eyes  
of the world1 and called on to teach and
 guide others1 she knew not what to     
think4 ,her diffidence1 and what we     
should call shyness1 was naturally so   
great1 that she would turn pale if she  
had to speak to any one she did not know
 familiarly1 and always at such times   
suffered from violent beatings of the   
heart4 ,therefore1 when she considered  
the great things laid before her1 she   
felt sad and a little frightened1 and   
spoke to ,god with her usual simple     
frankness1 saying1 ,o my ,lord1 how can 
this be8 ,i am nothing but a vile       
peasant2 the heart in my breast is a    
poor contemptible thing1 that has no    
courage in it2 my blood is peasant's    
blood2 ,i am not fit for these great    
things unless you change it4 ,then ,god 
answered1 saying1 ,and ,i will change   

it1 and will give you a noble and       
magnanimous heart2 wherefore prepare for
 keen and terrible sufferings2 for it is
 by them that your heart and blood is to
 be purged and renovated1 and fitted for
 ,my service in the eyes of men4        
,scarcely had the vision ended1 when    
,dominica felt the approach of the      
sufferings which had been promised2 pain
 in every part of her body1 a continual 
hemorrhage of blood1 which seemed to    
drain every vein1 and deadly faintings  
and weakness1 reduced her almost to     
extremity4 ,then1 after she had         
languished in this state for many weeks1
 a vision appeared to her of the same   
mysterious and significant kind as that 
related in the life of ,st4 ,catherine  
of ,sienna4 ,our ,lord took her heart   
from her breast1 and supplied its place 
with one of burning fire4 ,she rose from
 her sick-bed1 and felt her whole nature
 renewed2 every sense was quickened1 and
 the powers of her mind enlarged and    
ennobled2--nay1 her very body seemed    

already to share in the glory of the    
resurrection4 ,it gave out a wonderful  
odour1 which communicated itself to     
every thing which it touched4 ,her sight
 was so miraculously keen that she could
 see to embroider in the darkest night1 
and many new senses seemed given her2   
whilst those of smell and touch and     
hearing were also renewed in an equally 
extraordinary degree4 ,but1 at the same 
time1 she lost the bodily vigour which  
had before enabled her to go through so 
many hard days' labour2 and with her new
 heart she seemed also to have acquired 
a new and delicate bodily temperament   
which utterly incapacitated her for     
work1 whilst she seemed to be wholly    
immersed in divine and interior         
contemplation4 ,a strange eloquence was 
now heard to flow from her lips1 the    
infused wisdom and science of the saints
 was in her words2 nay1 she would often 
quote and explain sentences of the holy 
,fathers1 or of the ,scriptures1 which  
it is certain she had never read or     

heard read4 ,in short1 ,god had bestowed
 on her the gift which ,he deemed       
necessary to fit her for the design ,he 
had regarding her2 and still1 with all  
the marvellous spiritual riches which   
she had acquired1 she retained in her   
ways and thoughts and habits the old    
simplicity of the peasant child4  ,the  
first of the spiritual daughters given  
her by ,god was ,giovanni's eldest      
child1 who at her persuasion embraced   
the life of religion1 and placed herself
 under her obedience4 ,the second soon  
followed her example2 and soon after a  
third4 ,another daughter1 ,catherine1   
still remained2 like her mother1 she was
 of a thoughtless and indolent          
character1 much given to the vanities of
 her age1 and the foolish pleasures of  
the world about her4 ,she was accustomed
 to ridicule and mock at the conversion 
of her three sisters1 and to hinder and 
disturb them in their religious         
practices2 in short1 she was about as   
hopeless a subject for ,dominica to     

exercise her influence upon as might    
well be imagined4 ,but one              
,christmas-day ,dominica called her into
 her little oratory1 and first turning  
to the crucifix1 and spending a moment  
in silent prayer1 she laid her hand on  
her breast1 and said1 ,o hard and evil  
heart1 be softened and yield to thy     
,god2 and bend to my will1 which is1    
that thou be the heart of a saint6      
,three days after this ,catherine       
presented herself with her sisters1 and 
implored ,dominica to take her also     
under her teaching to convert the       
brothers2 but by degrees she succeeded  
in persuading all to devote themselves  
to a holy and religious life2 and the   
eldest1 taking the habit of ,st4        
,dominic1 lived and died in the order   
with the reputation of sanctity4  ,her  
confessor about this time counselled her
 herself to take the habit of the third 
order2 and the matter having been agreed
 upon1 he provided a tunic and mantle of
 the usual kind for her clothing1 and   

appointed a certain day for her to come 
to the ,convent of ,st4 ,mark and       
receive it with the customary           
ceremonies4 ,the circumstances which    
followed have a very marvellous         
character1 yet there seems no reason to 
doubt the accuracy and reality of what  
is narrated4 ,we are told that1 on the  
morning of the day appointed1 she being 
in prayer1 was rapt in ecstasy2 and in  
this state she saw ,st4 ,catherine and  
,st4 ,dominic enter her room with the   
white tunic in their hands4 ,st4        
,dominic himself gave it to her1        
pronouncing the words and prayer        
according to the rite of his order1--the
 responses being given by ,st4          
,catherine and the angels2 and her      
guardian- angel gave the aspersion of   
holy water1 first to the habit1 and then
 to her2 and ,st4 ,catherine received   
her as her daughter1 and gave her the   
kiss of welcome4 ,when she recovered    
from her ecstasy1 she found herself     
really clothed in the sacred habit which

 had been thus wonderfully given her2   
and1 full of joy1 she appeared with it  
in public in the afternoon of the same  
day4 ,this was a cause of great         
displeasure to the authorities of the   
order1 who complained that she had      
assumed their habit without being       
regularly admitted into their society4  
,the affair was brought before the      
,master-,general1 at that time ,vio di  
,cajetan2 and the complaint appearing   
just1 he called on her either to lay it 
aside1 or to explain the authority by   
which she wore it4 ,the account she gave
 of the whole matter so satisfied the   
,archbishop of ,florence of her         
sincerity and holiness1 that he         
undertook to mediate in her behalf2 and 
it was at length agreed that she should 
keep the habit1 provided that she and   
her companions wore a red cross on the  
left shoulder1 to denote that she had   
been clothed without the sanction of the
 ordinary authorities of the order1 and 
was not subject to its jurisdiction2    

and1 in fact1 they did so wear it for   
six years1 when1 the ,convent of the    
,holy ,cross being established1 they    
were afterwards fully admitted to the   
rights and privileges of the order4     
,after this point was settled1          
,dominica's next step was to retire with
 her little band of followers 7which now
 included several others besides the    
daughters of ,giovanni7 to a small      
house1 where they lived a regular life1 
supporting themselves by the labour of  
their hands4 ,in time their gains       
increased to so wonderful a degree1 that
 they found themselves enabled to       
purchase a more convenient residence1   
and then to enlarge it1 and finally to  
rebuild it in the form of a cross4 ,in  
short1 in the course of a few years she 
saw herself at the head of a large      
community1 possessed of a regular and   
extensive house1 with a church attached 
to it1 without any other means having   
been employed in its erection than the  
money which she and her sisters had     

earned by their own needlework4 ,the    
,archbishop of ,florence 7the celebrated
 ,julius de ,medici1 afterwards ,pope7  
was so struck with the manifest         
expression of ,god's will in the whole  
matter1 that he obtained permission from
 ,leo ,x4 for the regular foundation of 
the convent under the rule of ,st4      
,dominic4 ,they were all solemnly       
clothed on the #ahth of ,november1      
#aeae1 and proceeded to the election of 
their prioress4 ,their choice of course 
fell on ,dominica1 but she absolutely   
refused to accept the office2 and used a
 power given her by the papal brief to  
nominate another sister in her place1   
whilst she determined to retain for     
herself the rank and duties of a        
lay-sister4  ,the ceremony of the       
clothing and election being therefore   
over1 she made a solemn renunciation of 
the house and all it contained into the 
hands of the ,archbishop-,vicar4 ,then  
she left the sisters1 and went to the   
kitchen2 and coming there1 she sent all 

the other lay-sisters away1 saying1 it  
belonged to her to do what had to be    
done for the community for the first    
week of their settlement4 ,she cooked   
the dinner1 and sent it to the          
refectory2 and whilst the sisters were  
sitting at table1 she entered the room  
with a number of broken pieces of       
earthenware tied round her neck1 and    
knelt humbly in the middle of them all1 
as one doing penance4 ,the feelings of  
her children at this sight may be       
imagined2 there was a universal stir2   
three or four rose from table1 and would
 have placed themselves by her side4    
,the prioress endeavoured to restore    
order2 but the meal was broken by the   
sobs and sighs of the whole community4  
,when dinner was over1 she tried to     
return to her work in the kitchen2 but  
the feelings of the sisters could no    
longer be restrained2 they ran after    
her1 and threw themselves at her feet4  
,mother1 mother1 they cried1 it is a    
mother we want1 not a saint2 a guide1   

and not a servant1--this cannot be      
suffered4 ,but ,dominica tried to quell 
them1 and to persuade them to let it be 
even as she desired2 her entreaties1    
however1 were in vain4 ,they left her1  
and with the ,prioress met together to  
consider what should be done2 and it was
 determined that the ,vicar should be   
called on to use his authority with     
,dominica1 and bring her under obedience
 to take the office of                  
,superior1--which1 in short1 she was    
compelled to do1 with the title of      
,vicaress2 for she persevered in        
refusing to be instituted ,prioress4    
,when the time came for the profession  
of the new community1 ,dominica obtained
 permission from the ,pope to defer her 
own profession2 only to bind herself by 
a simple vow to wear the habit of the   
third order1 and keep the rule of ,st4  
,dominic4 ,does the reader wish to know 
the motive she had for soliciting this  
singular privilege8 ,he must go back    
some twenty years1 and recall the time  

when the story of ,st4 ,mary ,magdalen's
 retirement to the deserts of           
,marseilles had sent the little peasant 
child into the woods1 to spend three    
happy days and nights in a hermit's cave
 too small to contain her1 but which she
 considered as a ,paradise2 and where   
she would have been well content to have
 remained all her life1 if such had been
 the wish of ,god4 ,at thirty years of  
age1 ,dominica was still the same4 ,her 
simplicity had a touch of what one might
 call romance about it1 and she had     
never forgotten her great project of a  
hermitage4 ,she would not be bound to   
the ,convent of the ,holy ,cross        
therefore1 because she still hoped the  
time might come when she might find out 
the desert of ,marseilles1 and realise  
the life of penance and retirement1 the 
account of which had made so deep an    
impression on her imagination4 ,when she
 saw herself threatened with a perpetual
 appointment as ,vicaress1 she          
accordingly resolved to fly at once1 and

 did actually escape by one of the      
windows1 and set out towards ,marseilles
 in the habit of a pilgrim4 ,the        
community again had recourse to the     
,vicar1 who sent a peremptory order for 
her return under pain of                
excommunication2 and the messenger who  
carried it found her laid up in a little
 village with a swelling of both feet1  
which had put a speedy stop to her      
pilgrimage1 and which she herself       
acknowledged to be the declaration that 
it was not ,god's will she should       
proceed in her design4 ,she was         
therefore compelled to return and       
reassume the government of her convent1 
in which office she continued until she 
died in #aeec4  ,with the circumstances 
which attended her death we must        
conclude4 ,for months she had lain on a 
miserable pallet1 unable to move or     
rise1 and with the appearance of a      
living skeleton4 ,but when ,easter ,day 
came1 she felt it was the last she      
should spend with her ,sisters1 and     

determined to keep the festival with    
them all in community4 ,she therefore   
caused herself to be carried to the     
chair1 where she communicated with them4
 ,she took her dinner in the refectory1 
and afterwards held a chapter1 where1   
after briefly and touchingly exhorting  
them to fidelity to their ,spouse1 she  
gave them her last blessing4 ,then1 in  
order to assure them in the peaceable   
possession of their convent1 she        
determined to make her solemn           
profession1 which had never yet been    
done1--in conformity1 we are assured1 to
 the express revealed permission of     
,god4 ,she lingered on until the        
following ,august1 and on the #eth of   
that month fell into her agony4 ,when   
the last moment came1 she raised herself
 on the pallet1 and extended her arms in
 the form of the cross4 ,her face shone 
with a bright and ruddy colour1 and her 
eyes were dazzling with a supernatural  
light2 and so1 without any other        
death-struggle than a gentle sigh1 she  

expired1 at the age of eighty years4    
,her life has been written at length by 
,f4 ,ignatius ,nente2 but the principal 
facts were drawn up by the ,abbess of   
,florence very shortly after her        
decease1 at the instance of the ,grand  
,duchess of ,lorraine1 and forwarded to 
,rome1 to form the process for her      
beatification4       ,,anne ,,de        
,,montmorency4   ,,anne ,,de            
,,montmorency1 ,,the ,,solitary ,,of    
,,the ,,pyrenees4  ,,about the year     
#afff1 a young lady of the family of    
,montmorency1 one of the most ancient   
and illustrious in ,france1 disappeared 
at the age of fifteen from her father's 
house1 because projects were being      
formed for her establishment1 and she   
believed herself called to a different  
state of life4 ,after having in vain    
endeavoured to alter the views of her   
family respecting her1 she entreated    
permission one day to make a pilgrimage 
to ,mount ,valerian1 near ,paris1 where 
were the stations of our ,lord's        

,passion4 ,when she reached that which  
represents our ,lord on the cross1 she  
implored ,him whom she had chosen for   
her spouse1 with many tears1 to save her
 from the danger of being ever          
unfaithful to ,him1 and to teach her how
 to live from thenceforth as ,his own   
bride1 unknown1 and crucified with ,him1
 with her body and soul given up        
entirely to ,his charge1 and her whole  
being abandoned to the care of          
,providence4  ,with her mind full of    
these holy thoughts1 she came down from 
the mountain1 and without well knowing  
what she was going to do1 she turned her
 steps towards the ,bois de ,boulogne2  
and when she reached the ,abbey of      
,longchamp1 feeling a strong impulse to 
enter the church1 she dismissed for some
 hours the confidential attendants by   
whom she was accompanied1 saying that   
she had still many prayers to recite2   
and accordingly they left her without   
suspicion to finish her devotions4 ,no  
sooner were they out of sight than she  

left the church2 and committing herself 
to our ,blessed ,lord and ,his ,holy    
,mother1 plunged into the recesses of   
the wood4 ,she was following by mere    
chance an unfrequented path1 when she   
met a poor woman1 who asked alms of her4
 ,this encounter appeared to her an     
indication of the will of ,heaven3 she  
formed her plan in an instant1 and began
 to put it into execution1 by taking the
 clothes of the poor beggar1 and giving 
her own in exchange2 and to complete the
 disguise1 she stained her hands and    
face with clay1 and tried to disfigure  
herself as much as possible4 ,she then  
turned in the direction contrary to that
 in which she thought pursuit would     
first be made2 walked all the rest of   
the day1 and found herself in the       
evening in a village situate on the     
,seine1 some leagues from ,paris4 ,there
 she was met by some charitable         
ecclesiastics1 who1 touched by her      
youth1 and the dangers to which it      
exposed her1 took an interest in her    

situation1 and found her first a        
temporary asylum1 and afterwards a      
situation with a lady in the            
neighbourhood1 who was very rich1 and   
whose service was safe and respectable1 
as she was devout and regular in her    
conduct2 but she was a difficult person 
to live with1 being of a sharp and      
worrying temper1 so that she had never  
been able to keep long either a man or  
maid-servant4 ,into this house1 however1
 ,jane ,margaret1 by which name only she
 was known1 entered as lady's-maid2 but 
as no servant but herself could remain1 
she found herself at the age of sixteen 
obliged to be cook and housemaid and    
porteress all at once4 ,what consoled   
and even rejoiced her in this situation 
was the opportunity it afforded her of  
satisfying her thirst for crosses and   
humiliations1 and also her freedom from 
all intrusion of idle curiosity1 so that
 she felt her secret safe4 ,she endured 
all the fatigues of so laborious a      
situation1 and all the caprices of a    

harshness in temper1 with unalterable   
patience and sweetness until her        
mistress's death2 that is to say1 for   
the space of ten years4 ,and so         
faultless was her1 conduct during all   
this time1 that her mistress1 on her    
death bed1 publicly begged her pardon   
for all she had made her suffer1 and    
insisted on leaving her the sum of four 
thousand francs in addition to her      
wages1 of which she had as yet scarcely 
received any thing4 ,jane ,margaret was 
with difficulty persuaded to accept this
 present1 and when it was forced upon   
her1 she distributed it among the poor1 
with the exception of a very small sum  
which she kept for her immediate wants4 
,feeling1 however1 that such            
extraordinary liberality on the part of 
a mere maid-servant would excite        
suspicion and endanger her secret1 she  
resolved to escape the peril as soon as 
possible4  ,accordingly1 on her return  
from the funeral of her mistress1 seeing
 the boat for ,auxerre1 she threw       

herself into it1 without a moment's     
delay2 and soon after her arrival in    
that town succeeded in finding another  
situation which she considered suitable4
 ,it was in the house of a master       
joiner1 who was greatly esteemed both   
for skill in his profession and for     
general probity1 and who was also clever
 in carving4  ,the early education of   
,jane ,margaret made her very useful to 
her new master1 who1 in return1 taught  
her how to handle the chisel1 and she   
very soon became sufficiently expert to 
make wooden clocks4 ,in this town1 too1 
she was happy enough to find a director 
experienced in the ways of ,god1 who    
confirmed her in the resolution she had 
taken4 ,in about a year's time1 however1
 she lost him2 and despairing of finding
 another to whom she could give her     
entire confidence1 she determined to    
return to ,paris1 in the hope of finding
 there a guide such as she required1    
believing herself sufficiently forgotten
 at this distance of time to run no risk

 of being recognised4 ,she set forth1   
therefore1 on the road to the capital on
 foot1 and asking alms2 for she had     
taken care before leaving ,auxerre to   
give to the poor all that she had       
earned4  ,on her arrival in ,paris she  
placed herself among the poor who ask   
the charity of the faithful at the      
church-doors2 and begged every morning  
enough to maintain her for the day1 for 
which purpose very little sufficed4 ,all
 the rest of her time she passed in     
prayer in the churches1 which she never 
left except at the approach of night4   
,one day as she was asking alms1        
according to her custom1 at the door of 
a church1 it pleased ,providence that   
she should address herself to a very    
pious and charitable lady1 who kept a   
school at ,chteau-,fort1 and who was    
under the direction of a holy religious 
named the ,father de ,bray4 ,at the     
first sight of the young and modest     
beggar1 the virtuous schoolmistress felt
 moved1 and discerning in her something 

which did not accord with her apparent  
state of life1 ventured to ask her      
whether it was from sickness that she   
was reduced to that condition4 ,jane    
,margaret only replied that she believed
 herself to be fulfilling the will of   
,god2 which answer increased the        
interest she had already excited in the 
mind of the pious lady1 who told her    
that in her state of weakness the air of
 the country would do her good1 and     
offered to take her to ,chteau-,fort4   
,at the same time she spoke to her of   
,father de ,bray1 whose name and merit  
were well known in ,paris4 ,this last   
consideration was sufficient to         
determine ,jane ,margaret to follow a   
person whose sentiments were so         
congenial with her own4  ,as soon as    
,father de ,bray became acquainted with 
her1 he discovered in her one of those  
wonders which are wrought from time to  
time by grace for the confusion of the  
world1 and set himself to second the    
designs of ,heaven concerning this      

privileged soul4 ,she too1 on her side1 
convinced that she had at last found a  
guide such as she had been long seeking1
 bestowed on him her confidence without 
reserve1 and continued to correspond    
with him as long as he lived4  ,in      
process of time1 drawn more than ever by
 the ,spirit of ,god1 she left          
,chteau-,fort to go and seek a solitude 
hidden from all men2 but it was almost  
two years before she could find what she
 desired4 ,she traversed several        
provinces seeking for an asylum out of  
the reach of every human eye1 until at  
last she arrived at the ,pyrenees1 where
 she established herself in a wild      
recess1 which she names in her letters  
the solitude of the rocks4 ,it was a    
little space of a pentagonal shape1 shut
 in by five rocks1 which formed a kind  
of cross1 and rendered the little spot  
of ground which they enclosed not quite 
inaccessible1 but altogether invisible  
from without4 ,from the foot of the     
highest of these rocks there gushed a   

spring of excellent water1 and its      
summit was a kind of observatory1 from  
whence she could espy any intruders who 
might venture to approach her abode4    
,there were three grottoes at the base  
of the rocks1 one of which was a deep   
and winding cavern2 this she made her   
cell1 and the two others her oratories4 
,this solitude was at least half a      
league from any road1 and surrounded by 
a thick forest1 or rather by a brake1 so
 tangled that1 to get through it1 the   
traveller must force his way among      
thistles and briers1 by a path which    
seemed impracticable to any but wild    
beasts4 ,our solitary1 however1 met with
 none of these1 except a bear1 who was  
more afraid than she1 and ran away4 ,she
 found in her retreat shrubs which bore 
a fruit much like damsons2 and the rocks
 were covered with medlar-trees1 the    
fruit of which was excellent4 ,the cold 
was not intense even in the heart of    
winter1 while the heat of summer was    
tempered by the shade of the rocks1 and 

of the woods which surrounded it4 ,all  
these details are given in the letters  
of the solitary herself to her director1
 ,father de ,bray4  ,in this retirement 
she began to lead a life angelic rather 
than human2 looking upon this earth as  
the blessed do from the heights of      
heaven1 and consecrating every pulsation
 of her heart to ,god4 ,for some time   
she used to go twice a week to the      
village to ask alms2 but by degrees she 
weaned herself from the use of bread1   
and at last lived entirely on the       
vegetables and wild fruits which grew in
 the neighbourhood of her abode4  ,her  
spiritual necessities were more         
difficult to supply4 ,not wishing to    
risk being recognised1 she was obliged  
to use many precautions whenever she    
allowed herself the consolation of      
participating in the divine mysteries2  
but ,providence had prepared for her a  
resource4 ,at a little distance from the
 forest were two religious houses1 one  
of men1 the other of women4 ,there she  

went to hear ,mass and receive holy     
communion2 and1 in order to escape      
remark1 she went sometimes to the church
 of the convent1 sometimes to that of   
the monastery2 and for her confessor she
 selected a good curate of the          
neighbourhood1 who simply heard what she
 had to say1 and asked her no questions4
 ,she had fixed for herself a rule of   
life1 which she followed exactly3 at    
five in the morning she rose1 winter and
 summer2 continued in prayer till six1  
when she recited prime1 and either went 
to ,mass or heard it in spirit2 and then
 read some chapters of ,holy ,scripture4
 ,these exercises lasted till eight2    
after which she devoted two hours to    
manual labour1 either mending her       
clothes1 or practising sculpture1 or    
cultivating a little garden which she   
had made round her habitation4 ,at ten  
she recited tierce1 sext1 and none2 and 
then1 prostrate at the foot of her      
crucifix1 she examined her conscience1  
and imposed on herself penances in      

proportion to the number and            
grievousness of her faults4 ,all this   
lasted till about noon1 when she took   
the only meal of the day1 and after it  
her recreation1 which consisted1 in fine
 weather1 of a walk to the summit of the
 rocks1 where she contemplated the      
greatness of ,god in ,his works1 and    
praised and blessed ,his infinite       
perfections in pious songs which she    
knew by heart1 or with which ,divine    
love inspired her at the moment4  ,on   
her return home she made her spiritual  
reading1 usually from the ,imitation1   
followed by an affectionate prayer1 in  
which she poured out before ,god all the
 necessities of her soul2 but asked of  
,him nothing but the accomplishment of  
,his own good pleasure4 ,then she       
resumed her manual labour until four in 
the afternoon1 after which she recited  
,vespers and the entire ,rosary1        
accompanied or followed by pious        
considerations4 ,this exercise brought  
her on to eight o'clock1 when she went  

through the devotion of the ,stations in
 a ,calvary which she had built herself1
 and performed the penances and         
mortifications which she had imposed    
upon herself4 ,at nine she retired to   
her cell1 and1 after a short examination
 of conscience1 and some vocal prayers1 
slept till eleven1 when she rose to     
recite matins1 which she knew by heart1 
and to pray till two1 when she retired  
again to rest till five4 ,in order to   
regulate this distribution of her time1 
she had made herself a wooden clock4    
,she made also several other pieces of  
workmanship1 which were admired by      
connoisseurs1 more especially a         
,crucifix made out of a single piece of 
corneil wood1 which she presented to    
,father de ,bray1 and which afterwards  
fell into the hands of ,madaine de      
,maintenon1 who valued it as a precious 
relic4 ,she wrought also three other    
crucifixes1 one very small1 which she   
wore round her neck2 another1 three feet
 high1 which1 she placed in her cell2   

and a third1 six feet high1 which she   
carved out of the wood of a fir-tree1   
which had been struck down by lightning 
in the forest1 and which she placed in  
the ,calvary she had arranged on the    
summit of one of the highest of the     
rocks which enclosed her habitation4    
,for her communications with ,father de 
,bray she made use of a wagoner1 who1   
from time to time1 journeyed to and from
 ,paris1 and who faithfully carried her 
letters1 and brought back to her the    
answers to them1 together with the small
 sums of money which her director sent  
her from time to time1 and which she    
used to procure such things as were     
indispensably necessary to her1 such as 
tools for her carving1 needles1 thread1 
worsted1 and some pieces of calico and  
stuff to repair her garments1 which were
 very simple1 but always neat1          
especially when she appeared at church4 
,it may not be uninteresting to see an  
inventory of her few possessions which  
she sent to her spiritual director4 ,a  

,roman ,breviary1 which she recited     
daily1 and which she understood1 having 
learnt ,latin in her childhood2 an      
,imitation2 an abridgment of the        
,saints' ,lives2 a little book culled   
,horloge du ,coeur1 and another of      
,devotions to the ,blessed ,sacrament4  
,such was her library4 ,her workshop    
contained a supply of ordinary          
carpenters' tools1 and a few more       
delicate implements for carving2 while  
for her personal use she had a few      
hundreds of pins1 some needles1 some    
grey and white thread1 a pair of        
scissors1 and a copper thimble2 two     
bowls and a cup1 all in wood2 a hair    
shirt1 and a discipline4 ,her wardrobe1 
as may be supposed1 was of the most     
simple description1 but sufficient for  
decency and neatness4  ,our solitary had
 but one fear in this peaceful          
retirement1 that of being discovered2   
and it was long before her evident      
sanctity drew the attention of the      
people of the village1 and excited the  

curiosity of so many people1 that1 in   
spite of all her precautions1 they      
succeeded1 by dint of constant watching1
 in finding out1 if not absolutely her  
abode1 at least the rocks which         
surrounded it4 ,this was quite enough to
 force her to seek a more distant       
solitude4  ,impelled1 as she said in one
 of her letters1 by an irresistible     
force1 she transported herself to a     
distance of twenty leagues1 still       
further among the ,pyrenees1 in the     
direction of ,spain4 ,she had dwelt for 
four years in the solitude of the rocks1
 and for three years more she abode in  
that which she called the ,grot of the  
,rivulets4 ,it was a place full of rocks
 and caverns1 the retreat of wild       
beasts1 enormous serpents1 and monstrous
 lizards1 which were the terror of the  
neighbourhood1 so that none dared       
approach the spot4 ,but when this       
barrier of rocks was once passed1 which 
required good climbing1 there was a     
little smiling valley enamelled with    

flowers1 and intersected with rivulets  
from several springs of living water    
gushing out from the mountains2 there1  
too1 were several sorts of fruit of very
 good taste1 and a quantity of wild     
honey1 which the solitary pronounced to 
be excellent2 so that altogether this   
abode would have been preferable to her 
former one of the rocks1 if it had not  
been for the presence of the wild       
beasts4 ,but of these ,jane ,margaret   
had no fear1 depending on the help of   
the ,lord1 who has promised to give ,his
 servants the power of treading on      
serpents and scorpions1 and of chaining 
the mouths of lions2 and in truth these 
animals never disturbed her1 though she 
passed their dens again and again2 it   
seemed as though they respected her and 
all that belonged to her1 for they never
 approached her dwelling1 and even      
spared a little squirrel which she had  
found in this wilderness1 and taken home
 with her for company4  ,here1 too1 as  
in the neighbourhood of her first       

solitude1 she found a convent of monks2 
but this was at a more considerable     
distance1 for she had three leagues and 
a half to walk before she could reach   
it1 and that through tangled thickets2  
but in this convent she sought a        
confessor2 the ,superior received her   
with great kindness1 believing her to be
 a poor country girl1 and asking her no 
questions but such as were suitable to  
the rural life he supposed her to be    
leading4 ,for the holy sacrifice she    
went to the hermitage of ,st4 ,antony1 a
 league and a half on the other side of 
the forest4  ,when once fixed in this   
new abode1 our solitary peaceably       
resumed the course of her accustomed    
exercises4 ,she arranged for herself two
 cells in the hollow of two rocks very  
near to each other1 and in the space    
between the two she formed a little     
chapel1 which she delighted in adorning 
with verdure and wild flowers4 ,she     
divided her time1 as before1 between    
labour and prayer1 and her trances and  

ecstasies became more frequent and more 
sublime than ever2 but her great        
humility made her distrust these        
extraordinary favours of ,heaven1 and   
she required to be set at rest          
concerning them by her director1 with   
whom she continued to correspond1 and to
 whom she continued1 even to the end1 to
 pour forth all the secrets of her soul 
with the simplicity of a child4 ,her    
last letter is dated the #agth of ,sept4
 #afii1 and in it she expresses a great 
desire to go to ,rome in the course of  
the following year1 in order to gain the
 indulgence of the jubilee1 but at the  
same time submits her own judgment      
entirely to that of him whom she        
regarded as the interpreter of the will 
of ,heaven in her regard4 ,receiving no 
answer1 she suspected that ,father de   
,bray was no more2 and in fact he had   
died that very year4 ,she thought       
herself free to move1 and set off for   
the ,holy ,city1 since which period it  
has been impossible to gather any trace 

of her4 ,whether she accomplished her   
pilgrimage1 whether she died in ,rome or
 in some solitude1 has never been       
discovered2 as though it pleased        
,providence to second1 even after her   
death1 the earnest desire of ,his       
servant to be hidden from the sight and 
knowledge of men2 for the tomb1 which   
often becomes the glory of the friends  
of ,god1 only set the seal to her       
obscurity4 ,at the last day1 when the   
secrets of all hearts shall be made     
known1 this treasure will stand revealed
 in the face of the universe4