,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,st4 ,,francis ,,de
 ,,sales     ,nihil ,obstat3     ,f4    
,,thos4 ,,bergh1 ,o4,s4,b1      ,,censor
 ,,deputatus  ,imprimatur3     ,e4      
,,canonicus ,,surmont      ,,vicarius   
,,generalis  ,westmonasterii die #bgth  
,maii #aiaj     ,,the ,,spirit ,,of     
,,st4 ,,francis ,,de ,,sales  ,,by ,,his
 ,,friend  ,,jean ,,pierre ,,camus      
,,bishop ,,of ,,belley  ,,new ,,and     
,,enlarged ,,edition ,,with ,a ,,preface
 ,,by ,,his ,,grace ,,the ,,archbishop  
,,of ,,westminster4  ,,translated ,,by  
,j4 ,s4     ,,contents   ,preface by the
 ,archbishop of ,westminster ,sketch of 
,jean ,pierre ,camus1 ,bishop of ,belley
 ,the ,french ,publisher to the reader  
in #afci  ,upon perfect virtue ,blessed 
,francis' estimate of various virtues   
,upon the lesser virtues ,upon increase 
of ,faith ,upon temptations against     
,faith ,upon the same subject ,upon     
confidence in ,god ,our misery appeals  
to ,god's mercy ,upon self distrust     
,upon the justice and mercy of ,god ,on 

waiting upon ,god ,on the difference    
between a holy desire of reward and a   
mercenary spirit ,continuation of the   
same subject ,god should suffice for us 
all ,charity the short road to          
perfection ,upon what it is to love ,god
 truly ,upon the ,love of ,god in       
general ,all for ,love of ,god ,the same
 subject continued ,upon the ,love of   
,god called love of benevolence         
,disinterested ,love of ,god ,upon the  
character of a true ,christian ,upon not
 putting limits to our ,love of ,god    
,upon the law and the just man ,upon    
desires ,how ,charity excels both ,faith
 and ,hope ,some thoughts of ,blessed   
,francis on the ,passion ,upon the      
vanity of heathen philosophy ,upon the  
pure love of our neighbour ,upon bearing
 with one another ,upon fraternal       
correction ,upon finding excuses for the
 faults of our fellow-men ,upon not     
judging others ,upon judging ourselves  
,upon slander and detraction ,upon hasty
 judgments ,upon ridiculing one's       

neighbour ,upon contradicting others    
,upon loving our enemies ,upon forgiving
 our enemies ,upon the virtue of        
condescension ,how he adapted himself to
 times1 places and circumstances ,upon  
the deference due to inferiors and      
dependents ,on the way to treat servants
 ,another instance of his gentleness    
with his servants ,his never refusing   
what was asked of him ,upon almsgiving  
,his hopefulness in regard1 to the      
conversion of sinners ,his solicitude   
for malefactors condemned to death ,upon
 the small number of the elect ,to love 
to be hated2 and to hate to be loved    
,upon obedience ,upon the obedience that
 may be practised by ,superiors ,an     
instance of his obedience ,upon the     
,love of ,holy ,poverty ,upon the same  
subject ,upon poverty of spirit ,his    
love of the poor ,upon the ,christian   
view of ,poverty ,upon ,prosperity ,upon
 ,chastity and ,charity ,upon purity of 
heart ,upon ,chastity and ,humility     
,upon ,modesty ,the contempt he felt for

 his body ,upon his ,humility ,upon     
humbleness in speech only ,upon various 
degrees of ,humility ,upon ,humiliation 
,humility with regard to perfection     
,upon excuses ,upon our good name ,upon 
despising the esteem of men ,upon the   
virtues we should practice when         
calumniated ,upon some spiritual maxims 
,upon ,patience ,how to profit by       
bearing with insults ,upon bearing with 
importunities ,that he who complains    
sins ,his calmness in tribulations ,his 
test of patience in suffering ,upon long
 illnesses ,his holy indifference in    
illness ,upon the shape of the ,cross ,a
 diamond ,cross ,holy ,magdalen at the  
foot of the ,cross ,upon the power of   
gentleness and patience ,a rejoinder    
both striking and instructive ,his      
favourite beatitude ,his gravity and    
affability ,how he dealt with a criminal
 who despaired of salvation ,upon       
mortification ,upon the same subject    
,upon fasting ,doubts solved as to      
soldiers fasting ,the golden mean in    

dispensations ,upon the words ,eat of   
anything that is set before you ,upon   
the state of perfection ,marks of       
progress in perfection ,upon the        
perfection aimed at in ,religious       
,houses ,upon ,frugality ,his esteem of 
the virtue of simplicity ,his love of   
exactitude ,the test of ,religious      
,vocation ,upon following the common    
life ,upon ,vocations ,upon ,prudence   
and ,simplicity ,the same subject       
continued ,upon mental prayer ,upon     
,aspirations ,upon interior recollection
 and ejaculatory prayers ,upon doing and
 enduring ,upon ,mortification and      
,prayer ,upon the ,presence of ,god ,his
 unity of spirit with ,god ,his         
gratitude to ,god for spiritual         
consolations ,upon the shedding of tears
 ,upon joy and sadness ,on the degrees  
of true devotion ,the test of true      
devotion ,what it means to be a servant 
of ,god ,that devotion does not always  
spring from ,charity ,upon perfect      
contentment in the privation of all     

content ,upon the ,will of ,god ,his    
resignation to the ,will of ,god ,that  
we must always submit ourselves to      
,god's holy ,will ,his sublime thoughts 
on holy indifference ,nothing save sin  
happens to us but by the ,will of ,god  
,upon the same subject ,upon abandoning 
ourselves to ,god ,upon interior        
desolation ,upon the presence in our    
souls of the ,grace of ,god ,upon our   
wish to save our soul ,upon good natural
 inclinations ,how to speak of ,god     
,upon eccentricities in devotion ,upon  
,confraternities ,upon intercourse with 
the world ,against over-eagerness ,upon 
the same subject ,upon liberty of spirit
 ,upon nature and grace ,upon           
exaggerated introspection ,upon interior
 reformation ,his vision of the ,most   
,holy ,trinity ,his devotion to our     
,blessed ,lady ,his devotion to the     
,holy ,winding ,sheet of ,turin ,upon   
merit ,upon good will and good desires  
,against the making of rash vows ,upon  
the pro-passions of ,our ,lord ,his     

victory over the passions of love and   
anger ,upon our passions and emotions   
,how he came to write his ,philothea    
,upon the example of the ,saints ,upon  
the love of ,god's word ,his love of    
retirement ,how he sanctified his       
recreations ,what he drew from lines of 
poetry ,upon being content with our     
condition in life ,upon self-sufficiency
 and contentedness ,his reverence for   
the sick ,upon the care of the sick     
,upon speaking well of the dead ,upon   
,death ,upon wishing to die ,upon the   
desire of ,heaven ,what it is to die in 
,god ,upon length of life ,upon         
,purgatory ,upon ,penance ,upon penitent
 confusion ,upon interior peace amidst  
anxieties ,upon discouragement ,upon    
rising after a fall ,upon kindliness    
towards ourselves ,upon imperfections   
,the just man falls seven times in the  
day ,upon the purgative way ,upon venial
 sin ,upon complicity in the sins of    
another ,upon equivocating ,upon        
solitude ,upon vanity ,upon the         

knowledge which puffs up ,upon scruples 
,upon temptations ,upon the same subject
 ,thoughts on the ,incarnation ,upon    
,confession and ,communion ,upon        
,confession ,upon a change of confessor 
,upon different methods of direction    
,advice upon having a ,director ,upon   
true and mistaken zeal ,upon the        
institution of the ,visitation ,order   
,his defence of his new ,congregation of
 the ,visitation ,upon the odour of     
sanctity ,he rebukes ,pharisaism ,upon  
religious ,superiors ,upon unlearned    
,superiors ,upon the founding of        
,convents ,upon receiving the infirm    
into ,communities ,upon self pity ,upon 
the government of ,nuns by religious men
 ,that we must not be wedded to our own 
plans ,his views regarding              
,ecclesiastical dignities ,his promotion
 to the ,bishopric of ,geneva and his   
refusal of the     ,archbishopric of    
,paris ,a ,bishop's care for his flock  
,upon the first duty of ,bishops ,upon  
the pastoral charge ,upon the care of   

souls ,upon learning and piety ,advice  
to ,bishop ,camus as to resigning his   
,see ,the joyous spirit of ,blessed     
,francis ,upon daily ,mass4 ,his advice 
to a young ,priest ,a ,priest saying    
,mass should be considerate of others   
,blessed ,francis encourages the ,bishop
 of ,belley ,upon a compassionate mind  
,upon doing one's duty without respect  
of persons ,the honour due to virtue    
,upon memory and judgment ,a ,priest    
should not aim at imitating in his      
sermons some particular     preacher    
,upon short sermons ,upon preaching and 
preachers ,blessed ,francis and the     
,bishop of ,belley's sermon ,upon       
controversy ,the same subject continued 
,upon reason and reasoning ,upon quoting
 ,holy ,scripture ,upon political       
diplomacy ,upon ambition ,upon courts   
and courtiers ,upon the ,carnival ,an   
instance of his compassion for animals  
,upon hunting ,upon the fear of ghosts  
,his portrait ,upon his true charity    
,,preface4   ,the ,spirit of a ,saint we

 may1 perhaps1 regard as the underlying 
characteristic which pervades all his   
thoughts1 words1 and acts4 ,it is the   
note which sounds throughout the        
constant persevering harmony which makes
 the holiness of his life4              
,circumstances change4 ,he grows from   
childhood to boyhood2 from youth to     
manhood4 ,his time of preparation is    
unnoticed by the world until the moment 
comes when he is called to a public     
activity which arrests attention4 ,and  
essentially he remains the same4 ,in    
private as in public1 in intimate       
conversation as in writings or          
discourses1 in the direction of         
individual consciences as in the conduct
 of matters of wide importance1 there is
 a characteristic note which identifies 
him1 and marks him off apart even from  
other heroes of sanctity4  ,we owe to a 
keen and close observer a knowledge of  
the spirit of ,st4 ,francis de ,sales   
for which we cannot be too grateful4    
,let it be granted that ,mgr4 ,camus had

 a very prolific imagination2 that he   
had an unconscious tendency to embroider
 facts2 that he read a meaning into     
words which their speaker had no thought
 of imparting to them4 ,when all such   
allowances have been made1 we must still
 admit that he has given to us a picture
 of the ,saint which we should be loath 
to lose2 and that his description of    
what the ,saint habitually thought and  
felt has made ,saint ,francis de ,sales 
a close personal friend to many to whom 
otherwise he would have remained a mere 
chance acquaintance4  ,the ,bishop of   
,belley1 while a devoted admirer1 was at
 the same time a critical observer of   
his saintly friend4 ,he wanted to know  
the reasons of what he saw1 he did not  
always approve1 and he was sufficiently 
indiscreet to put questions which1      
probably1 no one else would have dared  
to frame4 ,and thus we know more about  
,st4 ,francis than about any other      
,saint1 and we owe real gratitude to his
 very candid1 talkative1 and out-spoken 

episcopal colleague4  ,many years ago a 
brief abridgment of the ,spirit of ,st4 
,francis de ,sales was published in     
,english4 ,it served its purpose1 but   
left unsatisfied the desire of his      
clients for a fuller work4 ,to-day the  
,sisters of the ,visitation1 now        
established at ,harrow-on-the-,hill1    
give abundant satisfaction to this      
long-felt desire4 ,inspired by the      
purpose of the late ,dom ,benedict      
,mackey1 ,o4,s4,b41 which his premature 
death prevented him from accomplishing1 
and guided by the advice which he left  
in writing1 these ,daughters of ,st4    
,francis of ,sales1 on the occasion of  
their ,tercentenary1 give to the        
,english-speaking world a work which1 in
 its wise curtailment and still full    
detail1 may be called the quintessence  
of the ,spirit of their ,master1 the    
,founder of their ,institute4 ,we thank 
them for their labour2 and we beg ,god's
 blessing upon this book1 that it may be
 the means of showing to many souls that

 safe and easy way of sanctification and
 salvation1 which it was the special    
mission of the saintly ,bishop of       
,geneva to make known to the world4     
,,francis1 ,,archbishop ,,of            
,,westminster4  ,may #ahth1 #aiaj4      
,,sketch ,,of ,,the ,,life ,,of  ,,jean 
,,pierre ,,camus1  ,,bishop ,,of        
,,belley4   ,jean ,pierre ,camus came of
 an illustrious1 and much respected     
family of ,auxonne in ,burgundy1 in     
which province it possessed the         
seigneuries of ,saint ,bonnet and       
,pont-carr4  ,he was born in ,paris1    
,november #crd1 #aehd4  ,his grandfather
 was for some years ,administrator of   
the ,finances under ,king ,henri ,,iii4 
,though he had had the management of the
 public funds during a period when fraud
 and dishonesty were as easy as they    
were common1 he retired from office     
without having added a single penny to  
his patrimony4 ,on one occasion having  
received from ,henri ,,iii4 the gift of 
a sum of #ej1jjj crowns1 which had been 

left by a ,jew who had died intestate1  
and without children1 this upright      
administrator sent for three merchants  
who had lost all their property in a    
fire1 and distributed it among them4    
,the father of our ,prelate1 inheriting 
this integrity1 left an honourable name1
 but few worldly goods to his children4 
,faithful1 and devoted to the interests 
of his king1 ,henri ,,iv41 he gave part 
of his fortune to the support of the    
good cause1 the triumph of which he had 
the happiness of witnessing4 ,he died in
 #afai4  ,the mantle of paternal loyalty
 and patriotism undoubtedly descended   
upon the young ,j4 ,p4 ,camus1 for      
second only to his love for ,god1 and   
,his ,church1 was his devotion to       
,france1 and its king4  ,on his mother's
 side1 as well as on his father's1 he   
was well connected4 ,her family had     
given to ,france chancellors1           
secretaries of state1 and other         
distinguished personages1 but noble as  
were the races from which he sprang     

their chief distinction is derived from 
the subject of this sketch4  ,this one  
branch1 says his panegyrist1 bore more  
blossoms and more fruit than all the    
others together4 ,in ,john ,peter the   
gentle rivulet of the ,camus' became a  
mighty stream1 yet one whose course was 
peaceful1 and which loved to flow       
underground1 as do certain rivers which 
seem to lose themselves in the earth1   
and only emerge to precipitate          
themselves into the waters of the ocean4
  ,books and objects of piety were the  
toys of his childhood1 and his youth was
 passed in solitude1 and in the         
practices of the ascetic life4 ,his     
physical strength as it increased with  
his years1 seemed only to serve to      
assist him in curbing and restraining a 
somewhat fiery temperament4 ,his wish1  
which at one time was very strong1 to   
become a ,carthusian1 was not indeed    
fulfilled1 it being evident from the    
many impediments put in its way1 that it
 was not a call from ,god4              

,nevertheless1 this desire of           
self-sacrifice in a cloistered life was 
only thwarted in order that he might    
sacrifice himself in another way1       
namely1 by becoming a ,bishop1 which    
state1 if its functions are rightly     
discharged1 assuredly demands greater   
self-immolation than does that of a     
monk1 and is indeed a martyrdom that    
ceases only with life itself4  ,if he   
did not submit himself to the ,rule of  
the ,carthusians by entering their      
,order1 he nevertheless adopted all its 
severity1 and to the very end of his    
life kept his body in the most stern and
 rigorous subjection4  ,this1 and his   
early inclination towards the religious 
life1 will not a little astonish his    
detractors1 if any such still exist1 for
 it is surely a convincing proof that he
 was not the radical enemy of           
monasticism they pretend4 ,in his       
studies he displayed great brilliancy1  
being especially distinguished in       
theology and canon law1 to the study of 

which he consecrated four years of his  
life4  ,after he had become a ,priest   
his learning1 piety1 and eloquence not  
only established his reputation as a    
preacher in the pulpits of ,paris1 but  
soon even crossed the threshold of the  
,louvre and reached the ears of ,henry  
,,iv4 ,that monarch1 moved by the hope  
of the great services which a prelate   
might render to the ,church even more   
than by the affection which he bore to  
the ,camus family1 decided to propose   
him for a ,bishopric1 although he was   
but twenty-five1 and had not therefore  
reached the canonical age for that      
dignity4  ,the young ,priest was far too
 humble and also too deeply imbued with 
a sense of the awful responsibility of  
the office of a ,bishop to expect1 or to
 desire to be raised to it4 ,when1      
however1 ,pope ,paul ,v4 gave the       
necessary dispensation1 ,m4 ,camus      
submitted to the will both of the       
,pontiff and of the ,king1 and was      
consecrated ,bishop of ,belley by ,st4  

,francis de ,sales1 ,august #cj1 #afji4 
,the fact that the two dioceses of      
,geneva and ,belley touched one another 
contributed to further that close       
intimacy which was always maintained    
between the ,bishops1 the younger       
consulting the elder on all possible    
occasions1 and in all imaginable        
difficulties4  ,bishop ,camus had       
already referred his scruples regarding 
his youth at the time of his            
consecration to his holy director4 ,the 
latter had1 however1 reminded him of the
 many reasons there were to justify his 
submission1 viz41 the needs of the      
diocese1 the testimony to his fitness   
given by so many persons of distinction 
and piety1 the judgment of ,henry the   
,great1 in fine the command of ,his     
,holiness4 ,in consecrating ,mgr4       
,camus1 ,st4 ,francis de ,sales seems to
 have transmitted to the new ,prelate   
some of the treasures of his own holy   
soul4 ,camus was the only ,bishop whom  
he ever consecrated1 and doubtless this 

fact increased the tender affection     
which ,francis bore him4 ,john ,peter   
was1 what he loved to call himself1 and 
what ,st4 ,francis loved to call him1   
the latter's only son4 ,there was       
between the two holy ,prelates a        
community of intelligence and of life4  
,camus1 says ,godeau1 the preacher of   
his funeral discourse1 ever sat at the  
feet of ,st4 ,francis de ,sales1 whom he
 called his ,gamaliel1 there to learn   
from him the law of ,god3 full as he    
himself was of the knowledge of ,divine 
things4  ,we must bear this in mind if  
we wish to know what ,camus really was1 
and to appreciate him properly4 ,he was 
by nature ardent1 impetuous1 and        
imaginative1 eager for truth and        
goodness1 secretly devoted to the       
austere practices of ,st4 ,charles      
,borromeo1 but above all fervently      
desirous to imitate his model1 his      
beloved spiritual ,father1 and therefore
 anxious to subdue1 and to temper all   
that was too impetuous1 excitable1 and  

hard in himself1 by striving after the  
incomparable sweetness and tenderness   
which were the distinguishing           
characteristics of ,st4 ,francis de     
,sales4  ,mgr4 ,camus was endowed with a
 most marvellous memory1 which was      
indeed invaluable to him in the great   
work to which both ,bishops devoted     
themselves1 that of bringing back into  
the bosom of the ,church those who had  
become strangers1 and even enemies to   
her4  ,his chief defect was that he was 
over hasty in judging1 and of this he   
was himself perfectly well aware4 ,he   
tells us in the ,esprit that on one     
occasion when he was bewailing his      
deficiency to ,francis1 the good        
,prelate only smiled1 and told him to   
take courage1 for that as time went on  
it would bring him plenty of judgment1  
that being one of the fruits of         
experience1 and of advancing years4     
,whenever ,mgr4 ,camus visited the      
,bishop of ,geneva1 which he did each   
year in order to make a retreat of      

several days under the direction of his 
spiritual ,father1 he was treated with  
the greatest honour by him4  ,st4       
,francis de ,sales gave up his own room 
to his guest1 and made him preach1 and  
discharge other episcopal functions1 so 
as to exercise him in his own presence  
in these duties of his sublime ministry4
  ,this was the school in which ,camus  
learnt to control and master himself1 to
 curb his natural impetuosity1 and to   
subjugate his own will1 and thus to     
acquire one1 in our opinion1 of the most
 certain marks of saintliness4  ,the    
,bishop of ,geneva was not contented    
with receiving his only son at ,annecy4 
,he often went over to ,belley1 and     
spent several days there in his company4
 ,these visits were to both ,prelates a 
time of the greatest consolation4 ,then 
they spoke1 as it were1 heart to heart1 
of all that they valued most4 ,then they
 encouraged one another to bear the     
burden of the episcopate4 ,then they    
consoled each other in the troubles     

which they met with in their sacred     
ministry4  ,it never cost the younger   
,bishop anything to yield obedience to  
the elder1 and no matter how great1 or  
how trifling was the occasion which     
called for the exercise of that virtue1 
there was never a moment's hesitation on
 the part of the ,bishop of ,belley4    
,the latter1 indeed1 considered the     
virtue of obedience as the one most     
calculated to ensure rapid advance in   
the spiritual life4 ,he tells us that   
one day at table someone having boasted 
that he could make an egg stand upright 
on a plate1 a thing which those present1
 forgetting ,christopher ,columbus1     
insisted was impossible1 the ,saint1 as 
,columbus had done1 quietly taking one  
up chipped it a little at one end1 and  
so made it stand4 ,the company all cried
 out that there was nothing very great  
in that trick4 ,no1 repeated the ,saint1
 but all the same you did not know it4  
,we may say the same1 adds ,camus1 of   
obedience3 it is the true secret of     

perfection1 and yet few people know it  
to be so4  ,from what we have already   
seen of the character of ,john ,peter   
,camus1 we may imagine that gentleness  
was the most difficult for him to copy  
of the virtues of ,st4 ,francis de      
,sales2 yet steel1 though much stronger 
than iron1 is at the same time far more 
readily tempered4  ,thus1 in his        
dealings with his neighbour he behaved  
exactly like his model1 so much so1 that
 for anyone who wanted to gain his      
favour the best plan was to offend him  
or do him some injury4  ,i have spoken  
of his love of mortification1 and a     
short extract from the funeral discourse
 pronounced over his remains will show  
to what extent he practised it4  ,godeau
 says3 ,our virtuous ,bishop up to the  
very last years of his life1 slept      
either on a bed of vine shoots1 or on   
boards1 or on straw4 ,this custom he    
only abandoned in obedience to his      
director1 and in doing so ,i consider   
that he accomplished what was far more  

difficult and painful than the          
mortifications which he had planned for 
himself1 since the sacrifice of our own 
will in these matters is incomparably   
more disagreeable to us than the        
practising of them4  ,this austerity in 
respect to sleep1 of which1 indeed1 he  
required more than others on account of 
his excitable temperament1 did not      
suffice to satisfy his love for penance1
 without which1 he said1 the leading of 
a ,christian and much more of an        
episcopal life was impossible4 ,to bring
 his body into subjection he constantly 
made use of hair-shirts1 iron belts1    
vigils1 fasting1 and the discipline1 and
 it was not until his last illness that 
he gave up those practices of austerity4
 ,he concealed them1 however1 as        
carefully as though he had been ashamed 
of them1 knowing well that such         
sacrifices if not offered in secret1    
partake more of the spirit of           
,pharisaism than of the gospel4 ,this   
humility1 notwithstanding1 he was unable

 to guard against the pardonable        
curiosity of his servants4 ,one of them1
 quite a young man1 who was his personal
 attendant during the first years of his
 residence at ,belley1 observing that he
 wore round his neck the key of a large 
cupboard1 and being very anxious to know
 what it contained1 managed in some way 
to possess himself of this key for a few
 moments1 when his master had laid it   
aside1 and was not in the room4         
,unlocking the cupboard he found it full
 of the vine shoots on which he was     
accustomed to sleep4 ,the bed which     
everyone saw in his apartment was the   
,bishop's2 the one which he hid away was
 the penitent's4 ,the one was for       
appearance1 the other for piety4 ,he    
used to put into disorder the coverings 
of the bed1 so as to give the impression
 of having slept in it1 while he really 
slept1 or at least took such repose as  
was necessary to keep him alive1 on the 
penitential laths he had hidden4        
,having discovered that through his     

valet the rumour of his austerity had   
got abroad1 he dismissed the young man  
from his service1 giving him a handsome 
present1 and warning him to be less     
curious in future4 ,but for his failing1
 however1 we should have lost a great   
example of the ,bishop's mortification  
and humility4  ,the latter virtue ,john 
,peter ,camus cultivated most carefully1
 and how well he succeeded in this      
matter is proved by the composure1 and  
even gaiety and joyousness1 with which  
he met the raillery heaped upon his     
sermons1 and writings4  ,camus1 like the
 holy ,bishop of ,geneva1 had throughout
 his life a special devotion to the     
,blessed ,virgin1 and never failed in   
his daily recital of the ,rosary4 ,every
 evening it was his habit to read a     
portion of either ,the ,spiritual       
,combat1 or the ,imitation of ,jesus    
,christ2 two books which he recommended 
to his penitents as next in usefulness  
to the gospels4  ,following him in his  
,episcopal career we find that as the   

years rolled on his reputation passed   
beyond the confines of ,france1 and     
reached the ,vatican4  ,pope ,paul ,v41 
who knew him intimately1 held him in    
high esteem1 and all the ,cardinals     
honoured him with their friendship4     
,had it not been for his own firm       
resistance to every proposal made to him
 to quit his poor diocese of ,belley1   
,mgr4 ,camus would assuredly have been  
transferred to some much more important 
,see4  ,and here we may again quote the 
words of his panegyrist1 to indicate the
 fruits produced by his zeal in the     
little corner of the vineyard of the    
,divine ,master1 which had been confided
 to his skilful hands4  ,godeau says1   
,the interior sanctity which he strove  
to acquire for himself by prayer1 by    
reading holy books1 by the mortification
 of his senses1 by the putting aside of 
all secular affairs when engaged in     
prayer1 by humility1 patience1 and      
charity1 were the inexhaustible source  
whence flowed all his external works1   

and whence they derived all their purity
 and vigour4  ,as regarded the poor and 
needy in his diocese1 ,mgr4 ,camus was  
no less generous in ministering to their
 temporal than to their spiritual wants4
 ,he looked upon himself as simply a    
steward of the goods of the ,church4    
,he1 indeed1 drew the revenues of his   
diocese1 but only as rivers draw their  
waters from the sea1 to pay them back   
again to it with usury4  ,more than once
 in years of famine he gave all his corn
 to the poor1 not as ,joseph did in     
,egypt by depriving them of their       
liberty1 but by depriving himself of    
what was necessary for his support1 and 
treating himself no better than the rest
 of the poor4  ,one day he was told that
 the dearness of wine was the cause of  
great distress among working people4 ,he
 immediately gave orders that his own   
wine should be sold1 but after a most   
curious and unusual fashion4 ,he would  
not have any fixed price set upon it1   
but only desired that an open bag should

 be held1 at the door of the cellar so  
that purchasers might throw in what they
 pleased4 ,you may be sure that the bag 
was not very full and that the buyers   
availed themselves to the utmost of his 
liberality4  ,what1 however1 do you     
think he did with the small amount of   
money which he found in the bag8 ,even  
that he forthwith distributed among the 
poor6 ,surely if anything can approach  
the miraculous transformation of water  
into wine it is ,bishop ,camus' mode of 
selling it6  ,after having established  
in his diocese that order and peace     
which are the fruits of the knowledge   
and observance of the duties of         
religion1 and having formed a body of   
clergy remarkable for their piety and   
learning1 ,mgr4 ,camus thought he ought 
to advance even a step further4  ,he    
felt that it was his duty to have in his
 ,episcopal city a community of         
,religious men who by their example     
should assist both clergy and laity in  
their spiritual life4 ,he did this by   

building1 at his own expense1 in #afbj1 
a ,capuchin ,monastery4  ,for a long    
time he supplied these ,friars with all 
that they needed1 and finally gave them 
his own library1 which was both choice  
and extensive4  ,he was equally cordial 
in his relationship with other ,orders1 
welcoming them gladly to his own house1 
and often making retreats in their      
,monasteries4  ,camus was too intimately
 connected with ,francis de ,sales not  
to have with him a community of spirit4 
,knowing how useful the newly-formed    
,order of the ,visitation would be to   
the ,church1 he also founded at ,belley1
 in #affb1 a ,convent1 to which he      
invited some nuns of the ,new           
,congregation4 ,this ,institution of the
 holy ,bishop of ,geneva was vigorously 
attacked from its very beginning4 ,it   
was called in derision1 the             
,confraternity of the ,descent from the 
,cross1 because its pious founder had   
excluded from this order corporal       
austerities1 and had adapted all his    

rules to the reforming of the interior4 
,the ,bishop of ,belley declared himself
 champion of this new ,institution4     
,indeed1 his ardent soul was always on  
fire to proclaim and to maintain the    
glory of the ,church4 ,at whatever point
 ,she was attacked or threatened there  
,camus was to be found armed cap-a-pie  
to defend her4  ,as for his own temporal
 interests1 they were to him matters of 
absolute indifference when weighed in   
the balance of that beloved ,church4    
,his own words1 however1 speak best on  
this subject4  ,on one occasion1 when a 
,minister of ,state wrote to ask him    
something contrary to those interests1  
backing up his request with the most    
liberal promises1 the ,bishop of        
,belley1 after courteously excusing     
himself from complying with the request1
 wound up his answer to the statesman   
with these remarkable words3 ,this is   
all that can be said to you by a ,bishop
 who1 as regards the past1 is under no  
obligation to anyone2 as regards the    

present without interest2 and as regards
 the future has no pretentions whatever4
  ,we have said that the ,bishop of     
,belley was indefatigable in labouring  
for the sanctification of his people1   
but this did not in any way prevent him 
from bestowing due care upon the        
interests of his own soul4  ,with this  
object in view he considered that after 
long years of toil for his flock he     
ought to retire from the world1 so as to
 have more time to devote to himself4   
,to live in solitude had been the desire
 of his youth1 as we know it was ever   
his desire through all the period of his
 ,episcopate2 but his spiritual guide1  
the holy ,bishop of ,geneva1 always     
succeeded in dissuading him from laying 
down the pastoral staff to take refuge  
in the cloister4  ,however1 after the   
death of his illustrious friend and     
counsellor1 this desire returned to     
,camus with redoubled force4 ,for seven 
years1 out of respect for the advice of 
his dear dead friend1 he abstained from 

carrying out his purpose1 and during    
that time of waiting1 relaxing nothing  
in the ardour of his love for his people
 and his zeal for the ,church1 he       
devoted himself to the work of repairing
 and restoring his ,cathedral1 which was
 accomplished in the year #afbg4  ,when 
in #ahcg this ancient edifice was pulled
 down in order to be rebuilt1 an        
inscription was discovered stating this 
fact1 which is not otherwise mentioned  
in any extant writings1 probably because
 those in which it was recorded were    
among the rich archives of the ,chapter 
destroyed by the fury of the vandals of 
#agic4  ,at last1 in #afbh1 ,camus      
finally decided to give up his          
,episcopal charge to one who was indeed 
worthy of such a dignity4  ,this was    
,jean de ,passelaigne1 ,abbot of ,notre 
,dame de ,hambic1 ,prior of ,st4 ,victor
 of ,nevers1 and of ,la                 
,charit-sur-,loire1 ,vicar-,general of  
the ,order of ,cluny4  ,then1 having    
obtained the ,king's consent1 ,camus    

retired from the diocese of ,belley1    
which he had ruled so happily and so    
well for twenty years1 to the           
,cistercian ,abbey of ,annay1 there to  
exercise in the calm of solitude all    
those virtues to the practice of which  
he said the stir and bustle inseparable 
from the episcopal functions had not    
allowed him to devote himself4 ,this he 
did1 it would seem1 towards the end of  
#afbh1 or the beginning of #afbi4  ,the 
,abbey of ,annay1 which the ,king gave  
to him on receiving his resignation of  
the ,see of ,belley1 was situated in    
,normandy1 near ,caen4 ,there ,camus    
dwelt for some time1 not1 however1      
leading an idle life1 for we find that a
 great many of his works were printed at
 ,caen4 ,he also succeeded in           
introducing into this ,religious ,house1
 and into the neighbouring one of       
,ardaine1 that reform which it was the  
desire of his heart to bring back to all
 the ,monasteries of ,france4 ,it was   
while in ,normandy that he made the     

acquaintance of ,pre ,eudes1 and between
 these two holy ,priests the closest    
friendship sprang up1 founded on a      
mutual zeal for the salvation of souls4 
,the ,bishop of ,belley was not long    
allowed to enjoy his quiet retreat at   
,annay4 ,franois de ,harlay1 ,archbishop
 of ,rouen1 being unable at that time1  
owing to ill health1 to exercise his    
duties as a ,bishop1 felt convinced that
 ,providence had sent ,mgr4 ,camus into 
his diocese on purpose that he might    
share his labours4 ,his earnest         
entreaties prevailed upon the good      
,bishop to emerge from his retreat and  
help to bear the burden which pressed so
 heavily upon a sick and failing        
,prelate4  ,at ,belley he had been      
accountable to ,god alone for the       
discharge of those duties which he had  
for a time laid aside2 now at the call  
of charity he did not hesitate to take  
up the burden again to ease another4 ,he
 was appointed ,vicar-,general to the   
,archbishop of ,rouen1 renouncing1 like 

,st4 ,paul1 his liberty in order to     
become the servant of all men1 and thus 
gain more souls to ,jesus ,christ4      
,although in this new sphere ,camus     
laboured with the utmost devotion and   
untiring energy1 living a life of       
ascetic severity1 fasting1 sleeping on  
straw1 or spending whole nights in      
prayer1 while his days were given to    
preaching1 confirming1 hearing          
confessions1 visiting the sick1         
consoling the afflicted1 advising1      
exhorting1 patiently listening to the   
crowds who flocked to consult him1 yet  
he still felt certain that the voice of 
,god called him to solitude and to a    
perpetual retreat4  ,desiring to spend  
the rest of his days among the poor whom
 he loved so well1 he came to ,paris1   
and took up his abode in the ,hospital  
for ,incurables1 situated in the ,rue de
 ,svres4 ,he reserved for himself out of
 his patrimony and benefices only #ejj  
livres1 which he paid to the hospital   
for his board and lodging1 distributing 

the remainder among the needy4  ,in this
 hospital he passed his time in         
ministering to the sick1 dressing their 
wounds1 consoling1 and instructing them1
 and performing for them all the        
functions of an ordinary ,chaplain4     
,even if he went out to visit friends in
 the vicinity of ,paris1 he never       
returned later than five o'clock in the 
evening4 ,occasionally he preached in   
the chapel of the ,duke of ,orleans     
before ,his ,royal ,highness1 and at    
such times denounced vehemently the     
luxury and indolence of ,princes and    
courtiers4  ,there was at this time a   
diocese in a no less pitiable condition 
than was ,belley when ,mgr4 ,camus was1 
at the ,king's desire1 placed in charge 
of it4 ,this diocese was that of ,arras1
 and on the #bhth of ,may1 #afej1 he was
 appointed by ,louis ,,xiv41 acting     
under the advice of the ,queen-,regent1 
to administer all the affairs of the    
diocese until such time as a new ,bishop
 should be nominated to the vacant ,see 

by ,his ,majesty and our ,holy ,father  
the ,pope4 ,into this laborious task of 
sowing1 ploughing1 cultivating a vast   
weed-grown1 and unpromising field1      
,camus threw himself with all his old   
ardour and energy4 ,he did so much in a 
very short time that his name will long 
be remembered among the descendants of  
those from whom the troubles of the     
times snatched him so suddenly1 but not 
before he had bound them to ,france     
while leading them to ,god by bands of  
love stronger than citadels or          
garrisons4  ,political disturbances and 
the calamities of war having prevented  
this indefatigable servant of ,god from 
carrying on his work at ,arras1 he      
withdrew again in the following year to 
the ,hospital of the ,incurables at     
,paris1 there to await better times1 and
 also doubtless the expected ,bull from 
the ,sovereign ,pontiff4 ,however1 the  
great ,rewarder called ,camus to        
,himself before the ,pope had sanctioned
 his appointment to the ,bishopric of   

,arras4  ,but ere we close this slight  
sketch of the life of the good ,bishop1 
and speak of its last scenes1 we must   
say a word about the gigantic literary  
labours which occupied him more or less 
from the time of his retirement to the  
,abbey of ,annay1 in #afbh1 till his    
death1 in #afeb4  ,it was his great love
 for the ,church which made him take pen
 in hand4 ,varied as were the subjects  
on which he wrote1 his writings1 whether
 controversial1 dogmatic1 devotional or 
even light and entertaining1 had but one
 single aim and end--the instruction of 
mankind and the glorification of        
,catholicism4  ,if we bear this in mind 
we shall be ready to forgive the        
bitterness and harshness which we may   
admit characterised many of his         
writings4 ,to reform the ,monasteries of
 ,france1 and to deal a death blow to   
the abuses which had crept into some of 
them1 was the passionate desire of his  
heart4  ,this1 and not a personal hatred
 of monks1 as his enemies have averred1 

was the moving spring of his actions in 
this crusade of the pen4 ,at the same   
time we do not deny that his natural    
impetuosity and keen sense of humour    
made him too often1 in accordance with  
the bad taste of the day1 present the   
abuses which he wished to reform1 in so 
ridiculous and contemptible a light1 as 
to provoke and irritate his enemies1    
perhaps unnecessarily4  ,yet1 if in this
 he showed the lack of judgment which he
 had years before lamented in himself1  
can anyone who knows what those times   
were1 and who is as jealous for the     
honour of ,god as he was1 blame him8    
,there was another evil of the day which
 the good ,bishop witnessed with grief  
and indignation1 and set himself        
zealously to reform4 ,this was the      
publishing of romances1 or novels1      
which1 as then written1 could only      
poison the minds of their readers1      
inflame their passions1 and weaken their
 sense of right and wrong4 ,he pondered 
the matter1 and having made up his mind 

that it would be absolutely useless to  
endeavour to hinder their being read1 as
 this would only increase the obstinacy 
and perversity of those who took        
pleasure in them1 he decided on adopting
 another method altogether1 as he       
himself said1 he tried to make these    
poor diseased folk1 with their depraved 
taste and morbid cravings1 swallow his  
medicine under the disguise of          
sweetmeats4  ,that is to say1 he himself
 began to write novels and romances for 
them2 romances which1 indeed1 depicted  
the profligacy of the age1 but in such  
odious colours as to inspire aversion   
and contempt4 ,vice1 if described1 was  
held up to ridicule and loathing4 ,the  
interest of the story was so well kept  
up as to carry the reader on to the end1
 and that end often showed the hero or  
heroine so entirely disabused of the    
world's enchantment as to retire        
voluntarily into convents1 in order1 by 
an absolute devotion of the heart to    
,god1 to repair the injury done to ,him1

 by giving to the creature the love due 
to ,him alone4  ,these books passed from
 hand to hand in the gay world1 were    
read1 were enjoyed1 and the fruit       
gathered from them by the reader was the
 conviction that ,god being ,himself the
 ,sovereign ,god1 all other love but    
that of which ,he is the object and the 
end1 is as contrary to the happiness of 
man as it is opposed to all the rules of
 justice4  ,let us hear what ,camus     
himself says as to his motive and       
conduct in the matter of novel          
writing4#a  ,the enterprise on which ,i 
have embarked of wrestling with1 or     
rather contending against those idle or 
dangerous books1 which cloak themselves 
under the title of novels1 would surely 
demand the hands of ,briareus to wield  
as many pens1 and the strength of       
,hercules to support such a burden6 ,but
 what cannot courage1 zeal1 charity1 and
 confidence in ,god accomplish8  ,he    
goes on to say that though he sees all  
the difficulties ahead1 his courage will

 not fail1 for he holds his commission  
from a ,saint1 the holy ,bishop of      
,geneva1 in whose intercessions1 and in 
the assistance of the ,god of ,saints1  
he trusts1 and is confident of victory4 
,he tells us in several of his works1   
and especially in his ,unknown          
,traveller1 that it was ,st4 ,francis de
 ,sales who first advised him to use his
 pen in this manner1 and that for       
twenty-five years the ,saint had been   
cogitating and developing this design in
 his brain4  ,in the same little        
pamphlet ,camus points out the methods  
he followed as a novel writer4  ,it     
consists1 he says1 in saying only good  
things1 dealing only with good subjects1
 the single aim of which is to deter    
from vice1 and to lead on to virtue4    
,he was an extraordinarily prolific and 
rapid writer1 scarcely ever correcting  
or polishing up anything that he had put
 on paper4 ,this was a defect1 but it   
was the natural outcome of his          
temperament1 which was a curious        

combination of lightness and solidity1  
gaiety and severity4  ,few people really
 understood him4 ,he was often taken for
 a mere man of the world1 when in truth 
he was one of the stoutest champions of 
the ,church1 and in his inner life1     
grave and ascetic1 macerating his flesh 
like a monk of the desert4 ,he wrote in 
all about #bjj volumes1 #ej of these    
being romances4  ,in the latter1 which  
drew down upon him such storms of bitter
 invective1 owing to his freedom of     
language in treating of the vices       
against which he was warning his        
readers1 we do not pretend to admire his
 work1 but must remind readers that his 
style was that of the age in which he   
lived1 and that ,camus was essentially a
 ,parisian4 ,we have said that he wrote 
at least fifty novels2 we may add that  
each was cleverer than that which had   
preceded it4 ,forgotten now1 they were  
at the time of their appearance eagerly 
devoured1 and it is morally impossible  
but that some good should have resulted 

from their production4  ,and now old age
 came upon the busy writer--old age1 but
 not the feebleness of old age1 nor its 
privileged inaction4 ,as he advanced in 
years he seemed to increase in zeal and 
diligence1 and it was not till suddenly 
stricken down by a mortal malady that   
his labours ceased4  ,then on his       
death-bed in a quiet corner of the      
,hospital for ,incurables in humility1  
patience1 and a marvellous silence1 only
 opening his lips to speak at the desire
 of his confessor1 calm and peaceful1   
his eyes fixed upon the crucifix which  
he held in his hands1 ,jean ,pierre     
,camus gave up his soul to ,god4 ,this  
was on the #beth of ,april1 #afeb4 ,he  
was #fg years old4  ,he had in his will 
forbidden any pomp or display at his    
funeral1 and his wishes were strictly   
obeyed4  ,some time after his death a   
stone was placed by the ,administrators 
of the ,hospital over the tomb of the   
good ,bishop1 who had been so great a   
benefactor to that ,institution1 and who

 rests beneath the nave of its ,church  
in the ,rue de ,svres4  ,when he felt   
the first approach of illness1 about six
 weeks before his death1 he made his    
will1 in which he left the greater part 
of his money to the ,hospital1 founding 
in it four beds for the ,incurables of  
,belley4  ,and now our work is done4444 
,the object has been to make ,john      
,peter ,camus known as he really was1   
and to cleanse his memory from the      
stains cast upon it by the jarring      
passions of his contemporaries4  ,if we 
have succeeded in this the reader will  
recognise in him a pious ,bishop1 armed 
with the scourge of penance1 an         
indefatigable writer in the defence of  
good morals1 of religion1 and of the    
,church--a reformer1 and not an enemy of
 the ,monastic ,orders2 finally a       
,prelate1 who laboured all his life to  
copy the ,holy ,bishop of ,geneva1 whom 
he ever regarded as his father1 his     
guide1 and his oracle4  ,one word more4 
,those pious persons who wish to know   

better this true disciple of the ,bishop
 of ,geneva have nothing to do but to   
read the ,spirit of ,saint ,francis de  
,sales4 ,there they will see the ,bishop
 of ,belley as he really was4 ,there    
they can admire his ardent piety1 the   
candour of his soul1 the fervour of his 
faith and charity2 in a word1 all that  
rich store of virtues which he acquired 
in the school of that great master of   
the spiritual life who was for fourteen 
years his ,director4  ,footnote #a3 ,in 
the preface of his book1 entitled       
,strange ,occurrences4     ,,the        
,,french ,,publisher ,,to ,,the         
,,reader1 #afci4   ,since the holy death
 of ,blessed ,francis de ,sales1 ,prince
 and ,bishop of ,geneva1 which took     
place on ,december #bhth1 the ,feast of 
the ,holy ,innocents1 in the year #afbb1
 many writers have taken up the pen to  
give the public the knowledge of the    
pious life and virtuous conversation of 
that holy ,prelate1 whom some have very 
fitly called the ,st4 ,charles of       

,france4  ,the writer1 however1 with    
whom we are most concerned is           
,monseigneur ,jean ,pierre ,camus1      
,bishop of ,belley1 whose work we are   
now introducing to our readers4 ,after  
the death of ,blessed ,francis this     
faithful friend and devoted disciple was
 entreated1 urged1 conjured1 in season  
and out of season1 by an infinity of    
persons1 to employ the literary faculty 
given to him by ,god in communicating to
 the world the many rare things which he
 had had the opportunity of observing in
 the life and conversation of ,blessed  
,francis1 under whose direction and     
discipline he had been for fourteen     
years4  ,m4 ,camus constantly excused   
himself under the plea that many had    
already taken the work in hand1 and that
 he did not care to put his sickle into 
another man's crop1 nor to make books by
 simply transcribing those of others1 as
 is done by many writers of our day4 ,at
 last1 however1 he allowed himself to be
 persuaded by some members of the ,order

 of the ,visitation1 founded by the holy
 ,bishop1 to write the life1 or1 more   
properly speaking1 to delineate the     
spirit of his beloved ,master4  ,having 
promised to do this1 he considered that 
he had1 at least partially1 fulfilled   
his promise by publishing some pious    
,treatises conformable to the spirit of 
the holy ,prelate4 ,it was1 however1    
afterwards thought better to gather up1 
and1 as it were1 glean from ,m4 ,camus' 
own sermons1 exhortations1 conferences1 
conversations1 books1 and letters1 that 
,spirit of ,blessed ,francis which he   
had imbibed1 in common with all the holy
 ,bishop's disciples and spiritual      
children4  ,to make this collection was 
not difficult1 because there was        
scarcely a sermon1 conference1 or       
spiritual lesson given by him in which  
he did not say something about the      
,saint1 so deeply imbued was he with his
 instructions4  ,one of the most        
intimate and familiar friends of the    
,bishop of ,belley1 having given his    

attention to the matter1 now lays before
 you as the result1 this book to which  
he has given the title3 ,the ,spirit of 
,blessed ,francis de ,sales1 represented
 in his most remarkable words and       
actions4 ,this holy ,bishop was mighty  
in works and in words2 he was not one of
 those who say much that is good but who
 do not practise it4 ,to say and to do  
was with him the same thing1 or rather1 
his doing surpassed his saying4444  ,in 
this collection offered to you1 there is
 but little formal arrangement1 the     
component parts were gathered up as they
 fell from the lips or the pen of       
,monseigneur ,camus4 ,it is a piece of  
mosaic work1 a bouquet of various       
flowers1 a salad of divers herbs1 a     
banquet of many dishes1 an orchard of   
different fruits1 where each one can    
take what best suits his taste4         
,note4--,in this translation an         
endeavour has been made to group        
together the sections treating of the   
same subject4 ,these are scattered1     

without order1 through the three volumes
 of the ,french edition4     ,,the      
,,spirit ,,of ,,st4 ,,francis ,,de      
,,sales   ,,upon ,,perfect ,,virtue4    
,blessed ,francis de ,sales thought very
 little of any virtue unless it was     
animated by charity2 following in this  
the teaching of ,st4 ,paul1 who declares
 that without charity the greatest      
virtues are as nothing4 ,thus1 even the 
faith which works miracles1 the         
almsgiving which leads a man to sell all
 his goods to feed the poor1 the spirit 
of martyrdom which impels him to give   
his body to be burned1 all1 if without  
charity1 are nothing4#a  ,that you may  
clearly understand the distinction which
 he drew between the natural excellence 
of certain virtues1 and the supernatural
 perfection which they acquire by the   
infusion of charity1 ,i will give you   
his exact words on the subject1 as they 
are to be found in his ,treatise on the 
,love of ,god4  ,he says3 ,the light of 
the sun falls equally on the violet and 

the rose1 yet will never render the     
former as fair as the latter1 or make a 
daisy as lovely as a lily4 ,if1 however1
 the sun should shine very clearly upon 
the violet1 and very mistily and faintly
 upon the rose1 then without doubt it   
would make the violet more fair to see  
than the rose4 ,so1 ,theotimus1 if with 
equal charity one should suffer death by
 martyrdom1 and another suffer only     
hunger by fasting1 who does not see that
 the value of this fasting will not1 on 
that account1 be equal to that of       
martyrdom8 ,no1 for who would dare to   
affirm that martrydom is not more       
excellent in itself than fasting4444    
,still1 it is true that if love be      
ardent1 powerful1 and excellent1 in a   
heart1 it will also more enrich and     
perfect all the virtuous works which may
 proceed from it4 ,one may suffer death 
and fire for ,god1 without charity1 as  
,st4 ,paul supposes#b1 and as ,i explain
 elsewhere4 ,still more then may one    
suffer them with little charity4 ,now1  

,i say1 ,theotimus1 that it may come to 
pass that a very small virtue may be of 
greater value in a soul where divine    
love fervently reigns1 than martyrdom   
itself in a soul where love is          
languishing1 feeble1 and dull4 ,thus1   
the least virtues of our ,blessed ,lady 
of ,st4 ,john1 and of other great       
,saints1 were of more worth before ,god 
than the most exalted perfections of the
 rest of ,his servants4#c  ,footnote #a3
 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #a-c4 ,footnote #b3 #a  
,cor4 xiii4 #c4 ,footnote #c3 ,bk4 xi4  
chap4 v4   ,,blessed ,,francis'         
,,estimate ,,of ,,various ,,virtues4    
#a4 ,he preferred those virtues the     
practice of which is comparatively      
frequent1 common1 and ordinary1 to      
others which we may be called upon to   
exercise on rare occasions4  #b4 ,he    
considered1 as we have seen1 that the   
degree of the supernatural in any virtue
 could not be decided by the greatness  
or smallness of the external act1 since 
an act in itself altogether trivial1 may

 be performed with much grace and       
charity1 while a very brilliant and     
dazzling good work may be animated by   
but a very feeble spark of love of ,god1
 the intensity of which is1 after all1  
the only rule by which to ascertain its 
true value in ,his sight4  #c4 ,the more
 universal a virtue1 the more1 he said1 
it is to be preferred before all others1
 charity only excepted4 ,for instance1  
he valued prayer as the light which     
illumines all other virtues2 devotion1  
as consecrating all our actions to ,god2
 humility1 which makes us set but little
 value on ourselves and on our doings2  
meekness1 which yields to all2 patience1
 which includes everything besides4 ,he 
valued these1 ,i say1 more than         
magnanimity1 or liberality1 because such
 virtues can be more rarely practised   
and they affect fewer subjects4  #d4 ,he
 was always on his guard against showy  
virtues1 which of their very nature     
encourage vainglory1 the bane of all    
good works4  #e4 ,he blamed those who   

measure virtues by the standard set up  
by the world1 who prefer temporal to    
spiritual alms2 haircloth1 fasting1 and 
corporal austerities to sweetness1      
modesty1 and the mortification of the   
heart2 virtues by far the more          
excellent4  #f4 ,he greatly condemned   
those who select the virtues most       
agreeable to their taste1 and practise  
these alone1 quite regardless of those  
which are specially adapted to their    
state of life4 ,these people1 indeed1   
serve ,god1 but after a way of their    
own1 not according to ,his will3 a by no
 means uncommon mistake1 which leads    
many1 otherwise devout-minded1 far out  
of the right path4   ,,upon ,,the       
,,lesser ,,virtues4  ,he had a special  
affection for certain virtues which are 
passed over by some as trivial and      
insignificant4 ,everyone1 he used to    
say1 is eager to possess those          
brilliant1 almost dazzling virtues which
 cluster round the summit of the ,cross1
 so that they can be seen from afar and 

admired1 but very few are anxious to    
gather those which1 like wild thyme1    
grow at the foot of that ,tree of ,life 
and under its shade4 ,yet these are     
often the most hardy1 and give out the  
sweetest perfume1 being watered with the
 precious ,blood of the ,saviour1 whose 
first lesson to ,his disciples was3     
,learn of ,me because ,i am meek and    
humble of heart4#a  ,it does not belong 
to every one to practise the sublime    
virtues of fortitude1 magnanimity1      
endurance unto death1 patience1         
constancy1 and courage4 ,the occasions  
of exercising these are rare1 yet all   
aspire to them because they are         
brilliant and their names high sounding4
 ,very often1 too1 people fancy that    
they are able1 even now1 to practise    
them4 ,they inflate their courage with  
the vain opinion they have of           
themselves1 but when put to the trial   
fail pitiably4 ,they are like those     
children of ,ephrem1 who distinguished  
themselves wonderfully by1 in the time  

of peace1 hitting the target with every 
arrow1 but in the battle were the first 
to fly before the enemy4 ,better had    
their skill been less and their courage 
greater4  ,opportunities of acquiring   
offices1 benefices1 inheritances1 large 
sums of money1 are not to be met with   
every day1 but at any moment we may earn
 farthings and halfpence4 ,by trading   
well on these small profits1 many have  
in course of time grown rich4 ,we should
 become spiritually wealthy and lay up  
for ourselves much treasure in ,heaven  
did we employ in the service of the holy
 love of ,god1 the small opportunities  
which are to be met with at every hour  
of our lives4  ,it is not enough to     
practise great virtues2 they must be    
practised with great charity1 for that  
it is which in the sight of ,god forms  
the basis of and gives weight and value 
to all good works4 ,an act of lesser    
virtue 7for all virtues are not of equal
 importance7 done out of great love to  
,god is far more excellent than a rarer 

and grander one done with less love4    
,look at this good soul1 she gives a cup
 of cold water to the thirsty with such 
holy love that it is changed into the   
water of life1 life eternal4 ,the       
,gospel which makes light of the        
weightiest sums cast into the treasury1 
reckons of the highest value two mites  
offered out of a great and fervent      
love4#b  ,these little homely virtues6  
,how seldom is mention made of them6    
,how lightly they are esteemed6 ,kindly 
concessions to the exacting temper of   
our neighbour1 gentle tolerance of his  
imperfections1 loving endurance of cross
 looks1 peevish gestures1 cheerfulness  
under contempt and small injustices1    
endurance of affronts1 patience with    
importunity1 doing menial actions which 
our social position impels us to regard 
as beneath us2 replying amiably to some 
one who has given us an undeserved and  
sharp reproof1 falling down and then    
bearing good humouredly the being       
laughed at1 accepting with gentleness   

the refusal of a kindness1 receiving a  
favour graciously1 humbling ourselves   
before our equals and inferiors1 keeping
 on kindly and considerate terms with   
our servants4 ,how trivial and poor all 
this appears to those who have their    
hearts lifted up with proud aspirations4
 ,we want1 they seem to say1 no virtues 
but such as go clad in purple1 and to be
 borne by fair winds and spreading sails
 towards high reputation4 ,they forget  
that those who please men are not the   
servants of ,god1 and that the          
friendship of the world and its applause
 are worth nothing and less than nothing
 in ,his sight4#c  ,footnote #a3 ,matt4 
xi4 #bi4 ,footnote #b3 ,cf4 ,treatise on
 the ,love of ,god4 ,bk4 iii4 c4 ii4    
,footnote #c3 ,cf4 ,the ,devout ,life4  
,part iii4 c1 i41 ii41 and vi4   ,,upon 
,,increase ,,of ,,faith4  ,lord1 ,i     
believe1 help my unbelief6 ,lord1       
increase the ,faith in us6 ,and how is  
this increase of ,faith to be brought   
about8 ,in the same way1 assuredly1 as  

the strength of the palm tree grows with
 the load it has to bear1 or as the vine
 profits by being pruned4  ,a stoic     
philosopher remarked very truly that    
virtue languishes when it has nothing to
 overcome4 ,what does a man know until  
he is tempted8  ,our ,blessed ,father#a 
when visiting the bailiwick of ,gex1    
which adjoins the city of ,geneva1 in   
order to re-establish the ,catholic     
religion in some parishes1 declared that
 his ,faith gained new vigour through   
his intercourse with the heretics of    
those parts1 who were sitting in        
darkness and in the shadow of death4    
,he expresses his feelings on this      
subject in one of his letters3 ,alas6 in
 this place ,i see poor wandering sheep 
all around me2 ,i approach them and     
marvel at their evident and palpable    
blindness4 ,o my ,god6 the beauty of our
 holy ,faith then appears by comparison 
so entrancing that ,i would die for love
 of it1 and ,i feel that ,i ought to    
lock up the precious gift which ,god has

 given me in the innermost recesses of a
 heart all perfumed with devotion4 ,my  
dearest daughter1 ,i thank the sovereign
 ,light which shed its rays so          
mercifully into this heart of mine1 that
 the more ,i go among those who are     
deprived of ,faith1 the more clearly and
 vividly ,i see its magnificence and its
 inexpressible1 yet most desirable1     
sweetness4#b  ,in order to make great   
progress in the spirit of ,faith1 which 
is that of ,christian perfection1       
,blessed ,francis was not satisfied with
 simple assent to all those truths which
 are divinely revealed1 or with         
submission to the will of ,god as taught
 in them1 he wanted more than this4 ,it 
was his desire that we should be        
actuated in all our dealings by the     
spirit of ,faith1 as far at least as    
that is possible1 so as to arrive at    
last at that summit of perfect charity  
which the ,apostle calls the more       
excellent way1 and of which he says that
 he who is joined to the ,lord is one   

spirit4  ,footnote #a3 ,st4 ,francis de 
,sales was spoken of as ,our ,blessed   
,father1 not only by the ,visitation    
,nuns1 but in the whole neighbourhood of
 ,annecy4 ,footnote #b3 ,cf4 ,the       
,depositions of ,st4 ,chantal4 ,point   
#bdth4   ,,upon ,,temptations ,,against 
,,faith4  ,he who is not tempted what   
knows he8 says ,holy ,scripture4 ,god is
 faithful1 and will not permit us to be 
tempted beyond our strength2 nay1 if we 
are faithful to ,him1 ,he enables us to 
profit by our tribulation4 ,he not only 
helps us1 but ,he makes us find our help
 in the tribulation itself1 in which1   
thinking we were perishing1 we cried out
 to ,him to save us4  ,those who imagine
 themselves to be in danger of losing   
the ,faith1 when the temptations        
suggested to them by the enemy against  
this virtue1 harass and distress them1  
understand very little of the nature of 
temptations4 ,for1 besides that         
temptation cannot harm us1 as long as it
 is displeasing to us1 which is the     

teaching of one of the early ,fathers1  
it actually1 in such case1 produces an  
absolutely contrary effect to what we   
fear1 and to the aim of our adversary1  
the devil4 ,for just as the palm tree   
takes deeper and stronger root1 the more
 it is tossed and shaken by the winds   
and storms1 so the more we are tossed by
 temptation1 the more firmly are we     
settled in that virtue which the        
temptation was striving to overthrow4   
,as we see from the lives of the        
,saints1 the most chaste are those who  
oppose the greatest resistance to the   
goad of sensuality1 and the most patient
 are those who struggle the most        
earnestly against impatience4 ,it is for
 this reason that ,holy ,scripture says3
 ,happy is he who suffers temptation1   
since1 after his trial1 the crown of    
life awaits him4#a  ,in this way the    
more violent are the temptations against
 ,faith with which a soul is troubled1  
the more deeply does that virtue bury   
itself in the heart1 and is there held  

all the more tightly and closely1       
because of our fear lest it escape4     
,blessed ,francis provides us in one of 
his letters with three excellent means  
of resisting and overcoming temptations 
against ,faith4 ,the first1 is to       
despise all the suggestions of the ,evil
 ,one4 ,they are outside and before our 
heart rather than within it1 for there  
peace maintains its hold1 though in     
great bitterness4 ,this so exasperates  
our proud enemy1 who is king over all   
the children of pride1 that1 seeing     
himself disdained1 he withdraws4  ,the  
second is not to fight against this     
temptation by contrary acts of the      
understanding1 but by those of the will1
 darting forth a thousand protestations 
of fidelity to the truths which ,god    
reveals to us by ,his ,church4 ,these   
acts of ,faith1 supernatural as they    
are1 soon reduce to ashes all the       
engines and machinations of the enemy4  
,our ,saint gives us his third means1   
the use of the discipline1 saying that  

this bodily suffering serves as a       
diversion to trouble of mind1 and adds  
that the devil1 seeing the flesh1 which 
is his partisan and confederate1 thus   
maltreated1 is terrified and flies away4
 ,this is to act like that ,king of     
,moab1 who brought about the raising of 
the siege of his city1 by sacrificing   
his son on the walls1 in the sight of   
his enemies1 so that1 panic-stricken1   
with horror at a sight so appalling1    
they took at once to flight4  ,footnote 
#a3 ,james i4 #ab4   ,,upon ,,the ,,same
 ,,subject4  ,when the tempter sees that
 our heart is so firmly established in  
grace that we flee from sin as from a   
serpent1 and that its very shadow1 which
 is temptation1 frightens us1 he        
contents himself with disquieting us1   
seeing that he cannot make us yield to  
his will4  ,in order to effect this1 he 
stirs up a heap of trivial temptations1 
which he throws like dust into our eyes1
 so as to make us unhappy1 and to render
 the path of virtue less pleasant to us4

  ,we must take up shield and sword to  
arm ourselves against great temptations2
 but there are many trivial and ordinary
 ones which are better driven away by   
contempt than by any other means4  ,we  
arm ourselves against wolves and bears2 
but who would condescend to do so       
against the swarms of flies which       
torment us in hot weather8 ,our ,blessed
 ,father1 writing to one who was        
sorrowful and disquieted at finding     
herself assailed by temptations against 
,faith1 though these were most hateful  
and tormenting to her1 expresses himself
 thus3  ,your temptations against ,faith
 have come back again1 even though you  
never troubled yourself to answer them4 
,they importune you again1 but still you
 do not answer4  ,well1 my daughter1 all
 this is as it should be3 but you think 
too much about them2 you fear them too  
much2 you dread them too much4 ,were it 
not for that1 they would do you no harm4
 ,you are too sensitive to temptations4 
,you love the ,faith1 and would not     

willingly suffer a single thought       
contrary to it to enter your mind2 but  
the moment one so much as occurs to you 
you are saddened and troubled by it4    
,you are too jealous of your purity of  
,faith4 ,you fancy that everything that 
touches it must taint it4  ,no1 my      
daughter1 let the wind blow1 and do not 
think that the rustling of the leaves is
 the clash of arms4 ,a little while ago 
,i was standing near some beehives1 and 
some of the bees settled on my face4 ,i 
wanted to brush them off with my hand4  
',no1' said a peasant to me1 'do not be 
afraid1 and do not touch them1 then they
 will not sting you at all2 but if you  
touch them they will half devour you4'  
,i took his advice1 and not one stung   
me4  ,believe me1 if you do not fear    
these temptations1 they will not harm   
you2 pass on and pay no heed to them4   
,,upon ,,confidence ,,in ,,god4  ,on    
this subject ,i must relate a charming  
little instance of our ,blessed         
,father's perfect confidence in ,god1 of

 which he told me once with his         
accustomed simplicity1 to the great     
consolation of my soul1 and one which ,i
 was delighted afterwards to find       
related in a letter addressed to one of 
his most intimate friends4  ,yesterday1 
he said1 wishing to pay a visit to the  
,archbishop of ,vienne1 ,i went on the  
lake in a little boat1 and felt very    
happy in the thought that my sole       
protection1 besides a thin plank1 was   
,divine ,providence4 ,the wind was high1
 and ,i was glad1 too1 to feel entirely 
under the command of the pilot1 who made
 us all sit perfectly still2 and1       
indeed1 ,i had no wish to stir6 ,do not1
 however1 my daughter1 take these words 
of mine as proofs of my being very holy4
 ,no1 they are only little imaginary    
virtues which ,i amuse myself by        
fancying ,i possess4 ,when it comes to  
real earnest1 ,i am by no means so      
brave4  ,the simplicity of the ,saint's 
thoughts when on the water1 and of his  
way of mentioning them1 shows how       

childlike was his trust in ,god4 ,it    
reminds one of the happiness with which 
,st4 ,john leaned upon the ,saviour's   
breast4 ,a saying1 too1 of ,saint       
,teresa which ,i have read in her life  
comes to my mind4 ,she declared she was 
never more absolutely content than when 
she found herself in some peril which   
obliged her to have recourse to ,god2   
because then it seemed to her that she  
was clinging more closely to ,his holy  
presence1 and saying to ,him1 as did    
,jacob to the ,angel1 that she would not
 let ,him go until ,he had blessed her4 
,,our ,,misery ,,appeals ,,to ,,god',s  
,,mercy4  ,to a soul overwhelmed by the 
consideration of its infidelities and   
miseries he wrote these words of        
marvellous consolation4  ,your miseries 
and infirmities ought not to astonish   
you4 ,god has seen many and many a one  
as wretched as you1 and ,his mercy never
 turns away the unhappy4 ,on the        
contrary1 by means of their             
wretchedness1 ,he seeks to do them good1

 making their abjection the foundation  
of the throne of ,his glory4 ,as ,job's 
patience was enthroned on a dung-hill1  
so ,god's mercy is raised upon the      
wretchedness of man2 take away man's    
misery1 and what becomes of ,god's      
mercy8  ,elsewhere he writes3 ,what does
 our ,lord love to do with ,his gift of 
eternal life1 but to bestow it on souls 
that are poor1 feeble1 and of little    
account in their own eyes8 ,yes1 indeed1
 dearly beloved children1 we must hope1 
and that with great confidence1 to live 
throughout a happy eternity4 ,the       
greater our misery the greater should be
 our confidence4 ,these1 indeed1 are his
 very words in his second conference4   
,again in one of his letters he says3   
,why8 ,what would this good and         
all-merciful ,god do with ,his mercy2   
this ,god1 whom we ought so worthily to 
honour for ,his goodness8 ,what1 ,i say1
 would ,he do with it if ,he did not    
share it with us1 miserable as we are8  
,if our wants and imperfections did not 

serve as a stage for the display of ,his
 graces and favours1 what use would ,he 
make of this holy and infinite          
perfection8  ,this is the lesson left us
 by our ,blessed ,father1 and we ought1 
indeed1 to hope with that lively hope   
animated by love1 without which none can
 be saved4 ,and this lively hope1 what  
is it1 but a firm and unwavering        
confidence that we shall1 through ,god's
 grace and ,god's mercy1 attain to the  
joy of heaven1 which1 being infinite1 is
 boundless and unmeasurable4   ,,upon   
,,self-,,distrust4  ,distrust of self   
and confidence in ,god are the two      
mystic wings of the dove2 that is to    
say1 of the soul which1 having learnt to
 be simple1 takes its flight and rests  
in ,god1 the great and sovereign object 
of its love1 of its flight1 and of its  
repose4  ,the ,spiritual ,combat1 which 
is an excellent epitome of the science  
of salvation and of heavenly teaching1  
makes these two things1 distrust of self
 and confidence in ,god1 to be1 as it   

were1 the introduction to true wisdom3  
they are1 the author tells us1 the two  
feet on which we walk towards it1 the   
two arms with which we embrace it1 and  
the two eyes with which we perceive it4 
,in proportion to the growth of one of  
these two in us is the increase of the  
other2 the greater or the less the      
degree of our self-distrust1 the greater
 or the less the degree of our          
confidence in ,god4 ,but whence springs 
this salutary distrust of self8 ,from   
the knowledge of our own misery and     
vileness1 of our weakness and impotence1
 of our malice and levity4 ,and whence  
proceeds confidence ,in ,god8 ,from the 
knowledge which faith gives us of ,his  
infinite goodness1 and from our         
assurance that ,he is rich in mercy to  
all those who call upon ,him4  ,if      
distrust and confidence seem            
incompatible with one another1 listen to
 what our ,blessed ,father says on the  
subject3 ,not only can the soul which   
knows her misery have great confidence  

in ,god1 but unless she has such        
knowledge1 it is impossible for her to  
have true confidence in ,him2 for it is 
this very knowledge and confession of   
our misery which brings us to ,god4     
,thus1 all the great ,saints1 ,job1     
,david1 and the rest1 began every prayer
 with the confession of their own       
misery1 and unworthiness4 ,it is a very 
good thing to acknowledge ourselves to  
be poor1 vile1 abject1 and unworthy to  
appear in the presence of ,god4 ,that   
saying so celebrated among the ancients3
 ,know thyself1 even though it may be   
understood as referring to the knowledge
 of the greatness and excellence of the 
soul1 which ought not to be debased or  
profaned by things unworthy of its      
nobility1 may also be taken as referring
 to the knowledge of our personal       
unworthiness1 imperfection1 and misery4 
,now the greater our knowledge of our   
own misery the more profound will be our
 confidence in the goodness and mercy of
 ,god2 for between mercy and misery     

there is so close a connection that the 
one cannot be exercised without the     
other4 ,if ,god had not created man1 ,he
 would still1 indeed1 have been perfect 
in goodness2 but ,he would not have been
 actually merciful1 since mercy can only
 be exercised towards the miserable4    
,you see1 then1 that the more miserable 
we know ourselves to be the more        
occasion we have to confide in ,god1    
since we have nothing in ourselves in   
which we can trust4  ,he goes on to say3
 ,it is a very good thing to mistrust   
ourselves1 but at the same time how will
 that avail us1 unless we put our whole 
confidence in ,god1 and wait for ,his   
mercy8 ,it is right that our daily      
faults and infidelities should cause us 
self-reproach when we would appear      
before our ,lord2 and we read of great  
souls1 like ,st4 ,catherine of ,siena   
and ,st4 ,teresa1 who1 when they had    
been betrayed into some fault1 were     
overwhelmed with confusion4 ,again1 it  
is reasonable that1 having offended     

,god1 we should out of humility and a   
feeling of confusion1 hold ourselves a  
little in the background4 ,when we have 
offended even an earthly friend1 we feel
 ashamed to meet him4 ,nevertheless1 it 
is quite certain that we must not remain
 for long at a distance1 for the virtues
 of humility1 abjection1 and confusion  
are intermediate virtues1 or steps by   
which the soul ascends to union with her
 ,god4  ,it would be no great gain to   
accept our nothingness as a fact and to 
strip ourselves of self 7which is done  
by acts of self-humiliation7 if the     
result of this were not the total       
surrender of ourselves to ,god4 ,st4    
,paul teaches us this1 when he says3    
,strip yourselves of the old man and put
 on the new4#a ,for we must not remain  
unclothed2 but clothe ourselves with    
,god4  ,further on our ,saint says3 ,i  
ever say that the throne of ,god's mercy
 is our misery1 therefore the greater   
our misery the greater should be our    
confidence4#b  ,as regards the          

foundation of our confidence in ,god1 he
 says in the same conference3 ,you wish 
further to know what foundation our     
confidence ought to have4 ,know1 then1  
that it must be grounded on the infinite
 goodness of ,god1 and on the merits of 
the ,death and ,passion of our ,lord    
,jesus ,christ with this condition on   
our part that we should preserve and    
recognise in ourselves an entire and    
firm resolution to belong wholly to     
,god1 and to abandon ourselves in all   
things and without any reserve to ,his  
,providence4  ,he adds that1 in order to
 belong wholly to ,god1 it is not       
necessary to feel this resolution1      
because feeling resides chiefly in the  
lower faculties of the soul2 but we must
 recognise it in the higher part of the 
soul1 that purer and more serene region 
where even in spite of our feelings we  
fail not to serve ,god in spirit and in 
truth4  ,footnote #a3 ,col4 iii4 #i4    
,footnote #b3 ,conference ii4   ,,upon  
,,the ,,justice ,,and ,,mercy ,,of      

,,god4  ,you ask me a question which    
would be hard for me to answer had ,i   
not the mind of our ,blessed ,father to 
guide and assist me in the matter4  ,you
 say3 ,whence comes it that ,almighty   
,god treated the rebel ,angels with so  
much severity1 showing them no mercy    
whatever1 and providing for them no     
remedy to enable them to rise again     
after their fall2 whereas to men ,he is 
so indulgent1 patient towards their     
malice1 waiting for them to repent1 long
 suffering1 and magnificent in ,his     
mercy1 bestowing on them the copious    
,redemption of the ,saviour8  ,well1 ,he
 tells us in his ,treatise on the ,love 
of ,god#a that3 ,the angelic nature     
could only commit sin from positive     
malice1 without temptation or motive to 
excuse1 even partially4 ,nevertheless1  
the far greater part of the ,angels     
remained constant in the service of     
their ,saviour4 ,therefore ,god1 who had
 so amply glorified ,his mercy in the   
work of the creation of the ,angels1    

would also magnify ,his justice2 and in 
,his righteous indignation resolved for 
ever to abandon that accursed band of   
traitors1 who in their rebellion had so 
villainously abandoned ,him4  ,on man1  
however1 ,he took pity for several      
reasons4 ,first1 because the tempter by 
his cunning had deceived our first      
father1 ,adam2 secondly1 because the    
spirit of man is encompassed by flesh   
and consequently by infirmity2 thirdly1 
because his spirit1 enclosed as it is in
 an earthly body1 is frail as the vessel
 which enshrines it1 easily overbalanced
 by every breath of wind1 and unable to 
right itself again2 fourthly1 because   
the temptation in the ,garden of ,eden  
was great and over-mastering2 fifthly1  
because ,he had compassion on the       
posterity of ,adam1 which otherwise     
would have perished with him2 but the   
sixth1 and principal cause was this3    
,almighty ,god having resolved to take  
on ,himself our human nature in order to
 unite it to the ,divine ,person of the 

,word1 ,he willed to favour very        
specially this nature for the sake of   
that hypostatic union1 which was to be  
the masterpiece of all the              
communications of ,almighty ,god to ,his
 creatures4  ,do not1 however1 imagine  
that ,god so willed to magnify ,his     
mercy in the redemption of man that ,he 
forgot the claims of ,his justice4 ,no1 
truly2 for no severity can equal that   
which ,he displayed in the sufferings of
 ,his ,son1 on whose sacred ,head having
 laid the iniquities of us all1 ,he     
poured out a vengeance commensurate with
 ,his ,divine wrath4  ,if1 then1 we     
weigh the severity displayed by ,god    
towards the rebel ,angels against that  
with which ,he treated ,his ,divine ,son
 when redeeming mankind1 we shall find  
,his justice more abundantly satisfied  
in the atonement made by the ,one than  
in the rigorous punishment of the       
others4 ,in fine here1 as always1 ,his  
mercy overrides ,his judgments1 inasmuch
 as the fallen ,angels are punished far 

less than they deserve1 and the faithful
 are rewarded far beyond their merits4  
,footnote #a3 ,bk4 ii c4 iv4   ,,waiting
 ,,upon ,,god4  ,on this subject of     
waiting upon ,god ,i remember hearing   
from ,blessed ,francis two wonderful    
explanations4 ,you1 my dear sisters1    
will1 ,i am sure1 be glad to have them1 
and will find them of great use1 seeing 
that your life1 nailed as it is with    
,jesus ,christ to the ,cross1 must be   
one of great long-suffering4  ,he thus  
interpreted that verse of the ,psalmist3
 ,with expectation have ,i waited on the
 ,lord1 and ,he was attentive to me4#a  
,to wait1 waiting1 he said1 is not to   
fret ourselves while we are waiting4    
,for there are some who in waiting do   
not wait1 but are troubled and          
impatient4  ,those who have to wait soon
 get weary1 and from weariness springs  
that disturbance of mind so common      
amongst them4 ,hence the inspired saying
 that ,hope that is deferred afflicteth 
the soul4#b ,of all kinds of patience   

there is none more fitting to tedious   
waiting than longanimity4 ,strength is  
developed in dangers2 patience drives   
away the sadness caused by suffering2   
constancy avails for the bearing of     
great evils2 perseverance for the       
carrying out a good work to its         
completion2 but longanimity has to do   
with sufferings which are painful       
because they are long enduring4  ,such  
pains are tedious1 but not often        
violent1 for violent sufferings are1 as 
a rule1 not lasting2 either they pass   
away1 or he on whom they are inflicted1 
being unable to bear them1 is set free  
by death4 ,to wait1 indeed1 for         
deliverance from evils quietly1 but     
without any anguish or irritation1 at   
least in the superior part of the soul1 
is to wait1 waiting4 ,happy are those   
who wait in this manner1 for their hope 
shall not be confounded4 ,of them the   
,psalmist says that ,god will remember  
them1 that ,he will grant their prayers1
 and that ,he will deliver them from the

 pit of misery4#c ,those who act        
otherwise1 and who in their adversity   
give themselves up to impatience1 only  
aggravate their yoke1 instead of        
lightening it4  ,they are like the bird 
which beats its wings against the wrist 
or perch on which it is poised1 but     
cannot get free from its chain4  ,wise  
,christians making a virtue of necessity
 and wishing what ,god wishes1 make that
 which is necessary voluntary1 and turn 
their suffering to their eternal        
advantage4  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm xxxix1 
i4 ,footnote #b3 ,psalm xiii4 #ac4      
,footnote #c3 ,psalm xxxix4 #c4   ,,upon
 ,,the ,,difference ,,between ,a ,,holy 
,,desire ,,of ,,reward ,,and ,a         
,,mercenary ,,spirit4  ,i am asked if   
there is not something of a mercenary   
spirit in these words of our ,blessed   
,father3 ,oh1 how greatly to be loved is
 the eternity of ,heaven1 and how       
contemptible are the fleeting moments of
 earth6 ,aspire continually to this     
eternity1 and despise heartily this     

decaying world4  ,you will observe1 if  
you please1 that there is a great deal  
of difference between a proper desire of
 reward and a mercenary habit of mind4  
,the proper desire of recompense is one 
which looks principally to the glory of 
,god1 and to that glory refers its own  
reward4 ,a habit of mind which1         
according to the teaching of the ,holy  
,council of ,trent1 is most excellent4#a
  ,but a mercenary habit of mind is     
shown when we stop short voluntarily1   
deliberately1 and maliciously at our own
 self-interest1 neglecting and putting  
on one side the interests of ,god1 and  
when we look forward only to the        
honours1 satisfactions1 and delights    
given to the faithful1 and exclude1 as  
it were1 the tribute of glory and homage
 which they render for them to ,god4    
,as regards these words of our ,blessed 
,father's1 ,i am perfectly certain that1
 whatever they may at first sight seem  
to mean1 they are assuredly the         
expression of thoughts1 utterly         

unselfish1 and totally devoid of the    
spirit of self-seeking4 ,he had written 
just before3 ,take good heed not to come
 to the feast of the ,holy ,cross1 which
 is a million times fuller of exquisite 
pleasures than any wedding feast1       
without having on the white robe1       
spotless1 and pure from all intentions  
save that of pleasing the ,lamb4        
,again1 ,i should like to read to you an
 extract from one of his letters1 in    
which you will see that he knew how to  
distinguish1 even in ,paradise1 our     
interests from those of ,god3 ,so pure  
and penetrating was his sight that it   
resembled that single eye of which the  
,gospel speaks1#b which fills us with   
light and discernment in things         
spiritual and divine4 ,he speaks thus in
 his letter3 ,i have not been able to   
think of anything this morning save of  
the eternity of blessings which awaits  
us4 ,and yet all appear to me as little 
or nothing beside that unchanging and   
ever-present love of the great ,god1    

which reigns continually in ,heaven4    
,for truly ,i think that the joys of    
,paradise would be possible1 in the     
midst of all the pains of hell1 if the  
love of ,god could be there4 ,and if    
hell-fire were a fire of love1 it seems 
to me that its torments would be the    
most desirable of good things4 ,all the 
delights of ,heaven are in my eyes a    
mere nothing compared with this         
triumphant love4 ,truly1 we must either 
die or love ,god4 ,i desire that my     
heart should either be torn from my body
 or that if it remains with me it should
 hold nothing but this holy love4 ,ah6  
,we must truly give our hearts up to our
 immortal ,king1 and thus being closely 
united to ,him1 live solely for ,him4   
,let us die to ourselves and to all that
 depends on ourselves4 ,it seems to me  
that we ought to live only for ,god4    
,the very thought of this fills my heart
 once more with courage and fervour4    
,after all1 that our ,lord is our ,lord 
is the one thing in the world that      

really concerns us4  ,again1 in his     
,theotimus1#c he says3  ,the supreme    
motive of our actions1 which is that of 
heavenly love1 has this sovereign       
property1 that being most pure1 it makes
 the actions which proceed from it most 
pure2 so that the ,angels and ,saints of
 ,heaven love absolutely nothing for any
 other end whatever than that of the    
love of the ,divine goodness1 and from  
the motive of desiring to please ,god4  
,they all1 indeed1 love one another most
 ardently2 they also love us1 they love 
the virtues1 but all this only to please
 ,god4 ,they follow and practise        
virtues1 not inasmuch as these virtues  
are fair and attractive to them2 but    
inasmuch as they are agreeable to ,god4 
,they love their own felicity1 not      
because it is theirs1 but because it    
pleases ,god4 ,yea1 they love the very  
love with which they love ,god1 not     
because it is in them1 but because it   
tends to ,god2 not because they have and
 possess it1 but because ,god gives it  

to them1 and takes ,his good pleasure in
 it4  ,footnote #a3 ,de ,justificat1    
cap4 #ab4 ,footnote #b3 ,matt4 vi4 #bb4 
,footnote #c3 ,bk4 xi4 #ac4             
,,continuation ,,of ,,the ,,same        
,,subject4  ,there are some gloomy minds
 which imagine that when the motive of  
charity and disinterested love is       
insisted upon all other motives are     
thereby depreciated1 and that it is     
wished to do away with them4 ,but does  
he who praises one ,saint blame the     
others8 ,if we extol the ,seraphim1 do  
we on that account despise all the lower
 orders of ,angels8 ,does the man who   
considers gold more precious than silver
 say that silver is nothing at all8 ,are
 we insulting the stars when we admire  
and praise the sun8 ,and do we despise  
marriage because we put celibacy above  
it8  ,it is true that1 as the ,apostle  
says1 charity is the greatest of all    
virtues1 without which the others have  
neither life nor soul2 but that does not
 prevent these others from being        

virtues1 and most desirable as good     
habits4 ,in doing virtuous actions the  
motive of charity is1 indeed1 the king  
of all motives2 but blessed also are all
 those inferior motives which are       
subject to it4 ,we may truly say of them
 what the ,queen of ,sheba said of the  
courtiers of ,solomon3 ,happy are thy   
men who always stand before thee and    
hear thy wisdom4#a  ,nay1 even servile  
and mercenary motives1 although         
interested1 may yet be good1 provided   
they have nothing in them that cannot be
 referred to ,god4 ,they are good in    
those who have not charity1 preparing   
them for the reception of justifying    
grace4 ,they are also good in the       
regenerate1 and are compatible with     
charity1 like servants and slaves in the
 service and households of the great4   
,for it is right1 however regenerate we 
may be1 to abstain from sin1 not only   
for fear of displeasing ,god1 but also  
for fear of losing our souls4 ,the      
,council of ,trent tells us that we are 

not doing ill when we perform good works
 primarily in order to glorify ,god2 and
 also1 as an accessory1 with a view to  
the eternal reward which ,god promises  
to those who shall do such in ,his love 
and for ,his love4 ,in great            
temptations1 for fear of succumbing1 the
 just may with advantage call to their  
aid the thought of hell1 thereby to save
 themselves from eternal damnation and  
the loss of ,paradise4 ,but the first   
principles of the doctrine of salvation 
teach us that1 to avoid evil and do     
good1 simply from the motive of pure and
 disinterested love of ,god1 is the most
 perfect and meritorious mode of action4
  ,what6 say some3--,must we cease to   
fear ,god and to hope in ,him8 ,what1   
then1 becomes of acts of holy fear1 and 
of the virtue of hope8 ,if a mother were
 to abuse the doctor who had restored   
her child to life1 would it not excite a
 strong suspicion that it was she       
herself who had attempted to smother it8
 ,did not she who said to ,solomon3 ,let

 it be divided1#b show herself to be the
 false mother8 ,they who are so much    
attached to servile fear can have no    
real desire to attain to that holy1     
pure1 loving1 reverent fear which leads 
to everlasting rest1 and which the      
,saints and ,angels practise through all
 eternity4  ,let us listen to what      
,blessed ,francis further says on this  
subject4  ,when we were little children1
 how eagerly and busily we used to      
collect tiny scraps of cloth1 bits of   
wood1 handfuls of clay1 to build houses 
and make little boats6 ,and if any one  
destroyed these wonderful erections1 how
 unhappy we were2 how bitterly we cried6
 ,but now we smile when we think how    
trivial it all was4  ,well1 he goes on  
to say1 let us1 since we are but        
children1 be pardoned if we act as such2
 but1 at the same time1 do not let us   
grow cold and dull in our work4 ,if any 
one knocks over our little houses1 and  
spoils our small plans1 do not let us   
now be unhappy or give way altogether on

 that account4 ,the less so because when
 the evening comes1 and we need a roof1 
,i mean when death is at hand1 these    
poor little buildings of ours will be   
quite unfit to shelter us4 ,we must then
 be safely housed in our ,father's      
,mansion1 which is the ,kingdom of ,his 
well-beloved ,son4  ,footnote #a3 #b    
,paral4 ix4 #g4 ,footnote #b3 #a ,kings 
iii4 #bf4   ,,god ,,should ,,suffice    
,,for ,,us ,,all4  ,a person of some    
consideration1 and one who made much    
profession of living a devout life1 was 
overtaken by sudden misfortune1 which   
deprived her of almost all her wealth   
and left her plunged in grief4 ,her     
distress of mind was so inconsolable    
that it led her to complain of the      
,providence of ,god1 who appeared1 she  
said1 to have forgotten her4 ,all her   
faithful service and the purity of her  
life seemed to have been in vain4       
,blessed ,francis1 full of compassionate
 sympathy for her misfortunes1 and      
anxious to turn her thoughts from the   

contemplation of herself and of earthly 
things1 to fix them on ,god1 asked her  
if ,he was not more to her than         
anything2 nay1 if1 in fact1 ,god was not
 ,himself everything to her2 and if1    
having loved ,him when ,he had given her
 many things1 she was not now ready to  
love ,him1 though she received nothing  
from ,him4 ,she1 however1 replying that 
such language was more speculative than 
practical1 and easier to speak than to  
carry into effect1 he wound up by       
saying1 with ,st4 ,augustine3 ,too      
avaricious is that heart to which ,god  
does not suffice4 ,assuredly1 he who is 
not satisfied with ,god is covetous     
indeed4 ,this word covetous produced a  
powerful effect upon the heart of one   
who1 in the days of her prosperity1 had 
always hated avarice1 and had been most 
lavish in her expenditure1 both on her  
own needs and pleasures and on works of 
mercy4 ,it seemed as if suddenly the    
eyes of her soul were opened1 and she   
saw how admirable1 how infinitely worthy

 of love ,god ever remained1 whether    
with those things she had possessed or  
without them4 ,so1 by degrees1 she      
forgot herself and her crosses2 grace   
prevailed1 and she knew and confessed   
that ,god was all in all to her4 ,such  
efficacy have a ,saint's words1 even if 
unpremeditated4   ,,charity ,,the       
,,short ,,road ,,to ,,perfection4       
,blessed ,francis1 in speaking of       
perfection1 often remarked that1        
although he heard very many people      
talking about it1 he met with very few  
who practised it4 ,many1 indeed1 he     
would say1 are so mistaken in their     
estimate of what perfection is1 that    
they take effects for the cause1 the    
rivulet for the spring1 the branches for
 the root1 the accessories for the      
principle1 and often even the shadow for
 the substance4  ,for myself1 ,i know of
 no ,christian perfection other than to 
love ,god with our whole heart and our  
neighbour as ourselves4 ,all other      
perfection is falsely so entitled3 it is

 sham gold that does not stand testing4 
,charity is the only bond between       
,christians1 the only virtue which      
unites us absolutely to ,god1 and our   
neighbour4  ,in charity lies the end of 
every perfection and the perfection of  
every end4 ,i know that mortification1  
prayer1 and the other exercises of      
virtue1 are all means to perfection1    
provided that they are practised in     
charity1 and from the motive of charity4
 ,but we must never regard any of these 
means towards attaining perfection as   
being in themselves perfection4 ,this   
would be to stop short on the road1 and 
in the middle of the race1 instead of   
reaching the goal4  ,the ,apostle       
exhorts us1 indeed1 to run1 but so as to
 carry off the prize#a1 which is for    
those only who have breath enough to    
reach the end of the course4  ,in a     
word1 all our actions must be done in   
charity if we wish to walk in a manner1 
as says ,st4 ,paul1 worthy of ,god2 that
 is to say1 to hasten on towards        

perfection4  ,charity is the way of true
 life2 it is the truth of the living    
way2 it is the life of the way of truth4
 ,all virtue is dead without it3 it is  
the very life of virtue4 ,no one can    
reach the last and supreme end1 ,god    
,himself1 without charity2 it is the way
 to ,him4 ,there is no true virtue      
without charity1 says ,st4 ,thomas2 it  
is the very truth of virtue4  ,in       
conclusion1 and in answer to my repeated
 question as to how we were to go to    
work in order to attain to this         
perfection1 this supreme love of ,god   
and of our neighbour1 our ,blessed      
,father said that we must use exactly   
the same method as we should in         
mastering any ordinary art or           
accomplishment4 ,we learn1 he said1 to  
study by studying1 to play on the lute  
by playing1 to dance by dancing1 to swim
 by swimming4 ,so also we learn to love 
,god and our neighbour by loving them1  
and those who attempt any other method  
are mistaken4  ,you ask me1 my sisters1 

how we can discover whether or not we   
are making any progress towards         
perfection4 ,i cannot do better than    
consult our oracle1 ,blessed ,francis1  
and answer you in his own words1 taken  
from his eighth ,conference4 ,we can    
never know what perfection we have      
reached1 for we are like those who are  
at sea2 they do not know whether they   
are making progress or not1 but the     
pilot knows1 knowing the course4 ,so we 
cannot estimate our own advancement1    
though we may that of others1 for we    
dare not assure ourselves when we have  
done a good action that we have done it 
perfectly--humility forbids us to do so4
 ,nay1 even were we able to judge of the
 virtues of others1 we must never       
determine in our minds that one person  
is better than another1 because         
appearances are deceitful1 and those who
 seem very virtuous outwardly and in the
 eyes of creatures1 may be less so in   
the sight of ,god than others who appear
 much more imperfect4  ,i have often    

heard him say that the multiplicity of  
means proposed for advancement towards  
perfection frequently delays the        
progress of souls4 ,they are like       
travellers uncertain of the way1 and who
 seeing many roads branching off in     
different directions stay and waste     
their time by enquiring here and there  
which of them they ought to take in     
order to reach their journey's end4 ,he 
advised people to confine themselves    
rather to some special spiritual        
exercise or virtue1 or to some          
well-chosen book of piety--for example1 
to the exercise of the presence of ,god1
 or of submission to ,his will1 or to   
purity of intention1 or some similar    
exercise4  ,among books1 he recommended 
chiefly1 ,the ,spiritual ,combat1 ,the  
,imitation of ,jesus ,christ1 ,the      
,method of ,serving ,god1 ,grenada1     
,blosius1 and such like4 ,among the     
virtues1 as you know well1 his          
favourites were gentleness and humility1
 charity--without which others are of no

 value--being always pre-supposed4  ,on 
this subject of advancement towards     
perfection1 he speaks thus in the ninth 
of his ,conferences3  ,if you ask me1   
',what can ,i do to acquire the love of 
,god8' ,i answer1 ,will2 i4e41 try to   
love ,him2 and instead of setting to    
work to find out how you can unite your 
soul to ,god1 put the thing in practice 
by a frequent application of your mind  
to ,him4 ,i assure you that you will    
arrive much more quickly at your end by 
this means than in any other way4  ,for 
the more we pour ourselves out the less 
recollected we shall be1 and the less   
capable of union with the ,divine       
,majesty1 who would have all we are     
without reserve4  ,he continues3 ,one   
actually finds souls who are so busy in 
thinking how they shall do a thing that 
they have no time to do it4 ,and yet1 in
 what concerns our perfection1 which    
consists in the union of our soul with  
the ,divine ,goodness1 there is no      
question of knowing much2 but only of   

doing4  ,again1 in the same ,conference1
 he says3 ,it seems to me that those of 
whom we ask the road to ,heaven are very
 right in answering us as those do who  
tell us that1 in order to reach such a  
place1 we must just go on putting one   
foot before the other1 and that by this 
means we shall arrive where we desire4  
,walk ever1 we say to these souls so    
desirous of their perfection1 walk in   
the way of your vocation with           
simplicity1 more intent on doing than on
 desiring4 ,that is the shortest road4  
,and1 he adds1 in aspiring to union with
 the ,beloved1 there is no other secret 
than to do what we aspire to--that is1  
to labour faithfully in the exercise of 
,divine love4  ,footnote #a3 #a ,cor4   
ix4 #bd4   ,,upon ,,what ,,it ,,is ,,to 
,,love ,,god ,,truly4  ,in connection   
with this subject of the love of ,god   
and of our neighbour1 ,i asked our      
,blessed ,father what loving in this    
sense of the word really was4 ,he       
replied3 ,love is the primary passion of

 our emotional desires1 and a primary   
element in that emotional faculty which 
is the will4 ,so that to will is nothing
 more than to love what is good1 and    
love is the willing or desiring what is 
good4 ,if we desire good for ourselves  
we have what is called self-love2 if we 
desire good for another we have the love
 of friendship4  ,to love ,god and our  
neighbour1 then1 with the love of       
charity1 which is the love of           
friendship1 is to desire good to ,god   
for ,himself1 and to our neighbour in   
,god and for the love of ,god4 ,we can  
desire two sorts of good for ,god3 that 
which ,he has1 rejoicing that ,he is    
what ,he is1 and that nothing can be    
added to the greatness and to the       
infinity of ,his inward perfection2 and 
that which ,he has not1 by wishing it   
for ,him1 either effectively1 if it is  
in our power to give it to ,him1 or by  
loving and longing1 if it is not in our 
power to give it4 ,for1 indeed1 there is
 a good which ,god desires and which is 

not ,his as it should be in perfection4 
,that external good1 as it is called1 is
 the good which proceeds from the honour
 and glory rendered to ,him by ,his     
creatures1 especially by those among    
them endowed with reason4 ,this is the  
good which ,david wishes to ,god in so  
many of his ,psalms4 ,among others1 in  
the ,praise ye the ,lord from the       
heavens1#a and in the ,bless the ,lord1 
,o my soul4#b  ,the three children also 
in the fiery furnace wish this good to  
,god by their canticle3 ,all ye works of
 the ,lord1 bless the ,lord4#c  ,if we  
truly love ,god we shall try to bring   
this good to ,him through ourselves1    
surrendering our whole being to ,him1   
and doing all our actions1 the          
indifferent as well as the good1 for    
,his glory4  ,not content with that1 we 
shall also strive with all our might to 
make our neighbour serve and love ,god1 
so that by all and in all things ,god   
may be honoured4  ,to love our neighbour
 in ,god is to rejoice in the good which

 our neighbour possesses1 provided1     
indeed1 that he makes use of it for the 
divine glory2 to render him in his need 
all the assistance which lies within our
 power2 to be zealous for the welfare of
 his soul1 and to work for it as we do  
for our own1 because ,god wills and     
desires it4 ,that is to have true and   
unfeigned charity1 and to love ,god     
sincerely and steadfastly for ,his own  
sake and our neighbour for the love of  
,him4  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm cxlviii4 #a4
 ,footnote #b3 ,id4 ciii4 #a4 ,footnote 
#c3 ,dan4 iii4 #eg4   ,,upon ,,the      
,,love ,,of ,,god ,,in ,,general4  ,a   
whole mountain of virtues1 if destitute 
of this living1 reigning1 and triumphant
 love1 was to ,blessed ,francis but as a
 petty heap of stones4 ,he was never    
weary of inculcating love of ,god as the
 supreme motive of every action4  ,the  
whole of his ,theotimus 7,the ,treatise 
on the ,love of ,god7 breathes this     
sentiment1 and he often told me that it 
was impossible to insist upon it too    

strongly in our teaching and advice to  
our people4 ,for1 in fact1 he used to   
say1 what is the use of running a race  
if we do not reach the goal1 or of      
drawing the bow if we do not hit the    
target8 ,oh6 how many good works are    
useless as regards the glory of ,god and
 the salvation of souls1 for want of    
this motive of charity6 ,and yet1 this  
is the last thing people think of1 as if
 the intention were not the very soul of
 a good action1 and as if ,god had ever 
promised to reward works not done for   
,his glory1 and not applied to ,his     
honour4   ,,all ,,for ,,love ,,of ,,god4
  ,you know very well how ,blessed      
,francis valued charity1 but ,i will    
give you1 nevertheless1 some more of his
 teaching on this great subject4  ,to a 
holy soul who had placed herself under  
his direction1 he said3 ,we must do all 
things from love1 and nothing from      
constraint4 ,we must love obedience     
rather than fear disobedience4 ,i leave 
you the spirit of liberty3 not such as  

excludes obedience1 for that is the     
liberty of the flesh1 but such as       
excludes constraint1 scruples1 and      
over-eagerness4 ,however much you may   
love obedience and submission1 ,i wish  
you to suspend for the moment the work  
in which obedience has engaged you      
whenever any just or charitable occasion
 for so doing occurs4 ,this omission    
will be a species of obedience4 ,fill up
 its measure by charity4  ,from this    
spirit of holy and ,christian liberty   
originated the saying so often to be met
 with in his letters3 ,keep your heart  
in peace4 ,that is to say3 ,beware of   
hurry1 anxiety1 and bitterness of heart4
 ,these he called the ruin of devotion4 
,he was even unwilling that people      
should meditate upon the great truths of
 ,death1 ,judgment and ,hell1 unless    
they at the same time reassured         
themselves by the remembrance of ,god's 
love for them4 ,speaking to a holy soul1
 he says3 ,meditation on the four last  
things will be useful to you provided   

that you always end with an act of      
confidence in ,god4 ,never represent to 
yourself ,death or ,hell on the one side
 unless the ,cross is on the other2 so  
that when your fears have been excited  
by the one you may with confidence turn 
for help to the other4 ,the one point on
 which he chiefly insisted was that we  
must fear ,god from love1 not love ,god 
from fear4 ,to love ,him from fear1 he  
used to say1 is to put gall into our    
food and to quench our thirst with      
vinegar2 but to fear ,him from love is  
to sweeten aloes and wormwood4          
,assuredly1 our own experience convinces
 us that it is difficult to love those  
whom we fear1 and that it is impossible 
not to fear with a filial and reverent  
fear those whom we love4  ,you find some
 difficulty1 it seems1 my sisters1 in   
understanding how all things1 as ,st4   
,paul says1#a whether good1 bad1 or     
indifferent1 can in the end work        
together for good to those who love     
,god4  ,to satisfy you1 ,i quote the    

words of ,blessed ,francis on this      
subject in one of his letters4 ,since1  
he says1 ,god can bring good out of     
evil1 will ,he not surely do so for     
those who have given themselves         
unreservedly to ,him8 ,yes2 even sins1  
from which may ,god in ,his goodness    
keep us1 are by ,his ,divine            
,providence1 when we repent of them1    
changed into good for those who are     
,his4 ,never would ,david have been so  
bowed down with humility if he had not  
sinned1 nor would ,magdalene have loved 
her ,saviour so fervently had ,he not   
forgiven her so many sins4 ,but ,he     
could not have forgiven them had she not
 committed them4  ,again3 ,consider1 my 
dear daughter1 this great ,artificer of 
mercy1 who changes our miseries into    
graces1 and out of the poison of our    
iniquities compounds a wholesome        
medicine for our souls4 ,tell me1 then1 
,i beseech you1 if ,god works such      
wonders with our sins1 what will ,he not
 effect with our afflictions1 with our  

labours1 with the persecutions which we 
have to endure8 ,no matter what trouble 
befalls you1 nor from what direction it 
may come1 let your soul be at peace1    
certain that if you truly love ,god all 
will turn to good4 ,and though you      
cannot see the springs which work this  
marvellous change1 rest assured that it 
will take place4  ,if the hand of ,god  
touches your eyes with the clay of shame
 and reproach1 it is only to give you   
clearer sight1 and to cause you to be   
honoured4  ,if ,he should cast you to   
the ground1 as ,he did ,st4 ,paul1 it   
will only be to raise you up again to   
glory4#b  ,footnote #a3 ,rom4 viii4 #bh4
 ,footnote #b3 ,rom4 viii4 #bh4   ,,the 
,,same ,,subject ,,continued4  ,all by  
love1 nothing by constraint4 ,this was  
his favourite motto1 and the mainspring 
of his direction of others4 ,he has     
often said to me that those who try to  
force the human will are exercising a   
tyranny which is hateful to ,god and    
man4 ,this was why he had such a horror 

of those masterful and dominant spirits 
which insist on being obeyed1 bon gr mal
 gr1 and would have every one give way  
to them4 ,those1 he often said1 who love
 to make themselves feared1 fear to make
 themselves loved2 and they themselves  
are more fearful than anyone else3 for  
others only fear them1 but they are     
afraid of every one4  ,i have often     
heard him say these striking words3 ,in 
the royal galley of divine love there is
 no galley-slave2 all the oarsmen are   
volunteers4 ,and he expresses the same  
sentiment in ,theotimus1 when he says3  
,divine love governs the soul with an   
incomparable sweetness2 for no one of   
the slaves of love is made such by      
force1 but love brings all things under 
its rule1 with a constraint so          
delightful1 that as nothing is so strong
 as love1 nothing also is so sweet as   
its strength4#a ,and in another part of 
the same book he makes a soul1 attracted
 by the delicious perfume shed by the   
divine ,bridegroom on his path1 say3    

,let no one think that ,thou draggest me
 after ,thee like an unwilling slave or 
a lifeless load4 ,ah6 no4 ,thou drawest 
me by the odour of ,thine ointments2    
though ,i follow ,thee1 it is not that  
,thou draggest me1 but that ,thou       
enticest me4 ,thy drawing is mighty1 but
 not violent1 since its whole force lies
 in its sweetness4 ,perfumes draw me to 
follow them in virtue only of their     
sweetness4 ,and sweetness1 how can it   
attract but sweetly and pleasantly8#b   
,following out this principle1 he never 
gave a command even to those who were   
bound to obey him1 whether his servants 
or his clergy1 save in the form of a    
request or suggestion4 ,he held in      
special veneration1 and often inculcated
 upon me the command of ,st4 ,peter3    
,feed the flock of ,god which is among  
you1 not by constraint1 but willingly1  
not for filthy lucre's sake1 neither as 
lording it over the clergy1 but being   
made a pattern of virtue to the flock4#c
  ,and here1 my sisters1 ,i feel that if

 will be for your profit1 although the  
story is not to my own credit1 to relate
 a circumstance which occurred in the   
early years of my episcopate4 ,i was    
young1 impetuous1 and impatient2 eager  
to reform the abuses and disorders which
 from time to time ,i met with in my    
pastoral visitations4 ,often1 too1 ,i   
know1 ,i was bitter and harsh when      
discouraged4  ,once in a despairing mood
 because of the many failures ,i noticed
 in myself1 and others1 ,i poured forth 
my lamentations and self-accusations to 
our ,blessed ,father1 who said3 ,what a 
masterful spirit you have6 ,you want to 
walk upon the wings of the wind4 ,you   
let yourself be carried away by your    
zeal1 which1 like a will-of-the-wisp1   
will surely lead you over a precipice4  
,have you forgotten the warning of your 
patron1 ,st4 ,peter1 not to think you   
can walk in burning heat8#d ,would you  
do more than ,god1 and restrain the     
liberty of the creatures whom ,god has  
made free8 ,you decide matters1 as if   

the wills of your subjects were all in  
your own hands4 ,god1 ,who holds all    
hearts in ,his and ,who searches the    
reins and the hearts1 does not act thus4
 ,he puts up with resistance1 rebellion 
against ,his light1 kicking against the 
goad1 opposition to ,his inspirations1  
even though ,his ,spirit be grieved     
thereby4 ,he does1 indeed1 suffer those 
to perish who through the hardness of   
their impenitent hearts have heaped to  
themselves wrath in the day of          
vengeance4 ,yet ,he never wearies of    
calling them to ,him1 however often they
 reject ,his offers and say to ,him1    
,depart from us1 we will not follow ,thy
 ways4#e  ,in this our ,angel ,guardians
 follow ,his example1 and although we   
may forsake ,god by our iniquities1 they
 will not forsake us as long as there is
 breath in our body1 even though we may 
have fallen into sin4 ,do you want      
better examples for regulating your     
conduct8  ,footnote #a3 ,book i4 #f4    
,footnote #b3 ,book ii4 #ac4 ,footnote  

#c3 ,peter v4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #d3 #a  
,peter iv4 #ab4 ,footnote #e3 ,job xxi4 
#ad4   ,,upon ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,god1  
,,called ,,love ,,of ,,benevolence4     
,you ask me what ,i have to say as      
regards the love of benevolence towards 
,god4 ,what good thing can we possibly  
wish for ,god which ,he has not already1
 ,what can we desire for ,him which ,he 
does not possess far more fully than we 
can desire ,him to have it8  ,what good 
can we do to ,him to ,whom all our goods
 belong1 and ,who has all good in       
,himself2 or1 rather1 ,who is ,himself  
all good8  ,i reply to this question as 
,i have done to others1 that there are  
many spiritual persons1 and some even of
 the most gifted1 who are greatly       
mistaken in their view of this matter4  
,we must distinguish in ,god two sorts  
of good1 the one interior1 the other    
exterior4 ,the first is ,himself2 for   
,his goodness1 like ,his other          
attributes1 is one and the same thing   
with ,his essence or being4  ,now this  

good1 being infinite1 can neither be    
augmented by our serving ,god and by our
 honouring ,him1 nor can it be          
diminished by our rebelling against ,him
 and by our working against ,him4  ,it  
is of it that the ,psalmist speaks when 
he says that our goods are nothing unto 
,him4  ,but there is another kind of    
good which is exterior2 and this1 though
 it belongs to ,god1 is not in ,him1 but
 in ,his creatures1 just as the moneys  
of the king are1 indeed1 his1 but they  
are in the coffers of his treasurers and
 officials4  ,this exterior good        
consists in the honours1 obedience1     
service1 and homage which ,his creatures
 owe and render to ,him3 creatures of   
whom each one has of necessity ,his     
glory as the final end and aim of its   
creation4 ,and this good it is which we 
can1 with the grace of ,god1 desire for 
,him1 and ourselves give to ,him1 and   
which we can either by our good works   
increase or by our sins take from4  ,in 
regard to this exterior good1 we can    

practise towards ,god the love of       
benevolence by doing all things1 and all
 good works in our power1 in order to   
increase ,his honour1 or by having the  
intention to bless1 glorify1 and exalt  
,him in all our actions2 and much more  
by refraining from any action which     
might tarnish ,god's glory and displease
 ,him1 ,whose will is our inviolable    
law4  ,the love of benevolence towards  
,god does not stop here4 ,for1 because  
charity obliges us to love our neighbour
 as ourselves from love of ,god1 we try 
to urge on our fellow-men to promote    
this ,divine glory1 each one as far as  
he can4 ,we incite them to do all sorts 
of good1 so as thereby to magnify ,god  
the more4 ,thus the ,psalmist said to   
his brethren1 ,o magnify the ,lord with 
me1 and let us extol ,his name          
together4#a  ,this same ardour incites  
and presses us also 7urget is the word  
used by ,st4 ,paul7 to do our utmost to 
aid our neighbour to rise from sin1     
which renders him displeasing to ,god1  

and to prevent sin by which the ,divine 
,goodness is offended4 ,this is what is 
properly called zeal1 the zeal which    
consumed the ,psalmist when he saw how  
the wicked forget ,god1 and which caused
 him to cry out3 ,my zeal has made me   
pine away1 because my enemies forgot thy
 words4#b ,and again1 ,the zeal of thy  
house hath eaten me up4#c  ,you ask if  
this love of benevolence might not also 
be exercised towards ,god in respect of 
that interior and infinite good which   
,he possesses and which is ,himself4 ,i 
reply1 with our ,blessed ,father in his 
,theotimus1 that we can wish ,him to    
have this good1 by rejoicing in the fact
 that ,he has it1 and that ,he is what  
,he is2 hence that vehement outburst of 
,david1 ,know ye1 that the ,lord he is  
,god4#d ,and again1 ,a great ,king above
 all gods4  ,moreover1 the mystical     
elevations and the ecstasies of the     
,saints were acts of the love of ,god in
 which they wished ,him all good and    
rejoiced in ,his possessing it4 ,our    

imagination1 too1 may help us1 as it did
 ,st4 ,augustine1 of whom our ,blessed  
,father writes3  ,this desire1 then1 of 
,god1 by imagination of impossibilities1
 may be sometimes profitably practised  
in moments of great and extraordinary   
feelings and fervours4 ,we are told that
 the great ,st4 ,augustine often made   
such acts1 pouring out in an excess of  
love these words3 ',ah6 ,lord1 ,i am    
,augustine1 and ,thou art ,god2 but     
still1 if that which neither is nor can 
be were1 that ,i were ,god1 and thou    
,augustine1 ,i would1 changing my       
condition with ,thee1 become ,augustine 
to the end that ,thou mightest be       
,god4'#e  ,we can again wish ,him the   
same good by rejoicing in the knowledge 
that we could never1 even by desiring   
it1 add anything to the incomprehensible
 infinity and infinite                  
incomprehensibility of ,his greatness   
and perfection4 ,holy1 holy1 holy1 ,lord
 ,god of ,hosts4 ,heaven and earth are  
full of ,thy glory3 ,praise to ,god in  

the highest4 ,amen4  ,footnote #a3      
,psalm xxxiii4 #d4 ,footnote #b3 ,psalm 
cxviii4 #aci4 ,footnote #c3 ,psalm      
lxviii4 #aj4 ,footnote #d3 ,psalm xciv4 
#c4 ,footnote #e3 ,book v4 c4 #f4       
,,disinterested ,,love ,,of ,,god4  ,you
 know that among the ,saints for whom   
our ,blessed ,father had a special      
devotion1 ,st4 ,louis of ,france held a 
very prominent position4  ,now1 in the  
life of the holy ,king1 written by the  
,sieur de ,joinville1 there is a little 
story which our ,blessed ,father used to
 say contained the summary of all       
,christian perfection2 and1 indeed1 its 
beauty and excellence have made it so   
well known that we find it told or      
alluded to in most books of devotion4   
,it is that of the holy woman--whose    
name1 though written in the ,book of    
,life1 is not recorded in history--who  
presented herself to ,brother ,yves1 a  
,breton1 of the ,order of ,st4 ,dominic1
 whom ,king ,louis1 being in the ,holy  
,land1 had sent as an ambassador to the 

,caliph of ,syria4 ,she was holding in  
one hand a lighted torch1 and in the    
other a pitcher of water filled to the  
brim4  ,addressing the good ,dominican1 
she told him that her intention was to  
burn up ,paradise with the one and to   
put out the fire of ,hell with the      
other1 in order that henceforth ,god    
might be served with a holy and         
unfeigned charity4 ,that is to say1 with
 a true and disinterested love1 for love
 of ,himself alone1 not from a servile  
and mercenary spirit2 i4e41 from fear of
 punishment or hope of reward4  ,our    
,blessed ,father told me that he should 
have liked this story to be told on all 
possible occasions1 and to have had     
engravings of the subject for           
distribution1 so that by so beautiful an
 example many might be taught to love   
and serve ,god with true charity1 and to
 have no other end in view than ,his    
,divine glory2 for true charity seeks   
not her own advantage1 but only the     
honour of her ,beloved4   ,,upon ,,the  

,,character ,,of ,a ,,true ,,christian4 
,a ,salamander1 according to the fable1 
is a creature hatched in the chilling   
waters of ,arctic regions1 and is       
consequently by nature so cold that it  
delights in the burning heat of a       
furnace4 ,fire1 said the ancients1      
cannot consume it nor even scorch it4   
,just so is it with the ,christian1 said
 ,blessed ,francis4 ,he is born in a    
region far away from ,god1 and is       
altogether alien from ,him4 ,he is      
conceived in iniquity and brought forth 
in sin1 and sin is far removed from the 
way of salvation4 ,man is condemned     
before his very birth4 ,damnatus        
antequam natus1 says ,st4 ,bernard4 ,he 
is born in the darkness of original sin 
and in the region of the shadow of      
death4 ,but1 being born again in the    
waters of ,baptism1 in which he is      
clothed with the habit of charity1 the  
fire of the holy love of ,god is        
enkindled in him4 ,henceforth his real  
life1 the life of grace and of spiritual

 growth1 depends absolutely upon his    
abiding in that love2 for he who loves  
not thus is dead2 while1 on the other   
hand1 by this love man is called back   
from death to life4  ,charity1 he       
continued1 is like a fire and a         
devouring flame4 ,the little charity    
which we possess in this life is liable 
to be extinguished by the violent       
temptations which urge us1 or1 to speak 
more truly1 precipitate us into mortal  
sin2 but that of the life to come is a  
flame all-embracing and                 
all-conquering--it can neither fail nor 
flicker4  ,on earth charity1 like fire1 
needs fuel to nourish it and keep it    
alive2 but in its proper sphere1 which  
is ,heaven1 it feeds upon its own       
inherent heat1 nor needs other          
nourishment4 ,it is of vital importance 
here below to feed our charity with the 
fuel of good works1 for charity is a    
habit so disposed to action that it     
unceasingly urges on those in whom the  
,holy ,spirit has shed it abroad to     

perform such works4 ,this the ,apostle  
expresses very aptly3 ,the charity of   
,christ presseth us4#a  ,st4 ,gregory   
adds that the proof of true1 unfeigned  
love is action1 the doing of works seen 
and known to be good4 ,for1 if faith is 
manifested by good works1 how much more 
charity1 which is the root1 the         
foundation1 the soul1 the life1 and the 
form of every good and perfect work4    
,footnote #a3 #b ,cor4 v4 #ad4   ,,upon 
,,not ,,putting ,,limits ,,to ,,our     
,,love ,,of ,,god4  ,blessed ,francis   
used to say that those who narrow their 
charity1 limiting it to the performance 
of certain duties and offices1 beyond   
which they would not take a single step1
 are base and cowardly souls1 who seem  
as though they wished to enclose in     
their own hands the mighty ,spirit of   
,god4 ,seeing that ,god is greater than 
our heart1 what folly it is to try to   
shut ,him up within so small a circle4  
,on this subject of the immeasurable    
greatness of the love which we should   

bear to ,god1 he uttered these          
remarkable words3 ,to remain long in a  
settled1 unchanging condition is        
impossible3 in this traffic he who does 
not gain1 loses2 he who does not mount  
this ladder1 steps down2 he who is not  
conqueror in this combat1 is vanquished4
 ,we live in the midst of battles in    
which our enemies are always engaging   
us4 ,if we do not fight we perish2 but  
we cannot fight without overcoming1 nor 
overcome without victory1 followed by a 
triumph and a crown4   ,,upon ,,the     
,,law ,,and ,,the ,,just ,,man4  ,you   
ask me the meaning of the ,apostle's    
saying that the law is not made for the 
just man4#a ,can any man be just unless 
he accommodate his actions to the rule  
of the law8 ,is it not in the observance
 of the law that true justice consists8 
,our ,blessed ,father explains this     
passage so clearly and delicately in his
 ,theotimus that ,i will quote his words
 for you4 ,he says3 ,in truth the just  
man is not just1 save inasmuch as he has

 love4 ,and if he have love1 there is no
 need to threaten him by the rigour of  
the law1 love being the most insistent  
of all teachers1 and ever urging the    
heart which it possesses to obey the    
will and the intention of the beloved4  
,love is a magistrate who exercises his 
authority without noise and without     
police4 ,its instrument is mutual       
complacency1 by which1 as we find       
pleasure in ,god1 so also we desire to  
please ,him4#b  ,permit me to add to    
these excellent words a reminder which  
ought not1 ,i think1 to be unprofitable 
to you4 ,some imagine that it is enough 
to observe the law of ,god in order to  
save our souls1 obeying the command of  
our ,lord3 ,do this1 that is to say1 the
 law1 and you shall live1#c without     
attempting to determine the motive which
 impels them to observe the law4  ,now  
the truth is that some observe the law  
of ,god from a servile spirit1 and only 
for fear of losing their souls4 ,others 
chiefly from a mercenary spirit for the 

sake of the reward promised to those who
 keep it1 and1 as our ,blessed ,father  
says very happily3 ,many keep the       
,commandments as medicines are taken1   
rather that they may escape eternal     
death than that they may live so as to  
please our ,saviour4 ,one of his        
favourite sayings was3 ,it is better to 
fear ,god from love than to love ,him   
from fear4  ,he says also3 ,there are   
people who1 however pleasant a          
medicament may be1 feel a repugnance    
when required to take it1 simply from   
the fact of its being medicine4 ,so also
 there are souls which conceive an      
absolute antipathy to anything they are 
commanded to do1 only because they are  
so commanded4 ,as soon1 however1 as the 
love of ,god is shed forth in the heart 
by the ,holy ,spirit1 then the burden of
 the law becomes sweet1 and its yoke    
light1 because of the extreme desire of 
that heart to please ,god by the        
observance of ,his precepts4 ,there is  
no labour1 he goes on to say1 where love

 is1 or if there be any1 it is a labour 
of love4 ,labour mingled with love is a 
certain bitter-sweet1 more pleasant to  
the palate than that which is merely    
sweet4 ,thus then does heavenly love    
conform us to the will of ,god and make 
us carefully observe ,his commandments1 
this being the will of ,his ,divine     
,majesty1 ,whom we desire to please4 ,so
 that this complacency with its sweet   
and amiable violence anticipates the    
necessity of obeying which the law      
imposes upon us1 converting that        
necessity into the virtue of love1 and  
every difficulty into delight4#d        
,footnote #a3 ,tim4 i4 #i4 ,footnote #b3
 ,book viii4 c4 #a4 ,footnote #c3 ,luke 
x4 #bh4 ,footnote #d3 ,cf4 ,treatise on 
the ,love of ,god4 ,book viii4 c4 #e4   
,,upon ,,desires4  ,to desire to love   
,god is to love to desire ,god1 and     
consequently to love ,him3 for love is  
the root of all desires4  ,st4 ,paul    
says3 ,the charity of ,god presses us4#a
 ,and how does it press us if not by    

urging us to desire ,god4 ,this longing 
for ,god is as a spur to the heart1     
causing it to leap forward on its way to
 ,god4 ,the desire of glory incites the 
soldier to run all risks1 and he desires
 glory because he loves it for its own  
sake1 and deems it a blessing more      
precious than life itself4  ,a sick man 
has not always an appetite for food1    
however much he may wish for it as a    
sign of returning health4 ,nor can he by
 wishing for it obtain it1 because the  
animal powers of our nature do not      
always obey the rational faculties4     
,love and desire1 however1 being the    
offspring of one and the same faculty1  
whoever desires1 loves1 and whoever     
desires from the motive of charity is   
able to love from the same motive4 ,but 
how1 you ask1 shall we know whether or  
not we have this true desire for the    
love of ,god1 and having it1 whether it 
proceeds from the motions of grace or   
from nature8  ,it is rather difficult1  
my dear sisters1 to give reasons for    

principles which are themselves their   
own reason4 ,if you ask me why the fire 
is hot you must not take it amiss if ,i 
simply answer because it is not cold4   
,but you wish to know what we have to do
 in order to obtain this most desirable 
desire to love ,god4 ,our ,blessed      
,father tells us that we must renounce  
all useless1 or less necessary desires1 
because the soul wastes her power when  
she spreads herself out in over many    
desires1 like the river which when      
divided by the army of a ,persian ,king 
into many channels lost itself          
altogether4 ,this1 he said1 is why the  
,saints used to retire into solitary    
places1 so that being freed from earthly
 cares they might with more fervour give
 themselves up wholly and entirely to   
divine love4 ,this is why the spouse in 
the ,canticles is represented with one  
eye closed1 and all the power of vision 
concentrated in the other1 thus enabling
 her to gaze more intently into the very
 depths of the heart of her ,beloved1   

piercing it with love4  ,this is why she
 even winds all her tresses into one    
single braid1 using it as a chain to    
bind and hold captive the heart of her  
,bridegroom1 making ,him her slave by   
love6 ,souls which sincerely desire to  
love ,god1 close their understanding to 
all worldly things1 so as to employ it  
the more fully in meditating upon things
 ,divine4  ,all the aspirations of our  
nature have to be summed up in the one  
single intention of loving ,god1 and    
,him alone3 for to desire anything      
otherwise than for ,god is to desire    
,god the less4#b  ,footnote #a3 #b ,cor4
 v4 #ad4 ,footnote #b3 ,cf4 ,treatise on
 the ,love of ,god4 ,book xii4 #c4      
,,how ,,charity ,,excels ,,both ,,faith 
,,and ,,hope4  ,not only did ,blessed   
,francis consider it intolerable that   
moral virtues should be held to be      
comparable to ,charity1 but he was even 
unwilling that ,faith and ,hope1        
excellent1 supernatural1 and divinely   
infused though they be1 should be       

reckoned to be of value without         
,charity1 or even when compared with it4
 ,in this he only echoed the thought and
 words of the great ,apostle ,st4 ,paul1
 who in his first ,epistle to the       
,corinthians writes3 ,faith1 ,hope1 and 
,charity are three precious gifts1 but  
the greatest of these is ,charity4      
,faith1 it is true1 is love1 a love of  
the mind for the beautiful in the divine
 ,mysteries1 as our ,blessed ,father    
says in his ,treatise on the ,love of   
,god1#a but the motions of love which   
forerun the act of faith required from  
our justification are either not love   
properly speaking1 or but a beginning   
and imperfect love1 which inclines the  
soul to acquiesce in the truths proposed
 for its acceptance4  ,hope1 too1 is    
love1 a love for the useful in the goods
 which are promised in the other life4#b
 ,it goes1 indeed1 to ,god but it       
returns to us2 its sight is turned upon 
the divine goodness1 yet with some      
respect to our own profit4  ,in ,hope   

love is imperfect because it does not   
tend to ,god's infinite goodness as     
being such in itself1 but only because  
it is so to us4444 ,in real truth no one
 is able by virtue of this love either  
to keep ,god's commandments or obtain   
life everlasting1 because it is a love  
that yields more affection than effect  
when it is not accompanied by           
,charity4#c  ,but the perfect love of   
,god1 which is only to be found in      
,charity1 is a disinterested love1 which
 loves the sovereign goodness of ,god in
 ,himself and for ,his sake only1       
without any aim except that ,he may be  
that which ,he is1 eternally loved1     
glorified1 and adored1 because ,he      
deserves to be so1 as ,st4 ,thomas says4
 ,and it is in the fact that it attains 
more perfectly its final end that its   
pre-eminence consists4 ,this is very    
clearly shown by ,blessed ,francis in   
the same ,treatise where he tells us    
that ,eternal life or ,salvation is     
shown to ,faith1 and is prepared for    

,hope1 but is given only to ,charity4   
,faith points out the way to the land of
 promise as a pillar of cloud and of    
fire1 that is1 light and dark2 ,hope    
feeds us with its manna of sweetness1   
but ,charity actually introduces us into
 it1 like the ,ark of the ,covenant1    
which leads us dry-shod through the     
,jordan1 that is1 through the judgment1 
and which shall remain amidst the people
 in the heavenly land promised to the   
true ,israelites1 where neither the     
pillar of ,faith serves as a guide1 nor 
the manna of ,hope is needed as food4#d 
,that which an ancient writer said of   
poverty1 that it was a great good1 yet  
very little known as such1 can be said  
with far more reason of ,charity4 ,it is
 a hidden treasure1 a pearl shut up in  
its shell1 and of which few know the    
value4 ,the heretics of the present day 
profess themselves content with a dead  
,faith1 to which they attribute all     
their justice and their salvation4      
,there are also catholics who appear to 

limit themselves to that interested love
 which is in ,hope1 and who serve ,god  
as mercenaries1 more for their own      
interest than for ,his4 ,there are few  
who love ,god as ,he ought to be loved1 
that is to say1 with the disinterested  
love of ,charity4 ,yet1 without this    
wedding garment1 without this oil which 
fed the lamps of the wise ,virgins1     
there is no admittance to the ,marriage 
of the ,lamb4  ,it is here that we may  
sing with the ,psalmist3 ,the ,lord hath
 looked down from ,heaven upon the      
children of men to see if there be any  
that understand and seek ,god1 that is1 
to know how ,he wishes to be served4    
,they are all gone aside1 they are      
become unprofitable together3 there is  
none that doeth good1 no1 not one4#e    
,this means that there is not one who   
doth good in spirit and in truth4 ,yet1 
what is serving ,him in spirit and in   
truth but resolving to honour and obey  
,him1 for the love of ,himself1 without 
admixture of private self-interest8     

,but whoever has learnt to serve ,god   
after the pattern of those ,his beloved 
ones1 who worship ,him in spirit and in 
truth1 in burning ,faith and ,hope1     
animated by ,charity1 may be said to be 
of the number of the holy nation1 the   
royal ,priesthood1 the chosen people1   
and to have entered into the sanctuary  
of true and ,christian holiness1 of     
which our ,blessed ,father speaks thus3 
,in the sanctuary was kept the ark of   
the covenant1 and near it the tables of 
the law1 manna in a golden vessel1 and  
,aaron's rod1 which in one night bore   
flowers and fruit4 ,and in the highest  
point of the soul are found3 #a4 ,the   
light of ,faith1 figured by the manna   
hidden in its vessel1 by which we       
recognize the truth of the mysteries we 
do not understand4 #b4 ,the utility of  
,hope1 represented by ,aaron's flowering
 and fruitful rod1 by which we acquiesce
 in the promises of the goods which we  
see not4 #c4 ,the sweetness of holy     
,charity1 represented by ,god's         

commandments1 the keeping of which it   
includes1 by which we acquiesce in the  
union of our spirit with ,god's1 though 
yet are hardly1 if at all1 conscious of 
this our happiness4#f  ,footnote #a3    
,book ii4 #ac4 ,footnote #b3 ,book i4 c4
 #e4 ,footnote #c3 ,book ii4 #ag4       
,footnote #d3 ,book i4 #f4 ,footnote #e3
 ,psalm xiii4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #f3     
,book i4 #ab4   ,,some ,,thoughts ,,of  
,,blessed ,,francis ,,on ,,the          
,,passion4  ,our ,blessed ,father       
considered that no thought is of such   
avail to urge us forward towards the    
perfection of divine love as the        
consideration of the ,passion and ,death
 of the ,son of ,god4 ,this he called   
the sweetest1 and yet the most          
constraining of all motives of piety4   
,and when ,i asked him how he could     
possibly mention gentleness and         
constraint or violence in the same      
breath1 he answered1 ,i can do so in the
 sense in which the ,apostle says that  
the ,charity of ,god presses us1        

constrains us1 impels us1 draws us1 for 
such is the meaning of the word         
,urget4#a ,in the same sense as that in 
which the ,holy ,ghost in the ,canticle 
of ,canticles tells us that ,love is as 
strong as death and fierce as hell4  ,we
 cannot deny1 he added1 that love is the
 very essence of sweetness1 and the     
sweetener of all bitterness1 yet see how
 it is compared to what is most         
irresistible1 namely1 death and hell4   
,the reason of this is that as there is 
nothing so strong as the sweetness of   
love1 so also there is nothing more     
sweet and more lovable than its         
strength4 ,oil and honey are each smooth
 and sweet1 but when boiling nothing is 
to be compared with the heat they give  
out4  ,the bee when not interfered with 
is the most harmless of insects2        
irritated its sting is the sharpest of  
all4  ,jesus ,crucified is the ,lion of 
the tribe of ,judah--,he is the answer  
to ,samson's riddle1 for in ,his wounds 
is found the honeycomb of the strongest 

charity1 and from this strength proceeds
 the sweetness of our greatest          
consolation4 ,and certainly since our   
,lord's dying for us1 as all ,scripture 
testifies1 is the climax of his love1 it
 ought also to be the strongest of all  
our motives for loving ,him4  ,this it  
is which made ,st4 ,bernard exclaim3    
',oh1 my ,lord1 ,i entreat ,thee to     
grant that my whole heart may be so     
absorbed and1 as it were1 consumed in   
the burning strength and honeyed        
sweetness of ,thy crucified love1 that  
,i may die for the love of ,thy love1 ,o
 ,redeemer of my soul1 as ,thou hast    
deigned to die for the love of my love4'
  ,it is this excess of love1 which on  
the hill of ,calvary drained the last   
drop of life-blood from the ,sacred     
,heart of the ,lover of our ,souls2 it  
is of this love that ,moses and ,elias  
spoke on ,mount ,thabor amid the glory  
of the ,transfiguration4  ,they spoke of
 it to teach us that even in the glory  
of ,heaven1 of which the                

,transfiguration was only a glimpse1    
after the vision of the goodness of ,god
 contemplated and loved in itself1 and  
for itself1 there will be no more       
powerful incentive towards the love of  
our ,divine ,saviour than the           
remembrance of ,his ,death and ,passion4
  ,we have a signal testimony to this   
truth in the ,apocalypse1 where the     
,saints and ,angels chant these words   
before the throne of ,him that liveth   
for ever and ever3 ,worthy is the ,lamb 
that was slain to receive power1 and    
divinity1 and wisdom1 and strength1 and 
honour1 and glory1 and benediction from 
every creature which is in ,heaven1 and 
on the earth4#b  ,footnote #a3 #b ,cor4 
v4 #ad4 ,footnote #b3 ,apoc4 v4 #ab1    
#ah4   ,,upon ,,the ,,vanity ,,of       
,,heathen ,,philosophy4  ,i was speaking
 on one occasion of the writings of     
,seneca and of ,plutarch1 praising them 
highly and saying that they had been my 
delight when young1 our ,blessed ,father
 replied3 ,after having tasted the manna

 of the ,fathers and ,theologians1 this 
is to hanker for the leeks and garlic of
 ,egypt4 ,when ,i rejoined that these   
above mentioned writers furnished me    
with all that ,i could desire for       
instruction in morals1 and that ,seneca 
seemed to me more like a christian      
author than a pagan1 he said3 ,there ,i 
differ from you entirely4 ,i consider   
that no spirit is more absolutely       
opposed to the spirit of christianity   
than that of ,seneca1 and no more       
dangerous reading for a soul aiming at  
true piety can be found than his works4 
,being much surprised at this opinion1  
and asking for an explanation1 he went  
on to say3 ,this opposition between the 
two spirits comes from the fact that    
,seneca would have us look for          
perfection within ourselves1 whereas we 
must seek it outside ourselves1 in ,god1
 that is to say1 in the grace which ,god
 pours into our souls through the ,holy 
,ghost4 ,not ,i1 but the grace of ,god  
with me4#a ,by this grace we are what we

 are4 ,the spirit of ,seneca inflates   
the soul and puffs it up with pride1    
that of ,christianity rejects the       
knowledge which puffs up in order to    
embrace the charity which edifies4 ,in  
short1 there is the same difference     
between the spirit of ,seneca and the   
christian spirit that there is between  
virtues acquired by us1 which are1      
therefore1 dead1 and virtues that are   
infused by ,god1 which are1 therefore1  
living4 ,indeed1 how could this         
philosopher1 being destitute of the true
 ,faith1 possess charity8 ,and yet well 
we know that without charity all        
acquired virtues are unable to save us4 
,footnote #a3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #aj4   ,,upon
 ,,the ,,pure ,,love ,,of ,,our         
,,neighbour4  ,our ,blessed ,father1 in 
his ,twelfth ,conference1 teaches how to
 love one's neighbour1 for whom his own 
love was so pure and so unfeigned4  ,we 
must look upon all the souls of men as  
resting in the ,heart of our ,saviour4  
,alas6 they who regard their fellow-men 

in any other way run the risk of not    
loving them with purity1 constancy1 or  
impartiality4 ,but beholding them in    
that divine resting place1 who can do   
otherwise than love them1 bear with     
them1 and be patient with their         
imperfections8 ,who dare call them      
irritating or troublesome8 ,yes1 my     
daughters1 your neighbour is there in   
the ,heart of the ,saviour1 and there so
 beloved and lovable that the ,divine   
,lover dies for love of him4  ,a truly  
charitable love of our neighbour is a   
rarer thing than one would think4 ,it is
 like the few particles of gold which   
are found on the shores of the ,tagus1  
among masses of sand4  ,hear what he    
says on this subject in the eighth of   
his ,spiritual ,conferences3  ,there are
 certain kinds of affection which appear
 very elevated and very perfect in the  
eyes of creatures1 but which in the     
sight of ,god are of low degree and     
valueless4 ,such are all friendships    
based1 not only on true charity1 which  

is ,god1 but only on natural            
inclinations and human motives4  ,on the
 other hand1 there are friendships which
 in the eyes of the world appear mean   
and despicable1 but which in the sight  
of ,god have every excellence1 because  
they are built up in ,god1 and for ,god1
 without admixture of human interests4  
,now acts of charity which are performed
 for those whom we love in this way are 
truly noble in their nature1 and are1   
indeed1 perfect acts1 inasmuch as they  
tend purely to ,god1 while the services 
which we render to those whom we love   
from natural inclination are of far less
 merit4 ,generally speaking1 we do these
 more for the sake of the great delight 
and satisfaction they cause us than for 
the love of ,god4 ,he goes on to say3   
,the former kind of friendship is       
likewise inferior to the latter in that 
it is not lasting4 ,its motive is so    
weak that when slighted or not responded
 to it easily grows cold1 and finally   
disappears4 ,far otherwise that         

affection which has its foundation in   
,god1 and therefore a motive which above
 all others is solid and abiding4       
,human affection is founded on the      
possession by the person we love of     
qualities which may be lost4 ,it can1   
therefore1 never be very secure4 ,on the
 contrary1 he who loves in ,god1 and    
only in ,god1 need fear no change1      
because ,god is always ,himself4 ,again1
 speaking on this subject1 our ,blessed 
,father says3 ,all the other bonds which
 link hearts one to another are of      
glass1 or jet2 but the chain of holy    
charity is of gold and diamonds4 ,in    
another place he remarks3 ,st4          
,catherine of ,sienna illustrates the   
subject by means of a beautiful simile4 
',if1' she says1 'you take a glass and  
fill it from a spring1 and if while     
drinking from this glass you do not     
remove it from the spring1 you may drink
 as much as you please without ever     
emptying the glass4' ,so it is with     
friendships3 if we never withdraw them  

from their source they never dry up4    
,,upon ,,bearing ,,with ,,one ,,another4
  ,he laid great stress at all times on 
the duty of bearing with our neighbour1 
and thus obeying the commands of ,holy  
,scripture1 ,bear ye one another's      
burdens1 and so you shall fulfil the law
 of ,christ1#a and the counsels of the  
,apostle who so emphatically recommends 
this mutual support4 ,to-day mine1      
to-morrow thine4 ,if to-day we put up   
with the ill-temper of our brother1     
to-morrow he will bear with our         
imperfections4 ,we must in this life do 
like those who1 walking on ice1 give    
their hands to one another1 so that if  
one slips1 the other who has a firm     
foothold may support him4  ,st4 ,john   
the ,evangelist1 towards the close of   
his life1 exhorted his brethren not to  
deny one another this support1 but to   
foster mutual charity1 which prompts the
 ,christian to help his neighbour1 and  
is one of the chiefest precepts of      
,jesus ,christ1 ,who1 true ,lamb of     

,god1 endured1 and carried on ,his      
shoulders1 and on the wood of the       
,cross1 all our sins--an infinitely     
heavy burden1 nor to be borne by any but
 ,him4 ,the value set by our ,blessed   
,father on this mutual support was      
marvellous1 and he went so far as to    
look upon it as the crown of our        
perfection4  ,he says on the subject to 
one who was very dear to him3 ,it is a  
great part of our perfection to bear    
with one another in our imperfections2  
for there is no better way of showing   
our own love for our neighbour4  ,god   
will1 in ,his mercy1 bear with him who  
has mercifully borne with the defects of
 his neighbour4  ,forgive1 and you shall
 be forgiven4 ,give1 and it shall be    
given to you4 ,good measure of          
blessings1 and pressed down1 and shaken 
together1 and running over shall they   
give into your bosom4#b  ,footnote #a3  
,gal4 vi4 #b4 ,footnote #b3 ,st4 ,luke  
vi4 #cg1 #ch4   ,,upon ,,fraternal      
,,correction4  ,speaking1 my dear       

sisters1 as he often did1 on the        
important subject of brotherly or       
friendly reproof1 our ,blessed ,father  
made use of words profitable to us all1 
but especially to those who are in      
authority1 and have therefore to rule   
and guide others4  ,he said3 ,truth     
which is not charitable proceeds from a 
charity which is not true4  ,when ,i    
asked him how we could feel certain that
 our reproofs were given out of sincere 
charity1 he answered3  ,when we speak   
the truth only for the love of ,god1 and
 for the good of our neighbour1 whom we 
are reproving4  ,he added3 ,we must     
follow the counsels of the great        
,apostle ,st4 ,paul1 when he bids us    
reprove in a spirit of meekness4#a      
,indeed gentleness is the intimate      
friend of charity and its inseparable   
companion4 ,this is what ,st4 ,paul     
means when he says that charity is kind1
 and beareth all things1 and endureth   
all things4#b ,god1 who is ,charity1    
guides the mild in judgment and teaches 

the meek4 ,his way1 ,his ,spirit1 is not
 in the whirlwind1 nor in the storm1 nor
 in the tempest1 nor in the voice of    
many waters2 but in a gentle and        
whispering wind4 ,mildness is come upon 
us1 says the ,royal ,psalmist1 and we   
shall be corrected4#c  ,again ,blessed  
,francis advised us to imitate the ,good
 ,samaritan1 who poured oil and wine    
into the wounds of the poor wayfarer    
fallen among thieves4#d ,he used to say 
that to make a good salad you want more 
oil than either vinegar or salt4  ,i    
will give you some more of his memorable
 sayings on this subject4 ,many a time  
,i have heard them from his own lips3   
,always be as gentle as you can1 and    
remember that more flies are caught with
 a spoonful of honey than with a hundred
 barrels of vinegar4 ,if we must err in 
one direction or the other1 let it be in
 that of gentleness4 ,no sauce was ever 
spoilt by too much sugar4 ,the human    
mind is so constituted that it rebels   
against harshness1 but becomes perfectly

 tractable under gentle treatment4 ,a   
mild word cools the heat of anger1 as   
water extinguishes fire4 ,there is no   
soil so ungrateful as not to bear fruit 
when a kindly hand cultivates it4 ,to   
tell our neighbour wholesome truths     
tenderly is to throw red roses rather   
than red-hot coals in his face4 ,how    
could we be angry with any one who      
pelted us with pearls or deluged us with
 rose water6 ,there is nothing more     
bitter than a green walnut1 but when    
preserved in sugar there is nothing     
sweeter or more digestible4 ,reproof is 
by nature harsh and biting1 but         
confectioned in sweetness and warmed    
through and through in the fire of      
charity1 it becomes salutary1 pleasant1 
and even delightful4 ,the just will     
correct me with mercy1 and the oil of   
the flatterer shall not anoint my       
head4#e ,better are the wounds of a     
friend than the kisses of the           
hypocrite2#f if the sharpness of the    
friend's tongue pierce me it is only as 

the lancet of the surgeon1 which probes 
the abscess and lacerates in order to   
heal4  ,but 7,i replied7 truth is always
 truth in whatever language it may be   
couched1 and in whatever sense it may be
 taken4 ,in support of this assertion ,i
 quoted the words spoken by ,st4 ,paul  
to ,timothy3  ,preach the word2 be      
instant in season1 out of season1       
reprove1 entreat1 rebuke in all patience
 and doctrine2 but1 according to their  
own desires1 they will heap to          
themselves teachers having itching ears1
 and will1 indeed1 turn away their      
hearing from the truth1 but will be     
turned into fables4#g  ,our ,blessed    
,father replied3 ,the whole force of    
that apostolic lesson lies in the       
phrase3 ,in all patience and doctrine4  
,doctrine signifies truth1 and this     
truth must be spoken with patience4     
,when ,i use the word patience1 ,i am   
trying to put before you an attitude of 
mind which is not one of confident      
expectation1 that truth will always meet

 with a hearty welcome1 and even some   
degree of acclamation2 but an attitude  
of mind which is on the contrary        
prepared to meet with repulse1          
reprobation1 rejection4  ,surely1 seeing
 that the ,son of ,god was set for a    
sign of contradiction1 we cannot be     
surprised if ,his doctrine1 which is the
 truth1 is marked with the same seal6   
,surprised6 ,nay1 of necessity it must  
be so4  ,consider the many false        
constructions and murmurings to which   
the sacred truths preached by our       
,saviour during ,his life on earth were 
exposed6  ,was not this one of the      
reproaches addressed by ,him to the     
,jews3 ,if ,i say the truth you believe 
me not4  ,was not our ,lord ,himself    
looked upon as an impostor1 a seditious 
person1 a blasphemer1 one possessed by  
the devil8 ,did they not even take up   
stones to cast at him8 ,yet1 ,he cursed 
not those who cursed ,him2 but repaid   
their maledictions with blessings1      
possessing ,his soul in patience4       

,blessed ,francis wrote to me on this   
same subject a letter1 which has since  
been printed among his works1 in which  
he expressed himself as follows3        
,everyone who wishes to instruct others 
in the way of holiness must be prepared 
to bear with their injustice and        
unreasonableness1 and to be rewarded    
with ingratitude4 ,oh6 how happy will   
you be when men slander you1 and say all
 manner of evil of you1 hating the truth
 which you offer them4 ,rejoice with    
much joy1 for so much the greater is    
your reward in ,heaven4 ,it is a royal  
thing to be calumniated for having done 
well1 and to be stoned in a good cause4 
,footnote #a3 ,gal4 vi4 #a4 ,footnote   
#b3 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #d1 #g4 ,footnote #c3
 ,psalm lxxxix4 #aj ,footnote #d3 ,st4  
,luke x4 #cd4 ,footnote #e3 ,psalm cxl4 
#e4 ,footnote #f3 ,prov4 xxvii4 #f4     
,footnote #g3 ,tim4 iv4 #b1 #d4   ,,upon
 ,,finding ,,excuses ,,for ,,the        
,,faults ,,of ,,our ,,fellow-,,men4  ,i 
was one day complaining to him of       

certain small land-owners1 who having   
nothing but their gentle birth to boast 
of1 and being as poor as ,job1 yet set  
up as great noblemen1 and even as       
princes1 boasting of their high birth1  
of their genealogy1 and of the glorious 
deeds of their ancestors4 ,i quoted the 
saying of the wise man1 that he hated1  
among other things1 with a perfect      
hatred the poor proud man1 adding that  
,i entirely agreed with him4  ,to boast 
in the multitude of our riches is       
natural1 but to be vain in our poverty  
is beyond understanding4  ,he answered  
me thus3 ,what would you have8 ,do you  
want these poor people to be doubly     
poor1 like sick physicians1 who1 the    
more they know about their disease the  
more disconsolate they are8 ,at all     
events1 if they are rich in honours they
 will think the less of their poverty1  
and will behave perhaps like that young 
,athenian1 who in his madness considered
 himself the richest person in his      
neighbourhood1 and being cured of his   

mental weakness through the kind        
intervention of his friends1 had them   
arraigned before the judges1 and        
condemned to give him back his pleasant 
illusion4 ,what would you have1 ,i      
repeat8 ,it is in the very nature of    
nobility to meet the rebuffs of fortune 
with a cheerful courage2 like the       
palm-tree which lifts itself up under   
its burden4 ,would to ,god they had no  
greater failing than this6 ,it is       
against that wretched and detestable    
habit of fighting duels that we ought to
 raise our voice4 ,saying this1 he gave 
a profound sigh4  ,a certain lady had   
been guilty of a most serious fault1    
committed1 indeed1 through mere weakness
 of character1 but none the less        
scandalous in the extreme4 ,our ,blessed
 ,father1 being informed of what had    
happened1 and having every kind of      
vehement invective against the          
unfortunate person poured into his ears1
 only said3 ,human misery6 human misery6
 ,and again1 ,ah6 how we are encompassed

 with infirmity6 ,what can we do of     
ourselves1 but fail8 ,we should1        
perhaps1 do worse than this if ,god did 
not hold us by the right hand1 and guide
 us to ,his will4 ,at last1 weary of    
fencing thus1 he faced the battle1 and  
the comments on this unhappy fall       
becoming ever sharper and more emphatic1
 exclaimed3 ,oh6 happy fault1 of what   
great good will it not be the cause6#a  
,this lady's soul would have perished   
with many others had she not lost       
herself4 ,her loss will be her gain1 and
 the gain of many others4  ,some of     
those who heard this prediction merely  
shrugged their shoulders4 ,nevertheless1
 it was verified4 ,the sinning soul     
returned to give glory to ,god1 and the 
community which she had scandalized was 
greatly edified by her conversion and   
subsequent good example4  ,this story   
reminds me of the words used by the     
,church in one of her offices4 ,words in
 which she calls the sin of ,adam thrice
 happy1 since because of it the         

,redeemer came down to our earth--a     
fortunate malady1 since it brought us   
the visit of so great a ,physician4     
,even sins1 says our ,blessed ,father1  
in one of his letters1 work together for
 good to those who truly repent of them4
  ,footnote #a3 ,office for ,holy       
,saturday4   ,,upon ,,not ,,judging     
,,others4  ,men see the exterior2 ,god  
alone sees the heart1 and knows the     
inmost thoughts of all4 ,our ,blessed   
,father used to say that the soul of our
 neighbour was that tree of the         
knowledge of good and evil which we are 
forbidden to touch under pain of severe 
chastisement2 because ,god has reserved 
to ,himself the judgment of each        
individual soul4 ,who art thou1 says    
,sacred ,scripture1 who judgest thy     
brother8 ,knowest thou that wherein thou
 judgest another thou condemnest        
thyself8#a  ,who has given thee the     
hardihood to take upon thyself the      
office of ,him ,who has received from   
the ,eternal ,father all judgment8 ,that

 is to say1 all power of judging in     
,heaven and on earth8 ,he observed that 
a want of balance of mind1 very common  
among men1 leads them to judge of what  
they do not know1 and not to judge of   
what they do know4 ,they1 as ,st4 ,jude 
declares1 blaspheme in what they know   
not1 and corrupt themselves in what they
 know4#b ,they are blind to what passes 
in their own homes1 but preternaturally 
clear-sighted to all happening in the   
houses of others4  ,now what is this    
that a man knows not at all8 ,surely1   
the heart2 the secret thoughts of his   
neighbour4 ,and yet how eager is he to  
dip the fingers of his curiosity in this
 covered dish reserved for the ,great   
,master4 ,and what is it that a man     
knows best of all1 or at least ought to 
know8 ,surely1 his own heart2 his own   
secret thoughts4 ,nevertheless1 he fears
 to enter into himself1 and to stand in 
his own presence as a criminal before   
his judge4 ,he dreads above aught       
besides the implacable tribunal of his  

own conscience1 itself alone more surely
 convicting than a thousand witnesses4  
,our ,blessed ,father pictures very     
vividly this kind of injustice in his   
,philothea1 where he says3 ,it is       
equally necessary in order to escape    
being judged that we both judge         
ourselves1 and that we refrain from     
judging others4 ,our ,lord forbids the  
latter#c and ,his ,apostle commands the 
former4 ,if we would judge ourselves we 
should not be judged4#d ,our way is the 
very reverse4 ,what is forbidden to us  
we are continually doing4 ,judging our  
neighbour on all possible occasions1 and
 what is commanded us1 namely1 to judge 
ourselves1 that the last thing we think 
of4#e  ,a certain woman 7,blessed       
,francis continued with a smile71 all   
her life long had on principle done     
exactly the contrary to what her husband
 wanted her to do4 ,in the end she fell 
into a river and was drowned4 ,her      
husband tried to recover the body1 but  
was found fault with for going up the   

stream1 since she must1 necessarily1    
float down with the current4 ',and do   
you really imagine1' he exclaimed1 'that
 even her dead body could do anything   
else but contradict me8' ,we are1 most  
of us1 very like that woman1 said the   
,saint4 ,yet it is written3 ,judge not1 
and you shall not be judged2 condemn    
not1 and you shall not be condemned4#f  
,how1 then1 you will say1 is it lawful  
to have judges and courts of justice1   
since man may not judge our neighbour8  
,i answer this objection in ,blessed    
,francis' own words3  ,but may we1 then1
 under no circumstances judge our       
neighbour8 ,under no circumstances      
whatever--for in a court of justice it  
is ,god1 ,philothea1 not man1 who judges
 and pronounces sentence4 ,it is true   
that ,he makes use of the voice of the  
magistrate1 but only to render ,his own 
sentence audible to us4 ,earthly judges 
are ,his spokesmen and interpreters1 nor
 ought they to decide anything but as   
they have learnt from ,him of ,whom they

 are the oracles4 ,it is when they do   
otherwise1 and follow the lead of their 
own passions1 that they1 and not ,god1  
judge1 and that consequently they       
themselves will be judged4 ,in fact1 it 
is forbidden to men1 as men1 to judge   
others4#g ,this is why ,scripture gives 
the name of gods#h to judges1 because   
when judging they hold the place of     
,god1 and ,moses for that reason is     
called the god of ,pharaoh4#i  ,you ask 
if we are forbidden to entertain doubts 
about our neighbour when founded on good
 and strong reasons4 ,i answer we are   
not so forbidden1 because to suspend    
judgment is not to judge1 but only to   
take a step towards it4 ,we must1       
nevertheless1 beware of being thereby   
hurried on to form a hasty judgment1 for
 that is the rock on which so many make 
shipwreck2 that is the flare of the     
torch in which so many thoughtless moths
 singe their tiny wings4  ,in order that
 we may avoid this danger he gives us an
 excellent maxim1 one which is not only 

useful1 but necessary to us4 ,it is     
that1 however many aspects an action may
 have1 the one we should dwell upon     
should be that which is the best4  ,if  
it is impossible to excuse an action1 we
 can at least modify our blame of it by 
excusing the intention1 or we may lay   
the blame on the violence of the        
temptation1 or impute it to ignorance1  
or to the being taken by surprise1 or to
 human weakness1 so as at least to try  
to lessen the scandal of it4 ,if you are
 told that by doing this you are        
blessing the unrighteous and seeking    
excuses for sin1 you may reply that     
without either praising or excusing his 
sin you can be merciful to the sinner4  
,you may add that judgment without mercy
 will be the lot of those who have no   
pity for the misfortunes or the         
infirmities of their brother1 and who in
 him despise their own flesh4 ,we all   
are brethren1 all of one flesh4 ,in     
fact1 as says our ,blessed ,father1     
those who look well after their own     

consciences rarely fall into the sin of 
rash judgment4 ,to judge rashly is      
proper to slothful souls1 which1 because
 they never busy themselves with their  
own concerns1 have leisure to devote    
their energies to finding fault with    
others4  ,an ancient writer expresses   
this well4 ,men who are curious in their
 inquiries into the lives of others are 
mostly careless about correcting their  
own faults4 ,the virtuous man is like   
the sky1 of which the stars are1 as it  
were1 the eyes turned in upon itself4   
,footnote #a3 ,rom4 ii4 #a4 ,footnote   
#b3 ,st4 ,jude #aj4 ,footnote #c3 ,st4  
,matt4 vii4 #a4 ,footnote #d3 #a ,cor4  
xi4 #ca4 ,footnote #e3 ,the ,devout     
,life1 ,part iii4 #bh4 ,footnote #f3    
,st4 ,luke vi4 #cg4 ,footnote #g3 ,the  
,devout ,life1 ,part iii4 #bh4 ,footnote
 #h3 ,psalm lxxxi4 #a1 #f4 ,footnote #i3
 ,exod4 vii4 #a4   ,,upon ,,judging     
,,ourselves4  ,we do1 as ,blessed       
,francis has said1 exactly the reverse  
of what the ,gospel bids us do4 ,the    

,gospel commands us to judge ourselves  
severely and exactly1 while it forbids  
us to judge our brethren4 ,if we did    
judge ourselves1 we should not be judged
 by ,god1 because1 forestalling ,his    
judgment and confessing our faults1 we  
should escape ,his condemnation4 ,on the
 other hand1 who are we that we should  
judge our brethren1 the servants of     
another8 ,to their own ,master they rise
 or fall4  ,let us not judge before the 
time until the ,lord shall reveal what  
is hidden in darkness and pierce the    
wall of the temple to show what passes  
therein4 ,man judges by appearances     
only4 ,god alone sees the heart2 and it 
is by that which is within that true    
judgment is made of that which is       
without4  ,so rash are we in our        
judgments that we as often as not seize 
the firebrand by the burning end2 that  
is1 we condemn ourselves while in the   
very act of rebuking others4 ,the       
reproach of the ,gospel1 ,physician1    
heal thyself1#a we may take to          

ourselves4 ,so also that other1 ,why    
seest thou the mote that is in thy      
brother's eye1 and seest not the beam   
that is in thy own eye8#b ,to notice    
which way we are going is the first     
condition of our walking in the right   
way1 according to the words of ,david1  
,i have thought on my ways1 and turned  
my feet unto thy testimonies4#c ,so1 on 
the other hand1 we go astray if we do   
not pay attention to the path we are    
following4 ,judge not others and you    
will not be judged2 judge yourselves1   
and ,god will have mercy on you4        
,footnote #a3 ,st4 ,luke iv4 #bc        
,footnote #b3 ,st4 ,matt4 vii4 #c       
,footnote #c3 ,psalm cxviii4 #ei        
,,upon ,,slander ,,and ,,detraction4    
,there is a difference between uttering 
a falsehood and making a mistake--for to
 lie is to say what one knows or        
believes to be false2 but to mistake is 
to say1 indeed1 what is false1 but what 
one nevertheless thinks in good faith to
 be true4 ,similarly1 there is a great  

difference between slandering our       
neighbour and recounting his evil deeds4
 ,the wrong doing of our neighbour may  
be spoken of either with a good or with 
a bad intention4 ,the intention is good 
when the faults of our neighbour are    
reported to one who can remedy them1 or 
whose business it is to correct the     
wrong-doer1 whether for the public good 
or for the sinner's own4  ,again1 there 
is no harm in speaking among friends of 
harm done1 provided it be from          
friendliness1 benevolence1 or           
compassion2 and this more especially    
when the fault is public and notorious4 
,we slander our neighbour1 then1 only   
when1 whether true or false1 we recount 
his misdeeds with intention to harm him1
 or out of hatred1 envy1 anger1         
contempt1 and from a wish to take away  
his fair name4  ,we slander our         
neighbour when we make known his faults1
 though neither obliged so to do nor    
having in view his good nor the good of 
others4 ,the sin of slander is mortal or

 venial according to the measure of the 
wrong we may thereby have done to our   
neighbour4  ,our ,blessed ,father used  
to say that to do away with slander     
would be to do away with most of the    
sins of mankind4 ,he was right1 for of  
sins of thought1 word1 and deed1 the    
most frequent and often the most hurtful
 in their effects are those committed   
with the tongue4 ,and this for several  
reasons4  ,firstly1 sins of thought are 
only hurtful to him who commits them4   
,they are neither occasion for scandal1 
nor do they annoy anyone1 nor give      
anyone bad example4 ,god alone knows    
them1 and it is ,he alone who is        
offended by them4 ,then1 too1 a return  
to ,god by loving repentance effaces    
them in a moment1 and heals the wound   
which they have inflicted on the heart4 
,sins of the tongue1 on the other hand1 
are not so readily got rid of4 ,a       
harmful word can only be recalled by    
retracting it1 and even then the minds  
of our hearers mostly remain infected   

with the poison we poured in through the
 ears2 and this1 in spite of our        
humbling ourselves to recall what we    
have said4  ,secondly1 sins of deed1    
when they are publicly known1 are       
followed by punishment4 ,this renders   
them rarer1 because fear of the penalty 
acts as a curb on even the basest of    
mankind4  ,but slander 7except the      
calumny be of the most atrocious and    
aggravated kind7 is not1 generally      
speaking1 such as comes before the eye  
of the law4 ,on the contrary1 if in the 
guise of bantering it is ingenious and  
subtle it passes current for gallantry  
and wit4  ,this is why so many people   
fall into this evil2 for1 says an       
ancient writer3 ,impunity is a dainty   
allurement to sin4  ,thirdly1 slandering
 finds encouragement in the very small  
amount of restitution and reparation    
made for this fault4 ,indeed1 in my     
opinion1 those who direct souls in the  
tribunal of penance are a little too    
indulgent1 not to say lax1 in this      

matter4  ,if anyone has inflicted a     
bodily injury on another see how        
severely the justice of the law punishes
 the outrage4 ,in olden days the law of 
retaliation demanded an eye for an eye  
and a tooth for a tooth4 ,if a man stole
 the goods of another he was condemned  
to the galleys1 or even to the gibbet4  
,but in the case of slander1 unless1 as 
,i have said1 it be of the most highly  
aggravated kind1 there is scarcely a    
thought of making reparation1 even by a 
courteous apology4 ,yet those who sit in
 high places value their reputation much
 more than riches1 or life itself1      
seeing that among all natural blessings1
 honour undoubtedly holds the first     
rank4 ,since1 then1 we cannot gain      
admittance into heaven without having   
restored that which belongs to another1 
let the slanderer consider how he can   
possibly hope for an entrance there     
unless he re-establishes his neighbour's
 reputation1 which he tried to destroy  
by detraction4   ,,upon ,,hasty         

,,judgments4  ,our ,blessed ,father     
insisted most earnestly upon the        
difference which exists between a vice  
and sin1 reproving those who spoke of a 
person who had committed one or more    
grave faults as vicious4  ,virtuous     
habits1 he would say1 not being         
destroyed by one act contrary to them1 a
 man cannot be branded as intemperate   
because he has once been guilty of      
intemperance4  ,thus when he heard      
anyone condemned as bad because he had  
committed a bad act1 he took pains with 
his accustomed gentleness to modify the 
charge by making a distinction between  
vice and sin1 the former being a habit1 
the latter an isolated act4  ,vice1 he  
said1 is a habit1 sin1 the outcome of   
that habit2 and just as one swallow does
 not make a summer1 so one act of sin   
does not make a person vicious4 ,that is
 to say1 it does not render him a sinner
 in the sense of being steeped in and   
wholly given over to the dominion of the
 particular vice1 the act of which he   

has committed once1 or even more than   
once4  ,being asked whether in          
conformity with this principle it would 
not be equally wrong to praise anyone   
for a single act of virtue1 as if that  
virtue were his or her constant habit1  
he replied3 ,you must remember that we  
are forbidden to judge our neighbour in 
the matter of the evil which he may     
appear to do1 but not in the good4 ,on  
the contrary1 we may and should suppose 
that he has the good habit from which   
the act seen by us naturally springs4   
,nor can we err in such a supposition1  
since the very perfection of charity    
consists in its excess4 ,but when we    
judge evil of others1 our tongue is like
 the lancet in the surgeon's hand1 and  
you know how careful he must be not to  
pierce an artery in opening a vein4 ,we 
must only judge from what we see4 ,we   
may say that a man has blasphemed and   
sworn1 if we have heard him do so2 but  
we may not in that account alone say    
that he is a blasphemer2 that is1 that  

he has contracted the habit of          
blasphemy1 substituting the vice for the
 sin4  ,the objection was raised that it
 would follow that we must never attempt
 to judge whether a person is or is not 
in a state of grace1 however holy his   
life may seem to be2 since no one knows 
whether he is worthy of love or of hate1
 and least of all we1 who know our      
neighbour far less intimately than he   
knows himself4 ,to this he replied1 that
 if faith1 according to ,st4 ,james1 is 
known by its works1#a much more is      
charity so known1 since it is a more    
active virtue1 its works being the      
sparks from seeing which we learn that  
its fire is still burning somewhere4    
,and though when we saw a sin1 which is 
undoubtedly mortal1 being committed1 we 
might have said that the sinner was no  
longer in a state of grace1 how do we   
know that a moment afterwards ,god may  
not have touched his heart1 and that he 
may not have been converted from his    
evil ways by an act of contrition8 ,this

 is why we must always fear to judge    
evil of others1 but as regards judging  
well1 we are free to do so as much as we
 please4 ,charity grows more and more by
 hoping all good of its neighbour1 by   
thinking no evil1 by rejoicing in truth 
and goodness1 but not in iniquity4      
,footnote #a3 ,st4 ,james ii4 #ag1 #bf4 
,,upon ,,ridiculing ,,one',s            
,,neighbour4  ,when in company he heard 
anyone being turned into ridicule1 he   
always showed by his countenance that   
the conversation displeased him1 and    
would try to turn the subject by        
introducing some other4 ,when           
unsuccessful in this he would give the  
signal to cease1 as is done in          
tournaments when the combatants are     
becoming too heated1 and thus put a stop
 to the combat1 crying3 ,this is too    
much6 ,this is trampling too violently  
on the good man6 ,this is altogether    
going beyond bounds6 ,who gives us the  
right to amuse ourselves thus at the    
expense of another8 ,how should we like 

to be talked about like this1 and to    
have our little weaknesses brought out1 
just to amuse anybody who may chance to 
hear8 ,to put up with our neighbour and 
his imperfections is a great perfection1
 but it is a great imperfection to laugh
 at him and his short-comings4  ,he     
expresses himself to ,philothea on the  
same subject as follows3  ,a tendency to
 ridicule and mock at others is one of  
the worst possible conditions of mind4  
,god hates this vice exceedingly1 as ,he
 has often shown by the strange         
punishments which have awaited it4      
,nothing is so contrary to charity1 and 
still more so to devotion1 as contempt  
and disparagement of our neighbour4 ,now
 derision and ridicule are always simply
 contempt1 so that the learned are      
justified in saying that to mock at our 
neighbour is the worst kind of injury   
that we can by mere word inflict on him2
 because all other words of             
disparagement are compatible with some  
degree of esteem for the person injured1

 but ridicule is essentially the        
expression of contempt and disdain4#a   
,now ,holy ,scripture pronounces woe    
upon those who despise others1 and      
threatens them with being despised      
themselves4 ,god always takes the part  
of the despised against the despiser4   
,our ,lord says3 ,he who despises you1  
despises ,me2#b and speaking of little  
children1 ,take heed that you despise   
not one of them4#c ,and ,almighty ,god  
in comforting ,moses for an insult      
offered to the great law-giver by the   
,children of ,israel1 says3 ,they have  
not despised you1 but ,me4  ,on one     
occasion when ,blessed ,francis was     
present some young lady in the company  
was ridiculing another who was          
conspicuously ill-favoured4 ,defects    
born with her were what were being      
laughed over4 ,he gently reminded the   
speaker that it is ,god ,who has made us
 and not we ourselves and that all ,his 
works are perfect4 ,but the latter      
assertion only making her jeer the more1

 he ended by saying3 ,believe me1 ,i    
know for a fact her soul is more        
upright1 more beautiful1 and better     
formed than you can possibly have any   
conception of4 ,this silenced her and   
sent her away abashed4  ,on another     
occasion he heard some people laughing  
at a poor hump-back who was absent at   
the time4 ,our ,blessed ,father         
instantly took up his defence1 quoting  
again those words of ,scripture3 ,the   
works of ,god are perfect4 ,what6       
exclaimed one of the company4 ,perfect6 
and yet deformed6 ,blessed ,francis     
replied pleasantly3 ,and do you really  
think that there cannot be perfect      
hunchbacks1 just as much as others are  
perfect because gracefully made and     
straight as a dart6 ,in fine1 when they 
tried to make him explain what          
perfection he meant1 whether outward or 
inward1 he said3 ,enough4 ,what ,i tell 
you is true2 let us talk of something   
better4  ,footnote #a3 ,the ,devout     
,life1 ,part iii4 c4 #bg4 ,footnote #b3 

,luke x4 #af4 ,footnote #c3 ,matt4      
xviii4 #aj4   ,,upon ,,contradicting    
,,others4  ,there is no kind of         
disposition more displeasing to men than
 one which is obstinate and             
contradictory4 ,people of this sort are 
pests of conversation1 firebrands in    
social intercourse1 sowers of discord4  
,like hedgehogs and horse-chestnuts1    
they have prickles all over them1 and   
cannot be handled4 ,on the other hand1 a
 gentle1 pliable1 condescending         
disposition1 which is ready to give way 
to others1 is a living charm4 ,it is    
like the honeycomb which attracts every 
sort of fly2 it becomes everybody's     
master1 because it makes itself         
everybody's servant2 being all things to
 all men1 it wins them all4  ,people of 
a peevish1 morose disposition soon find 
themselves left alone in a mighty       
solitude2 they are avoided like thistles
 which prick whoever touches them4 ,our 
,blessed ,father always spoke with the  
highest praise of the dictum of ,st4    

,louis1 that we should never speak evil 
of anyone1 unless when by our silence we
 should seem to hold with him in his    
wrong-doing1 and so give scandal to     
others4  ,the holy ,king did not        
inculcate this from motives of worldly  
prudence1 which he detested2 nor was he 
following the maxim of that pagan       
,emperor1 who declared that no one1 in  
quitting the presence of his ,sovereign1
 should ever be suffered to go away     
dissatisfied1 a saying dictated by      
cunning and with the object of teaching 
his fellow-potentates to win men by fair
 words4 ,no1 ,st4 ,louis was travelling 
by a very different road1 and spoke in a
 truly ,christian spirit1 desiring only 
to hinder disputes and contentions1 and 
to follow the advice of ,st4 ,paul1 who 
wishes that we should avoid contentions 
and strivings4#a ,but if1 when it is in 
our power to do so1 we do not openly    
condemn the fault or error of another1  
will not that be a sort of connivance   
at1 and consequently a participation in1

 the wrong-doing8 ,our ,blessed ,father 
answers that difficulty thus3 ,when it  
is a question of contradicting another1 
and of setting your opinion against his1
 it must be done with the utmost        
gentleness and tact1 and without any    
desire to wound the feelings of the     
other2 for nothing is gained by taking  
things ill-temperedly4  ,if you irritate
 a horse by teasing him he will1 if he  
has any mettle1 take the bit between his
 teeth and carry you just where he      
pleases4 ,but when you slacken the rein 
he stops and becomes tractable4  ,so it 
is with the mind of another2 if you     
force it to assent1 you humble it2 if   
you humble it1 you irritate it2 if you  
irritate it1 you utterly lose hold of   
it4 ,the mind may be persuaded2 it      
cannot be constrained2 to force it to   
believe is to force it from all belief4 
,is mildness come upon us8 says ,david2 
then are we corrected4#b ,the ,spirit of
 ,god1 gentle and sweet1 is in the soft 
refreshing zephyrs1 not in the          

whirlwind1 nor in the tempest4 ,it is   
,god's enemy1 the devil1 who is called a
 spirit of contradiction2 and such human
 beings as imitate him share his title4 
,footnote #a3 ,titus iii4 #i4 ,footnote 
#b3 ,psalm lxxxix4 #aj4   ,,upon        
,,loving ,,our ,,enemies4  ,some one    
having complained to ,blessed ,francis  
of the difficulty he found in obeying   
the christian precept commanding us to  
love our enemies1 he replied3 ,as for   
me1 ,i know not how my heart is made1 or
 how it happens that ,god seems to have 
been pleased to give me lately          
altogether a new one4 ,certain it is    
that ,i not only find no difficulty in  
practising this precept2 but ,i take    
such pleasure in doing it1 and          
experience so peculiar and delightful a 
sweetness in it1 that if ,god had       
forbidden me to love my enemies ,i      
should have had great difficulty in     
obeying ,him4  ,it seems to me that the 
very contradiction and opposition we    
meet with from our fellow-men1 ought to 

rouse our spirit to love them more1 for 
they serve as a whetstone to sharpen our
 virtue4  ,aloes make honey seem        
sweeter2 and wine has a more delicious  
flavour if we drink it after having     
eaten bitter almonds4 ,it is true that  
mostly a little conflict and struggle   
goes on in our minds3 but in the end it 
will surely come to pass with us what   
the ,psalmist commands when he says3 ,be
 angry and sin not4#a  ,what6 ,shall we 
not bear with those whom ,god ,himself  
bears with8 ,we who have ever before our
 eyes the great example of ,jesus       
,christ on the ,cross praying for ,his  
enemies4 ,and then1 too1 our enemies    
have not crucified us2 they have not    
persecuted us1 even to death2 we have   
not yet resisted unto blood4  ,again1   
who would not love this dear enemy for  
whom ,jesus ,christ prayed8 ,for whom   
,he died8 ,for1 mark it well1 ,he prayed
 not only for those who crucified ,him1 
but also for those who persecute us1 and
 ,him in us4 ,as ,he testified to ,saul 

when ,he cried out to ,him3 ,why        
persecutest thou ,me8#b ,that is to say1
 ,me in ,my members4  ,we are not1      
indeed1 obliged to love the vices of our
 enemy2 his hatred of good1 the enmity  
which he bears us2 for all these things 
are displeasing to ,god1 ,whom they     
offend2 but we must separate the sin    
from the sinner1 the precious from the  
vile1 if we desire to be like our       
,saviour4  ,he did not admit the maxim  
of the world3 ,we must not trust a      
reconciled enemy4 ,in his opinion the   
exact contrary of this dictum is more in
 accordance with truth4  ,he used to say
 that fallings out in the case of       
friends only serve to draw the bonds of 
friendship closer1 just as the smith    
makes use of water to increase the heat 
of his fire4 ,he added1 as a well-known 
fact in surgery1 that the callosity     
which forms over a fractured bone is so 
dense that the limb will never break    
again at that particular place4         
,indeed1 when a reconciliation has taken

 place between two persons hitherto at  
variance1 it is almost certain that each
 will set to work1 perhaps even         
unconsciously1 to make the              
newly-cemented friendship firmer4 ,the  
offender by avoiding further offence1   
and atoning as far as possible for what 
is past1 and the offended person by     
endeavouring in a truly generous spirit 
to bury that past in oblivion4          
,footnote #a3 ,psalm iv4 #e4 ,footnote  
#b3 ,acts ix4 #d4   ,,upon ,,forgiving  
,,our ,,enemies4  ,on the subject of the
 forgiveness of enemies1 ,blessed       
,francis told me of an incident which   
occurred at ,padua 7possibly at the time
 that he was studying there74 ,it       
appears that certain of the students at 
that university had a bad habit of      
prowling about the streets at night1    
pistol in hand1 challenging passers-by  
with the cry of ,who goes there8 and    
firing if they did not receive a humble 
and civil answer4  ,one of the gang     
having one night challenged a           

fellow-student and received no answer1  
fired1 and took such good aim that the  
poor young man fell dead on the         
pavement4 ,horrified and amazed at the  
fatal result of his mad prank1 the      
student fled1 hoping to hide from       
justice4  ,the first open door that he  
saw was that of the dwelling of a good  
widow1 whose son was his friend and     
fellow-student4 ,hastily entering1 he   
implored her to hide him in some safe   
place1 confessing what he had done1 and 
that1 should he be taken1 all was over  
with him4  ,the good woman shut him into
 a little room1 secret and safe1 and    
there left him4 ,not many minutes had   
elapsed before a melancholy procession  
approached1 and the dead body of her son
 was brought into the house1 the bearers
 telling the distracted mother in what  
manner he had been killed1 and after a  
little questioning1 giving the name of  
the youth who had shot her child4       
,weeping and broken-hearted1 she hurried
 to the place where she had hidden the  

wretched homicide1 and it was from her  
lips that he learned who it was that he 
had deprived of life4  ,in an agony of  
shame and grief1 tearing his hair1 and  
calling upon death to strike him down1  
too1 he threw himself on his knees      
before the poor mother2 not1 indeed1 to 
ask her pardon1 but to entreat her to   
give him up to justice1 wishing to      
expiate publicly a crime so barbarous4  
,the widow1 a most devout and merciful  
woman1 was deeply touched by the youth's
 repentance1 and saw clearly that it was
 thoughtlessness and not malicious      
intent that had been the moving spring  
of the deed4 ,she then assured him that1
 provided he would ask pardon of ,god   
and change his way of life1 she would   
keep her promise and help him to escape4
 ,this she did1 and by so doing imitated
 the gentle kindness of the prophet who 
spared the lives of the ,syrian soldiers
 who had come to murder him1 he having  
them in his power in the midst of       
,samaria4#a  ,so pleasing to ,god was   

this poor widow's clemency and          
forgiveness that ,he permitted the soul 
of her murdered son to appear to her1   
revealing to her that her pardon1       
granted so readily and sweetly to the   
man who had unintentionally been his    
murderer1 had obtained for his soul     
deliverance from ,purgatory1 in which   
place he would otherwise have been long 
detained4  ,how blessed are the         
merciful6 ,they shall obtain mercy both 
for themselves and for others6          
,footnote #a3 #d ,reg4 vi4 #ab4 #bc     
,,upon ,,the ,,virtue ,,of              
,,condescension4  ,i will give you our  
,blessed ,father's views on this        
subject1 first reminding you how        
unfailingly patient he was with the     
humours of others1 how gentle and       
forbearing at all times towards his     
neighbour1 and how perseveringly he     
inculcated the practice of this virtue1 
not only upon the ,daughters of the     
,visitation1 but upon all his spiritual 
children4  ,he often said to me3 ,oh1   

how much better it would be to          
accommodate ourselves to others rather  
than to want to bend every one to our   
own ways and opinions6 ,the human mind  
is like pulp1 which takes readily any   
colour mixed with it4 ,the great thing  
is to take care that it be not like the 
chameleon1 which1 one after the other1  
takes every colour except white4        
,condescension1 if unaccompanied by     
frankness and purity1 is dangerous1 and 
much to be avoided4  ,it is right to    
take compassion upon sinners1 but it    
must be with the intention of           
extricating them from the mire1 not of  
slothfully leaving them to rot and      
perish in it4 ,it is a perverted sort of
 mercy to look at our neighbour1 sunk in
 the misery of sin1 and not venture to  
extend to him the helping hand of a     
gentle but out-spoken remonstrance4 ,we 
must condescend in everything1 but only 
up to the altar steps2 that is to say1  
not beyond the point at which           
condescension would be a sin1 and       

undeserving of its name4 ,i do not say  
that we must at every instant reprove   
the sinner4 ,charitable prudence demands
 that we rather wait the moment when he 
is capable of assimilating the remedies 
suitable for his malady1 and till ,god  
shall give to his hearing joy and       
gladness1 and the bones that have been  
humbled shall rejoice4#a ,turbulent     
zeal1 zeal that is neither moderate nor 
wise1 pulls down in place of building   
up4 ,there are some who do no good at   
all1 because they wish to do things too 
well1 and who spoil everything they try 
to mend4 ,we must make haste slowly1 as 
the ancient proverb says4 ,he who walks 
hurriedly is apt to fall4 ,we must be   
prudent both in reproving others and in 
condescending to them4 ,the ,king's     
honour loveth judgment4#b  ,footnote #a3
 ,psalm l4 #aj4 ,footnote #b3 ,psalm    
xcviii4 #d4   ,,how ,,blessed ,,francis 
,,adapted ,,himself ,,to ,,times1       
,,places1 ,,and ,,circumstances4  ,when 
the ,chablais was restored to the ,duke 

of ,savoy1 ,bishop de ,granier1 the     
predecessor of our ,holy ,founder1 eager
 to further the design of ,his ,highness
 to bring back into the bosom of the    
,roman ,church the population that had  
been led astray1 sent to it a number of 
labourers to gather in the harvest4     
,among these1 one of the first to be    
chosen was our ,saint1 at that time     
,provost of the ,cathedral ,church of   
,st4 ,peter in ,geneva1 and consequently
 next in dignity to the ,bishop4  ,with 
him were sent some ,canons1 ,parish     
,priests1 and others4 ,several members  
of various ,religious ,orders also      
presented themselves1 eager to be       
employed in this onerous1 if honourable1
 mission4#a  ,it would be impossible to 
give a just idea of the labours of these
 missionaries1 or of the obstacles which
 they encountered at the outset of their
 holy enterprise4 ,the spirit of        
,blessed ,francis was1 however1 most    
flexible and accommodating1 and greatly 
tended to further the work of the       

people's conversion4  ,he was like the  
manna which assimilated itself to the   
palate of whoever tasted it3 he made    
himself all things to all men that he   
might gain all for ,jesus ,christ4  ,in 
his ordinary mode of conversation and in
 his dress1 which was mean and common1  
he produced a much less jarring effect  
upon the minds and eyes of these people 
than did the members of ,religious      
,orders with their various habits and   
diversities4  ,he1 as well as the       
secular ,priests who worked under him1  
sometimes even condescended so far as to
 wear the short cloaks and high boots   
usual in the country1 so as more easily 
to gain access to private houses1 and   
not to offend the eyes of the people by 
the sight of the cassock1 which they    
were unaccustomed to4 ,to this pious    
stratagem the members of ,religious     
,orders were unwilling to have recourse1
 their distinctive habit being1 in their
 opinion1 almost essential to their     
profession1 or at least so fitting that 

it might never lawfully be laid aside4  
,our ,blessed ,father went on quite a   
different tack1 and caught more flies   
with a spoonful of the honey which he   
was so much in the habit of using1 than 
did all the others with their harsher   
methods4  ,everything about him1 whether
 external or internal1 breathed the     
spirit of conciliation2 all his words1  
gestures1 and ways were those of        
kindliness4  ,some wished to make       
themselves feared2 but he desired only  
to be loved1 and to enter men's hearts  
through the doorway of affection4 ,on   
this account1 whether he spoke in public
 or in private1 he was always more      
attentively listened to than anyone     
else4  ,however much the ,protestants   
might attack him and purposely provoke  
him1 he1 on his side1 ever dealt with   
them in a spirit absolutely free from   
contention1 abstaining from anything    
likely to give offence1 having often on 
his lips those beautiful words of the   
,apostle3 ,if any man seem to be        

contentious1 we have no such custom1 nor
 the ,church of ,god4#b  ,to come now to
 the particulars which ,i promised you1 
let me tell you how our ,blessed        
,father1 having read in ,st4            
,augustine's works and in those of other
 ancient ,fathers that in the early     
centuries ,christian ,priests1 in       
addressing heretics and schismatics1 did
 not hesitate to call them their        
brethren1 inferred that he might quite  
lawfully follow so great an example4    
,by doing so he conciliated these people
 to such an extent that they flocked to 
hear him1 and were charmed with the     
sweetness and gentleness of his         
discourses1 the outcome of his          
overflowing kindliness of heart4 ,this  
mode of expression was1 however1 so     
offensive to preachers who were in the  
habit of speaking of heretics as rebels 
against the light1 uncircumcised of     
heart1 etc41 that they called a meeting1
 in which they resolved to remonstrate  
with the ,provost 7,blessed ,francis71  

and to represent to him that1 though he 
meant well1 he was in reality ruining   
the cause of ,catholics4  ,they insisted
 that he was flattering the pride so    
inherent in heresy1 that he was lulling 
the people to sleep in their errors by  
sewing pillows to their elbows2 that it 
was better to correct them in mercy and 
justice than to pour on their heads the 
oil of wheedling1 as they called the    
kindliness of our ,saint4  ,he received 
their remonstrances pleasantly1 and even
 respectfully1 without defending himself
 in any way1 but1 on the contrary1      
appearing to yield to their zeal1 albeit
 somewhat sadly and unwillingly4        
,finding1 however1 that he did not begin
 to act upon their suggestions1 as they 
had promised themselves he would do1    
some of them sent a written appeal to   
the ,bishop1 representing to him that he
 would have to recall the ,provost and  
his companion missioners1 who with their
 unwise and affected levity ruined in   
one day more souls than they themselves 

could convert in a month4  ,they went on
 to compare the labour of the missioners
 to ,penelope's web3 to say that our    
,saint preached more like a ,huguenot   
pastor than a ,catholic ,priest1 and1 in
 fine1 that he went so far as to call   
the heretics his brethren1 a thing so   
scandalous that the ,protestants had    
already conceived great hope of bringing
 him over to their own party4  ,the good
 ,bishop1 however1 better informed as to
 the real state of the case1 paid little
 heed to this appeal1 dictated by a     
bitter zeal1 rather than by the true    
science of the ,saints4 ,he merely      
exhorted each one to persevere1 and to  
remember that every spirit should praise
 the ,lord according to the talents     
committed to it by ,god4  ,our ,blessed 
,father1 being informed of these        
complaints made against him to his      
,bishop1 would not defend himself1 but  
commended his cause to the judgment of  
,god1 and1 silently but hopefully1      
awaited the result4 ,nor was his        

expectation disappointed1 for experience
 soon showed that the too ardent        
eagerness of these zealots was more     
likely to delay than to advance the     
work4  ,to crown all this1 the preachers
 who had objected to his method had ere 
long themselves to be set aside as      
unfit4  ,on one occasion when ,i was    
talking with him and had turned the     
conversation on this subject1 he said to
 me3 ,these good people looked through  
coloured spectacles4 ,they saw all      
things of the same hue as their own     
glasses4 ,my predecessor soon found out 
who were the real hindrances to the     
conversion of the ,protestant ,cantons4 
,on my asking him how he could in reason
 apply the term brethren to persons who 
certainly are not such1 since no one can
 have ,god for his ,father who has not  
the ,catholic ,church for his mother1   
and since1 therefore1 those who are not 
in her bosom cannot be our brethren1 he 
said to me3 ,ah6 but ,i never call them 
brethren without adding the epithet     

erring1 a word which marks the          
distinction with sufficient clearness4  
,besides1 they are in fact our brethren 
by ,baptism1 which they duly administer 
and receive4 ,moreover1 they are our    
brethren according to the flesh1 for are
 we not all children of ,adam8 ,then1   
too1 we are fellow citizens1 and        
subjects of the same earthly prince4 ,is
 not that enough to constitute a kind of
 fraternity between us8  ,lastly1 ,i    
look upon them as children of the       
,church1 at least in disposition1 since 
they are willing to be instructed2 and  
as my brethren in hope1 since they also 
are called to inherit eternal life4 ,in 
the early days of the ,church it was    
customary to give the title of brethren 
to catechumens1 even before their       
baptism4  ,these reasons satisfied me   
and made me esteem highly the ingenious 
method suggested to him by the ,holy    
,spirit to render these unruly and      
untaught souls docile and tractable4    
,footnote #a3 ,m4 ,camus must have been 

misinformed4 ,st4 ,francis had but few  
fellow-workers in the early years of his
 mission in the ,chablais4 ,ed4         
,footnote #b3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #af4   ,,upon
 ,,the ,,deference ,,due ,,to ,,our     
,,inferiors ,,and ,,dependents4         
,blessed ,francis not only taught1 but  
practised deference and a certain       
obedience towards his inferiors2 towards
 his flock1 towards his fellow citizens1
 and even towards his servants4 ,he     
obeyed his body servant in what         
concerned his rising1 his going to bed1 
and his toilet1 as if he himself had    
been the valet and the other the master4
  ,when he sat up far into the night    
either to study or to write letters1 he 
would beg his servant to go to bed1 for 
fear of tiring him by keeping him up4   
,the man would grumble at his request1  
as if he were being taken for a lazy1   
sleepy-headed fellow4 ,our ,blessed     
,father patiently put up with grumblings
 of the sort1 but would complete what he
 had in hand as quickly as possible1 so 

as not to keep the man waiting4  ,one   
summer morning ,blessed ,francis awoke  
very early1 and1 having some important  
matter on his mind1 called this servant 
to bring him some necessaries for his   
toilet4 ,the man1 however1 was too sound
 asleep to be roused by his master's    
voice4 ,the good ,prelate therefore1 on 
rising1 looked into the adjoining room1 
thinking that the man must have left it1
 but finding him fast asleep1 and       
fearing to do him harm by waking him    
suddenly1 dressed without his assistance
 and betook himself to his prayers1     
studies1 and writing4 ,later the servant
 awoke1 and dressed1 and1 coming to his 
master's room1 to his surprise found him
 deep in his studies4 ,the man asked him
 abruptly how he had managed without    
him4 ,i fetched everything myself1      
replied the holy ,prelate4 ,am ,i not   
old enough and strong enough for that8  
,would it have been too much trouble to 
call me8 said the man grumblingly4 ,no1 
indeed1 my child1 said ,blessed         

,francis1 and ,i assure you that ,i did 
call you several times2 but at last1    
thinking that you must have gone out1 ,i
 got up to see where you were1 and1     
finding you sleeping profoundly1 ,i had 
not the heart to wake you4 ,you have the
 heart1 it seems1 to turn me into       
ridicule1 retorted the man4 ,oh1 no1 my 
friend1 said ,francis4 ,i was only      
telling you what happened1 without a    
thought of either blaming you or making 
fun of you4 ,come1 ,i promise you that  
for the future ,i will never stop       
calling you till you awake4   ,,upon    
,,the ,,way ,,to ,,treat ,,servants4    
,his opinion was that masters1 as a     
rule1 commit many grave faults with     
regard to their servants1 by treating   
them with harshness and severity4 ,such 
conduct is quite unworthy of christians1
 and1 in them1 worse even than the      
behaviour of pagans in olden times to   
their slaves4  ,he himself never uttered
 an angry or threatening word to any one
 of his domestics4 ,when they committed 

a fault1 he corrected them so mildly    
that they were ready at once to make    
amends and to do better1 out of love to 
their good master rather than from fear 
of him4  ,once1 when ,i was talking to  
him on this subject1 ,i quoted the      
saying that ,familiarity breeds         
contempt1 and contempt hatred4 ,yes1 he 
said1 improper familiarity1 but never   
civil1 cordial1 kindly1 virtuous        
familiarity2 for as that proceeds from  
love1 love engenders its like1 and true 
love is never without esteem1 nor1      
consequently1 without respect for the   
object loved1 seeing that love is       
founded wholly on the estimation in     
which the thing or person beloved is    
held4 ,you know the saying of the       
ancient tyrant3 ,let them hate me1      
provided that they fear me4 ,speaking on
 this subject1 we may well reverse the  
motto and say3 ,let them despise me1    
provided only that they love me4 ,for if
 this contempt produces love1 love after
 a while will stifle contempt1 and      

sooner or later will in its place put   
respect2 since there is no one that one 
reverences more1 or has a greater fear  
of offending1 than a person whom one    
loves in truth and sincerity of heart4  
,with regard to this1 he told me a      
story1 which he alludes to in his       
,philothea4 ,blessed ,elzar1 ,comte     
d',arian1 in ,provence1 was so          
exceedingly gentle in his treatment of  
his servants that they looked upon him  
as a person positively deficient in     
understanding1 and behaved in his       
presence with the greatest incivility   
and insolence1 knowing well his         
persevering tolerance of injuries and   
his boundless patience4 ,his wife1 the  
saintly ,delphina1 feeling more acutely 
than he the disrespectful conduct of    
their servants1 complained of it to him1
 saying that the menials absolutely     
laughed in his face4 ,and if they do1 he
 answered1 why should ,i be put out by  
these little familiarities1             
pleasantries1 and bursts of merriment1  

seeing that ,i am quite certain they do 
not hate me8 ,they have not yet struck  
me1 spat in my face1 or offered me any  
of those indignities which ,jesus       
,christ our ,lord suffered at the hands 
of the high priest's servants1 and not  
alone from those who scourged ,him1     
derided ,him1 and crucified ,him4 ,is it
 fitting that ,i1 who glory in being the
 servant of ,jesus ,christ crucified1   
should desire to be better treated than 
my ,master8 ,does it become a member to 
complain of any hardship under a ,head  
wearing no crown but one of thorns8 ,all
 that you tell me is but a mere jest    
compared with the insults heaped upon   
our divine ,lord4 ,the contempt of my   
servants--if1 indeed1 they do despise   
me--is a splendid lesson1 teaching me to
 despise myself4 ,how shall we practise 
humility if not on such occasions as    
these8  ,our ,blessed ,father went on to
 say3 ,i have proposed this example     
rather for your admiration than for your
 imitation1 and that you may see of what

 means holy love makes use1 in the      
hearts which are its own1 in order to   
lead them to find rest in the very      
things which trouble those who are less 
devout4 ,what ,i would say on the       
subject of servants is this2 that1 after
 all1 they are our fellow-men and our   
humble brethren1 whom charity obliges us
 to love as ourselves4 ,come1 then1 let 
us love them as ourselves1 these dear   
yoke-fellows1 who are so closely bound  
to us1 who live under the same roof1 and
 eat and drink of our substance4 ,let us
 treat them like ourselves1 or as we    
should wish to be treated if we were in 
their place1 and of their condition in  
life4 ,that is the best way to deal with
 servants4   ,,another ,,instance ,,of  
,,blessed ,,francis' ,,gentleness ,,with
 ,,his ,,own ,,servants4  ,like master1 
like man4 ,not only were all our        
,blessed ,father's servants virtuous 7he
 would not have suffered any who were   
not1 to form part of his household71    
but1 following their master's example1  

they were all singularly gentle and     
obliging in their manners and behaviour4
  ,one of them1 a young man1 handsome1  
virtuous1 and pious1 was greatly sought 
after by many of the citizens1 who      
thought he would prove a most desirable 
son-in-law1 and to this end they        
encouraged his intercourse with their   
daughters4 ,about the several           
advantageous matches proposed to him he 
always used to tell the ,bishop4 ,one   
day the latter said to him1 ,my dear    
son1 your soul is as dear to me as my   
own1 and there is no sort of advantage  
that ,i do not desire for you and would 
not procure for you if ,i could4 ,that  
you know very well1 and you know1 too1  
that it is possibly only your youth that
 dazzles the eyes of certain young girls
 and makes them want you for their      
husband2 but ,i am of opinion that more 
age and experience is needed before you 
take upon yourself the cares of a       
family4 ,think well over the matter1 for
 when once embarked it will be too late 

to repent of what you have done4        
,marriage is an ,order in which the     
profession must be made before the      
novitiate2 if there were a year's       
probation1 as there is in the cloister1 
there would be very few professions4    
,after all1 what have ,i done to you to 
make you wish to leave me8 ,i am old1 ,i
 shall soon die1 and then you can       
dispose of yourself as you please4 ,i   
shall bequeath you to my brother1 who   
will provide for you quite as           
advantageously as these proposed matches
 would have done4  ,he said this with   
tears in his eyes1 which so distressed  
the young man that he threw himself at  
the ,bishop's feet1 asking his pardon   
for having even thought of quitting him1
 and renewing his protestations of      
fidelity and of determination to serve  
him in life and death4  ,no1 no1 my son1
 he replied2 ,i have no wish to         
interfere with your liberty4 ,i would1  
on the contrary1 purchase it1 like ,st4 
,paul1 at the cost of my own4 ,but ,i am

 giving you friendly advice1 such as ,i 
would offer to my own brother were he of
 your age4 ,and in very truth he treated
 the members of his household2 not as   
servants1 but as his brothers and       
children4 ,he was their elder brother or
 their father1 rather than their master4
   ,,the ,,holy ,,bishop ,,never        
,,refused ,,what ,,was ,,asked ,,of     
,,him4  ,he practised to the letter the 
divine precept3 ,give to him who asketh 
of thee1#a though1 indeed1 he possessed 
so few earthly goods that it was a      
standing marvel to me how he could give 
away as much as he did6 ,truly1 ,i      
believe that ,god often multiplied the  
little which was really in his hands4   
,as regards heavenly goods1 he was      
lavish of them to all who came to him as
 petitioners4 ,he never refused         
spiritual consolation or advice either  
in public or in private1 and his        
readiness to supply abundantly and      
spontaneously this mystical bread of    
life and wisdom was surprising4 ,his    

alertness when requested to preach was  
also peculiarly remarkable1 as his      
action was naturally heavy1 and his     
habit of thought1 as well as his        
enunciation1 somewhat slow4  ,on one    
occasion1 in ,paris1 he was asked to    
preach on a certain day1 and readily    
consented to do so4 ,one of his         
attendants then reminded him that he was
 engaged to preach elsewhere on the same
 day4 ,no matter1 the ,bishop replied1  
,god will give us grace to multiply our 
bread4 ,he is rich towards all who      
invoke ,him4#b ,his servant next        
remarked that some care was surely due  
to his health4 ,what6 exclaimed ,blessed
 ,francis1 do you think that if ,god    
gives us the grace to find matter for   
preaching1 ,he will not at the same time
 take care of the body1 the organ by    
means of which ,his doctrine is         
proclaimed8 ,let us put our trust in    
,him1 and ,he will give us all the      
strength we need4  ,but1 objected the   
other1 does ,god forbid us to take care 

of our health8  ,by no means1 answered  
the ,bishop2 but ,he does forbid a want 
of confidence in ,his goodness 444 and1 
he added seriously and firmly1 were ,i  
requested to preach a third sermon on   
that same day1 it would cost me less    
both in mind and body to consent than to
 refuse4 ,should we not be ready to     
sacrifice1 and even1 as it were1 to     
obliterate ourselves1 body and soul1 for
 the benefit of that dear neighbour of  
ours whom our ,lord loved so much as    
even to die for him8  ,footnote #a3     
,matt4 v4 #dc4 ,footnote #b3 ,rom4 x4   
#ab4   ,,upon ,,almsgiving4  ,our       
,blessed ,father had1 as we know1 so    
high an idea of the virtue of charity1  
which1 indeed1 he said was only         
christian perfection under another name1
 that he disliked to hear almsgiving    
called charity4 ,it was1 he said1 like  
putting a royal crown on the head of a  
village maiden4  ,in answer to my       
objection that this was actually the    
case with ,esther1 who1 though only a   

slave1 was chosen by ,assuerus to be his
 queen1 and crowned by his royal hand1  
he replied3 ,you only strengthen my     
argument1 for ,esther would have        
remained in her state of servitude had  
she not become the spouse of ,assuerus1 
and1 queen though she was1 she only wore
 her crown dependently on his will and  
pleasure4 ,so almsgiving is only        
pleasing to ,god1 and worthy of its     
reward1 the heavenly crown of justice1  
in as far as it proceeds from charity1  
and is animated by that royal gift which
 converts it into an infused and        
supernatural virtue1 which may be called
 either almsgiving in charity1 of       
charitable almsgiving4 ,but1 just as the
 two natures1 the divine and the human1 
were not merged in one another in the   
mystery of the ,incarnation1 although   
joined in the unity of the hypostasis of
 the ,word1 so this conjunction of      
charity with almsgiving1 or this        
subordination of almsgiving to charity1 
does not change the one into the other1 

the object of each being as different as
 is the ,creator from the creature4 ,for
 the object of almsgiving is the misery 
of the needy which it tries as far as   
possible to relieve1 and that of charity
 is ,god1 ,who is the sovereign ,good1  
worthy to be loved above all things for 
,his own sake4 ,but1 ,i said1 when      
almsgiving is practised for the love of 
,god1 can we not then call it charity8  
,no1 he replied1 not any more than you  
can call ,esther ,assuerus1 and         
,assuerus ,esther4 ,but you can1 as ,i  
have said above1 call it alms given in  
charity1 or charitable almsgiving4      
,almsgiving and charity are quite       
different1 for not only may alms be     
given without charity1 but even against 
charity1 as when they are given knowing 
they will lead to sin4  ,in a remarkable
 passage in ,theotimus the ,saint asks3 
,were there not heretics1 who1 to exalt 
charity towards the poor1 deprecated    
charity towards ,god1 ascribing man's   
whole salvation to almsdeeds1 as ,st4   

,augustine witnesses8#a  ,footnote #a3  
,love of ,god4 ,b4 xi4 c4 #ad4   ,,our  
,,saint',s ,,hopefulness ,,in ,,regard  
,,to ,,the ,,conversion ,,of ,,sinners4 
,our ,blessed ,father was always full of
 tenderness1 compassion1 and gentleness 
towards sinners1 but he regarded and    
treated them in different ways according
 to their various dispositions4  ,a     
sinner who had grown old in evil1 who   
clung obstinately to his wicked ways1   
who laughed to scorn all remonstrances1 
and gloried in his shame1 formed a      
spectacle so heart-breaking and so      
appalling to the holy ,bishop1 that he  
shrank from contemplating it4 ,when he  
had succeeded in turning his thoughts to
 some other subject1 on their being     
suddenly recalled to it1 he would       
shudder as if a secret wound had been   
touched1 and utter some devout and      
fervent ejaculation such as this3 ,ah6  
,lord1 command that this blind man see6 
,speak the word only1 and he shall be   
healed6 ,oh1 my ,god1 those who forsake 

,thee shall be forsaken2 convert him1   
and he shall be converted6  ,with       
obstinate sinners of this class his     
patience was unwearied4 ,for such1 he   
said1 ,god ,himself waited patiently1   
even until the eleventh hour2 adding    
that impatience was more likely to      
embitter them and retard their          
conversion than remonstrance to edify   
them4  ,for the sinner who was more open
 to conviction1 and was not so obstinate
 in his malice1 for him who had1 that is
 to say1 lucid intervals in his madness1
 ,blessed ,francis had the most tender  
affection1 regarding him as a poor      
paralytic waiting on the edge of the    
pool of healing for some helping hand to
 plunge him into it4 ,to such he behaved
 as did the good shepherd of the        
,gospel1 ,who left the ninety-nine sheep
 in the desert to seek after the        
hundredth which had gone astray4  ,but  
towards the sinner when once converted1 
how describe his attitude of mind6 ,he  
regarded him not as a brand snatched    

from the burning1 not as a bruised reed1
 not as an extinguished taper that was  
still smoking1 but as a sacred vessel   
filled with the oil of grace1 as one of 
those trees which the ancients looked   
upon as holy because they had been      
struck by fire from ,heaven4 ,it was    
marvellous to observe the honour which  
he paid to such a one1 the esteem in    
which he held him1 the praises which he 
bestowed upon him4  ,he always          
considered that souls delivered by ,god 
from the mouth of the roaring lion were 
in consequence likely to be more        
vigilant1 more courageous in resisting  
temptation1 and more careful in guarding
 against relapses4  ,he did all he could
 to cover the faults of others1 his     
goodness of heart being so great that he
 never allowed himself to think ill even
 of the wicked4 ,he attributed their    
sinfulness to the violence of temptation
 and the infirmity of human nature4     
,when faults were public and so manifest
 that they could not be excused1 he     

would say3 ,who knows but that the      
unhappy soul will be converted8 ,the    
greatest sinners often become the       
greatest penitents1 as we see in the    
case of ,david4 ,and who are we that we 
should judge our brother8 ,were it not  
for the grace of ,god we should perhaps 
do worse than he4  ,he never allowed the
 conversion of a sinner to be despaired 
of1 hoping on till death4 ,this life1 he
 said1 is our pilgrim way1 in which     
those who now stand may fall1 and those 
who have fallen may1 by grace1 be set on
 their feet again4 ,nor even after death
 would he tolerate an unfavourable      
judgment being passed on any4  ,his     
reason for this was that as the original
 grace of justification was not given by
 way of merit1 so neither could the     
grace of final perseverance be merited4 
,with regard to this subject he related 
to me an amusing incident which occurred
 whilst he was a missioner in the       
,chablais4 ,amongst the ,priests and    
,religious who were sent to help him was

 one of a humorous temperament1 and who 
did not hesitate to show that he was so1
 even in the pulpit4 ,one day1 when     
preaching before our ,blessed ,prelate  
against the heresiarch#a who had raised 
the standard of revolt in ,geneva1 he   
said that we should never condemn any   
one as lost after death1 except such as 
are by ,scripture denounced2 no1 not    
even the said heresiarch who had caused 
so much evil by his errors4 ,for1 he    
went on to say1 who knows but that ,god 
may have touched his heart at the last  
moment and converted him8 ,it is true   
that out of the ,church and without the 
true faith there is no salvation2 but   
who can say that he did not at the      
moment of death wish to be reunited with
 the ,catholic ,church1 from which he   
had separated himself1 and acknowledge  
in his heart the truth of the belief he 
had combated1 and that thus he did not  
die sincerely repentant8  ,after having 
surprised the congregation by these     
remarks1 he most unexpectedly concluded 

by saying3 ,we must certainly entertain 
sentiments of boundless confidence in   
the goodness of ,god1 ,who is infinite  
in mercy to those who invoke ,him4      
,jesus ,christ even offered ,his peace1 
,his love1 and ,his salvation to the    
traitor ,judas1 who betrayed ,him by a  
kiss4 ,why1 then1 may ,he not have      
offered the same favour to this unhappy 
heresiarch8 ,is the arm of ,god         
shortened8  ,yet1 my brethren1 he       
continued1 believe me1 and ,i assure you
 ,i lie not1 if this man is not damned  
he has had the narrowest escape man ever
 had2 and if he has been saved from     
eternal wreck1 he owes to ,god the      
handsomest votive candle that a person  
of his condition ever offered6  ,as you 
may imagine1 this finale did not draw   
many tears from the audience6  ,footnote
 #a3 ,calvin4   ,,blessed ,,francis'    
,,solicitude ,,for ,,malefactors        
,,condemned ,,to ,,death4  ,he often    
went to carry consolation to prisoners1 
and sometimes accompanied condemned     

criminals to the place of execution1    
that he might help them to make a good  
death4  ,at such times1 too1 he kept to 
the methods we have already described as
 used by him in his visiting of the rest
 of the dying4 ,after having made them  
unburden their conscience1 he left them 
a little breathing space1 and then at   
intervals suggested to them acts of     
faith1 hope1 and charity1 of repentance1
 of resignation to the ,will of ,god1   
and of abandonment to ,his mercy2 not   
adding to their sufferings by           
importunity1 long harangues1 or endless 
exhortations4  ,so happily did the      
,blessed ,prelate succeed in this method
 of treatment1 that sometimes the poor  
criminals whom he accompanied to their  
execution went to it as to a marriage   
feast1 with joy and peace1 such as they 
had never experienced in the whole      
course of their lawless and sinful      
lives1 happier far so to die than to    
live on as they had done4 ,it is1 he    
would say to them1 by lovingly kissing  

the feet of ,god's justice that we most 
surely reach the embrace of ,his tender 
mercy4  ,above all things1 we must be   
confident that they who trust in ,him   
shall never be confounded4   ,,upon     
,,the ,,small ,,number ,,of ,,the       
,,elect4  ,blessed ,francis' extreme    
gentleness always led him to lean       
towards indulgent judgment1 however     
slight in a particular case the apparent
 justification might be4  ,on one       
occasion there was a discussion in his  
presence as to the meaning of those     
terrible words in the ,gospel3 ,many are
 called1 but few chosen4#a ,some one    
said that the chosen were called a      
little flock1 whereas the unwise or     
reprobates were spoken of as many in    
number1 and so on4 ,he replied that1 in 
his opinion1 there would be very few    
,christians 7meaning1 of course1 those  
who are in the true ,church1 outside    
which there is no salvation7 who would  
be lost1 because1 he said1 having the   
root of the true faith1 the tree that   

springs from it would sooner or later   
bear its fruit1 which is salvation1 and 
awakening1 as it were1 from death to    
life1 they would become1 through        
charity1 active and rich in good works4 
,when asked what1 then1 was the meaning 
of the statement in the ,gospel as to   
the small number of the elect1 he       
replied that in comparison with the rest
 of the world1 and with infidel nations1
 the number of ,christians was very     
small1 but that of that small number    
very few would be lost1 in conformity to
 that striking text1 ,there is no       
condemnation for those that are in      
,christ ,jesus4#b ,which really means   
that justifying grace is always being   
offered them1 and this grace is         
inseparable from a lively faith and a   
burning charity4 ,add to this that ,he  
who begins the work in us is ,he who    
likewise perfects it4 ,we may believe   
that the call to christianity1 which is 
the work of ,god1 is always a perfect   
work1 and therefore leads of itself to  

the end of all perfection1 which is     
heavenly glory4  ,footnote #a3 ,matt4   
,,xx4 #af4 ,footnote #b3 ,rom4 viii4 #a4
   ,,to ,,love ,,to ,,be ,,hated1 ,,and 
,,to ,,hate ,,to ,,be ,,loved4  ,this   
maxim of our ,blessed ,father's seems   
strange and altogether contrary to his  
sweet and affectionate nature4  ,if1    
however1 we look closely into it1 we    
shall find that it is full of the purest
 and most subtle love of ,god4  ,when he
 said that we ought to love to be hated1
 and hate to be loved1 he was referring 
in the one case to the love which is in 
and for ,god alone1 and in the other to 
that merely human love1 which is full of
 danger1 which robs ,god of ,his due1   
and of which1 therefore1 we should hate 
to be the object4 ,he expresses himself 
thus3  ,those who have nothing naturally
 attractive about them are very         
fortunate1 for they are well assured    
that the love which one bears them is   
excellent1 being all for ,god's sake    
alone4   ,,upon ,,obedience4  ,blessed  

,francis always said that the excellence
 of obedience consists not in doing the 
will of a gentle1 courteous superior1   
who commands rather by entreaty than as 
one having authority1 but in bowing the 
neck beneath the yoke of one who is     
harsh1 stern1 imperious1 severe4 ,he    
was1 it is true1 desirous that those who
 had to judge and direct souls should do
 so as fathers rather than as masters1  
as1 indeed1 he did himself1 but at the  
same time he wished those in authority  
to be somewhat strict1 and those subject
 to them to be less sensitive and       
selfish1 and consequently less          
impatient1 less refractory1 and less    
given to grumbling than most men are4   
,he used also to say that a rough file  
takes off more rust and polishes iron   
better than a smooth and less biting    
one1 and that very many and very heavy  
blows of the hammer are needed to temper
 a keen sword blade4  ,but1 ,i said to  
him1 when discussing this subject1 as   
the most perfect obedience is that which

 springs from love1 ought not the       
command to be given lovingly1 so as to  
incite the subordinate to a loving      
obedience8 ,he answered3 ,there is a    
great deal of difference between the    
excellence of obedience and its         
perfection4  ,the excellence of a virtue
 has to do with its nature2 its         
perfection with the grace1 or charity1  
in which it is clothed4 ,now1 here ,i am
 not speaking of the supernatural       
perfection of obedience which emanates  
most assuredly from the love of ,god2   
but of its natural excellence1 which is 
better tested by harsh than by gentle   
commands4  ,excessive indulgence on the 
part of parents and superiors is only   
too often the cause of many disorders4  
,more than this1 even as regards the    
supernatural perfection of obedience1 it
 is very probable that the harshness of 
the command given helps its growth1 and 
renders our love of ,god1 which is our  
motive in obeying1 stronger1 firmer1 and
 more generous4 ,when a superior        

commands with over-much gentleness and  
circumspection1 besides the fact that he
 compromises his authority and causes it
 to be slighted1 he so attracts and     
attaches his inferior to himself that   
often unconsciously he robs ,god of the 
devotedness which is ,his due4 ,the     
result is that the inferior obeys the   
man whom he loves1 and because he loves 
him1 rather than ,god in the man1 and   
for the love of ,god alone4  ,on the    
other hand1 harshness tests far better  
the fidelity of a heart which loves ,god
 sincerely4 ,for1 finding nothing       
pleasing in the command except the      
sweetness of divine love1 to which alone
 it yields obedience1 the perfection of 
that obedience becomes the greater1     
since the intention is purer1 more      
direct1 and more immediately turned to  
,god4 ,it was in this spirit that ,david
 said that1 for the sake of the words of
 ,god--that is1 of ,his law--he had kept
 hard ways4#a ,our ,blessed ,father     
added this simile to explain his meaning

 further3  ,obeying a harsh1 irritating1
 and vexatious superior is like drawing 
clear water from a spring which flows   
through the jaws of a lion of bronze4   
,it is like the riddle of ,samson1 ,out 
of the eater came forth meat2 it is     
hearing ,god's voice1 and seeing ,god's 
will alone in that of a superior1 even  
if the command be1 as in the case of    
,st4 ,peter1 ,kill and eat2#b it is to  
say with ,job1 ,although ,he should kill
 me1 ,i will trust in ,him4#c  ,footnote
 #a3 ,psalm xvi4 #d4 ,footnote #b3 ,acts
 x4 #ac4 ,footnote #c3 ,job xiii4 #ae4  
,,upon ,,the ,,obedience ,,that ,,may   
,,be ,,practised ,,by ,,superiors4      
,asking him one day if it was possible  
for persons in authority1 whether in the
 world or in the cloister1 to practise  
the virtue of obedience1 he replied3    
,certainly1 and they can do so far more 
perfectly and more heroically than their
 subjects4  ,then1 seeing my            
astonishment at this apparent paradox1  
he went on to explain it in the         

following manner3 ,those who are        
obliged1 either by precept or by vow1   
which takes the place of precept1 to    
practise obedience1 are1 as a rule1     
subject only to one superior4 ,those1 on
 the other hand1 who are in authority1  
are free to obey more widely1 and to    
obey even in commanding1 because if they
 consider that it is ,god ,who puts them
 over the heads of the others1 and ,who 
commands them to command those others1  
who does not see that even their        
commanding is an act of obedience8 ,this
 kind of obedience may even be practised
 by princes who have none but ,god set  
over them1 and who have to render an    
account of their actions to ,him alone4 
,i may add that there is no power on    
earth so sublime as not to have1 at     
least in some respects1 another set over
 it4 ,christian kings render filial     
obedience to the ,roman ,pontiff1 and   
the sovereign ,pontiff himself submits  
to his confessor in the ,sacrament of   
,penance4 ,but there is a still higher  

degree of obedience which even ,prelates
 and the greatest among men may         
practise4 ,it is that which the ,apostle
 counsels when he says3 ,be ye subject  
to every human creature for ,god's      
sake4#a ,who for love of us not only    
became subject to the ,blessed ,virgin  
and to ,st4 ,joseph1 but made ,himself  
obedient to death and to the death of   
the ,cross1 submitting ,himself in ,his 
,passion to the most sinful and degraded
 of the earth1 uttering not a cry1 even 
as a lamb under the hand of him who     
shears it and slays it4 ,it is by this  
universal obedience to every creature   
that we become all things to all men in 
order that we may win all to ,jesus     
,christ4 ,it is by this that we take our
 neighbour1 whoever he may be1 for our  
superior1 becoming servants for our     
,lord's sake4  ,footnote #a3 #a ,peter  
ii4 #ac4   ,,an ,,instance ,,of ,,our   
,,saint',s ,,obedience4  ,on one        
occasion1 when the ,duke of ,savoy1     
being pressed by many urgent public     

needs1 had obtained from the ,pope a    
,brief empowering him to levy           
contributions on the ,church property in
 his dominions1 ,blessed ,francis1      
finding some slackness and unwillingness
 on the part of the beneficed clergy of 
the diocese to yield obedience to this  
order1 when he had called them together 
to settle what was to be done1 spoke    
with just indignation4 ,what6 gentlemen1
 he cried1 is it for us to question and 
reason when two sovereigns concur in    
issuing the same command8 ,is it for us1
 ,i say1 to scrutinize their counsels1  
and ask1 ,why are you acting thus8 ,not 
only to the decrees of sovereign courts1
 but even to the sentence of the most   
insignificant judges appointed by ,god  
to decide differences in our affairs1 we
 yield deference so far as not to       
enquire into the motive of their        
decisions4 ,and here1 where two oracles 
who have only to render account to ,god 
of what orders they give1 speak1 we set 
to work to enquire into their motives   

and reasons as if we were charged to    
investigate their conduct4 ,assuredly1  
,i will take no part in such doings4    
,our virtue1 indeed1 lags sadly behind  
that of those christians--only lay      
people too--of whom ,st4 ,paul said that
 being wise themselves they gladly      
suffered bondage1 stripes1 every sort of
 ill-usage from the foolish1#a and of   
whom1 in another place1 he says that    
they took with joy the being stripped of
 their own goods1 knowing that they had 
a better and a lasting substance4#b ,and
 the ,apostle1 as you know1 is speaking 
to men who had been unjustly despoiled  
of their whole property by robbers and  
tyrants1 whereas you will not give up a 
small fraction of yours to assist in the
 public need of our good ,prince1 to    
whose zeal we owe the re-establishment  
of the ,catholic religion in the three  
divisions of the ,chablais1 and whose   
enemies are the adversaries of our      
faith6 ,is not our ,order the first of  
the three estates in a christian        

kingdom8 ,is there anything more just   
than to contribute of our wealth1       
together with our prayers1 towards the  
defence of our altars1 of our lives1 and
 of our peace8 ,the people are lavishing
 their substance and the nobility their 
blood for the same cause4 ,remember the 
late wars1 and tremble lest your        
ingratitude and disobedience should     
plunge you again into similar troubles4 
,adding example to precept1 he paid so  
heavy a tax upon a part of his own      
revenue that none could say he did not  
practise what he preached1 and all those
 who had ventured to oppose him in the  
matter were not only effectually        
silenced1 but covered with confusion and
 put to a just shame4  ,footnote #a3 #b 
,cor4 xi4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #b3 ,heb4 
x4 #cd4   ,,upon ,,the ,,love ,,of      
,,holy ,,poverty4  ,godliness with      
contentment1 says ,holy ,scripture1 is  
great gain4#a  ,so content was the      
godliness of ,blessed ,francis that1    
although deprived of the greater part of

 his episcopal revenues1 he was fully   
satisfied with the little that was left 
to him4  ,after all1 he would say1 are  
not twelve hundred crowns a handsome    
income for a ,bishop8 ,the ,apostles1   
who were far better ,bishops than we    
are1 had nothing like that sum4 ,it is  
not for us to fix our own pay for       
serving ,god4  ,his love of poverty was 
truly striking4 ,at ,annecy he lodged in
 a hired house1 which was both handsome 
and roomy1 and in which the apartments  
assigned to him as ,bishop were very    
elegantly furnished4 ,he1 however1 took 
up his abode in an uncomfortable little 
room1 where there was hardly any light  
at all1 so that he could truly say with 
,job3 ,i have made my bed in darkness2#b
 or with ,david3 ,night shall be my     
light in my pleasures2#c or again1 ,i am
 like a night raven in the house1 or as 
a sparrow all alone on the housetop4#d  
,he called this little room1 or1 to     
speak more truly1 this sepulchre of a   
living man1 ,francis' chamber1 while to 

that in which he received visitors1 or  
gave audience1 he gave the name of the  
,bishop's chamber4  ,truly1 the lover of
 holy poverty can always find a means of
 practising it1 even in the midst of    
riches4  ,blessed ,francis1 indeed1     
always welcomed poverty with a smiling  
countenance1 though naturally it be apt 
to cast a gloom and melancholy upon the 
faces both of those who endure it and of
 those who only dread it4  ,involuntary 
poverty is surly and discontented1 for  
it is forced and against the will4      
,voluntary poverty1 on the contrary1 is 
joyous1 free1 and light-hearted4 ,to    
show you how cheerfully and pleasantly  
he talked on this subject1 ,i will give 
you one or two of his remarks4  ,once1  
showing me a coat which had been patched
 up for him1 and which he wore under his
 cassock1 he said3 ,my people really    
work little miracles2 for out of an old 
garment they have made me this perfectly
 new coat4 ,am ,i not well-dressed8     
,again1 when his steward was complaining

 of down-right distress1 and of there   
being no money left1 he said3 ,what are 
you troubling yourself about8 ,we are   
now more like our ,master1 ,who had not 
even where to lay ,his head1 though as  
yet we are not reduced to such extremity
 as that4 ,but what are we to do8       
persisted the steward4 ,my son1 the     
,bishop answered1 we must live as we    
can1 on whatever goods we have1 that is 
all4 ,truly1 replied the other1 it is   
all very well to talk of living on our  
goods when there are none left to live  
upon6 ,you do not understand me1        
returned the ,bishop2 we must sell or   
pledge some of our furniture in order to
 live4 ,will not that1 my good ,m4,r41#e
 be living on our goods8  ,it was in    
this fashion that the ,saint was        
accustomed to meet cheerfully money     
troubles1 so unbearable to weaker       
characters4  ,on one occasion ,i        
expressed my admiration at his being    
able to make so good a show on his small
 means4 ,it is ,god1 he said1 ,who      

multiplies the five loaves4 ,on my      
pressing him to tell me how it was done1
 ,why1 it would not be a miracle1 he    
answered1 with a smile1 if we knew that4
 ,are we not most fortunate to live on  
only by help of miracles8 ,it is the    
mercy of ,god that we are not consumed4 
,you go quite beyond me1 ,i said1 by    
taking that ground4 ,i am not so        
transcendently wise4  ,listen1 he       
replied4 ,riches are truly thorns1 as   
the ,gospel teaches us4 ,they prick us  
with a thousand troubles in acquiring   
them1 with more cares in preserving     
them1 and with yet more anxieties in    
spending them2 and1 most of all1 with   
vexations in losing them4  ,after all1  
we are only managers and stewards1      
especially if it is a question of the   
riches of the ,church1 which are the    
true patrimony of the poor4 ,the        
important matter is to find faithful    
dispensers4 ,having sufficient to feed  
and clothe ourselves suitably1 what more
 do we want8 ,assuredly1 that which is  

over and above these is of evil4#f      
,shall ,i tell you what my own feeling  
is8 ,well and good1 but ,i must do so in
 your ear4 ,i know very well how to     
spend what ,i have2 but if ,i had more  
,i should be in difficulty as to what to
 do with it4 ,am ,i not happy to live   
like a child without care8 ,sufficient  
for the day is the evil thereof4 ,the   
more any one has to manage the longer   
the account he has to render4 ,we must  
make use of this world as though we were
 making no use of it at all4 ,we must   
possess riches as though we had them    
not1 and deal with the things of earth  
like the dogs on the banks of the ,nile1
 who1 for fear of the crocodiles1 lap up
 the water of the river as they run     
along its banks4 ,if1 as the wise man   
tells us1 he that addeth knowledge      
addeth also labour2 much more is this   
the case with the man who heaps up      
riches4 ,he is like the giants in the   
fable who piled up mountains1 and then  
buried themselves under them4 ,remember 

the miserable man who1 as the ,gospel   
tells us1 thought that he had many years
 before him in which to live at his     
ease1 but to whom the heavenly voice    
said3 ,thou fool1 this night do they    
require thy soul of thee2 and whose     
shall those things be which thou hast   
provided8 ,in truth happy is he only who
 lays up imperishable treasures in      
,heaven4  ,he would never allow himself 
to be called poor2 saying1 that any one 
who had a revenue sufficient to live    
upon without being obliged to labour    
with head or hands to support himself   
should be called rich2 and such1 he     
said1 was the case with us both4  ,to my
 objection that our revenues were       
nevertheless so very small that we must 
be really considered poor1 for little1  
indeed1 must we be working if our labour
 was not worth what we got from our     
bishoprics1 he replied3 ,if you take it 
in this way you are not so far wrong1   
for who is there who labours in a       
vineyard and does not live upon its     

produce8 ,what shepherd feeds his flock 
and does not drink its milk and clothe  
himself with its wool8 ,so1 too1 may he 
who sows spiritual seed justly reap the 
small harvest which he needs for his    
temporal sustenance4 ,if then he is poor
 who lives by work1 and who eats the    
fruit of his labour1 we may very well be
 reckoned as such2 but if we regard the 
degree of poverty in which our ,lord and
 ,his ,apostles lived1 we must perforce 
consider ourselves rich4 ,after all1    
possessing honestly all that is         
necessary for food and clothing1 ought  
we not to be content8 ,whatever is more 
than this is only evil1 care1           
superfluity1 wanting which we shall have
 less of an account to render4 ,happy is
 poverty1 said a stoic1 if it is        
cheerful poverty2 and if it is that1 it 
is really not poverty at all1 or only   
poverty of a kind that is far preferable
 to the riches of the most wealthy1     
which are amassed with difficulty1      
preserved with solicitude1 and lost with

 regret4  ,our ,saint used to say that1 
as for the cravings of nature1 he who is
 not satisfied with what is really      
enough will never be satisfied4 ,i wish 
that ,i could give any just idea of his 
extraordinary moderation even in the use
 of the necessaries of life4 ,he told me
 once that when the time came for him to
 lay down the burden of his episcopal   
duties and to retire into solitude1     
there to pass the rest of his life in   
contemplation and study1 he should      
consider five hundred crowns a year     
great wealth2 in fact1 he would not     
reserve more from either his patrimony  
or his ,bishop's revenue1 adding these  
words of ,st4 ,paul3 ,having food1 and  
wherewith to be covered1 let us         
7priests7 be content4#g ,he gave this as
 his reason4 ,the ,church1 he said1     
which is the kingdom of ,jesus ,christ1 
is established on foundations directly  
opposed to those of the world1 of which 
our ,saviour said ,his kingdom was not4 
,now1 on what is the kingdom of this    

world founded8 ,listen to ,st4 ,john3   
,all that is in the world is the        
concupiscence of the flesh1 or of the   
eyes1 and the pride of life2 that is to 
say1 the pleasures of the senses1       
avarice1 and vanity4 ,the ,church then  
will be founded on mortification of the 
flesh1 poverty1 and humility4 ,pleasures
 and honours follow in the train of     
wealth2 but poverty puts an axe to the  
roots of pride and sensual enjoyments4  
,some1 says ,david1 blaming them1 glory 
in the multitude of their riches2 and   
,st4 ,paul exhorts the rich of this     
world not to be high-minded4  ,it is a  
perilous thing for humility and         
mortification to take up their abode    
with wealth4 ,this is why he wished for 
nothing but bare necessaries1 fearing   
that superfluity might lead him into    
some excess4  ,when ,i reminded him that
 if we had this superfluity we might    
give alms out of it1 as it is written1  
,of what remaineth give to the poor1 he 
replied1 that we knew well enough what3 

we ought to do2 but that we did not know
 what we should do1 and that it was     
always a species of presumption to      
imagine ourselves able to handle live   
coals without burning ourselves1 seeing 
that even the ,angel in the vision of   
the ,prophet took them up with tongs6   
,footnote #a3 #a ,tim4 vi4 #f4 ,footnote
 #b3 ,job4 xvii4 #ac4 ,footnote #c3 ,ps4
 cxxxviii4 #aa4 ,footnote #d3 ,ps4 ci4  
#h4 ,footnote #e3 ,georges ,roland4     
,footnote #f3 ,matt4 v4 #cg4 ,footnote  
#g3 ,tim4 vi4 #h4   ,,upon ,,the ,,same 
,,subject4  ,our ,blessed ,father was so
 absolutely indifferent to the goods of 
this world that ,i never heard him so   
much as once complain of the loss of    
almost all his episcopal revenue1       
confiscated by the city of ,geneva4 ,he 
used to say that it was very much with  
the wealth of the ,church as with a     
man's beard1 the more closely it was    
clipped the stronger and the thicker it 
grew again4 ,when the ,apostles had     
nothing they possessed all things1 and  

when ecclesiastics wish to possess too  
much1 that too much is reduced to       
nothing4  ,his one hunger and thirst was
 for the conversion of souls1 living in 
wilful blindness to the light of truth  
which shines only in the one true       
,church4 ,sometimes1 he exclaimed1      
sighing heavily3 ,give me souls1 and the
 rest take to ,thyself4 ,speaking of    
,geneva1 to which city1 in spite of its 
rebellion1 he always applied terms of   
compassion and affection1 such as my    
dear ,geneva1 or my poor ,geneva1 he    
said to me more than once3 ,would to    
,god that these gentlemen had taken such
 small remains of my revenue as they    
have left to me1 and that we had only as
 small a foothold in that deplorable    
city as the ,catholics have in ,la      
,rochelle1 namely1 a little chapel in   
which to say ,mass and perform the      
functions of our religion6 ,you would   
then soon see all these apostates come  
back to their senses1 and we should     
rejoice over the return to the ,church  

of these poor ,sunamites1 who are so    
forgetful of their duty4#a ,this fond   
hope he always nourished in his breast4 
,he used to say that ,henry ,,viii4 of  
,england1 who at the beginning of his   
reign was so zealous for the ,catholic  
faith1 and wrote so splendidly against  
the errors of ,luther1 that he acquired 
for that reason the glorious title of   
,defender of the ,faith1 having1 by     
yielding to his passion1 caused so great
 a schism in his kingdom1 even had he   
desired at the close of his life to     
return to the bosom of the ,church which
 he had so miserably abandoned1 would1  
on setting to work to attain this most  
happy end1 have found the impossibility 
of recovering for the clergy and        
restoring to them the property and      
wealth which he had divided among his   
nobles1 a serious difficulty4  ,alas6   
our ,blessed ,father exclaimed1         
commenting upon this fact1 to think that
 a handful of dust should rob ,heaven of
 so many souls6 ,the business of every  

christian1 and especially of the clergy1
 is the keeping of ,god's law4 ,the     
,lord is the portion of their           
inheritance and of their cup4 ,he would 
have made to them an abundant           
restitution of all that had been theirs1
 by gentle but effective means4 ,they   
whose thoughts are fixed upon the ,lord 
will be nourished by ,him4 ,the just are
 never forsaken nor reduced to beg their
 bread2 they have only to lift their    
eyes and their hopes to ,god and ,he    
will give them meat in due season2 for  
it is ,he who gives food to all flesh4  
,moreover1 it is much easier to suffer  
hunger with patience than to preserve   
virtue in the midst of plenty4 ,it is   
not every one who can say with the      
,apostle3 ,i know how to abound1 and ,i 
know how to suffer need4#b ,a thousand  
fall on the left hand of adversity1 but 
ten thousand on the right hand of       
prosperity2 for iniquity is the outcome 
of luxury1 and the sin of the cities of 
the plain had its origin in a           

superabundance of bread2 that is to say1
 in their wealth4 ,to be frugal and     
devout is to possess a great treasure4  
,footnote #a3 ,cantic4 vi4 #ab4         
,footnote #b3 ,philipp4 iv4 #ab4        
,,upon ,,poverty ,,of ,,spirit4  ,three 
virtues1 he said1 were necessary to     
constitute poverty of spirit3           
simplicity1 humility1 and christian     
poverty4 ,simplicity consists in that   
singleness of aim which looks only to   
,god1 referring to ,him alone those     
innumerable opportunities which come to 
us from objects other than ,himself4    
,humility is that conviction of our own 
inferiority and destitution which makes 
the truly humble man regard himself as  
always an unprofitable servant4         
,christian poverty is of three kinds4   
,first1 that which is affective1 but not
 effective4 ,this can be practised in   
the midst of wealth1 as in the case of  
,abraham1 ,david1 ,st4 ,louis1 and many 
other holy persons1 who1 though rich in 
this world's goods1 were ready in a     

moment to accept poverty with           
cheerfulness and thankfulness if it     
should please ,god to send it to them4  
,second1 effective but not affective    
poverty1 which is a very unhappy        
condition4 ,those who are weighed down  
by it feel all its distressing          
consequences and are miserable because  
they cannot possess the many things     
which they ardently desire4  ,third1    
affective1 united with effective        
poverty1 which is recommended in the    
,gospels1 and which may happen to be our
 lot1 either from birth or from some    
reverse of fortune4  ,if we are         
reconciled to our condition in life1    
however humble1 and bless ,god ,who has 
placed us in it1 then we tread in the   
footsteps of ,jesus ,christ1 of ,his    
holy ,mother1 and of the ,apostles1 who 
all lived a life of poverty4  ,another  
way of practising this poverty is to    
follow the counsels of ,jesus ,christ1  
,who bids us sell all that we have and  
give it to the poor1 imitating our      

divine ,master in that poverty which ,he
 embraced for us1 that we1 through it1  
might be made rich4 ,and never is this  
command more practically and worthily   
obeyed than when the man who has        
abandoned all his worldly goods for the 
sake of ,christ1 labours1 not only in   
order to sustain his own life1 but that 
he may have the wherewithal to give     
alms4  ,thus did the ,apostle glory when
 he said3 ,for such things as were      
needful for me1 and them that are with  
me1 these hands have furnished4#a       
,footnote #a3 ,acts xx4 #cd4            
,,francis' ,,love ,,of ,,the ,,poor4    
,to love our neighbour is not only to   
wish him well1 but also to do him all   
the good that it is in our power to do4 
,if we fall short of this1 we deserve   
the reproach of ,st4 ,james1 addressed  
to those who1 though they have ample    
means for giving material aid to the    
poor1 content themselves with bare words
 of comfort4  ,the love of ,blessed     
,francis for the poor was so intense    

that in their case he seemed to become a
 respecter of persons1 preferring them  
to the rich1 both in spiritual and in   
temporal matters4 ,he was like a good   
physician who in visiting the sick shows
 the most tender solicitude for those   
afflicted with the most terrible        
diseases and lingers longest by their   
bedsides4  ,one day ,i had to wait my   
turn to go to confession to him for a   
very long time1 he being engaged in     
hearing a poor blind beggar woman4 ,when
 ,i afterwards expressed my surprise at 
the length of her confession1 he said3  
,ah6 ,she sees far more clearly the way 
to go to ,god than many whose eyesight  
is otherwise perfect4  ,on another      
occasion1 sailing with him on the lake  
of ,geneva1 ,i heard the boatman calling
 him ,father1 and addressing him with   
corresponding familiarity4 ,listen1 he  
said to me1 to those good people4 ,they 
are calling me their ,father2 and1      
indeed1 ,i do believe they love me as   
such4 ,oh6 how much more real happiness 

they give me than those who call me ',my
 ,lord4'   ,,upon ,,the ,,christian     
,,view ,,of ,,poverty4  ,on one occasion
 ,i quoted that saying of ,seneca3 ,he  
is truly great who dines off earthenware
 as contentedly as if it were silver2   
but he is greater still who dines off   
silver with as much indifference as if  
it were earthenware4  ,the philosopher1 
he said1 is right in his judgment2 for  
the first feasts on mere fancy1 leading 
to vanity2 but the second shows that he 
is superior to wealth1 since he cares no
 more for a precious metal than for     
clay4  ,yet1 ,oh6 how ridiculous2 how   
empty is all mere human philosophy6     
,this same philosopher who speaks so    
eloquently again and again of the       
contempt of riches1 was all his life    
immersed in them2 and at his death left 
thousands behind him4 ,does it not seem 
to you that1 this being his own case1   
his talking about poverty makes him like
 a cleric expatiating on the art of war8
 ,we had far better listen to ,st4      

,paul1 who speaks as a past master on   
the subject of poverty1 since he        
practised it so thoroughly that he chose
 rather to live on what he could earn by
 the labour of his hands than on what   
the preaching of the ,gospel might bring
 in to him1 as to the other ,apostles4  
,yes1 we must needs listen to and       
believe ,st4 ,paul when he says that he 
esteems all things as dung in comparison
 with the service of ,jesus ,christ1    
counting as loss what he once held as   
gain4#a  ,footnote #a3 ,philipp4 iii1   
#h4   ,,upon ,,prosperity4  ,blessed    
,francis objected strongly to the use of
 the word fortune1 considering it       
unworthy of utterance by christian lips4
 ,the expressions fortunate1 by good    
fortune1 children of fortune1 all common
 enough1 were repugnant to him4 ,i am   
astonished1 he said once1 that ,fortune1
 the most pagan of idols1 should have   
been left standing1 when christianity so
 completely demolished all the rest6    
,god forbid that any who ought to be the

 children of ,god's providence alone    
become children of fortune6 and that    
those whose only hope should be in ,him 
put their trust in the uncertainty of   
riches6  ,he spoke yet more strongly of 
such as professing to be nailed with    
,jesus ,christ to the ,cross and to     
glory only in ,his reproaches and       
sufferings1 yet were eager in heaping up
 riches1 and1 when amassed1 in clinging 
fondly to them4 ,for1 he said1 the      
,gospel makes christian blessedness to  
consist in poverty1 contempt1 pain1     
weeping1 and persecutions2 and even     
philosophy teaches us that prosperity is
 the stepmother of true virtue1         
adversity its mother6  ,i asked him once
 how it was that we are so ready to have
 recourse to ,god when the thorn of     
affliction pierces us1 and so eager in  
asking for deliverance from sickness1   
calumny1 famine1 and such like          
misfortunes4 ,it is1 he said1 our       
weakness which thus cries out for help1 
and it is a proof of the infirmity which

 encompasses us2 for as the best and    
firmest fish feed in the salt waters of 
the open sea1 those which are caught in 
fresh water being less pleasing to the  
taste1 so the most generous natures find
 their element in crosses and           
afflictions1 while meaner spirits are   
only happy in prosperity4  ,moreover1 he
 continued1 it is much easier to love   
,god perfectly in adversity than in     
prosperity4 ,for tribulation having     
nothing in itself that is lovable1 save 
that it is ,god's gift1 it is much      
easier to go by it straight to the will 
of ,god1 and to unite ourselves to ,his 
good pleasure4 ,easier1 ,i say1 than by 
prosperity1 which has attractions of its
 own that captivate our senses1 and1    
like ,dalila1 lull them to sleep1       
working in us a subtle change1 so that  
we begin insensibly to love for its own 
sake the prosperity which ,god sends us1
 instead of bestowing all our grateful  
love on ,god ,who sends it1 and to ,whom
 all thanks and praise are due6   ,,upon

 ,,charity ,,and ,,chastity4  ,feeling  
at one time troubled and perplexed in   
mind as to the bearing of these two     
virtues upon one another1 and as to the 
right manner of practising each1 so that
 one should never run counter to the    
other1 ,i carried my difficulties to our
 ,blessed ,father1 who settled them at  
once in the following words2 ,we must1  
he said1 in this matter draw a careful  
distinction between persons who occupy  
positions of dignity and authority1 and 
have the care of others1 and those      
private individuals who have no one to  
look after but themselves4 ,the former  
must deliver their chastity into the    
keeping of their charity2 and if that   
charity is real and true it will not    
fail them1 but will serve as a strong   
wall of defence1 both without and       
within1 to their chastity4 ,on the other
 hand1 private individual's will do     
better to surrender the guardianship of 
their charity to their chastity1 and to 
walk with the greatest circumspection   

and self-restraint4 ,the reason of this 
is that those in authority are obliged  
by the very nature of their duties1 to  
expose themselves to the dangers        
inseparable from occasions3 in which1   
however1 they are assisted by grace1    
seeing they are not tempting ,god by any
 rashness4  ,contrariwise1 those private
 individuals who expose themselves to   
danger without any legitimate excuse run
 great risk of tempting ,god and losing 
,his grace2 since it is written that he 
that loveth danger 7still more he that  
seeketh it7 shall perish in it4#a       
,footnote #a3 ,eccles4 iii4 #bg   ,,upon
 ,,purity ,,of ,,heart4  ,i can never   
express to you1 or convey a right idea1 
of the high esteem in which he held     
purity of heart4 ,he said that chastity 
of body was common enough even among    
unbelievers and among persons addicted  
to other vices2 but that very few people
 could truly say1 my heart is pure4  ,i 
do not say that by this purity of heart 
he meant the never being troubled by    

sinful desires1 for that would be making
 the virtue of chastity to consist in   
insensibility2 and what do those who are
 not tempted know about the matter8     
,no2 he placed it in never yielding to  
unlawful affections4 ,to these we should
 rather give the name of infections1    
since they infect the will1 and         
interfere with the safe custody of the  
heart1 which is the well-spring of the  
spiritual life4   ,,upon ,,chastity     
,,and ,,humility4  ,speaking of the     
humility and chastity of the ,blessed   
,virgin the holy ,prelate said3 ,these  
two virtues1 although they have to be   
continually practised1 should be spoken 
of so rarely that this rarity of speech 
may rank as silence4 ,the reason is that
 it is difficult to mention these       
virtues or to praise them either in     
themselves or in any individual who     
possesses them1 without in some way     
sullying their brightness4  #a4 ,there  
is1 in my opinion1 no human tongue which
 can rightly express their value1 and to

 praise them inadequately is in a way to
 disparage them4  #b4 ,to praise        
humility is to cause it to be desired   
from a secret self-love and to invite   
people to enter its domain through the  
wrong door4  #c4 ,to praise humility in 
any individual is to tempt him to vanity
 and to flatter him dangerously2 for the
 more he thinks himself humble the less 
he will really be so2 and possibly when 
he sees that others consider him humble 
he will think that he must be so4  #d4  
,as regards chastity1 to praise it in   
itself is to leave on the mind a secret 
and almost imperceptible image of the   
contrary vice1 and therefore to expose  
the mind to some danger of temptation4  
,there is a sting hidden in the honey of
 such praise4  #e4 ,to praise it in any 
individual is in a measure to expose him
 to the danger of falling4 ,it is to put
 a stumbling-block ,in his way4 ,it is  
to inflate that pride which under a fair
 disguise may lure him over a precipice4
  #f4 ,we must never be content to rely 

upon our hitherto untarnished purity of 
life1 but must always fear1 since       
innocence is a treasure which we carry  
in a vessel of glass1 easily broken4    
#g4 ,in a word1 the virtues of humility 
and chastity always seem to me like     
those subtle essences which evaporate if
 they are not kept very tightly corked4 
#h4 ,however1 although ,i consider it   
wise very seldom to speak of these two  
virtues1 it is wise to practise them    
unceasingly1 humility being one of the  
most excellent virtues of the soul1 and 
purity that fair white adornment of the 
body which is its honour1 and which1    
like a lily growing among thorns1 brings
 forth a wonderful flower1 whose fruit  
is honour and riches4  #i4              
,nevertheless1 ,i do not mean that we   
are to be so scrupulous as never to dare
 to speak of these virtues2 not even to 
praise them when occasion warrants or   
demands our doing so4 ,no1 indeed4 ,in  
one sense they can never be sufficiently
 praised1 nor ever sufficiently valued  

and cultivated4 ,what ,i mean is that we
 gain little by praising them4 ,our     
words in praise of a virtue are of      
little account in comparison with the   
smallest fruit2 that is1 with the least 
of the acts of a virtue4  ,i add this   
because ,i know you attach too much     
importance to my words1 and take them as
 literally as if they were oracles4     
,,upon ,,modesty4  ,our ,blessed        
,father1 speaking of the virtue of      
modesty1 and dilating upon one of its   
chief properties1 namely1 its           
extraordinary sensitiveness to the      
slightest injurious influence1 made use 
of two beautiful comparisons3 ,however  
pure1 transparent1 and polished the     
surface of a mirror may be1 the faintest
 breath is sufficient to make it so dull
 and misty that it is unable to reflect 
any image4 ,so it is with the reputation
 of the virtuous4 ,however high and well
 established it may be1 according the   
words of wisdom3 ,oh6 how beautiful is  
the chaste generation6 #a a thoughtless1

 unrestrained glance or gesture is quite
 sufficient to give occasion to a       
slanderous tongue to infect that        
reputation with the serpent's venom1 and
 to hide its lustre from the eyes of the
 world1 as clouds hide the brightness of
 the sun4  ,again1 look at this         
beautiful lily4 ,it is the symbol of    
purity2 it preserves its whiteness and  
sweetness1 amid all the blackness and   
ruggedness of the encircling thorns4 ,as
 long as it remains untouched its       
perfume is delicious and its dazzling   
beauty of form and colour charms every  
passer-by2 but1 as soon as it is culled1
 the scent is so strong as to be        
overpowering1 and should you touch the  
petals they lose their satin smoothness 
as well as all their pure and white     
loveliness4  ,footnote #a3 ,wisd4 iv4   
,i4   ,,the ,,contempt ,,he ,,felt ,,for
 ,,his ,,body4  ,since our ,blessed     
,father was not1 like the martyrs1      
privileged to offer his body1 both by   
living and dying1 as a victim for ,god1 

he found out1 with the ingenuity of     
love1 a method of self-humiliation and  
self-sacrifice to be carried out after  
his death4  ,when quite young and still 
pursuing his studies at ,padua1 falling 
dangerously ill1 and his life being     
despaired of1 he begged his tutor to see
 that when he was dead his body should  
be given into the hands of the surgeons 
for dissection4 ,having been of so      
little use to my neighbour in life1 he  
said1 ,i shall thus at least1 after my  
death1 be able to render him some small 
service4  ,happily for us1 ,god in ,his 
great mercy spared this precious life1  
being contented1 as in the case of the  
sacrifice of ,isaac1 with the offering  
of ,his faithful servant's will and with
 his generous contempt for his own      
flesh4  ,a motive which urged ,blessed  
,francis to the above resolution1       
besides his desire of self-humiliation  
and immolation1 was the hope of putting 
an end to the scandalous practice then  
prevailing among the surgical and       

medical students at ,padua of secretly  
by night going to the cemeteries to     
disinter newly-buried bodies4 ,this they
 did when they had failed to obtain     
those of criminals from the officers of 
justice4 ,innumerable evils1 quarrels1  
and even murders resulted from this     
practice1 and the indignation of the    
relatives and friends of the deceased   
persons whose corpses were stolen may be
 imagined4 ,by setting the example of a 
voluntary surrender of his own body for 
dissection our ,blessed ,father hoped to
 diminish such orders4   ,,upon ,,our   
,,saint',s ,,humility4  ,it was of      
course impossible for ,blessed ,francis 
to be ignorant of the high esteem in    
which his piety was held1 not only by   
his own people1 but by all who knew him4
 ,this knowledge was1 however1 as may   
well be believed1 a source of pain to   
him1 and often covered him with         
confusion4 ,he seldom spoke on the      
subject1 for true humility rarely       
speaks1 even humbly1 of itself4 ,yet on 

one occasion1 when more than usually    
worried by hearing himself praised1 he  
allowed these words to fall from his    
lips3 ,the truth is that these good     
people with all their eulogiums1 and    
expressions of esteem1 are sowing the   
seed of a bitter fruit for me to gather 
in the end4 ,when ,i am dead1 imagining 
that my poor soul has gone straight to  
,heaven1 they will not pray for it1 and 
will leave me languishing in ,purgatory4
 ,of what avail then will this high     
reputation be to me8 ,they are treating 
me like those animals which suffocate   
their young by their close pressure and 
caresses1 or like the ivy which drags   
down the wall it seems to crown with    
verdure4  ,i will now give you some     
examples of his humility4 ,he was       
sometimes told that people had spoken   
ill of him4 ,instead of excusing or     
defending himself1 he would say         
cheerfully1 ,do they say no more than   
that8 ,certainly1 they cannot know all1 
they flatter me1 they spare me3 ,i see  

very well that they rather pity than    
envy me1 and that they wish me to be    
better than ,i am4 ,well6 ,god be       
praised for this1 ,i must correct my    
faults1 for if ,i do not deserve reproof
 in this particular matter1 ,i do in    
some other4 ,it is really a mercy that  
the correction is given so kindly4 ,if  
anyone took up his defence and declared 
that the whole accusation was false1    
,ah6 well1 he would say1 it is a warning
 to make me careful not to justify it1  
for surely they are doing me a kindness 
by calling my attention to the dangers  
of this rock ahead4  ,then1 noticing how
 indignant we all were with the         
slanderers1 ,what1 he would exclaim1    
have ,i given you leave to fly into a   
passion on my account8 ,let them        
talk--it is but a storm in a teacup1 a  
tempest of words that will die away and 
be forgotten4 ,we must be sensitive     
indeed if we cannot bear the buzzing of 
a fly6 ,who has told us that we are     
blameless8 ,possibly these people see   

our faults better than we see them      
ourselves1 and better than those who    
love us do4 ,when truths displease us1  
we often call them slanders4 ,what harm 
do others do us by having a bad opinion 
of us8 ,we ought to have a bad opinion  
of ourselves4 ,such persons are not our 
adversaries1 but rather our allies1     
since they enlist themselves on our side
 in the battle against our self-love4   
,why be angry with those who come to our
 aid against so powerful an enemy8  ,it 
happened once that a certain            
simple-minded woman told our saint      
bluntly that what she had heard of him  
had caused her to loose all esteem for  
him4 ,blessed ,francis replied quietly  
that her straightforward words only     
increased his fatherly affection for    
her1 as they were an evidence of great  
candour1 a virtue he highly respected4  
,the woman proceeded to declare that the
 reason she was so greatly disappointed 
in him was because she had been told    
that he had taken her adversary's part  

in a law-suit instead of acting as the  
father of all and siding with none4     
,nay1 rejoined the ,saint1 do not       
fathers interfere in the quarrels of    
their children1 judging between right   
and wrong8 ,besides1 the verdict of the 
court should have convinced you that you
 were in the wrong1 since it was given  
against you2 and had ,i been one of the 
judges ,i must have decided as they did4
  ,the woman protested that injustice   
had been done to her1 but the ,saint    
quietly and patiently reasoned with her 
and assured her that although it was    
natural that she should feel angry at   
first1 yet1 when the bandage of passion 
had fallen from her eyes1 she would     
thank ,god for having deprived her of   
that which in justice she could not have
 retained4  ,this person finally        
admitted that she had been in the wrong1
 but enquired if ,blessed ,francis was  
really not annoyed at her having lost   
her high opinion of him1 having formerly
 regarded him as a ,saint4 ,he assured  

her she was wrong in having done so1 and
 that1 far from being annoyed1 his      
esteem for her was all the greater on   
account of this1 her correct judgment4  
,believe me1 he went on to say1 ,i am   
speaking from a sense of truth1 and not 
out of false humility1 when ,i maintain 
that my friends over-rate me4 ,the fact 
is1 they try to persuade themselves that
 ,i really am what they so ardently     
desire me to be4 ,they expose me to the 
danger of losing my soul by pride and   
presumption4 ,you1 on the contrary1 are 
giving me a practical lesson in         
humility1 and are thus leading me in the
 way of salvation1 for it is written1   
,god will save the humble of heart4     
,,upon ,,mere ,,humbleness ,,of         
,,speech4  ,he disliked expressions of  
humility unless they clearly came from  
the heart1 and said that words of this  
kind were the flower1 the cream1 and the
 quintessence of the most subtle pride1 
subtle inasmuch as it was hidden even   
from him who spoke them4 ,he compared   

such language to a certain sublimated   
and penetrating poison1 which to the eye
 seems merely a mist4  ,those who speak 
this language of false humility are     
lifted up on high1 whilst in thoughts   
and motives they remain mean and low4   
,he considered similar fashions of      
speech to be even more intolerable than 
the words of vain persons who are the   
sport of their hearers1 and whose empty 
boasting makes them to be like balloons1
 the plaything of everybody4 ,a mocking 
laugh is sufficient to let all the wind 
which puffs them out escape4 ,words of  
humility coming merely from the lips1   
and not from the heart1 lead surely to  
vanity1 though by what seems the wrong  
road4 ,those who utter them are like    
people who take their salary gladly     
enough1 but insist on first making a    
show of refusing and of saying that they
 want nothing4  ,even excuses proffered 
in this manner accuse and betray the    
person who offers them4 ,the truly      
humble of heart do not wish1 to appear  

humble1 but to be humble4 ,humility is  
so delicate a virtue that it is afraid  
of its own shadow1 and cannot hear its  
own name uttered without running the    
risk of extinction4   ,,upon ,,various  
,,degrees ,,of ,,humility4  ,blessed    
,francis set the highest value upon the 
virtue of humility1 which he called the 
foundation of all moral virtues1 and    
together with charity1 the solid basis  
of true piety4  ,he used to say that    
there was no moral excellence more      
literally christian than humility1      
because it was not known even by name to
 the heathen of old4 ,even of the most  
renowned among ancient philosophers1    
such virtues as they possessed were     
inflated with pride and self-love4  ,not
 every kind of humility pleased him4 ,he
 was not willing to accept any as true  
metal until he had put it to many a test
 and trial4  #a4 ,he required in the    
first place that there should be genuine
 self-knowledge4 ,to be truly humble we 
must recognise the fact that we come    

from nothing1 that we are nothing1 that 
we can do nothing1 that we are worth    
nothing1 and in fine that we are idle   
do-nothings1 unprofitable servants1     
incapable of even forming a single good 
thought1 as of ourselves4 ,yet          
self-knowledge1 he said1 if it stood    
alone1 however praiseworthy in itself1  
would only render those who possessed it
 the more guilty if they did not act up 
to it1 in order to become better2       
because moral virtue being in the will1 
and mere knowledge only in the          
understanding1 the latter alone cannot  
in any way pass current as true virtue4 
#b4 ,he even had some doubt of humility 
though residing in the will1 because it 
is quite possible to misuse it1 and to  
turn humility itself into vanity4 ,take 
for instance those who1 having been     
invited to a banquet1 take at once      
possession of the very lowest place1 or 
of one which they know to be inferior to
 that due to their rank4 ,they may do   
this on purpose to be invited to go     

higher amidst the applause of the       
company1 and with advantage to          
themselves4 ,he called this a veritable 
entering into vanity1 and through the   
wrong door3 for the truly humble do not 
wish to appear humble1 but only vile and
 lowly4 ,they love to be considered as  
of no accounts and1 as such1 to be      
despised and rebuffed4  #c4 ,even this  
did not satisfy him4 ,he was not content
 with mere natural virtue1 but insisted 
that humility must be ,christian1 given 
birth to1 and animated by charity4      
,otherwise he held it in small esteem1  
refusing to admit that among christians 
it suffices to practise virtues in pagan
 fashion4 ,but what is this infused and 
supernatural humility8 ,it is to love   
and delight in one's own humiliation1   
for the reason that by its means we are 
able to give glory to ,god1 ,who accepts
 the humility of ,his servants1 but puts
 far away from ,his heart the proud in  
spirit4  #d4 ,again1 our ,saint taught  
that in striving to please ,god by      

bearing humiliations1 we should aim at  
accepting such as are not of our own    
choice rather than those that are       
voluntary4 ,he used to say that the     
crosses fashioned by us for ourselves   
are always of the lightest and          
slenderest1 and that he valued an ounce 
of resignation to suffering above       
pounds' weight of painful toil1 good    
though it might be in itself1 undertaken
 of one's own accord4  #e4 ,quiet       
endurance of reproaches1 contempt1 or   
depreciation1 was1 in his opinion1 the  
true touch-stone of humility1 because it
 renders us more like to ,jesus ,christ1
 the ,prototype of all solid virtue1    
,who humbled and annihilated ,himself1  
making ,himself obedient unto death1    
even the ignominious death of the       
,cross4  #f4 ,he commended voluntary    
seeking after humiliations1 yet he      
insisted upon great discretion being    
practised in this search1 since it      
easily happens that self-love may subtly
 and imperceptibly insinuate itself     

therein4  #g4 ,next he considered that  
the highest1 or more properly speaking1 
deepest degree of humility is that of   
taking pleasure and even delight in     
humiliations1 reputing them to be in    
truth the greatest of honours1 and of   
being just as much ill-content with     
honours as vain persons are with        
contempt and contumely4  ,in            
illustration of this he would quote     
,moses1 who preferred the reproach of   
,israel to the glories of a kingdom     
offered to him by ,pharaoh's daughter2  
of ,esther1 who hated the splendid      
ornaments with which they decked her to 
make her pleasing in the eyes of        
,assuerus2 of the ,apostles1 whose      
greatest joy was to suffer shame and    
reproach for the name of ,jesus2 and of 
,david1 who danced before the ,ark amid 
a crowd of buffoons and mountebanks1 and
 who exulted in thus making himself     
appear contemptible in the eyes of      
,michol1 his wife4  #h4 ,blessed        
,francis called humility a descending   

charity1 and charity an ascending       
humility4 ,the former he compared to    
those streams which come down from the  
heights and flow down into the valleys4 
,the latter to the slender column of    
smoke spoken of in the ,canticle#a which
 rises up towards ,heaven1 and is       
composed of all the sweet essences of   
the perfumer4  #i4 ,the ,saint next     
gives a rare lesson on the measure or   
means of gauging humility4 ,obedience is
 to be its source and touch-stone4 ,this
 teaching he grounded on the saying of  
,st4 ,paul3 that our ,lord humbled      
,himself1 making ,himself obedient4#b   
,do you see1 he would say1 by what scale
 humility must be measured8 ,by         
obedience4 ,if you obey promptly1       
frankly1 cheerfully1 without murmuring1 
expostulating1 or replying1 you are     
truly humble4 ,nor without humility can 
one be easily and really obedient1 for  
obedience demands submission of the     
heart1 and only the truly humble look   
upon themselves as inferior to all and  

as subject to every creature for the    
love of ,jesus ,christ4 ,they ever      
regard their fellow-men as their        
superiors1 they consider themselves to  
be the scorn of men and the off-scouring
 of the world4 ,thus these two virtues1 
like two pieces of iron1 by friction one
 with the other1 enhance each other's   
brightness and polish4 ,we are humble   
only in as far as we are obedient1 and  
in fine we are pleasing to ,god only in 
as far as we have charity4  #aj4 ,he    
recommended all to endeavour to steep   
their every action in the spirit of     
humility1 as the swan steeps in water   
each morsel she swallows1 and how can   
this be done except by hiding our good  
works as much as we can from the eyes of
 men1 and by desiring that they may be  
seen only by ,him to ,whom all things   
are open1 and from ,whom nothing can be 
hid4 ,our ,saint himself1 urged by this 
spirit1 said that he would have wished1 
had there been any goodness in him1 that
 it might have been hidden from himself 

as well as from all others until the    
,judgment ,day1 when the secrets of all 
hearts will be revealed4 ,the ,gospel   
itself exhorts us to observe this       
secrecy1 for it warns us to serve ,god  
in secret1 and by hiding our virtues1   
our prayers1 our almsgiving1 fittingly  
to worship ,him1 ,who is a hidden ,god4 
#aa4 ,blessed ,francis did not1 however1
 desire that we should put ourselves to 
the constraint and discomfort of        
avoiding good actions simply because of 
their being praiseworthy in the eyes of 
others4 ,what he approved of was a      
noble1 generous1 courageous humility1   
not that which is mean1 timid1 and      
cowardly4 ,true1 he would not that      
anything should be done for so low a    
motive as to win the praise of men1 but 
at the same time he would not have an   
undertaking abandoned for fear of its   
success being appreciated and applauded4
 ,it is only very weak heads1 he said1  
that are made to ache by the scent of   
roses4  #ab4 ,above all things1 he      

recommended people not to speak either  
in praise or blame of themselves save   
when doing so is absolutely necessary1  
and then with great reticence4 ,it was  
his opinion 7as it was ,aristotle's7    
that both self-praise and self-blame    
spring from the same root of vanity and 
foolishness4 ,as for boasting1 it is1 he
 said1 so ridiculous a weakness that it 
is hissed down by even the vulgar crowd4
 ,its one fitting place is in the mouth 
of a swaggering comedian4 ,in like      
manner words of contempt spoken of      
ourselves by ourselves1 unless they are 
absolutely heartfelt and come from a    
mind thoroughly convinced of the fact of
 its own misery1 are truly the very acme
 of pride1 and a flower of the most     
subtle vanity2 for it rarely happens    
that he who utters them either believes 
them himself or really wishes others to 
believe them3 on the contrary1 the      
speaker is mostly only anxious rather to
 be considered humble1 and consequently 
virtuous1 and seeks that his self-blame 

should redound to his honour4           
,self-dispraise in general is no more   
than a tricky kind of boasting4 ,it     
reminds me of oarsmen who turn their    
backs on the very place which with all  
the strength of their arms they are     
striving to reach4  ,the above          
sentiments of ,blessed ,francis with    
regard to humility are very striking1   
but it is much more worthy of note that 
he himself carried his principles       
strictly into practice4 ,his actions    
were so many model lessons and living   
precepts on the subject4 ,o ,god6 how   
pleasing must the sacrifice of his      
humility have been in ,thine eyes which 
look down so closely upon the humble1   
but regard the proud only from afar4    
,footnote #a3 ,cant4 iii4 #f4 ,footnote 
#b3 ,philipp4 ii4 #h4   ,,upon          
,,humiliation4  ,the great lesson which 
on all possible occasions ,blessed      
,francis inculcated on those who were   
fortunate enough to come into contact   
with him1 and to treat with him         

concerning their soul's welfare1 was    
that which our ,saviour teaches4 ,learn 
of ,me1 because ,i am meek and humble of
 heart4#a ,not1 however1 that he        
attached the meaning to the words meek1 
and humble1 often1 but very erroneously1
 given to them4  ,by meekness he did not
 understand a kind of honeyed sweetness1
 too often mixed with a good deal of    
affectation and pretention4 ,a wolf's   
heart may be hidden under the fleece and
 gentle seeming of a lamb1 and          
underneath an outside covering of       
humility may lurk secret arrogance1 such
 that while appearing to lie down to be 
trodden under men's feet1 those humble  
after this fashion may by pride in their
 own pretended state of perfection be   
putting all men under their own feet4   
,our ,lord's words1 ,if any man will    
come after ,me1 let him deny himself    
take up his cross1 and follow ,me1      
,blessed ,francis1 in one of his        
letters1 explained as follows3  ,it is  
to walk side by side with our crucified 

,bridegroom1 to abase ourselves1 to     
humble ourselves1 to despise ourselves  
even to the death of all our passions2  
yea1 ,i say1 even to the death of the   
,cross4 ,but observe1 my dear daughter1 
that this abasement1 this humility1 this
 contempt of ourselves1 must1 as ,i have
 told you before1 be practised gently1  
quietly1 persistently1 and not only     
sweetly1 but gladly and joyously4       
,footnote #a3 ,matt4 xi4 #bj4           
,,humility ,,with ,,regard ,,to         
,,perfection4  ,whatever perfection the 
just man may recognize in himself1 he is
 like the palm tree1 which1 says the    
,psalmist1 the higher it rears its lofty
 head the deeper down in the earth it   
casts its roots4  ,and certainly1 since 
all our perfection comes from ,god1     
since we have no good or perfect gift   
which we have not received from the     
,father of ,lights1 we have no reason to
 glorify ourselves4  ,truly1 we can do  
nothing of ourselves as of ourselves1   
all our sufficiency1 in good1 proceeding

 from ,god4 ,our vanity is such that as 
soon as we begin to suspect we are not  
guilty1 we regard ourselves as innocent1
 forgetting that if we do not fail in   
one direction we do in another1 and     
that1 as ,st4 ,gregory says1 our        
perfection1 in proportion to its        
advancement1 makes us the better        
perceive our imperfections4  ,without   
purity how should we recognise impurity8
 ,it is light which makes us understand 
what darkness is4 ,many people not      
discerning in themselves certain        
particular vices think that they possess
 the opposite virtues1 and are deceived4
  ,again1 seeing themselves freed from  
some earthly passions they imagine      
themselves to be clothed in heavenly    
affections2 and thus their ill-advised  
heart is darkened1 they feed upon wind1 
and walk on in the vanity of their      
thoughts4  ,our ,blessed ,father1       
reflecting one day upon the condition of
 his soul and feeling it to be enjoying 
great peace owing to its detachment from

 creatures1 made his own the sentiments 
of the great ,apostle1 who1 though not  
feeling himself guilty of anything1 yet 
did not therefore consider himself      
justified1 and who forgetting the past  
pressed on always farther and farther1  
never thinking that he had yet reached  
the goal of perfection4#a  ,i must read 
you the passage in which he expresses   
this view of himself3--  ,i find my soul
 a little more to my liking than usual1 
because ,i see nothing in it which keeps
 it attached to this world1 and because 
it is more alive to the things of the   
next1 to its eternal joys4 ,ah6 if ,i   
were but as closely and consciously     
united to ,god as ,i am dissevered and  
alienated from the world1 how happy ,i  
should be6 ,and you1 too1 my daughter1  
how rejoiced you would be6 ,but ,i am   
speaking of my feelings1 and my inward  
self2 as regards the exterior1 and1     
worst of all1 as regards my deportment  
and behaviour1 they are full of all     
sorts of contradictory imperfections4   

,the good which ,i wish to do1 ,i do not
 do2 but nevertheless ,i know well that 
truly and with no pretence1 ,i do wish  
to do it1 and with a most unchanging    
will4 ,but1 my ,daughter1 how can it be 
that out of such a will so many         
imperfections show themselves as are    
continually springing up within me8     
,certainly1 they are not of my will1    
though they be in my will1 and on my    
will4 ,they are like the mistletoe which
 grows and appears on a tree and in a   
tree1 although it is not of the tree1   
nor out of the tree4  ,footnote #a3     
,philipp4 iii4 #ac4   ,,upon ,,excuses4 
,although to excuse ourselves for our   
faults is in many circumstances         
blameworthy1 whilst in general to accuse
 ourselves of them is laudable1 still   
when self-accusation is carried too far1
 it is apt to run into affectation1     
making us wish to pass for something    
different from what we really are1 or1  
with scrupulosity1 making us persuade   
ourselves that we are what we describe  

ourselves to be4  ,it is true that the  
just man is his own accuser and that1   
knowing his faults1 he declares them    
simply1 in order to be cured of them by 
wholesome corrections4 ,it is also true 
that it is a bad thing to excuse        
oneself1 an excuse being always worse   
than the fault committed1 inasmuch as it
 shows that we think we were right in   
committing the fault2 a persuasion which
 is contrary to truth4  ,if our first   
parents had not excused themselves1 the 
man throwing the blame on the woman1 the
 woman on the serpent1 and if1 on the   
contrary1 confessing their sin1 they had
 repented1 they would have crushed the  
serpent while in the act of wounding    
them1 and ,god1 who had invited them to 
this repentance by ,his loving rebuke1  
,adam1 where art thou8 would in ,his    
mercy1 have surely pardoned them4  ,this
 was what made ,david pray that ,god    
would set a watch before his mouth1 and 
on his lips1 lest he should be led to   
utter evil words4 ,by evil words he     

means excuses which we invent to cover  
our sins4#a  ,our ,blessed ,father      
advises us as follows3 ,be just1 and    
without mature consideration1 neither   
excuse nor accuse your poor soul1 lest  
if you excuse it when you should not1   
you make it insolent1 and if you accuse 
it lightly1 you discourage it and make  
it cowardly4 ,walk simply and you will  
walk securely4 ,i once heard him utter  
these striking words3 ,he who excuses   
himself unjustly1 and affectedly1       
accuses himself openly and truly2 and he
 who accuses himself simply and humbly1 
deserves to be excused kindly and to be 
pardoned lovingly4  ,there is a         
confession which brings confusion1 and  
another which brings glory4 ,confession1
 says ,st4 ,ambrose1 is the true        
medicine for sin to him who repents of  
wrong doing4  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm cxl4 
#c1 #d4   ,,upon ,,our ,,good ,,name4   
,it is hardly likely that ,blessed      
,francis could have been ambitious of   
the empty honours attached to an office 

at court since he did not even trouble  
himself to keep up his own reputation1  
except in as far as it might serve to   
advance the glory of ,god1 which was not
 only the great but the one passion of  
his heart4  ,when a very serious        
accusation against him was carried to   
the court1 he tells us3 ,i remained     
humble and silent1 not even saying what 
,i might have said in my defence1 but   
contenting myself with bearing my       
suffering in my heart4 ,the effect of   
this patience has been to kindle in my  
soul a more ardent love of ,god1 and    
also to light up the fire of meditation4
 ,i said to ,god3 ,thou art my          
,protector1 and my ,refuge in this      
tribulation1 it is for ,thee to deliver 
me out of it4 ,o ,god of truth1 redeem  
me from the calumny of men6  ,he wrote  
as follows on the same subject to a holy
 soul who was far more keenly interested
 in what concerned him than in what     
affected herself3 ,after all1           
,providence knows the exact amount of   

reputation which is necessary to me1 in 
order that ,i may rightly discharge the 
duties of the service to which ,i have  
been called1 and ,i desire neither more 
nor less than it pleases that good      
,providence to let me have4   ,,upon    
,,despising ,,the ,,esteem ,,of ,,men4  
,he had no desire that we should make   
light of our reputation1 or be careless 
about it1 but he wished us to guard it  
for the service of ,god rather than for 
our own honour2 and more to avoid       
scandal than to glorify ourselves4  ,he 
used to compare reputation to snuff1    
which may be beneficial if used         
occasionally and moderately1 but which  
clouds and injures the brain when used  
in excess2 and to the mandrake which is 
soothing when smelt at a distance1 but  
if brought too close1 induces drowsiness
 and lethargy4  ,in his ,philothea he   
devotes one chapter to the subject of   
guarding our reputation1 while at the   
same time practising humility4#a ,he did
 not1 however1 content himself with     

teaching by precept2 he went much       
further1 and continually impressed his  
lesson on others by his example4 ,on one
 occasion1 writing to me about some     
slanderous reports which had been spread
 in ,paris against him1 on account of   
conscientious and holy advice which he  
had given to virtuous people who had    
sought counsel of him1 he expressed     
himself in these words3 ,i am told that 
they are cutting my reputation to pieces
 in ,paris1 but ,i hope that ,god will  
build it up again1 stronger than ever1  
if that is necessary for ,his service4  
,certainly ,i do not want it except for 
that purpose1 for1 provided that ,god be
 served1 what matters whether it be by  
good or evil report1 by the exaltation1 
or by the defamation of our good name8  
,ah1 he said to me one day1 what is a   
man's reputation1 that so many should   
sacrifice themselves to this idol8      
,after all1--it is nothing but a dream1 
a phantom1 an opinion1 so much smoke2   
praise of which the very remembrance    

perishes with its utterance2 an estimate
 which is often so false that people are
 secretly amused to hear themselves     
extolled for virtues1 whose contrary    
vices they know to be dominating them1  
and blamed for faults from which they   
are happily quite free4 ,surely those   
who complain of being slandered are     
over-sensitive6 ,their little cross1    
made of words1 is so light that a breath
 of wind carries it away4 ,the          
expression1 'stung me1' meaning 'abused 
me1' is one that ,i have never liked1   
for there is a great deal of difference 
between the humming of a bee1 and its   
stinging us6 ,we must indeed have       
sensitive ears1 if mere buzzing stings  
them6  ,truly1 those were clever people 
who invented the proverb3 ',a good name 
is better than riches'2 preferring      
reputation to wealth1 or1 in other      
words1 vanity to avarice4 ,oh1 my ,god6 
how far removed is this from the spirit 
of faith6 ,was there ever any reputation
 more torn to pieces than that of ,jesus

 ,christ8 ,with what insults was ,he not
 overwhelmed8 ,with what calumnies was  
,he not loaded8 ,and yet the ,father has
 given ,him a name which is above every 
name1 and exalted ,him the more1 the    
more he was humbled4 ,did not the       
,apostles also come forth rejoicing from
 the presence of the ,council where they
 had received affronts--for the name of 
,jesus8  ,oh1 it is a glorious thing to 
suffer in so worthy a cause6 ,but too   
often we will have none but open        
persecutions1 so that our light may     
shine in the midst of darkness1 and that
 our vanity may be gratified by a       
display of our sufferings4 ,we should   
like to be crucified gloriously in the  
midst of an admiring crowd4 ,what6 think
 you that the martyrs when they were    
suffering their cruel tortures1 were    
praised by the spectators for their     
patience8 ,on the contrary1 they were   
reviled and held up to execration4 ,ah6 
there are very few who are willing to   
trample under foot their own reputation1

 if so be1 they may thereby advance the 
glory of ,him ,who died an ignominious  
death upon the ,cross1 to bring us to a 
glory which has no end4  ,footnote #a3  
,part iii4 chap4 vii4   ,,upon ,,the    
,,virtues ,,we ,,should ,,practise      
,,when ,,calumniated4  ,blessed ,francis
 was once asked if we ought not to      
oppose calumny with the weapons of      
truth1 and if it was not as much our    
duty to keep1 for ,god's sake1 our good 
name1 as our bodily strength4 ,he       
answered that on such occasions many    
virtues were called into exercise1 each 
claiming precedence over the other4     
,the first is truth to which the love of
 ,god and of ourselves in ,god1 compels 
us to bear testimony4 ,nevertheless that
 testimony has to be calm1 gentle1      
kindly1 given without ,irritation or    
vehemence1 and with no anxiety about    
consequences4 ,our ,saviour1 when ,he   
was accused of having a devil1 answered 
quite simply1 ,i have not a devil4#a    
,if you should be blamed for any        

scandalous fault1 of which1 however1 you
 know you are not guilty1 say candidly  
and quietly that1 by the grace of ,god1 
you are innocent of such a sin4 ,but1 if
 you are not believed1 humility now     
claims her right and bids you say that  
you have indeed many greater faults     
unknown to the world1 that you are in   
every way miserable and that if ,god did
 not sustain you in your weakness1 you  
would commit far greater crimes than you
 are accused of4  ,this sort of humility
 is in no way prejudicial to truth1 for 
was it not from the depths of true      
humility that ,david cried out saying1  
that if ,god had not aided him his soul 
would have dwelt in hell4#b  ,should the
 tempest of evil speaking continue1     
silence steps to the front1 and offers  
her calm resistance to the storm1       
following the teaching of the ,royal    
,prophet1 who says3 ,and ,i became as a 
dumb man not opening his mouth4#c       
,answering is the oil which feeds the   
lamp of calumny1 silence is the water   

which extinguishes it4 ,if silence is   
unavailing1 then patience reminds you   
that it is her turn to act1 and1 coming 
forward2 shelters you with her          
impenetrable shield2 patience1 as ,holy 
,scripture tells us1 makes our work     
perfect4  ,if we be still assailed1 we  
must call to our aid constancy1 which is
 a kind of double-lined buckler of      
patience1 impervious to the most violent
 thrusts4  ,but should evil tongues1    
growing yet sharper and keener1 cut to  
the very quick1 longanimity1 which is an
 unfailing1 undying patience1 is ready  
to enter the lists1 and eager to help   
us4 ,for when persecution1 instead of   
yielding to our patience1 is only the   
more irritated thereby1 like a fire     
which burns more fiercely in frosty     
weather1 then is the time for us to     
practise the virtue of longanimity4     
,and last of all comes perseverance1    
which goes with us to the very end and  
without which the whole network of      
virtues would fall to pieces2 for it is 

the end which crowns the work1 and he   
who perseveres to the end shall be      
saved4  ,indeed1 who can say how many   
more virtues claim a place in this      
bright choir8 ,prudence1 gentleness1    
modesty of speech1 and many another1    
circle round their queen1 holy charity1 
who is indeed the life and soul of them 
all4 ,charity it is which bids us bless 
those who curse us1 and pray for those  
who persecute us2 and this same charity 
not unfrequently transforms our         
persecutors into protectors and changes 
slanderous tongues into trumpets to     
sound our praise4  ,footnote #a3 ,john  
viii4 #di4 ,footnote #b3 ,psalm xciii4  
#ag4 ,footnote #c3 ,id4 xxxvii4 #ad4    
,,upon ,,some ,,spiritual ,,maxims4  ,on
 one occasion somebody quoted in his    
presence the maxims of a very great and 
very holy person 7,st4 ,teresa7 on the  
way to attain perfection4    ,despise   
the world4 ,despise no man4   ,despise  
yourself4 ,despise being despised4  ,be 
it so1 observed our ,blessed ,father1 as

 regards the three first sayings1 but1  
in regard to the fourth1 to my mind1 the
 very highest degree of humility        
consists in loving and cherishing       
contempt1 and in being glad to be       
despised4 ,david so acted1 when he      
showed himself pleased to be despised as
 a buffoon by his own wife ,michol4 ,st4
 ,paul1 too1 gloried in having been     
scourged1 stoned1 and looked upon as a  
fool1 the off-scouring and very refuse  
of the world4 ,the ,apostles came forth 
rejoicing from the presence of the      
,councils in which1 for the love of     
,jesus1 they had been loaded with       
opprobrium1 contumely1 and contempt4 ,a 
really humble man despising himself1 is 
only too glad to find others ready to   
agree with him1 and to help him to      
humble himself4 ,he receives reproaches 
as ,god's good gift1 and deems himself  
unworthy of aught else4  ,he had        
something1 too1 to say about the first  
three maxims4 ,taking the world in the  
sense of the universe1 it is1 he said1 a

 great stage1 on which are shown the    
wonders of ,almighty ,god1 all of ,whose
 works are very good--nay1 are perfect4 
,but1 even taking the word world in the 
sense in which it is mostly used in     
,scripture1 meaning the company of the  
wicked1 he said1 that we should indeed  
despise their vices1 yet not themselves2
 for who knows but that they will in the
 end1 be converted8 ,how many vessels of
 contempt have been1 by the change of   
the right hand of ,god1 transformed into
 vessels of honour8  ,to despise no one1
 which is the second dictum1 seems at   
first sight to contradict the first1 if1
 by the world be meant the vicious and  
not merely their vices4 ,it is certainly
 very right to despise no one1 but it is
 still more reasonable and more         
advantageous to ourselves1 who wish to  
advance in perfection1 to value and     
esteem all men1 because created by ,god 
to ,his image1 and because fitted for   
partaking of ,his grace and of ,his     
glory4  ,the third maxim1 which tells us

 to despise ourselves1 also needs some  
explanation4 ,we ought not under        
pretence of humility to slight and      
despise the graces which ,god has given 
us4 ,to do so would be to throw         
ourselves over the precipice of         
ingratitude in order to avoid perishing 
in the pitfall of vanity1 ,nothing1 said
 he1 can so humble us before the mercy  
of ,god1 as the multitude of his        
benefits2 nothing can so abase us before
 the throne of ,his justice1 as the     
countless number of our misdeeds4 ,we   
need never fear that the good things    
,god has given us will feed our pride1  
as long as we remember that whatever    
there may be in us that is good1 it is  
not of us4   ,,upon ,,patience4  ,i was 
complaining to him one day of a great   
injury which had been done to me4 ,he   
answered1 ,to anybody but you ,i should 
try to apply some soothing balm of      
consolation1 but your circumstances1 and
 the pure love which ,i bear to you1    
dispense me from this act of courtesy4  

,i have no oil to pour into your wound1 
and1 indeed1 were ,i to affect to       
sympathise with you1 it might only      
increase the pain of the wound you have 
received4 ,i have nothing but vinegar   
and cleansing salt to pour in1 and ,i   
must simply put in practice the command 
of the ,apostle3 ,reprove1 entreat4#a   
,you finished your complaint by saying  
that great and tried patience was       
needful to enable a man to bear such    
attacks in silence4 ,certainly1 your    
patience is not of so high a stamp1     
since you reserve to yourself the       
privilege of lamentation6  ,but1        
,father1 ,i replied1 you see it is only 
into your heart that ,i pour out my     
sorrow4 ,when a child is troubled to    
whom should it turn if not to its kind  
father8 ,you1 a child1 indeed2 and for  
how long do you mean to go on clinging  
to your childhood8 ,is it right that one
 who is the father of others1 one to    
whom ,god has given the rank of a       
,bishop in ,his ,church1 should play the

 child8 ,when we are children1 says ,st4
 ,paul1 we may speak as children1 but   
not when we are become men4 ,the lisping
 which pleases us in a baby is          
altogether unsuitable for a sturdy boy4 
,do you wish me to give you milk and pap
 instead of solid food8 ,am ,i like a   
nurse to breathe softly on your hurt8   
,are not your teeth strong enough to    
masticate bread1 the hard bread of      
suffering8 ,have you forgotten how to   
eat bread8 ,are your teeth set on edge  
by eating sour grapes8 ,it is a fine    
thing1 indeed1 for you to complain to an
 earthly father1 you1 who ought to be   
saying with ,david to your heavenly     
,father3 ,i was dumb and ,i opened not  
my mouth1 because thou hast done it4#b  
',but1' you will say1 'it is not ,god   
but wicked men who have done this to    
me6'  ,ah1 indeed6 and do you forget    
that it is what is called the permissive
 will of ,god which makes use of the    
malice of men1 either to correct you or 
to exercise you in virtue8 ,job says3   

,the ,lord gave and the ,lord hath taken
 away4 #c ,he does not say3 ,the devil  
and the thieves took my goods and my    
dear ones from me3 he sees only the hand
 of ,god which does all these things by 
such instruments as it pleases ,him to  
use4 ,you seem unfortunately to have no 
wish to rank yourself with him who said 
that the rod and staff with which ,god  
struck him brought him consolation2 #d  
and that he was like a man helpless and 
abandoned1 yet1 nevertheless1 free from 
the dead2#e that he was as one deaf and 
dumb1 who paid no heed to the insults   
poured into his ears2 #f that he was    
humbled in the dust1 and kept silence   
even from good words1 which might have  
served to justify him and to defend his 
innocence4  ',but1 ,father1' you        
continue1 'how is it that you have      
become so harsh1 and have changed your  
gentleness1 as ,job says to ,almighty   
,god1 into cruelty8 ,where is your      
unfailing compassion8' ,i answer1 my    
compassion is as great and as sincere as

 ever2 for ,god knows how much ,i love  
you1 since ,i love you more than myself1
 and how ,i should reproach myself if ,i
 allowed my heart to be hardened against
 you4 ,it is1 however1 too clear that   
the injury you have received is resented
 by you1 since you complain of it4 ,we  
do not usually complain of what pleases 
us1 quite the reverse1 we are glad and  
rejoice and expect to be congratulated1 
not pitied4 ,witness the great parables 
of the finding of the lost sheep and the
 lost groat4'  ',well1' you reply1 'and 
do you really want me to tell you that  
black looks exhilarate me1 and that ,i  
can bear smoke puffed in my face without
 even sneezing8'  ,o man of little faith
 and of most limited patience6 ,what    
then of our ,gospel maxims as to giving 
our cheek to the smiter1 and our beard  
to those who pluck it out2 what of the  
beatitude of the persecuted2 of the     
giving our coat to him who takes away   
our cloak2 of blessing those who curse  
us2 of a cordial and hearty love of our 

enemies8 ,are these sayings1 think you1 
only curiosities to be put in a cabinet2
 are they not rather those seals of the 
,spouse1 which ,he desires us to set    
upon our hearts and our arms1 on our    
thoughts and on our works8  ,well1 well1
 ,i pardon you from indulgence1 to use  
the expression of the ,apostle1 but1 on 
condition that you will be more         
courageous for the future1 and that you 
will shut up tightly in the casket of   
silence all like favours which ,god     
sends to you1 so as not to let their    
perfume escape1 and that you will render
 thanks in your heart to our ,father in 
,heaven1 ,who deigns to bestow upon you 
a tiny splinter from the ,cross of ,his 
,son4 ,what6 you delight in wearing a   
heavy cross of gold upon your breast1   
and you cannot bear the weight of one   
light as is your own upon your heart1   
but must needs try to rid yourself of it
 by complaining6 ,then1 again1 even when
 it is gone1 you must needs talk about  
what you have put up with1 and would    

like me to consider you patient merely  
because you do not openly resent the    
wrong done you4 ,as if the great virtue 
of patience consisted only in the not   
revenging yourself1 and not much more1  
as it really does1 in uttering no word  
of complaint4  ,moreover1 it appears to 
me that you are quite wrong in so much  
as talking about being patient under    
injuries such as you have suffered4     
,patience is too distinguished a virtue 
to be needed for so trivial an act--the 
lesser good qualities of moderation1    
forbearance1 and silence would amply    
suffice4 ,in silence and ,in hope shall 
your strength be4#g ,so he dismissed me1
 ashamed of myself1 it is true1 but1    
like the giant of fable1 strengthened by
 having fallen4 ,on leaving him ,i felt 
as if all the insults in the world would
 henceforth fail to make me utter one   
single word of complaint4 ,i was much   
consoled afterwards by coming across1 in
 one of his letters1 the same remark    
about moderation and forbearance as he  

had then addressed to me4 ,he writes3   
,nothing can have a more tranquillizing 
effect upon us in this world than the   
frequent consideration of the           
afflictions1 necessities1 contempts1    
calumnies1 insults1 and humiliations    
which our ,lord suffered from ,his birth
 to ,his most painful death4 ,when we   
contemplate such a weight of bitterness 
as this1 are we not wrong in giving to  
the trifling misfortunes which befall   
us1 even the names of adversities and   
injuries8 ,are we not ashamed to ask a  
share of ,his divine patience to help us
 to bear such trifles as these1 seeing  
that the smallest modicum of moderation 
and humility would suffice to make us   
bear calmly the insults offered to us8  
,footnote #a3 #b ,tim4 iv4 #b ,footnote 
#b3 ,psalm xxxviii4 #aj4 ,footnote #c3  
,job i4 #ba4 ,footnote #d3 ,psalm xxii4 
#d4 ,footnote #e3 ,psalm lxxxvii4 #e1   
#f4 ,footnote #f3 ,psalm xxxvii4 #ae4   
,footnote #g3 ,isaiah xxx4 #ae4   ,,how 
,,to ,,profit ,,by ,,bearing ,,with     

,,insults4  ,he used to say that a      
harvest of virtues could be gathered in 
from a crop of affronts and injuries1   
because they offer us in abundance      
opportunities of making such acts as the
 following3  #a4 ,of justice2 for who is
 there that has not sinned and          
consequently has not deserved           
punishment8 ,has anyone offended you8   
,well1 think how often you have offended
 ,god6 ,surely1 therefore1 it is meet   
that creatures1 the instruments of ,his 
justice1 should punish you4  #b4 ,but   
perhaps you were justly accused8 ,well1 
if so1 simply acknowledge your fault1   
asking pardon of ,god as well as of men1
 and be grateful to those who have      
accused you1 even though they have done 
it in such a manner as to add           
unnecessary bitterness to your          
suffering4 ,remember that medicines are 
none the less salutary for being        
nauseous4  #c4 ,but may-be you were     
accused falsely8 ,if so1 calmly and     
quietly1 but without hesitation1 bear   

witness to the truth4 ,we owe this to   
our neighbours1 who might1 if we were   
silent1 believe the charge brought      
against us1 and thus be greatly         
disedified4  #d4 ,yet1 if1 after this1  
people persist in blaming you1 abandon  
any further defence of yourself1 and    
conquer by silence1 modesty1 and        
patience4  #e4 ,prudence has its own    
part to play in the conflict2 for there 
is no better way of dealing with insults
 than by treating them with contempt4   
,he who gives way to anger looks as if  
he acknowledged the truth of the        
accusation4  #f4 ,discretion1 too1 comes
 to the aid of prudence by counselling  
toleration4  #g4 ,courage in all its    
power and grandeur raises you above     
yourself4  #h4 ,temperance bridles your 
passions and curbs them into submission4
  #i4 ,humility will make you love and  
value your humiliation4  #aj4 ,faith    
will1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 stop the      
mouths of lions1 and more than this1 it 
will1 he says1 set before our eyes for  

our loving contemplation and imitation  
,jesus ,christ ,himself1 overwhelmed    
with insults and calumnies1 yet silent1 
unmoved1 as one who hears not and is    
dumb4  #aa4 ,hope will hold out before  
you an imperishable crown1 the reward of
 your trials and sufferings which endure
 but for a moment4  #ab4 ,charity1 last 
of all1 will come to you and abide with 
you--charity1 patient and sweet1 benign 
and yielding1 believing all1 hoping all1
 enduring all1 ready and willing to     
suffer all4  ,the more we value our     
eternal salvation the more heartily     
shall we welcome suffering4   ,,upon    
,,bearing ,,with ,,importunities4       
,blessed ,francis laid great stress upon
 the necessity of patience when we are  
importuned4 ,yet1 he would say1 patience
 seems almost too great a power to      
invoke in this matter4 ,in reality a    
little gentleness1 forbearance1 and     
self-control ought to suffice4 ,still1  
when we speak of patience it must not be
 as if it were to be employed only in   

the endurance of really great evils1    
for1 while we are waiting for these     
notable occasions that occur rarely in a
 lifetime1 we neglect the lesser ones4  
,we imagine that our patience is capable
 of putting up with great sufferings and
 affronts1 and we give way to impatience
 under the sting or bite of an insect4  
,we fancy that we could help1 wait upon1
 and relieve our neighbour in long or   
severe sickness1 and yet we cannot bear 
that same neighbour's ill-bred manner1  
and irritating moods1 his awkwardness   
and incivility1 and above all his       
importunity1 especially if he comes just
 at the wrong moment to talk to us about
 matters which seem to us frivolous and 
unimportant4  ,we triumphantly excuse   
ourselves for our impatience on these   
occasions by alleging our deeps sense of
 the value of time2 that one only thing1
 says an ancient writer1 with regard to 
which avarice is laudable4  ,but we fail
 to see that we employ this precious    
time in doing many things far more vain 

and idle than in the satisfying the     
claims of our neighbour1 and possibly   
less important than those about which he
 talks to us1 occasioning what we call  
loss of time4  ,when we are conversing  
with others we should try to please them
 and to show that their conversation is 
agreeable to us1 and when we are alone  
we should take pleasure in solitude4    
,unfortunately1 however1 our minds are  
so inconsistent that we are always      
looking behind us1 like ,lot's wife4 ,in
 company we sigh for solitude1 and in   
solitude1 instead of enjoying its       
sweets1 we hanker after the company of  
others4   ,,that ,,he ,,who ,,complains 
,,sins4  ,one of ,blessed ,francis' most
 frequent sayings was3 ,he who          
complains1 seldom does so without       
sinning4 ,now1 you are anxious to know  
what exactly he meant by this1 and if it
 is not allowable to complain to        
superiors of wrongs which have been done
 us1 and when we are ill1 to seek relief
 from suffering1 by describing our pains

 to the physician1 so that he may apply 
to them the proper remedies4  ,to put   
this interpretation on the words of     
,blessed ,francis is to overstrain their
 meaning4 ,the letter killeth1 and needs
 to be interpreted by the spirit that   
quickeneth1 that is1 to be taken gently 
and sweetly4  ,our ,blessed ,father     
condemns complaining when it borders    
upon murmuring4 ,he used to say that    
those who thus complained sinned1       
because our self-love always magnifies  
unduly any wrongs done to ourselves1    
weighing them in the most deceitful of  
balances1 and applying the most         
extravagant epithets to things which if 
done by us to others we should pass over
 as not worth a thought4  ,he did not   
consider it at all wrong to claim from a
 court of justice1 quietly1 calmly1 and 
dispassionately1 reparation of injuries 
done to our property1 person1 or honour4
 ,he has1 indeed1 devoted a whole       
chapter in his ,philothea#a to          
demonstrating that we may1 without      

failing in humility or charity1 do what 
is necessary for the preservation of our
 good name4 ,but human weakness is such 
that it is difficult even in a court of 
justice to keep our temper and retain a 
proper equanimity3 hence the proverb    
that1 in a hundred-weight of law1 there 
is not so much as an ounce of good      
nature4  ,it was also his wish that when
 sick we should state what ails us quite
 simply and straightforwardly to those  
who can relieve us1 always remembering  
that ,god commands us to honour the     
physician4#b ,to ,philothea he says3    
,when you are ill offer your sufferings1
 pains1 and weakness to the service of  
our ,lord1 and entreat ,him to unite    
them to the torments which ,he endured  
for you4 ,obey the physician2 take      
medicine1 food1 and other remedies for  
the love of ,god2 remembering the gall  
which ,he accepted for love of you4     
,desire to recover your health that you 
may serve ,him1 but1 if ,he so will1 do 
not refuse to linger long upon your bed 

of pain1 so as to obey ,him2 in fine1 be
 ready to die if that is ,his pleasure1 
that you may praise and enjoy ,him4#c   
,it was his opinion that when we        
complain1 however justly1 a certain     
amount of self-love is always at the    
bottom of the complaint1 and that a     
habit of grumbling is a positive proof  
of our being too tender of ourselves and
 too cowardly4  ,after all1 of what use 
are complaints8 ,they do but beat the   
air and serve to prove that if we suffer
 wrong it is with regret1 with sadness1 
and not without some desire of revenging
 ourselves4 ,an ungreased wheel makes   
the most noise in turning1 and in like  
manner1 he who has the least patience is
 the first to grumble4  ,we must        
remember1 however1 that all men deceive 
themselves4 ,those who complain do not  
mean to be considered impatient4 ,on the
 contrary1 they tell you that if it were
 not this particular thing1 they would  
speak and act differently2 but that1 as 
it is1 if ,god did not forbid vengeance 

they would assuredly take it in the most
 signal manner4 ,poor ,israelites6      
really brought out of ,egypt1 but yet   
still hankering after the leeks and     
garlic of that miserable country6 ,truly
 such feebleness of mind is pitiable1   
and most unworthy of a soul avowedly    
consecrated to the service of the ,cross
 of ,jesus ,christ4  ,it is not that we 
are absolutely forbidden to complain    
under great sufferings of body or mind1 
or under great losses4 ,job1 the mirror 
of the patient1 uttered many complaints1
 yet without prejudice to that virtue   
which made him so highly esteemed by    
,god1 and renders him famous in all     
ages4 ,it would not only be unwise1 but 
possibly a sin1 so to conceal bodily    
suffering--under the pretext of being   
resolved not to complain--as to refuse  
to have recourse to either physician or 
remedies1 and thereby to risk bringing  
ourselves down to the gates of the      
grave4  ,even ,god1 the ,all-,perfect1  
does not refrain from pouring forth ,his

 complaints against sinners1 as we know 
from many parts of ,holy ,scripture4 ,we
 must then in this matter preserve a    
just medium1 and although it behoves us 
sometimes to suffer in silence1 yet at  
other times we must make known our      
sufferings1 since that suffering is     
truly the most wretched which1 amid     
torments1 has no voice4#d  ,the ,son of 
,god1 the pattern of all perfection1    
wept and cried aloud at the grave of    
,lazarus and on the ,cross1 showing that
 ,he pities our sufferings and shares   
our griefs4 ,the measure of our         
complainings must be fixed by           
discretion1 which ,st4 ,anthony calls   
the regent and ruler of the kingdom of  
virtues1 appointed to guard it from the 
encroachments of sin1 ever striving to  
gain dominion there4  ,our ,blessed     
,father gives us the following lesson on
 the subject3 ,we must1 he says1 abstain
 from a but little noticed1 yet most    
hurtful imperfection1 against which few 
people guard themselves4 ,this is1 that 

when we are compelled to blame our      
neighbour or to complain of his conduct1
 which should be as seldom as possible1 
we never seem to get done with the      
matter1 but go on perpetually repeating 
our complaints and lamentations2 a sure 
sign of irritation and peevishness and  
of a heart as yet destitute of true     
charity4 ,great and powerful minds only 
make mourning about great matters1 and  
even these they dismiss as quickly as   
possible1 never giving way to passion or
 fretfulness4  ,footnote #a3 ,part iii4 
chap4 vii4 ,footnote #b3 ,eccles4       
xxxviii4 #a1 #ab4 ,footnote #c3 ,part   
iii4 chap4 #c4 ,footnote #d3 ,virgil1   
neid ,i4   ,,blessed ,,francis'         
,,calmness ,,in ,,tribulation4  ,the    
similitude of the nest of the halcyon or
 kingfisher1 supposed to float on the   
sea1 which our ,saint describes so well 
and applies so exquisitely in one of his
 letters1 was the true picture of his   
own heart4 ,the great stoic1 ,seneca1   
says that it is easy to guide a vessel  

on a smooth sea and aided by favourable 
winds1 but that it is in the midst of   
tempests and hurricanes that the skill  
of the pilot is shown4#a  ,so it is with
 the soul1 whose fidelity and loyalty   
towards the ,divine ,lover is well      
tested by sufferings and sorrows4  ,the 
more he was crossed1 the more he was    
upset1 and1 like the palm tree1 the more
 violently the winds beat against him1  
the deeper and stronger roots he threw  
out4 ,his own words express this truth  
so perfectly as to leave no doubt on the
 subject4 ,he says3 ,for some time past 
the many secret contradictions and      
oppositions which have invaded my       
tranquil life have brought with them so 
calm and sweet a peace that nothing can 
be compared to it4 ,indeed1 ,i cannot   
help thinking that they foretell the    
near approach of that entire union of my
 soul with ,god1 which is not only the  
greatest but the sole ambition and      
passion of my heart4  ,oh6 blessed      
servant of ,jesus ,christ1 how          

absolutely you practised that teaching  
which you impress so strongly on us in  
your ,theotimus1 in the words of blessed
 ,brother ,giles4  ,one to one6 one soul
 to one only love6 one heart to one only
 ,god6  ,to that only ,god1 the ,king   
eternal1 ,immortal1 invisible1 be honour
 and glory for ever and ever6 ,amen4    
,footnote #a3 ,senec1 ,de ,providentia1 
cap4 iv4   ,,blessed ,,francis' ,,test  
,,of ,,patience ,,in ,,suffering4  ,one 
day he was visiting a sick person who1  
in the midst of intense suffering1 not  
only showed great patience in all her   
words and actions1 but plainly had the  
virtue deeply rooted in her heart4      
,happy woman1 said ,blessed ,francis1   
who has found the honey-comb in the jaws
 of the lion6  ,wishing1 however1 to    
make more certain that the patience she 
showed was solid and real1 rooted and   
grounded in ,christian charity1 and such
 as to make her endure her sufferings   
for the love and for the glory of ,god  
alone1 he determined to try her4 ,he    

began to praise her constancy1 to       
enlarge upon her sufferings1 to express 
admiration at her courage1 her silence1 
her good example1 knowing that in this  
way he would draw from her lips the true
 language of her heart4  ,nor was he    
deceived1 for she1 sincere and          
absolutely patient ,christian that she  
was1 answered him3 ,ah6 ,father1 you do 
not see the rebellious struggles of all 
my senses and feelings4 ,in the lower   
region of my soul everything is in      
confusion and disorder1 and if the grace
 and fear of ,god were not to us as a   
tower of strength ,i should long ago    
have altogether given way and rebelled  
against ,god4 ,picture me to yourself as
 like the ,prophet whom the ,angel      
carried by one hair of his head2 my     
patience1 as it were1 hangs on a single 
thread1 and were it not for the mighty  
help ,god is to me ,i should long ere   
now have been in hell4  ,it is not then 
my virtue but the grace of ,god in me   
which makes me show so much courage4 ,my

 own part in the matter is but pretence 
and hypocrisy4 ,were ,i to follow my own
 impulses ,i should moan1 struggle1     
break out into passionate and bitter    
words1 but ,god restrains my lips with  
bit and bridle1 so that ,i dare not     
murmur under the blows dealt by ,his    
hand which ,i have learnt through ,his  
grace to love and honour4  ,our ,blessed
 ,father1 on leaving her sick-room1 said
 to those who were with him1 ,she has1  
indeed1 true and ,christian patience4   
,instead of pitying her for her         
sufferings we ought rather to rejoice   
over them1 for this high virtue is only 
made perfect in infirmity4 ,but do you  
notice how ,god hides from her own eyes 
the perfection which ,he is giving her8 
,her patience is not only courageous1   
but loving and humble2 like pure balm1  
which1 when unadulterated1 sinks to the 
bottom of the water into which it is    
cast4 ,be careful1 however1 not to      
repeat to her what ,i have just said to 
you lest1 by doing so1 you should excite

 in her movements of vanity1 and spoil  
the whole work of grace1 whose waters   
only flow through the valley of         
humility4  ,let her peacefully possess  
her soul in patience1 for she is at     
peace even in this extremity of         
bitterness4   ,,upon ,,long ,,illnesses4
  ,violent sicknesses either pass       
quickly or they carry us to the grave2  
slow maladies drag wearily on and       
exercise the patience of the sufferers1 
nor less that of those who tend them4   
,our ,blessed ,father says on the       
subject3 ,long sicknesses are good      
schools of mercy for those who wait upon
 the sick and of loving patience for    
those who suffer4  ,they who wait upon  
the sick are at the foot of the ,cross  
with our ,lady and ,st4 ,john1 whose    
compassion they imitate2 the sick man   
himself is on the ,cross with our       
,saviour1 ,whose ,passion he imitates4  
,but how can we imitate either this     
compassion or this ,passion if we do not
 suffer from the motive of the love of  

,god8 ,for the ,blessed ,virgin and ,st4
 ,john1 the beloved ,disciple1 were     
moved by a compassion as much more      
sorrowful than ours1 as their love for  
the ,crucified1 their own dearest ,lord1
 was greater than ours can be4 ,it was  
at the foot of the ,cross that the sword
 of grief pierced ,mary's soul1 and it  
was there that the beloved disciple     
drank that chalice of bitterness1 which1
 after permitting him to share the      
glories of ,thabor1 the ,saviour        
predicted should be his4  ,the whole    
life of a true ,christian is one long   
period of suffering4 ,those who endure  
not with ,jesus ,christ1 are not fit to 
reign with ,him4 ,o soul in grace1 says 
our ,blessed ,father1 thou art not yet  
the spouse of ,jesus glorified1 but of  
,jesus crucified4 ,this is why the      
rings1 necklaces1 and other ornaments   
which ,he gives you1 and with which ,he 
is pleased to adorn you1 are crosses1   
nails1 and thorns2 and the marriage     
feast ,he sets before you gall1 hyssop1 

and vinegar4 ,it is in ,heaven we shall 
possess the rubies1 diamonds1 and       
emeralds1 the wine1 the manna1 and the  
honey4 ,the world is a vast quarry in   
which are hewn out and shaped those     
living stones which are to build up the 
heavenly ,jerusalem1 as the ,church     
sings3     ,tunsionibus1 pressuris1     
,expoliti lapides     ,suis cooptantur  
locis1      ,per manus ,artificis3      
,disponuntur permansuri       ,sacris   
dificiis4#a    ,thou too1 ,o ,church1   
which here we see1     ,no easy task    
hath builded thee4   ,long did the      
chisels ring around6     ,long did the  
mallet's blows rebound6   ,long worked  
the head1 and toiled the hand6     ,ere 
stood thy stones as now they stand4     
,footnote #a3 ,office of the ,dedication
 of a ,church4   ,,blessed ,,francis'   
,,holy ,,indifference ,,in ,,illness4   
,as regards our ,blessed ,father's      
patience in time of sickness1 ,i myself 
was with him in one only of his         
illnesses1 but others1 who saw him in   

many and were frequent witnesses of his 
patience1 gentleness1 and absolute      
indifference to suffering1 tell us      
marvels on that subject4  ,for my part1 
on the one occasion when ,i saw him     
stretched upon his bed1 suffering with  
so much endurance and sweetness1 the    
sight at once recalled to me what ,st4  
,catherine of ,genoa tells us of a      
certain soul in ,purgatory4 ,this poor  
soul she represented as so perfectly    
united to ,god by charity that it was   
physically unable to utter the slightest
 complaint1 or to have the faintest     
shadow of a desire1 which was not       
absolutely in conformity with the divine
 will4 ,such souls1 she says1 wish to be
 in ,purgatory exactly as long as ,god  
shall please1 and this1 with a will so  
contented and so constant1 that for     
nothing in the whole world would they be
 elsewhere unless it were ,his will4    
,this is exactly how our ,blessed       
,father suffered1 without in any way    
losing heart1 because of the services   

which he might have been able to render 
to ,god and his neighbour had he been in
 health4 ,he wished to suffer because to
 do so was the good pleasure of ,god1   
,who held the keys of his life and of   
his death1 of his health and of his     
sickness1 and of his whole destiny4  ,if
 he was asked whether he would take this
 or that1 physic or food1 whether he    
would be bled or blistered1 or the like1
 he had but one answer to give3 ,do with
 the patient what you please1 ,god has  
put me at the disposal of the doctors4  
,nothing could be more simple or        
obedient than his behaviour1 for he     
honoured ,god in the physicians1 and in 
their remedies1 as ,he ,himself has     
commanded us all to do4  ,he always told
 the doctors and attendants exactly what
 was the matter with him1 neither       
exaggerating his malady by undue        
complaints1 nor making his suffering    
appear less than it really was by a     
forced and unnatural composure4 ,the    
first he said was cowardice1 the second 

dissimulation4 ,even although the       
inferior and sensible part of his soul  
might be under the pressure of intense  
pain1 there always flashed out from his 
face1 and especially from1 his eyes1    
rays of that calm light which illumined 
the superior and reasonable part of his 
nature1 shining through the dark clouds 
of bodily affliction4 ,hence the weaker 
his body1 the stronger became his       
spirit1 enabling him to say with the    
,apostle3    ,gladly1 therefore1 will ,i
 glory in my infirmities1   ,that the   
power of ,christ may dwell in me4#a     
,footnote #a3 #b ,cor4 xii4 #i4   ,,upon
 ,,the ,,shape ,,of ,,the ,,cross4  ,the
 ,cross1 ,blessed ,francis says1 is     
composed of two pieces of wood1 which   
represent to us two excellent virtues1  
necessary to those who desire to be     
fastened to it with ,jesus ,christ1 and 
on it to live a dying life1 and on it to
 die the death which is life4 ,these two
 great virtues most due to ,christians  
are humility and patience4  ,he wished1 

however1 that those two virtues should  
be rooted and grounded in charity1 that 
is to say1 not only be practised in     
charity1 that is1 in a state of grace1  
without which they are of no value for  
,heaven1 but also from the motive of    
charity4 ,this is how he expresses      
himself3--  ,divine love will teach you 
that in imitation of the great ,lover we
 must be on the ,cross in company with  
humility1 deeming ourselves unworthy to 
endure anything for ,him ,who endured so
 much for us2 and in company with       
patience1 so as not to wish to come down
 from the ,cross1 not even all our life 
long if so it pleases the ,eternal      
,father4  ,the motto of ,blessed ,teresa
 was1 ,to suffer or to die2 for divine  
love had attached this faithful servant 
of ,jesus crucified so closely to the   
,cross that she wished not to live1 save
 that she might have opportunities of   
suffering for ,him4  ,the great and     
seraphic ,st4 ,francis considered that  
,god had forgotten him and lovingly     

complained when he had passed a day     
untouched by any suffering2 and just as 
he called poverty his mistress1 so he   
called pain his sister4  ,our ,blessed  
,father's motto was ,to love or to die4 
,in his ,treatise on the ,love of ,god  
he cries out3 ,to love1 or to die6 ,to  
die and to love6 ,to die to all other   
love in order to live to ,jesus' love1  
that we may not die eternally1 but that 
living in ,thy eternal love1 ,o ,saviour
 of our souls1 we may eternally sing1   
,vive ,jesus1 ,live ,jesus4 ,i love     
,jesus4 ,live ,jesus1 ,whom ,i love6 ,i 
love ,jesus1 ,who lives and reigns for  
ever and ever4 ,amen4#a  ,footnote #a3  
,book xii1 c4 #ac4   ,a ,,diamond       
,,cross4  ,it was one day reported very 
seriously to ,blessed ,francis as though
 it were some misdemeanor1 that one of  
his penitents who was accustomed to wear
 on her breast a rich diamond ornament1 
had had the diamonds made up into a     
cross which she wore in the same manner 
as before1 and that this was a cause of 

scandal to certain persons4 ,ah6 he     
cried1 how true it is that the ,cross is
 an occasion of scandal to some1 and of 
edification to others6 ,i do not know   
who advised this lady to do what she has
 done1 but for my part ,i am much       
edified1 and only wish that all the     
gew-gaws and trinkets worn by women     
could be altered in the same holy       
manner4 ,that would indeed be to make   
vessels of the ,tabernacle out of their 
mirrors4#a  ,among his letters ,i came  
across lately and with much pleasure1   
one which ,i think must have been       
written to this very lady4 ,in it he    
says3 ,when ,i last had the pleasure of 
seeing you1 dear madam1 you were wearing
 outwardly on your heart a cross2 love  
it fervently1 ,i beseech you4 ,it is all
 gold if you look at it with loving     
eyes4 ,on one side it is true that you  
see the ,beloved of your heart1 dead1   
crucified amid nails and thorns2 but on 
the other side you will find a cluster  
of precious stones ready to adorn the   

crown of glory which awaits you1 if     
only1 meanwhile1 you wear lovingly the  
crown of thorns with your ,king who     
willed to suffer so much that ,he might 
enter into ,his joy4  ,to a lady        
advanced in years and distinguished by  
her piety1 who was living in my diocese1
 and whom1 out of reverence and         
affection1 he used to call his mother1  
he wrote as follows1 when the           
infirmities of old age were pressing    
heavily upon her3 ,i see very plainly   
that you must from henceforth accustom  
yourself to the maladies and infirmities
 which declining years bring with them4 
,ah1 dear ,lord6 ,what happiness for a  
soul dedicated to ,god1 to be much tried
 by suffering1 before quitting this     
life6 ,my dearest mother1 how can we    
learn the lesson of generous and fervent
 love save amid thorns1 crosses1        
languor1 and faintness1 and more        
especially when these sufferings are    
prolonged and lingering4 ,our dear      
,saviour showed us the measure of ,his  

boundless love by that of ,his labours1 
and of ,his sufferings4 ,show1 my dear  
mother1 your love to the ,bridegroom of 
your heart on the bed of pain2 for it   
was on that bed that ,he fashioned your 
heart1 even before it came into         
existence1 ,he beholding it as yet only 
in ,his divine plan4 ,ah6 this ,divine  
,saviour has reckoned up all your pains1
 all your sorrows1 and has paid with    
,his ,precious ,blood for all the       
patience and the love which you need in 
order rightly to direct your labours to 
,his glory and to your own salvation4   
,content yourself with calmly desiring  
to be all that ,god wills you to be4    
,footnote #a3 ,exod4 xxxviii4 #h4       
,,holy ,,magdalen ,,at ,,the ,,foot ,,of
 ,,the ,,cross4  ,our ,blessed ,father  
had a special reverence for the picture 
of ,magdalen at the foot of the ,cross1 
calling it sometimes the library of his 
thoughts4 ,perhaps this representation  
was before his mind's eye1 when just    
before he rendered up his soul to ,god  

he murmured these words3 ,wash me yet   
more from my iniquity and cleanse me    
from my sin4#a ,oh6 he exclaimed1 when  
he was looking one day at this picture  
in my house at ,belley1 how happy1 and  
how profitable an exchange this penitent
 made6 ,she bestowed tears on the ,feet 
of ,jesus ,christ1 and in return those  
,feet gave back to her ,blood1 but      
,blood that washed away all her sins1   
for ,christ has cleansed us from every  
stain in ,his ,blood1 and by the        
sprinkling of this hyssop has made us1  
coal-black though we were1 white as     
snow6 ,oh1 gracious rain made by ,god to
 fall upon ,his inheritance1 how sweet1 
how much to be desired thou art6        
,magdalen seeks our ,saviour while she  
holds ,him4 ,she demands ,him of        
,himself4 ,she does not see ,him in the 
form she looked for3 therefore1         
unsatisfied1 she seeks ,him away from   
,himself4  ,she expected to see ,him in 
,his robe of glory1 not in the poor garb
 of a gardener2 nevertheless she knew   

that it was ,he when ,he uttered her    
name ,mary4#b  ,my dear sister1 my      
daughter1 it is our ,lord in the        
clothing of a gardener whom you meet    
every day in one place or another1 and  
in the various mortifications which     
present themselves to you4  ,you wish   
,he would offer you grander             
mortifications4 ,oh6 my ,god6 the       
grandest are not the best4 ,do you not  
believe that ,he says to you also ,mary1
 ,mary8 ,ah6 before you see ,him in ,his
 glory1 ,he wishes to plant in your     
garden many flowers1 small and lowly    
indeed1 but such as ,he loves4 ,that is 
why ,he wears a gardener's dress4  ,may 
our hearts be for ever united to ,his   
,heart1 and our wills to ,his good      
pleasure4  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm l4 #d4  
,footnote #b3 ,john xx4 #af4   ,,upon   
,,the ,,power ,,of ,,gentleness ,,and   
,,patience4  ,an ecclesiastic in        
,blessed ,francis' diocese1 had1 because
 of his vicious and scandalous life1    
been sent to prison4 ,after a few days' 

sojourn there he testified the deepest  
repentance1 and with tears and promises 
of amendment entreated the officers of  
the prison to allow him to be taken to  
the ,holy ,prelate1 who had already     
pardoned many of his offences1 that he  
might at his feet plead again for       
forgiveness4  ,this request was at first
 refused1 as the officers considered    
that his scandalous life deserved       
punishment1 if only as an example to    
others1 and they knew that with ,blessed
 ,francis1 to see a sinner was to pity  
and forgive him4  ,at last1 however1    
they yielded to the priest's passionate 
entreaties1 and he was taken before his 
,bishop4 ,throwing himself on his knees 
before the ,holy ,man1 he implored      
mercy1 declaring that he would lead a   
new life1 and set an example of all that
 was edifying1 whereas before he had    
given nothing but scandal4 ,blessed     
,francis on his part knelt down before  
the culprit1 and with many tears1       
addressed these remarkable words to him2

 ,i1 too1 he said1 ask you to have pity 
upon me1 and upon all of us who are     
priests in this diocese1 upon the       
,church1 and upon the ,catholic1        
,apostolic1 and ,roman religion1 the    
honour of which you are ruining by your 
scandalous life4 ,for that life gives   
occasion to the adversaries of our      
,faith1 who are always on the watch like
 dragons to detect our slightest        
failings1 to condemn us4 ,for a priest  
to sin1 ,i tell you1 is to give occasion
 to devils to mock at the lives of our  
clergy1 and to blaspheme our ,holy      
,faith1 ,i ask you also to have pity on 
yourself1 and on your own soul which you
 are losing for all eternity1 and to    
seek anew ,god's favour1 ,i exhort you  
in the name of ,jesus ,christ to return 
to ,god by a true repentance1 ,i conjure
 you to do this by all that is most     
holy1 and sacred in ,heaven1 or on      
earth1 by the ,blood of ,jesus ,christ  
which you profane1 by the               
loving-kindness of the ,saviour1 whom   

you crucify afresh1 by the ,spirit of   
,grace against whom you are rebelling4  
,these remonstrances1 or rather the     
,spirit of ,god speaking by the mouth of
 this zealous ,pastor1 had such effect  
that the guilty man was by this change  
of the ,right ,hand of the ,most ,high  
converted into a perfectly different    
being1 and became as notable an example 
of virtue as he had been an occasion of 
scandal4  ,again--,there was in his     
diocese a certain ecclesiastic who for  
very grave faults1 and for the scandal  
occasioned by them1 was not only        
imprisoned and treated while in prison  
with the greatest severity1 but         
moreover1 after regaining his liberty1  
remained for six months suspended from  
all ecclesiastical functions4  ,our     
,blessed ,father most unwillingly       
yielded to the entreaties of the        
officers of justice not in any way to   
interfere in the matter1 but to let the 
law take its course1 and to leave the   
offender in their hands to be treated   

with exceptional rigour4  ,so little1   
however1 did this mode of dealing with  
the criminal answer1 that1 though while 
in prison he had been tractable1 humble1
 lavish of promises of amendment1 and   
apparently penitent1 when once he had   
shaken off his fetters he relapsed into 
all his old evil habits1 and passed from
 bad to worse4 ,the authorities were in 
fine constrained to deprive him of his  
benefice1 and to banish him from the    
diocese4  ,a few years later a very     
similar case occurred in which the      
officers showed the same unwillingness  
to permit the intervention of ,blessed  
,francis1 and this from no want of      
respect or love for him1 but1 as before1
 from a fear lest his gentleness and    
charity should hinder the course of     
justice4  ,in this case1 however1 the   
holy ,bishop was firm4 ,if1 he said1 you
 forbid him to appear before me1 you    
will not forbid me to appear before him4
 ,you do not wish him to come out of    
prison1 suffer me then to go to prison  

with him1 and to be the companion of his
 captivity4 ,we must comfort this poor  
brother1 who entreats us for help4 ,i   
promise you that he shall not leave the 
prison except with your leave4          
,accompanied by the officers of justice 
he then proceeded to the prison4 ,no    
sooner did he see the poor man kneeling 
humbly before his ,bishop1 and accusing 
himself of his sins1 than the holy      
,prelate embraced him tenderly1 and     
turning to his gaolers said3 ,is it     
possible that you do not see that ,god  
has already pardoned this man8 ,is there
 any condemnation for one who is in     
,christ ,jesus8 ,if ,god justifies him1 
who shall condemn him8 ,certainly not   
,i4  ,then1 turning to the culprit1 he  
said3 ,go in peace1 my brother1 and sin 
no more1 ,i know that you are truly     
penitent4  ,the officials protested that
 the man was a hypocrite1 and like that 
other suspended priest would himself    
soon show that they were right4 ,it is1 
however1 possible1 replied the ,saint1  

that had you treated that other priest  
with lenity1 he1 too1 would have truly  
repented2 beware1 then1 lest his soul   
should one day be required at your      
hands4 ,for my part1 if you will accept 
me as this man's bail1 ,i am ready to   
pledge my word for his good behaviour4  
,i am certain that he is sincerely      
repentant1 and even if he is deceiving  
me1 he will do more injury to himself   
than to me1 or others4  ,the guilty man1
 bursting into tears1 declared himself  
willing to undergo any penance that     
might be imposed upon him1 and even to  
give up his benefice of his own accord1 
if the ,bishop should judge this to be  
the proper course4  ,i should be much   
grieved if you were to take that step1  
replied ,blessed ,francis1 the more so  
as ,i hope that1 just as the steeple in 
falling crushed the church1 so now being
 set up again it will make it more      
beautiful than before4  ,the officials  
gave way1 the prison doors were thrown  
open1 and after a month's suspension1 a 

divinis1 the penitent resumed all the   
duties of his sacred office4            
,thenceforth he lived so holy and       
exemplary a life as fully to verify the 
predictions of his holy ,bishop1 who1   
when these two memorable instances1 one 
of perversion and the other of          
conversion1 were once afterwards        
discussed before him1 said3 ,it is      
better by gentleness to make penitents  
than by severity to make hypocrites4  ,i
 will now relate some other instances of
 ,blessed ,francis' extraordinary       
gentleness and of its softening effect  
upon others4  ,he had made himself      
surety for a considerable sum of money  
for one of his friends1 who1 at the time
 when payment was due1 happened to be in
 ,piedmont levying troops for the       
service of ,his ,highness the ,duke of  
,savoy4  ,the creditor becoming         
impatient for the discharge of the debt1
 applied to the good ,bishop1 and       
insisted upon his making the money good1
 paying no attention whatever either to 

his gentle remonstrances1 or to his     
assurances that the debtor1 though      
unable at present to leave his troops1  
would do so as soon as was consistent   
with his duty to his ,prince and his    
country1 and that meantime his regular  
payment of the interest1 and the        
knowledge that he was worth a hundred   
times more than the sum owing1 ought    
surely to satisfy the creditor4         
,blessed ,francis remained perfectly    
calm and unmoved amid the storm of      
invectives and reproaches that followed 
this remonstrance1 and which were       
accompanied by furious demands          
reiterated again and again1 that he     
himself as surety should repay the      
money4  ,at last1 speaking with         
incredible gentleness1 the ,saint said3 
,son1 ,i am your ,pastor4 ,can you as   
one of my flock1 have the heart to take 
the bread out of my mouth in place of   
helping to feed me8 ,you know that ,i am
 much straitened in circumstances1 and  
have really only barely enough for my   

maintenance4 ,i have never had in my    
possession the sum which you demand of  
me1 but for which1 out of charity1 ,i   
made myself surety3 do you wish to seize
 for it my goods1 rather than those of  
the real debtor8 ,well1 if so1 ,i have  
some patrimony4 ,i give it up to you3   
there is my furniture4 ,turn it all out 
into the public square1 and sell it4 ,i 
put myself absolutely into your hands to
 do as you please4 ,i only ask of you to
 love me for ,god's sake1 and not to    
offend ,him in any way by anger1 hatred1
 or scandal4 ,if you will do this ,i am 
content4  ,the only reply to this was a 
fresh outburst of furious invectives and
 accusations1 to which our ,blessed     
,father replied with unalterable        
serenity3 ,sir1 since my indiscretion in
 making myself surety for my friend is  
the cause of your anger1 ,i will with   
all the haste possible do what ,i can to
 satisfy you4 ,at the same time1 ,i wish
 you to know that had you plucked out   
one of my eyes1 ,i would have looked as 

affectionately at you with the other1 as
 at the dearest friend ,i have in the   
world4  ,the creditor retired1 covered  
indeed with confusion1 but still        
muttering injurious words1 and calling  
the holy ,bishop a hypocrite1 a bigot1  
and the like4 ,blessed ,francis         
immediately sent an account of the      
affair to the real debtor1 who came as  
quickly as was possible and at once     
discharged the debt4 ,the creditor1 full
 of shame and repentance1 hastened to   
ask pardon of our ,blessed ,father1 and 
he1 receiving the prodigal with open    
arms1 treated him ever afterwards with  
special tenderness1 calling him his     
friend regained4  ,again1 when he was in
 ,paris in #afai1 having gone there with
 the ,cardinal of ,savoy1 who wished to 
be present at the marriage of his       
brother1 the ,prince of ,piedmont1 with 
,madame ,christine of ,france1 the      
,king's sister1 our ,blessed ,father was
 told that a man of tolerably good      
position professing the so-called       

,reformed ,religion wished to see him4  
,introduced into the ,bishop's          
apartment1 the ,protestant1 without the 
smallest sign of reverence1 or even     
courtesy1 addressed him in these words3 
,are you what they call the ,bishop of  
,geneva8  ,sir1 replied our holy        
,prelate1 that is my title1 though in   
that city ,i am not so much in request  
as ,i am in the other parts of the      
diocese committed to my charge4  ,well1 
,i should just like to know from you1   
who are regarded everywhere as an       
apostolic man1 whether the ,apostles    
were in the habit of going about in     
carriages8  ,our ,blessed ,father1 in   
telling me this story1 owned that he was
 somewhat taken aback by the suddenness 
of this attack6 ,collecting his         
thoughts1 however1 and remembering the  
case of ,st4 ,philip the ,deacon1 who1  
though not the ,apostle of that name1   
was undoubtedly an apostolic man1 and   
who went up into the chariot of ,queen  
,candace's eunuch1 he answered quietly  

that they did so when convenience       
required it1 and the occasion for doing 
so presented itself4  ,i should be very 
glad1 replied the man1 scornfully1 if   
you could show me that in ,scripture4   
,the ,bishop quoted the instance to     
which we have just referred4 ,his       
opponent1 not noticing the fact of this 
not being ,st4 ,philip the ,apostle1    
retorted1 ,but this carriage was not his
 own1 it belonged to the eunuch1 who    
invited him to come up into it1 ,i never
 told you1 answered ,francis1 that the  
carriage was his own4 ,i only said that 
when the occasion presented itself the  
first preachers of the ,gospel rode in  
carriages4 ,but not in gilded coaches   
such as yours1 sir1 returned the        
,protestant1 nor drawn by such splendid 
horses1 nor driven by a coachman in such
 superb livery4 ,why1 the ,king himself 
has nothing better6 ,this is what ,i    
complain of2 and this it is in you which
 scandalizes me4 ,and you1 above all1   
who play the ,saint1 and whom the       

papists look upon as such4 ,fine        
,saints1 forsooth1 who go to ,paradise  
so much at their ease6  ,blessed        
,francis1 seeing at once where the shoe 
pinched1 answered gently1 ,alas1 sir1   
the people of ,geneva who have seized   
upon the property belonging to my ,see  
have cut me down so close as regards    
money that ,i have barely enough to live
 upon in the most frugal way4 ,as to a  
carriage1 ,i have never had one1 nor    
money enough to buy one4 ,then that     
splendid carriage1 which is1 so to      
speak1 regal1 in which ,i see you every 
day driving about the city is not your  
own8 rejoined the antagonist4 ,certainly
 not1 replied the ,bishop1 and you are  
quite right in calling it regal1 for it 
belongs to ,his ,majesty1 and is one of 
those set apart by him for people who1  
like myself1 are mere attendants of the 
,princes of ,savoy4 ,the royal livery   
worn by the servants ought to have shown
 you this6 ,now1 indeed1 said the       
,protestant1 ,i am satisfied1 and ,i    

esteem you4 ,i see that you are in the  
right1 and that1 notwithstanding1 you   
are humble4 ,after some further remarks 
he put some questions as to the birth   
and manner of life of the ,saint1 and   
was so perfectly contented with his     
replies that he quitted him with        
expressions of esteem and affection1 and
 ever afterwards held him in the highest
 respect4  ,again1 preaching during an  
,advent and ,lent at ,grenoble1 not only
 a great concourse of ,catholics flocked
 to hear him1 but also such numbers of  
,protestants of the ,geneva following   
that their ministers became alarmed and 
held meetings to decide what measures   
should be taken to avert a storm1 which 
threatened desolation to their          
strongholds and was fast emptying their 
conventicles4 ,they decided at last on a
 personal conflict with their opponent1 
choosing one of their most furious      
pastors1 a man of violent temper and    
bitter tongue1 to argue with ,blessed   
,francis1 and1 as they expected1 to     

worst him in a controversy4 ,the holy   
,bishop1 who had already had much       
practice and success in this kind of    
warfare at ,thonon1 ,ternier1 and       
,gaillard1 the bailiwicks of his diocese
 which he had brought back into the     
bosom of the ,true ,church1 cheerfully  
agreed to the proposal4 ,in answer to   
the remonstrances of his friends1 and   
especially of one gentleman of ,belley1 
a man of the greatest probity and piety1
 who painted the ,protestant ministers  
in the blackest colours1 and told the   
,bishop that insults would literally be 
heaped upon him1 he replied1 ,well1 that
 is exactly what we want2 this contempt 
is just what ,i ask4 ,for how great is  
the glory to ,himself that ,god will    
derive from my confusion6 ,on his       
friends reminding him that he would be  
exposing his sacred office to derision1 
,what of that8 replied the ,bishop1 did 
not our ,saviour suffer shame for       
us--were not insults heaped upon ,him8  
,oh1 said the other1 you aim too high4  

,to tell you the truth1 said our ,saint1
 ,i am hoping that ,god will give me the
 grace to endure insults without end1   
for when we are finely humbled ,he will 
be gloriously exalted4 ,you will see    
conversion upon conversion following the
 train of this affair1 a thousand       
falling on the left hand and ten        
thousand on the right1 ,god is wont at  
all times to make our infamy redound to 
,his honour4 ,did not the ,apostles come
 forth rejoicing from those assemblies  
in which they had suffered contumely for
 the name of ,jesus8 ,take courage1 ,god
 will help us2 those who hope in ,him   
never lack any good thing and are never 
confounded4  ,was it possible to carry  
patience further than this8 ,doubtless1 
had the meeting taken place1 the        
envenomed darts of heresy would have    
glanced aside from the spotless1 shining
 shield of ,faith carried by ,blessed   
,francis1 but the devil1 fearing to be  
worsted in the fight1 suggested so many 
prudent reasons to the ,protestant      

,minister's friends1 who1 in reality1   
had their doubts about both his virtue  
and his capacity for conducting the     
conference that they got it forbidden by
 the ,lieutenant of the ,king1 though   
himself at that time a heretic4         
,another striking example of patience4  
,a person of some influence and         
consideration once applied to ,blessed  
,francis asking him to obtain an        
ecclesiastical preferment for a certain 
,priest4 ,the ,bishop replied that in   
the matter of conferring benefices he   
had1 of his free will1 tied his own     
hands1 having left the choosing of      
fitting subjects to the decision of a   
board of examiners1 who were to         
recommend the person to be appointed    
after due examination of the merits and 
talents of the candidates4 ,as for      
himself1 he said1 he simply presided    
over the meeting4 ,should1 however1 the 
gentleman's friend present himself as a 
candidate1 he1 the ,bishop1 would       
promise to bear the recommendation in   

mind4 ,the petitioner felt piqued at    
this answer1 and quite losing his       
temper1 replied to the ,bishop in the   
most disrespectful and even insulting   
manner4 ,the gentle firmness with which 
his anger was met only infuriated him   
the more1 and he eventually lost all    
command over himself4 ,it was in vain   
that the ,bishop tried to soothe him by 
proposing to examine the claimant       
privately4 ,this had no effect4  ,the   
,saint then said gently but gravely3 ,do
 you then wish me to give the charge of 
my sheep blindfolded and to the first   
comer8 ,ask yourself if there is        
reasonableness in such a request as you 
are making8  ,but not even this appeal  
to his reason turned the flood of the   
man's wrath1 and he quitted the         
,bishop's presence in a passion of      
disrespect impossible to describe4 ,a   
most excellent ,priest who had been in  
the room all through the interview asked
 the ,bishop1 after the departure of his
 impudent visitor1 how he could bear    

such treatment with the patience he     
showed4 ,well1 he answered1 it was not  
he himself that spoke1 it was his       
passion4 ,after all he is one of my best
 friends1 and you will see that my      
silence on this occasion will only make 
our friendship the stronger4  ,more than
 this4 ,has not ,god from all eternity  
foreseen that these insults would be    
offered to me to-day1 and foreseen1 too1
 that ,he would bestow on me such grace 
as would enable me to bear them         
joyfully8 ,should ,i not drain the      
chalice held to my lips by the hands of 
so loving a ,father8 ,oh6 how sweet is  
this inebriating cup1 offered to me by a
 hand which from my infancy ,i have     
learnt to adore4 ,but1 returned the     
,priest1 were not your feelings stirred 
at all by this treatment8  ,well1       
replied the ,bishop1 ,i tried to        
overcome them by fixing my thoughts on  
the good qualities of the man whose     
friendship ,i have so long and so       
happily enjoyed4 ,then1 too1 ,i hope    

that when this storm in a tea-cup has   
subsided and the clouds of passion have 
lifted1 my friend will come back to me  
with peace in his heart and serenity on 
his countenance4  ,nor was the ,saint's 
expectation disappointed4 ,his friend   
did come back1 and with many tears      
begged his forgiveness2 a forgiveness   
which was1 you may be sure1 granted so  
fully and with such loving readiness as 
to increase the fervour and sincerity of
 their old and mutual affection4   ,a   
,,rejoinder ,,both ,,striking ,,and     
,,instructive4  ,in the course of his   
long mission in the ,chablais1 he one   
day preached on that text which commands
 us to offer the right cheek to him who 
smites us on the left4 ,as he came down 
from the pulpit he was accosted by a    
,protestant who asked him if he felt    
that he could practise what he had just 
preached1 or whether he was not rather  
one of those who preach but do not      
practise4  ,the ,saint replied3 ,my dear
 brother1 ,i am but a weak man and beset

 by infirmities4 ,at the same time1     
miserable though ,i feel myself to be1  
,god teaches me what ,i ought to do4 ,i 
cannot tell you what ,i should actually 
do1 because though the spirit is        
willing1 the flesh is weak4 ,at the same
 time we know1 that while without grace 
we can do nothing1 with its aid we can  
do everything2 a reed in the hand of    
grace becomes a mighty staff that cannot
 be broken4 ,if we are told to be       
willing to give our life itself in      
defence of our faith1 how much more does
 it behove us to endure some small      
affront for the maintenance of charity6 
,moreover1 were ,i to be such a recreant
 to the grace of ,god as not to bear an 
insult of this kind patiently1 let me   
remind you that the same ,gospel which  
reproves those who preach but do not    
practise1 warns us against following the
 example of such teachers1 though it    
bids us do what they tell us to do4     
,yet1 resumed the other1 our ,saviour   
never presented the other cheek to the  

servant of the ,high ,priest who struck 
,him2 on the contrary ,he resented the  
act4  ,what6 cried the holy ,bishop1 you
 place our ,lord on a level with those  
who preach but do not practise6 ,that is
 blasphemy6 ,as for us1 we entertain    
more reverent feelings towards that     
,model of all perfection4 ,it is not for
 us to comment on the actions of ,him   
who1 as we firmly believe1 could not act
 otherwise than most perfectly4 ,neither
 is it for us to dare to say3 ',why hast
 ,thou done thus8' ,yet we may well     
remember ,his zeal for the salvation of 
that impious man's soul1 and the        
remonstrances which ,he deigned to use  
in order to bring him to repentance4    
,nay1 did ,he not offer not only ,his   
cheek to the smiter1 but ,his whole     
sacred ,body to the cruel scourging     
which covered ,him with wounds from     
,head to ,foot8   ,,blessed ,,francis'  
,,favourite ,,beatitude4  ,he was once  
asked which1 in his opinion1 was the    
most perfect of the eight ,beatitudes4  

,it was thought that he would answer3   
,the second1 ,blessed are the meek1 but 
it was not so2 he gave the preference to
 the eighth3 ,blessed are they that     
suffer for justice' sake4 ,he explained 
his preference by saying that the life  
of those who are persecuted for justice'
 sake is hidden in ,god with ,jesus     
,christ1 and becomes conformable to ,his
 image2 for was not ,he persecuted all  
through ,his earthly life for justice'  
sake1 although ,he fulfilled it in all  
its perfection8 ,such persons are1 as it
 were1 shrouded by the veil which hides 
the countenance of ,god4 ,they appear   
sinful1 but they are just2 dead1 but    
they live2 fools1 but they are wise2 in 
a word1 though despised in the sight of 
men1 they are dear to ,god with whom    
they live for ever4  ,should ,god have  
given me one particle of justice1       
enabling me thereby to do some little   
good1 it would be my wish that in the   
,day of ,judgment1 when all secrets are 
revealed1 ,god alone should know my     

righteousness1 and that my sinful       
actions should be proclaimed to all     
creatures4   ,,his ,,gravity ,,and      
,,affability4  ,grace produced in him   
that wonderful and perfectly harmonious 
blending of gravity and affability1     
which was perhaps his most              
distinguishing characteristic4 ,there   
was in his whole demeanour and in the   
very expression of his face a lofty and 
dignified beauty which inspired         
reverence and even a sort of fear--that 
is1 such fear as engenders respect and  
makes any undue familiarity impossible4 
,yet1 at the same time he displayed such
 sweetness and gentleness as to         
encourage all who approached him4 ,no   
one1 however conscious of his own want  
of attractiveness1 feared a repulse from
 the holy ,bishop1 and all1 feeling sure
 of a welcome1 were only eager to please
 and satisfy him4  ,for my own part ,i  
must confess that when ,i succeeded in  
doing anything which he was able to     
praise1 and which consequently gave him 

pleasure1 ,i was so happy and elated    
that ,i felt as if ,i were raised to the
 seventh heaven6 ,indeed1 had he not    
taught me to refer everything to ,god1  
many of my actions would1 ,i fear1 have 
stopped half-way thither4 ,people of    
high standing in society1 accustomed    
even to come into close contact with    
royalty itself1 have assured me that1 in
 the presence of our ,saint1 they felt a
 subtle influence guarding1 restraining1
 elevating them as no other             
companionship1 however noble and        
distinguished1 could ever do4 ,it was as
 though in him they saw some reflection 
of the all-penetrating intelligence of  
,god ,himself1 lighting up the inmost   
recesses of their heart1 and laying bare
 its mysteries4  ,yet his affability was
 no less marvellous1 making itself felt 
the instant you came in contact with    
him4 ,it was not like a quality or grace
 acquired2 it was not in any way apart  
from his own personality1 it was as if  
he were affability personified4 ,hence  

that power of winning over others1 of   
making himself all things to all men1 of
 gaining the support of so many in his  
plans and schemes1 all of which had but 
one aim and object1 namely1 the increase
 of the glory of ,god and the promotion 
of the salvation of souls4   ,,how      
,,blessed ,,francis ,,dealt ,,with ,a   
,,criminal ,,who ,,despaired ,,of       
,,salvation4  ,he was once asked to     
visit in prison a poor criminal already 
condemned to death1 but who could not be
 induced to make his confession4 ,the   
unhappy man had committed crimes so     
terrible that he despaired of the       
forgiveness even of ,god1 and having    
often during his lifetime met death face
 to face in battle and in duels1 he     
appeared to be quite ready again to meet
 it boldly2 nay1 so hardened was he by  
the devil that he even spoke calmly of  
hell1 as of the abode destined for him  
for eternity4  ,our ,blessed ,father    
finding him in this frame of mind1 and  
altogether cold1 hard1 and reckless1    

proclaiming himself the prey of ,satan  
and a victim prepared for hell1 thus    
addressed him3 ,my brother1 would you   
not rather be the prey of ,god and a    
victim of the ,cross of ,jesus ,christ8 
,what1 cried the criminal1 do you think 
that ,god would have anything to do with
 a victim as repulsive as ,i am8  ,oh1  
,god6 was the silent prayer of ,blessed 
,francis1 remember ,thine ancient       
mercies and the promise which ,thou hast
 made never to quench utterly the       
smoking flax nor wholly to break the    
bruised reed4 ,thou who wiliest not the 
death of the sinner1 but rather that he 
should be converted and live1 make happy
 the last moments of this poor soul4    
,then he spoke aloud replying to the    
despairing words of the poor wretch1    
for1 horrifying though they were1 they  
had proved to the skilled workman that  
there was something left to work upon1  
that faith in ,god was not yet wholly   
dead in that poor heart4 ,at any rate1  
would you not rather abandon yourself to

 ,god than to the evil one8 ,most       
assuredly1 replied the criminal1 but it 
is a likely thing indeed that' ,god     
would have anything to do with a man    
like me6 ,it was for men like you1      
returned the ,bishop1 that the ,eternal 
,father sent ,his ,son into the world1  
nay for worse than you1 even for ,judas 
and for the miscreants who crucified    
,him4 ,jesus ,christ came to save not   
the just1 but sinners4  ,but1 cried the 
other1 can you assure me that it would  
not be presumption on my part to have   
recourse to ,his mercy8 ,it would be    
great presumption1 replied our ,saint1  
to think that ,his mercy was not        
infinite1 far above all sins not only   
possible but conceivable1 and that ,his 
redemption was not so plentiful1 but    
that it could make grace superabound    
where sin had poured forth a flood of   
evils4 ,on the contrary1 ,his mercy1    
which is over all ,his works1 and which 
always overrides ,his justice1 becomes  
so much the greater the greater the     

mountain of our sins4  ,upon that very  
mountain he sets up the throne of ,his  
mercy4 ,with words such as these1       
kindling1 or rather re-animating the    
spark of faith not yet wholly dead in   
the soul of the wretched man1 he        
relighted the flame of hope1 which up to
 that moment was quite extinguished1 and
 little by little softened and tamed the
 man's natural temper1 rendered savage  
by despair4 ,he led him on at last to   
resignation1 and persuaded him to cast  
himself into the arms of ,god for death 
and for life2 to deal with him according
 to ,his own good pleasure1 for his     
whole future in this world1 or in the   
next4  ,but ,he will damn me1 said the  
man1 for ,he is just4 ,no1 ,he will     
pardon you1 replied ,blessed ,francis1  
if you cry to ,him for mercy1 for ,he is
 merciful and has promised forgiveness  
to whoever implores it of ,him with a   
humble and contrite heart4 ,well1       
replied the criminal1 let ,him damn me  
if he pleases--,i am ,his4 ,he can do   

with me what the potter does with his   
clay4 ,nay1 replied the holy ,bishop1   
say rather with ,david1 ,i am ,thine1 ,o
 ,lord1 save me4 ,not to make the story 
too long1 ,i may tell you that the holy 
,bishop brought this man to confession1 
repentance1 and contrition1 and that he 
died with great constancy1 sincerely    
acknowledging his sins and abandoning   
himself entirely to the most holy will  
of ,god4 ,the last words which our      
,blessed ,father made him utter were    
these3 ,o ,jesus1 ,i give myself up to  
,thee--,i abandon myself wholly to      
,thee4   ,,upon ,,mortification4  ,it is
 far better to mortify the body through 
the spirit than the spirit through the  
body4 ,to deaden and beat down the body 
instead of trying to reduce the swelling
 of an inflated spirit is like pulling  
back a horse by its tail4 ,it is        
behaving like ,balaam1 who beat the ass 
which carried him1 instead of taking    
heed to the peril which threatened him  
and which the poor beast was            

miraculously warning him to avoid4  ,one
 of the three first ,postulants who     
entered the ,convent of the ,visitation1
 established by me at ,belley1 left it  
before taking the novices' habit being  
unable to understand how ,religious     
could be holy in an ,order in which she 
saw so few austerities practised4 ,she  
has since then1 however1 been disabused 
of her error1 and has repented of it4   
,at that time she was under the guidance
 of those who considered that holiness  
consisted in mortifications in respect  
of food and clothing3 as if the stings  
of the flesh cease to be felt when you  
no longer eat of it1 and as if you could
 not be temperate over partridges and   
gluttonous over cabbages4  ,our ,blessed
 ,father1 writing to a novice in one of 
his convents who was perplexed on this  
subject1 says3 ,the devil does not      
trouble himself much about us if1 while 
macerating our bodies1 we are at the    
same time doing our own will1 for he    
does not fear austerity but obedience4  

,what greater austerity can there be    
than to keep our will in subjection and 
,in continual obedience1 ,reassure      
yourself then1 ,o lover of voluntary    
penance1 if1 indeed1 the works of       
self-love deserve to be called penances6
 ,when you took the habit after many    
prayers and much consideration1 it was  
thought good that you should enter the  
school of obedience and renunciation of 
your own will rather than remain the    
sport of your own judgment and of       
yourself4  ,do not then let yourself be 
shaken1 but remain where our ,lord has  
placed you4 ,it is true that there you  
suffer great mortifications of heart1   
seeing yourself so imperfect and so     
deserving of reproof and correction1 but
 is not this the very thing you ought to
 seeks mortification of heart and a     
continual sense of your own misery8     
,yet1 you say1 you cannot do such       
penance as you would4 ,my dear daughter1
 tell me what better penance can be     
given to an erring heart than to bear a 

continual cross and to be always        
renouncing self-love8   ,,upon ,,the    
,,same ,,subject4  ,blessed ,francis was
 no great friend of unusual             
mortifications1 and did not wish them to
 be practised except in the pressing    
necessity of violent temptations4  ,in  
such cases it was his desire that those 
so assailed should try to repel force by
 force1 employing that holy violence    
which takes heaven by storm1 for1 as by 
cutting and burning health is restored  
to the body1 so also by these caustic   
remedies holiness is often preserved in 
the soul4  ,he used to say that to those
 who made all kinds of exterior         
austerities their custom1 the custom in 
time becomes a second nature2#a that    
those who had hardened their skin no    
longer felt any inconvenience from cold1
 from hard couches1 or coarse garments1 
and that when the flame of concupiscence
 kindled this dry wood they possessed no
 remedy which they could apply to       
extinguish the fire4  ,they are like the

 pagan king1 who had so accustomed      
himself to feed upon poison that when he
 wished to end his miseries with his    
life by taking it1 he was obliged to    
live on against his will1 and to serve  
as a sport to his enemies4  ,the devil  
cares very little about our body being  
laid low so long as he can hold on to us
 by the vices of the soul2 and so       
cunning is he that often out of bodily  
mortifications1 he extracts matter for  
vanity4  ,our holy ,bishop wrote as     
follows to a person who regretted that  
her health prevented her from continuing
 her accustomed austerities3  ,since you
 do not find yourself any longer able to
 practise corporal mortifications and   
the severities of penance1 and since it 
is not at all expedient that you should 
think of doing so1 on which point we are
 perfectly agreed1 keep your heart calm 
and recollected in the presence of its  
,saviour2 and as far as possible do what
 you may have to do solely to please    
,god1 and suffer whatever you may have  

to suffer according to ,his disposal of 
events in this life with the same       
intention4 ,thus ,god will possess you  
wholly and will graciously allow you to 
possess ,him one day eternally4  ,with  
regard to the various kinds of          
mortification1 that which is inward and 
hidden is far more excellent than that  
which is exterior1 the former not being 
compatible1 as is the latter1 with      
hypocrisy1 vanity1 or indiscretion4     
,again1 those mortifications which come 
upon us from without1 either directly   
from ,god or through men by ,his        
permission1 are always superior to those
 which depend upon our own choice and   
which are the offspring of our will4    
,many1 however1 find here a stumbling   
block1 being very eager to embrace      
mortifications suggested by their own   
inclinations1 which1 after all1 however 
apparently severe1 are really easy      
because they are what nature itself     
wants4  ,on the other hand1             
mortifications which come to them from  

without and through others1 however     
light they may be1 they find            
insupportable4 ,for example1 a person   
will eagerly make use of disciplines1   
hair-shirts1 and fasting1 and yet will  
be so tender of his reputation that if  
once in a way laughed at or spoken      
against1 he will become almost beside   
himself1 robbed of his rest and even    
sometimes of his reason2 and will       
perhaps in the end be driven to the most
 deplorable extremities4  ,another will 
throw himself with ardour into the      
practice of prayer1 penance1 silence1   
and such like devotions1 but will break 
out into a fury of impatience and       
complain indignantly and unrestrainedly 
at the loss of a law-suit1 or at the    
slightest damage done to his property4  
,another will give alms liberally and   
make magnificent foundations for the    
relief of the poor and sick1 but will   
groan and tremble with fear when himself
 threatened with infirmity or sickness1 
however slightly2 and upon experiencing 

the least possible bodily pain1 will    
give vent to interminable lamentations4 
,in proportion as people are more or    
less attached to honours1 gain1 or mere 
pleasures1 they bear with less or more  
patience the hindrances to them2 nor do 
the majority of men seriously consider  
that it is the hand of ,god which gives 
and which takes away1 which kills and   
which makes alive1 which exalts and     
which casts down1 as it pleases ,him4   
,in order to heal this spiritual malady 
in a certain person our ,blessed ,father
 wrote to her3 ,often and with all your 
heart kiss the crosses which ,god has   
laid upon your shoulders4 ,do not       
consider whether they are of precious   
and sweet-scented wood or not4 ,and1    
indeed1 they are more truly crosses when
 they are of coarse1 common1            
ill-smelling wood4 ,it is strange1 but  
one particular chant keeps ever coming  
back to my mind1 and it is the only one 
,i know4 ,it is the canticle of the     
divine ,lamb2 sad1 indeed1 but at the   

same time harmonious and                
beautiful--,father1 not my will1 but    
,thine be done4#b  ,footnote #a3 ,it is 
not to be inferred that ,saint ,francis 
countenanced self-indulgence4 ,he only  
wished to remove the idea common in his 
day1 that devotion must be accompanied  
by austerity4--,ed4 ,footnote #b3 ,luke 
xxii4 #db4   ,,upon ,,fasting4#a  ,one  
day when we were talking about that holy
 liberty of spirit of which he thought  
so highly1 as being one of the great    
aids to charity1 ,blessed ,francis told 
me the following anecdote1 which is a   
most practical illustration of his      
feelings on the subject4  ,he had been  
visited by a ,prelate1 whom1 with his   
accustomed hospitality and kindness1 he 
pressed to remain with him for several  
days4 ,when ,friday evening came1 our   
,blessed ,father went to the ,prelate's 
room inviting him to come to supper1    
which was quite ready4  ,supper6 cried  
his guest4 ,this is not a day for       
supper6 ,surely1 the least one can do is

 to fast once a week6 ,our holy ,bishop 
at once left him to do as he pleased1   
desiring the servants to take his       
collation to his room1 while he himself 
joined the chaplains of the ,prelate and
 his own household at the supper table4 
,the chaplains told him that this       
,prelate was so exact and punctilious in
 discharging all his religious          
exercises1 of prayer1 fasting1 and such 
like1 that he never abated one of them1 
whatever company he might have4 ,not    
that he refused to sit down to table    
with his visitors on fast days1 but that
 he ate nothing but what was permitted  
by the rule he had imposed on himself4  
,our ,blessed ,father1 after telling me 
this1 went on to say that condescension 
was the daughter of charity1 just as    
fasting is the sister of obedience2 and 
that where obedience did not impose the 
sacrifice1 he would have no difficulty  
in preferring condescension and         
hospitality to fasting4 ,the lives of   
the ,saints furnish frequent examples of

 this4 ,above all1 ,scripture assures   
us1 that by hospitality some have       
merited to receive ,angels2 from which  
declaration ,st4 ,paul takes occasion to
 exhort the faithful not to forget      
liberality and hospitality1 as          
sacrifices well pleasing to ,god4#b     
,remember1 he said1 that we must not be 
so deeply attached to our religious     
exercises1 however pious1 as not to be  
ready sometimes to give them up4 ,for1  
if we cling to them too tightly1 under  
the pretext of fidelity and             
steadfastness1 a subtle self-love will  
glide in among them1 making us forget   
the end in the means1 and then1 instead 
of pressing on1 nor resting till we rest
 in ,god ,himself1 we shall stop short  
at the means which lead to ,him4  ,as   
regards the occurrence of which ,i have 
been telling you1 one ,friday's fast1   
thus interrupted1 would have concealed  
many others2 and to conceal such virtues
 is no less a virtue than those which   
are so concealed4 ,god is a hidden ,god1

 who loves to be served1 prayed to1 and 
adored in secret1 as the ,gospel        
testifies4#c ,you know what happened to 
that unthinking king of ,israel1 who1   
for having displayed his treasures to   
the ambassadors of a barbarian prince1  
was deprived of them all1 when that same
 heathen king descended upon him with a 
powerful army4  ,the practice of the    
virtue of condescension or affability   
may often with profit be substituted for
 fasting4 ,i except1 however1 the case  
of a vow1 for in that we must be        
faithful even to death1 and care nothing
 about what men may say1 provided that  
,god is served4 ,they that please men   
have been confounded1 because ,god hath 
despised them4#d  ,he asked me one day  
if it was easy for me to fast4 ,i       
answered that it was perfectly easy1 as 
it was a rare thing for me to sit down  
to table with any appetite4 ,then1 he   
rejoined1 do not fast at all4 ,on my    
expressing great astonishment at these  
words1 and venturing to remind our      

,blessed ,father that it was a          
mortification1 strongly recommended to  
us by ,god ,himself4  ,yes1 he replied1 
but for those who have better appetites 
than you have4 ,do some other good work1
 and keep your body in subjection by    
some other mode of discipline4 ,he went 
on1 however1 to say that fasting was1   
indeed1 the greatest of all corporal    
austerities1 since it puts the axe to   
the root of the tree4 ,the others only  
touch the bark lightly2 they only scrape
 or prune it4 ,whereas when the body    
waxes fat it often kicks1 and from this 
sort of fatness sin is likely to        
proceed4  ,those who are naturally      
sober1 temperate1 and self-restrained   
have a great advantage over others in   
the matter of study and spiritual       
things4 ,they are like horses that have 
been well broken in1 horses which have a
 strong bridle1 holding them in to their
 duty4  ,he was no friend to immoderate 
fasting1 and never encouraged it in his 
penitents1 as we see in his             

,introduction to a ,devout ,life1 where 
he gives this reason against the        
practice3 ,when the body is over-fed1   
the mind cannot support its weight2 but 
when the body is weak and wasted4 ,it   
cannot support the mind4 ,he liked the  
one and the other to be dealt with in a 
well-balanced manner1 and said that ,god
 wished to be served with a reasonable  
service2 adding--that it was always easy
 to bring down and reduce the bodily    
forces1 but that it was not so easy a   
matter to build them up again when thus 
brought low4 ,it is easy to wound1 but  
not to heal4 ,the mind should treat the 
body as its child1 correcting without   
crushing it3 only when it revolts must  
it be treated as a rebellious subject1  
according to the words of the ,apostle3 
,i chastise my body and bring it into   
subjection4,footnote #e  ,footnote #a3  
,the ,saint is here speaking of fasts of
 devotion1 not of those of              
obligation4--,ed4 ,footnote #b3 ,heb4   
xiii4 #b1 #af4 ,footnote #c3 ,matt4 vi4 

#f4 ,footnote #d3 ,psalm lii4 #f4       
,footnote #e3 #a ,cor4 ix4 #bg4         
,,doubts ,,solved ,,as ,,to ,,soldiers  
,,fasting4  ,i was so young when called 
to the episcopate that ,i lived in a    
state of continual mistrust and         
uncertainty2 doubtful about this1       
scrupulous about that2 ignorance being  
the grandmother of scruples1 as servile 
fear is their mother4  ,at the time of  
which ,i am going to speak1 the         
residences of our ,blessed ,father and  
myself were only eight leagues apart1   
and in all my perplexities and          
difficulties ,i had recourse to his     
judgment and counsel4 ,i kept a little  
foot-boy in my service1 almost entirely 
employed in running to and fro between  
,belley and ,annecy1 carrying my letters
 to him and bringing back his replies4  
,these replies were to me absolute      
decrees2 nay1 ,i should rather say      
oracles1 so manifestly did ,god speak by
 the mouth and pen of that holy man4    
,on one occasion it happened that the   

captains of some troops--then stationed 
in garrison on the borders of ,savoy and
 ,france1 on account of a               
misunderstanding which had arisen       
between the two countries--came to me at
 the beginning of ,lent to ask          
permission for their men to eat eggs and
 cheese during that season4 ,this was a 
permission which ,i had never given     
except to the weak and sickly4 ,i       
learned from the men themselves that    
they were exceedingly robust and hearty1
 and only weak and reduced as regarded  
their purses1 their pay being so small  
that it barely supplied them with food4 
,nevertheless1 ,i did not consider this 
poor pay a sufficient reason for        
granting a dispensation1 especially in a
 district where ,lent is so strictly    
kept that the peasants are scandalized  
when told that on certain days they may 
eat butter4  ,in my difficulty ,i       
despatched a letter at once to our      
,blessed ,father1 whose reply was full  
of sweetness and kindness4 ,he said that

 he honoured the faith and piety of the 
good centurions1 who had presented this 
request1 which1 indeed1 deserved to be  
granted1 seeing that it edified1 not the
 ,synagogue1 but the ,church4 ,he added 
that ,i ought not only to grant it1 but 
to extend it1 and instead of eggs1 to   
permit them to eat oxen1 and instead of 
cheese1 the cows of whose milk it is    
made4  ,truly1 he went on to say1 you   
are a wise person to consult me as to   
what soldiers shall eat in ,lent1 as if 
the laws of war and necessity did not   
over-ride all others without exception6 
,is it not a great thing that these good
 men submit themselves to the ,church1  
and so defer to her as to ask her       
permission and blessing8 ,god grant that
 they may do nothing worse than eat     
eggs1 cheese1 or beef2 if they were     
guilty of nothing more heinous than     
that1 there would not be so many        
complaints against them4   ,,the        
,,golden ,,mean ,,in ,,dispensations4   
,it is quite true1 said our ,blessed    

,father1 on one occasion1 that there are
 certain matters in which we are meant  
to use our own judgment1 and in which1  
if we judge ourselves1 we shall not be  
chastised by ,god4 ,but there are others
 in which1 with the eye of our soul1    
that is1 with our judgment1 it is as    
with the eye of the body1 which sees all
 things excepting itself4 ,we need a    
mirror4 ,now1 this mirror1 as regards   
interior things1 is the person to whom  
we manifest our conscience1 and who is  
its judge in the place of ,god4  ,he    
went on to say that in the matter of    
granting dispensations to his flock1 he 
had told a certain ,prelate1 who had    
consulted him on the subject1 that the  
best rule to give to others1 or to take 
for oneself in such questions1 is to    
love one's neighbour as oneself1 and    
oneself as others1 in ,god and for ,god4
 ,if1 he continued1 addressing the      
,prelate1 you now take more trouble     
about granting these necessary          
dispensations to others than in getting 

them for yourself1 the time will come   
when you will be generous1 easy1 and    
indulgent towards others1 and severe and
 rigorous towards yourself4 ,perhaps you
 imagine that this second line of       
conduct is better than the other4 ,it is
 not1 and you will find the repose and  
peace of your soul only in the golden   
mean1 which is the one wholesome        
atmosphere for the nourishing of virtue4
   ,,upon ,,the ,,words1 ,,eat ,,of     
,,anything ,,that ,,is ,,set ,,before   
,,you4  ,our ,blessed ,father held in   
great esteem the ,gospel maxim1 ,eat    
such things as are set before you4#a ,he
 deemed it a much higher and stronger   
degree of mortification to accommodate  
the tastes and appetite to any food1    
whether pleasant or otherwise1 which may
 be offered1 than always to choose the  
most inferior and coarsest kinds4 ,for  
it not seldom happens that the greatest 
delicacies--or those at least which are 
esteemed to be such by epicures--are not
 to our taste1 and therefore to partake 

of them without showing the least sign  
of dislike is by no means so small a    
matter as may be thought4 ,it incommodes
 no one but the person who so mortifies 
himself1 and it is a little act of      
self-restraint so secret1 so securely   
hidden from others1 that the rest of the
 company imagine something quite        
different from the real truth4  ,he also
 considered that it was a species of    
incivility when seated at a meal to ask 
for some dish which was at the other end
 of the table1 instead of taking what   
was close at hand4 ,he said that such   
practices were evidence of a mind too   
keen about viands1 sauces1 and          
condiments2 too much absorbed in mere   
eating and drinking4 ,if1 he added1 this
 careful picking out of dishes is not   
done from greediness or gluttony1 but   
from a desire to choose the worst food1 
it smacks of affectation1 which is as   
inseparable from ostentation as smoke   
from fire4 ,the conduct of people who do
 this is not unlike that of guests who  

take the lowest seats at the table1 in  
order that they may1 with the greater   
clat1 be summoned to the higher places4 
,the following incident will show his   
own indifference4 ,one day poached eggs 
were served to him1 and when he had     
eaten them1 he continued to dip his     
bread in the water in which they had    
been cooked1 apparently without noticing
 what he was doing4 ,the guests were all
 smiling4 ,upon discovering the cause of
 their amusement1 he told them it was   
too bad of them to undeceive him1 as he 
was taking the sauce with much relish1  
verifying the proverb that ,hunger is   
the best sauce6  ,footnote #a3 ,luc4 x4 
#h4   ,,upon ,,the ,,state ,,of         
,,perfection4  ,the degree of perfection
 to which our ,blessed ,father brought  
his ,religious he makes manifest to us  
in one of his letters4  ,do you know1 he
 says1 what the cloister is8 ,it is the 
school of exact correction1 in which    
each individual soul must learn the     
lesson of allowing itself to be so      

disciplined1 planed1 and polished that  
at length1 being quite smooth and even1 
it may be fit to be joined1 united1 and 
absolutely assimilated with the ,will of
 ,god4  ,to wish to be corrected is an  
evident sign of perfection1 for the     
principal point of humility is realizing
 our need of it4  ,a convent is a       
hospital for the spiritually sick4 ,the 
sick wish to be cured1 and1 therefore1  
they willingly submit to be lanced1     
probed1 cut1 cauterized1 and subjected  
to any and every pain and discomfort    
which medicine or surgery may suggest4  
,in the early days of the ,church1      
religious were called by a name which   
signifies healers4 ,oh6 my daughter1 be 
truly your own healer1 and pay no heed  
to what self-love may whisper to the    
contrary4 ,say to yourself1 since ,i do 
not wish to die spiritually1 ,i will be 
healed1 and in order to be healed ,i    
will submit to treatment and correction1
 and ,i will entreat the doctors to     
spare me nothing which may be required  

to effect my cure4   ,,marks ,,of       
,,progress ,,in ,,perfection4  ,our     
,blessed ,father1 who did not like      
people to be too introspective and      
self-tormenting1 said that they should1 
however1 walk as it is written of the   
,maccabees1 ,caute et ordinate2#a that  
is1 with circumspection and order1 or1  
to use a common expression1 bridle in   
hand4 ,and one of the best proofs of our
 advancement in virtue is1 he said1 a   
love of correction and reproof2 for it  
is a sign of a good digestion easily to 
assimilate tough and coarse food4 ,in   
the same way it is a mark of spiritual  
health and inward vigour to be able to  
say with the ,psalmist1 ,the just man   
shall correct me in mercy and shall     
reprove me4#b  ,it is a great proof of  
our hating vice1 and of the faults which
 we commit1 proceeding rather from      
inadvertence and frailty1 than from     
malice and deliberate intention1 that we
 welcome the warnings which make us     
think on our ways1 and turn back our    

feet 7that is to say1 our affections7   
into the testimonies of ,god1 by which  
is meant the divine law4  ,an old       
philosopher said that to want to get    
well is part of the sick man's cure4    
,the desire to keep well is a sign of   
health4 ,he who loves correction        
necessarily desires the virtue contrary 
to the fault for which he is reproved1  
and therefore profits by the warnings   
given him to escape the vice from which 
his fault proceeded4  ,a sick person who
 is really anxious to recover his health
 takes without hesitation the remedies  
prescribed by the physician1 however    
sharp1 bitter1 and painful they may be4 
,he who aims at perfection1 which is the
 full health1 and true holiness of the  
soul1 finds nothing difficult that helps
 him to arrive at that end4 ,justice and
 judgment1 that is to say correction1   
establish in him the seat of perfect    
wisdom4 ,in a word1 better are the      
wounds of a friend 7like those of a     
surgeon who probes only to heal7 than   

the deceitful kisses of a flatterer1 an 
enemy4#c  ,footnote #a3 #a ,mach4 vi4   
#d4 ,footnote #b3 ,psalm cxl4 #e4       
,footnote #c3 ,prov4 xxvii4 #f4   ,,upon
 ,,the ,,perfection ,,aimed ,,at ,,in   
,,religious ,,houses4  ,our ,blessed    
,father was speaking to me one day on   
the subject of exterior perfection1 and 
on the discontent expressed by certain  
,religions1 who1 in their particular    
order1 had not found the strictness and 
severity of rule they desired4 ,he said3
 ,these good people seem to me to be    
knocking their heads against a stone    
wall4 ,christian perfection does not    
consist in eating fish1 wearing serge1  
sleeping on straw1 stripping oneself of 
one's possessions1 keeping strict       
vigils1 and such like austerities4 ,for1
 were this so1 pagans would be the more 
perfect than ,christians1 since many of 
them voluntarily sleep on the bare      
ground1 do not eat a morsel of meat     
throughout the whole year1 are ragged1  
naked1 shivering1 living for the most   

part only on bread and water1 and on    
that bread of suffering1 too1 which is  
far harder and heavier than the blackest
 of crusts4 ,if perfection consisted in 
exterior observances such as these1 they
 would have to go back in perfection    
were they to enter even the most        
strictly reformed of our ,religious     
,houses1 for in none is a life led      
nearly so austere as theirs4  ,the      
question then is in what does the       
essential perfection of a ,christian    
life consist8 ,it must surely in the    
first place include the assiduous       
practice of charity1 for exterior       
mortifications without charity are of no
 account4 ,st4 ,paul1 we know1 reckons  
martyrdom itself as nothing1 unless     
quickened by charity4  ,i do not exactly
 know what standard of perfection they  
who insist so much upon exterior        
mortification wish to set up4  ,surely  
the greater or lesser degree of charity 
is the true measure of sanctity and the 
measure also of the excellence of       

religious rule4 ,now1 in what rule is   
charity1 the queen of the virtues1 more 
recommended that in that of ,st4        
,augustine8 which seems to be nothing   
but one long discourse on charity4      
,however1 it is not a question of       
comparing one rule with another1 it is  
rather of noticing which rule is as a   
matter of fact best observed4 ,for even 
had other rules1 in regard to the       
exterior perfectness of the life they   
prescribe1 every advantage over that of 
,st4 ,augustine1 who does not know that 
it is safer to enter a community in     
which a rule of less excellence is      
exactly observed1 rather than another   
where a higher kind of rule is preached 
but not kept8 ,of what use are laws if  
they are not observed8  ,the            
consequence1 in my opinion1 of the      
mistake made by those who put over-much 
stress on esteem of mortification1 is1  
that even ,religious get accustomed to  
make use in their judgments of those    
lying balances of which the ,psalmist   

speaks1#a and that the simple-minded are
 forced to trust to the guidance of     
blind leaders4 ,hence it has come to    
pass that true and essential perfection 
is not what the majority of people think
 it to be1 nor is it reached by the road
 along which the many travel4 ,may ,god 
have pity on us1 and bless us with the  
light of ,his countenance1 so that we   
may know ,his way upon the earth1 and   
may declare ,his salvation to all       
nations1 and may ,he turn aside from us 
in this our day1 that which ,he once    
threatened to those who thought         
themselves wise3 ,let them alone1 they  
are blind leaders of the blind4#a       
,footnote #a3 ,psalm lxi4 #aj4 ,footnote
 #b3 ,matt4 xv4 #ad4   ,,upon           
,,frugality4  ,the following notable    
example of frugality and economy was    
related to me by our ,blessed ,father   
himself4  ,monseigneur ,vespasian       
,grimaldi1 who was ,piedmontese by      
birth1 made a tolerably large fortune in
 ,france as an ecclesiastic1 during the 

regency of ,catherine de ,medicis4 ,he  
was raised to the dignity of ,archbishop
 of ,vienne in ,dauphin1 and held       
several other benefices which brought   
him in a large revenue4 ,having amassed 
all these riches at court1 his desire   
was to live there in great pomp and     
splendour1 but whether it was that ,god 
did not bless his designs1 or that he   
was too much addicted to extravagance   
and display1 certain it is that he was  
always in difficulties1 not only about  
money1 but even about his health4       
,weary at last of dragging on a life so 
troubled and so wretched1 he resolved to
 quit the court1 and to retire into a   
peaceful solitude4 ,he had often in past
 days remarked the extraordinary beauty 
of the banks of ,lake ,leman1 where     
nature seems to scatter her richest     
gifts with lavish hand1 and there he    
resolved to fix his abode in a district 
subject to his own sovereign1 the ,duke 
of ,savoy1 and settling down in that    
quiet spot to spend the remainder of his

 days in peace4 ,he selected for this   
purpose the little village and market   
town of ,evian1 so called because of the
 abundance and clearness of its lovely  
streams and fountains4 ,the little town 
is situated on the very margin of the   
lake1 and backed by an outlying stretch 
of country is as charming to1 the eye as
 it is rich and fertile4  ,there1 having
 given up his archbishopric and all his 
benefices1 reserving only to himself a  
pension of two thousand crowns1 he      
established a retreat into which he was 
accompanied by only three or four       
servants4  ,he was at this time         
sixty-five years old1 but weighed down  
by physical infirmities much more than  
by the burden of his years4 ,he had     
chosen this particular spot purposely   
because there was no approach to it from
 the high road1 and there was little    
fear of visits from that great world of 
which he was now so weary1 in the crush 
and tumult of which he had spent so     
large a portion of his life in          

consequence of his position at court4   
,another reason for his choosing ,evian 
was that the little township being in   
the diocese of ,geneva1 which is        
included in the province of ,vienne in  
,dauphin1 in settling there he was not  
leaving his own province4  ,living then 
in this calm retreat1 free from all     
bustle and all burdens of office1 with  
no show and state to keep up1 having    
nothing to attend to but the            
sanctification of his soul and the      
restoration of his bodily health1 a     
marvellous change was soon observed in  
him4 ,inward peace gave back to him     
health so vigorous and settled that     
those who had known him in the days of  
his infirmity declared him to be        
absolutely rejuvenated1 and truly he did
 feel in his soul a renewal of strength 
like that of the eagle4 ,this he        
attributed to exercises of the          
contemplative life to which he now      
devoted himself with fervour4  ,we see  
thus how true is the divine oracle which

 tells us that to those who seek first  
the ,kingdom of ,god and ,his justice   
all temporal things necessary shall be  
given1#a for ,god prospered this good   
,prelate in even his worldly affairs4   
,the small sum of money which he had    
reserved for himself1 and which he spent
 in the most frugal and judicious manner
 possible1 so increased that when he    
died at the age of a hundred and two or 
a hundred and three years1 he left      
behind him more than #f1jjj crowns4  ,by
 his will he ordered the whole to be    
distributed in benefactions and alms    
throughout the neighbourhood1 and in    
fact it relieved every necessitous      
person to be found round about4  ,it was
 this very ,mgr4 ,vespasian ,grimaldi   
who1 assisted by the ,bishops of        
,saint-,paul-,trois-,chteaux1 and of    
,damascus1 conferred episcopal          
consecration upon ,blessed ,francis in  
the ,church of ,thorens1 in the diocese 
of ,geneva1 on the feast of the         
,immaculate ,conception of ,our ,lady1  

,december #hth1 #afjb4  ,from this      
notable example we may easily gather3   
#a4 ,that for ,prelates the atmosphere  
of ,courts is not to be recommended4    
#b4 ,that it is favourable neither to   
the growth of holiness nor the          
maintenance of physical health4  #c4    
,that great fortunes entail great       
slavery and great anxieties4  #d4 ,a    
peaceful1 tranquil1 and hidden life1    
even from the point of view of common   
sense and of the dictates of nature1 is 
the happiest4  #e4 ,that much more is   
this so when looked at in the light of  
grace and of the soul's welfare4  #f4   
,that the old saying is quite true that 
there is no surer way to increase one's 
income than that of frugality and       
judicious economy4  #g4 ,that one never 
has money enough to meet all the claims 
of worldly show and vain ostentation4   
#h4 ,that he who lives in the style the 
world expects of him is never rich1     
while he who regulates his expenditure  
simply by his natural needs is never    

poor4  #i4 ,that almsdeeds is an        
investment which multiplies itself a    
hundredfold even in this present life   
and ensures the fruit of a blessed      
eternity in the next1 provided only they
 have been given in the love1 and for   
the love of ,god4  ,footnote #a3 ,matt4 
vi4 #cc4   ,,blessed ,,francis' ,,esteem
 ,,of ,,the ,,virtue ,,of ,,simplicity4 
,our ,blessed ,father had the highest   
possible esteem for the virtue of       
simplicity4 ,indeed1 my sisters1 you    
know what a prominent place he gives to 
it in his letters1 his ,spiritual       
,conferences1 and elsewhere4 ,whenever  
he met with an example of it he rejoiced
 and openly expressed his delight4 ,i   
will here give you one instance which he
 told me1 as it were exulting over it4  
,after having preached the ,advent and  
,lent at ,grenoble1 he paid a visit to  
,la ,grande ,chartreuse1 that centre of 
wonderful devotion and austerity1 the   
surroundings of which are so wild1      
solitary1 and almost terrible in their  

ruggedness1 that ,st4 ,bernard called it
 locus horroris et vast solitudinis4    
,at the time of his visit1 the ,prior   
,general of the whole ,order was ,dom   
,bruno d',affringues1 a native of ,st4  
,omer1 a man of profound learning and of
 still more profound humility and       
simplicity4 ,i knew him well1 and can   
bear witness to the beauty of his       
character1 which in its extreme         
sweetness and simplicity had something  
in it not of this earth4  ,he received  
,blessed ,francis on his arrival with   
his usual delightful courtesy and       
sincerity4 ,after having conducted him  
to a guest chamber suited to his rank1  
and having talked with him on many lofty
 and sublime subjects1 he suddenly      
remembered that it was some feast day of
 the ,order4 ,he therefore took leave of
 the ,bishop1 saying that he would      
gladly have stayed with him much longer1
 but that he knew his honoured guest    
would prefer obedience to everything    
else1 and that he must retire to his    

cell to prepare for ,matins1 it being   
the feast of one of their great ,saints4
  ,our ,saint approved highly of this   
exact observance of rule1 and they      
separated with mutual expressions of    
respect and regard4  ,on his way to his 
cell1 however1 the ,prior was met by the
 ,procurator of the ,monastery1 who     
asked him where he was going and where  
he had left his ,lordship1 the ,bishop  
of ,geneva4 ,i have left ,him1 the      
,prior answered1 in his own chamber1 and
 ,i took leave of him that ,i might go  
to our cell and be ready to say ,matins 
to-night in choir because of to-morrow's
 feast4 ,truly1 ,reverend ,father1 said 
the ,procurator1 you are well up in the 
ceremonies of the world indeed6 ,why1 it
 is only a feast of our own ,order6 ,do 
we1 out in this desert1 have every day  
for our guests ,prelates of such        
distinction8 ,do you not know that ,god 
takes pleasure when for a sacrifice to  
,him we offer hospitality and           
kindliness8 ,you will always have       

leisure to sing the praises of ,god2 you
 will have plenty of other opportunities
 for saying ,matins2 but who can        
entertain such a ,prelate better than   
you8 ,what a disgrace to the house that 
you should leave him thus alone6 ,my    
son1 replied the ,reverend ,father1 ,i  
see that you are quite right and that ,i
 have certainly done wrong4 ,so saying  
he at once retraced his steps to the    
,bishop of ,geneva's apartment1 and     
finding him1 there said humbly3 ,my     
,lord1 on leaving you ,i met one of our 
brethren who told me that ,i had been   
guilty of discourtesy in leaving you    
thus all alone2 that ,i should have an  
opportunity at another time of making up
 for my absence from ,matins1 but that  
we do not every day have a ,bishop of   
,geneva under our roof4 ,i see that he  
is in the right and ,i have come back at
 once to ask your pardon1 and to beg you
 to excuse my apparent rudeness1 for ,i 
assure you truthfully that it was done  
in ignorance4  ,blessed ,francis was    

enraptured with this                    
straightforwardness1 candour1 and       
simplicity1 and told me that he was more
 delighted with it than if he had seen  
the good ,prior work a miracle4         
,,blessed ,,francis' ,,love ,,of        
,,exactitude4  ,this same ,dom ,bruno   
was remarkable for his exactitude and   
punctuality1 virtues which our ,blessed 
,father always both admired and praised4
 ,he was so exact in the observance of  
the smallest monastic detail that no    
novice could have surpassed him in      
carefulness4 ,at the same time he never 
allowed himself to be carried away by   
indiscreet fervour1 beyond the line laid
 down in his rule1 knowing how much harm
 would be done to his inferiors by his  
not preserving a calm and even tenor of 
life1 making himself all things to men1 
that he might win them and keep them for
 ,jesus ,christ4  ,he would never allow 
the smallest austerities to be practised
 beyond those prescribed by the         
,constitutions of the ,order4 ,though   

rigorous towards himself he was         
marvellously indulgent towards those    
whom he governed in the monastery4 ,for 
himself he had the heart of a judge1 for
 them that of a mother4  ,our holy      
,bishop1 drawing a comparison between   
him and his predecessor1 who was        
addicted to such excessive austerities  
that it seemed as if he had either no   
body at all1 or one of iron1 said3 ,the 
late ,prior was like those unskilful    
physicians who by their treatment fill  
up our cemeteries3 for many who desired 
to imitate his mortified life1 and      
through a zeal without knowledge1 tried 
to do what was beyond their strength1   
ended by falling into the pit4 ,on the  
other hand1 the actual ,prior of the    
,grand ,chartreuse1 by his gentleness   
and moderation1 maintains among his     
monks1 peace and humility of soul1      
together with health of body1 making    
them preserve their strength for ,god1  
that is to say1 so as to serve ,him     
longer and with greater earnestness in  

those exercises which tend to ,his      
glory4 ,in doing this he follows the    
example of the ,patriarch ,jacob1 who1  
on his return from ,mesopotamia1 could  
have reached his father's house much    
sooner had he accepted the offer of     
camels made by his brother ,esau1 when  
he came to meet him4 ,but ,jacob        
preferred to accommodate his pace to    
that of his little ones1 of his         
children1 and even of the lambs of his  
flock1 rather than to press on at the   
risk of throwing his household and      
followers into disorder4 ,this example  
was a favourite one with our ,blessed   
,father1 and ,i am reminded of another  
of the same kind1 which he valued almost
 as much4 ,have you read1 he once said  
to me1 the life of ,blessed ,aloysius   
,gonzaga of the ,society of ,jesus8 ,if 
you have1 perhaps you have remarked what
 it was that made that young prince so  
quickly become holy1 and almost perfect4
 ,it was his extreme exactitude and     
punctuality1 and his faithful observance

 of the constitutions of his ,order4    
,this was such that he refused to put   
one foot before the other1 so to speak1 
or draw back a single step in order to  
gratify himself4 ,this1 not of course in
 regard to things commanded1 or         
forbidden1 for the law of ,god leaves us
 in no doubt about such1 but in those   
indifferent matters which1 being neither
 commanded nor forbidden1 often make    
correct discernment difficult4 ,there   
are some who imagine that this way of   
discerning the will of ,god is          
impracticable for persons in the world1 
and that it is only out of the world1 as
 they call the cloistered life1 that one
 can have recourse to it4 ,now1 although
 we do not deny that in the             
well-regulated and holy life of a       
convent by means of obedience1 and      
through the medium of superiors1 the    
knowledge of ,god's will in things      
indifferent can be more perfectly       
ascertained1 and more readily acted     
upon1 than in any other state of life1  

still we venture to maintain that even  
in the world it is easier to ascertain  
,god's will1 even in things indifferent1
 than might at first sight appear4  ,it 
was one of ,blessed ,francis' common    
maxims that great fidelity towards ,god 
may be practised even in the most       
indifferent actions1 and he considered  
that to be a lower degree of fidelity   
which is only available for great and   
striking occasions4 ,he who is careful  
with farthings1 how much more so will he
 be with crowns8  ,not that he loved    
scrupulous minds1 those1 namely1 which  
are troubled and anxious about every    
trifle4 ,no1 indeed1 but he desired that
 ,god should be loved by all with a     
vigilant and attentive love1 exact1     
punctual1 and faithful in the smallest  
matters1 pictured to us by the rod the  
,prophet used when watching the boiling 
caldron1 to remove all the scum as it   
rose to the surface4#a  ,and you may be 
sure that what he taught by word1 he    
himself was the first to practise4 ,he  

was the most punctual man ,i ever knew1 
the most exact1 though without fussiness
 or worry4 ,he was not only most        
accurate in all details of the service  
of the altar and of the choir1 but1 even
 when reciting his office in private1 he
 never failed to observe all minuti of  
ceremonial in every way1 bowing his     
head1 genuflecting1 etc41 as if he were 
engaged in a solemn public function4 ,in
 his intercourse with the world he was  
just as exact2 he omitted no detail     
required by courtesy1 he spared no pains
 to avoid giving inconvenience or       
annoyance to anyone4 ,people who were   
old fashioned in their punctilious      
civilities1 and tedious and lengthy in  
their ceremonious discourse1 he treated 
with the most sweet and gracious        
forbearance1 letting them say all they  
had to say1 before he replied1 and then 
answering as his duty and the laws of   
politeness required4  ,all his actions  
were regular as clockwork1 and the holy 
presence of ,god was the loadstar of his

 soul4 ,one day ,i was complaining to   
him of the too great deference which he 
paid me4 ,and for how much then do you1 
he answered1 account ,jesus ,christ1    
whom ,i honour in your person8 ,oh6 ,i  
replied1 if you take that ground1 you   
ought to speak to me on your knees6     
,once two persons happened to be playing
 a game of skill when ,blessed ,francis 
was in the room4 ,one was cheating the  
other4 ,our holy ,prelate1 indignant at 
this1 remonstrated at once4 ,oh1 was the
 careless reply1 we are only playing for
 farthings4 ,and supposing you were     
playing for guineas1 returned ,francis1 
how would it be then8 ,he1 who despises 
small faults will fall into great ones1 
but he who is faithful and honest in    
small matters will also be honest in    
great ones4 ,he who fears to steal a pin
 will certainly not take a guinea4 ,in  
fine1 he who is faithful over a little  
shall be set over much4  ,i should like 
while ,i am on this subject to add a    
short saying which was often on the lips

 of this ,blessed ,father4 ,fidelity    
towards ,god consists in abstaining from
 even the slightest faults1 for great   
ones are so repulsive in themselves that
 often enough nature deters us from     
committing them4  ,footnote #a3 ,jer4 i4
 #aa1 #ac4   ,a ,,test ,,of ,,religious 
,,vocation4  ,here ,i will relate a     
pleasant little incident which befell   
,dom ,bruno1 of whom ,i have spoken     
above4 ,our ,blessed ,father often      
quoted it as an example for others4     
,the ,germans1 particularly those on the
 banks of the ,rhine1 have a special    
devotion to ,st4 ,bruno1 who was a      
native of ,cologne1 in which city he is 
highly honoured4  ,a young man1 a native
 of the same place1 had a most ardent   
desire to enter the ,carthusian ,order1 
but his parents1 influential people of  
the city1 prevented his being received  
into the ,chartreuse of ,cologne1 or    
into any other ,carthusian monastery in 
the neighbourhood4  ,the youth1 greatly 
distressed at this repulse1 left the    

city in haste1 and took refuge among the
 holy mountains where ,st4 ,bruno and   
his companions made their first retreat4
 ,presenting himself at the ,grande     
,chartreuse he asked to see the ,rev4   
,fr4 ,prior1 and throwing himself at his
 feet1 entreated that he might be       
clothed with the habit of the ,order1   
concealing nothing from him1 neither his
 birth1 nor his place of residence1 nor 
the circumstances of his vocation1 etc4 
,the ,prior1 observing that he was      
fragile in appearance and of an         
apparently delicate constitution1       
remonstrated1 pointing out to him how   
great were the austerities of the       
,order1 and reminding him of the        
bleakness of the hills amidst which the 
monastery was situated1 and of the      
perpetual winter which reigns there4    
,the young man replied insisting that he
 knew all this1 and had counted the     
cost1 but that ,god would be his        
strength1 and enable him by ,his grace  
to overcome all obstacles4 ,even though1

 said he1 ,i should walk in the shadow  
of death ,i shall fear no evil provided 
that ,god be with me4 ,then the ,prior  
took a more serious tone4 ,determined to
 test to the utmost the courage and     
resolution of the postulant1 he asked   
him sharply if he knew all that was     
required of those who aspire to enter   
the ,carthusian ,order4 ,are you aware1 
he said1 that in the first place we     
require him to work at least one        
miracle8 ,can you do that8 ,i cannot1   
replied the young man1 but the power of 
,god within me can4 ,i trust myself     
entirely to ,his goodness4 ,i am certain
 that having called me to serve ,him in 
this vocation1 and implanted in me a    
thorough disgust for the things of the  
world1 ,he will not permit me to look   
back1 nor to return to that corrupt     
society which1 with all my heart and    
soul1 ,i have renounced4 ,ask of me     
whatever sign you will1 ,i am convinced 
that ,god will work a miracle1 even     
through me1 in testimony of this truth4 

,as he spoke the blood mounted to his   
forehead1 his eyes shone like stars1 his
 whole visage seemed on fire with       
enthusiasm4  ,dom ,bruno1 astonished at 
the vehemence of his words1 opened his  
arms1 and clasping him to his heart     
received him at once among his children4
 ,then turning to those who stood around
 him1 ,my brothers1 he said1 his is an  
undeniable vocation4 ,may ,god of ,his  
clemency often send such labourers into 
the harvest of the ,chartreuse4 ,and to 
the young postulant1 ,have confidence1  
my son1 ,god will help you1 and will    
love you1 and you will love ,him1 and   
will serve ,him among us4 ,this is the  
miracle we expect you to work4  ,you    
will ask me1 perhaps1 what use our      
,blessed ,father could make of this     
example4 ,i will tell you4 ,when he was 
admitting any young girl into your      
congregation1 my sisters1 he invariably 
referred to it4 ,he used to speak to her
 only of ,calvary1 of the nails1 the    
thorns1 the crosses1 of inward          

mortification1 of surrender of will1 and
 crucifixion of private judgment1 of    
dying wholly to self1 in order to live  
only with ,god1 in ,god1 and for ,god3  
in fine1 of living no longer according  
to natural inclinations and feelings1   
but absolutely according to the spirit  
of faith1 and of your congregation4     
,did anyone object that your ,order was 
not so rigorous1 or severe1 as he made  
it out to be2 but that1 on the contrary1
 the life led by its members was easy1  
without many outward austerities1 as was
 proved by the fact that even the infirm
 and sickly were admitted into it1 and  
attained to the same sanctity as the    
rest1 he replied3 ,believe me1 that if  
the body is there preserved as if it    
were a vessel of election1 the spirit is
 there tested and tried in all possible 
ways1 since the spirit that fails to    
stand every possible trial is no stone  
fit for the building up of this         
congregation4  ,he went on to quote from
 the life of ,st4 ,bernard4 ,against    

that holy man it was once urged that the
 austerities and bodily macerations     
practised in his ,order frightened away 
young men1 and deterred them from       
entering it1 ,many1 said the ,saint1 see
 our crosses1 but see not how well we   
are able to carry them4 ,it happens to  
our crosses1 as it does to those which  
are painted on the walls of a church    
when the ,bishop in consecrating it     
makes a second cross upon them with holy
 oil4 ,the people see the cross made by 
the painter1 but they do not see that   
with which the ,bishop has covered it4  
,our crosses1 so plainly visible1 are   
softened by very many inward            
consolations1 which are concealed from  
the eyes of worldlings because they     
understand not the spiritual things of  
,god1 nor see how we can find peace in  
this bitterness which so repels those   
whose only thought is of themselves1 and
 of their own pleasures4 ,in very truth1
 our ,blessed ,father continued1 the    
worldling may notice in the rosebed of  

religion only the loveliness of the     
flowers1 and the sweetness of their     
perfume1 but these conceal many a thorn4
 ,the crosses of community life are     
hidden because the sisters of this      
congregation have by interior           
mortification to make up for what is    
lacking in external austerities4  ,this 
law of your ,institute has been         
established out of consideration for the
 weak and infirm1 who may be admitted   
among you1 and to whose service the     
stronger members have to devote         
themselves4 ,this is the reason why all 
who purpose to enter the ,order have to 
resolve to make war to the death against
 their private judgment1 and still more 
against their self-will and self-love4  
,this is why all ought to mortify all   
their passions and affections1 and      
absolutely to bend their understanding  
under the yoke of obedience1 to live1 in
 short1 no longer according to the old  
man1 but entirely according to the new  
man1 in holiness and in justice4 ,so to 

live as to bear a continual cross even  
until death1 and dying upon it1 with the
 ,son of ,god1 to say1 ,with ,christ ,i 
am nailed to the ,cross1 and ,i live1   
now not ,i1 but ,christ liveth in me4#a 
,footnote #a3 ,gal4 ii4 #ai1 #bj4       
,,upon ,,following ,,the ,,common       
,,life4  ,he always praised common life 
very highly4 ,his exalted opinion of its
 merits made him refuse to allow the    
,sisters of the ,visitation to practise 
extraordinary austerities in respect to 
dress or food4 ,for these matters he    
prescribed rules such as can easily be  
observed by anyone who wishes to lead a 
christian life in the world4 ,his       
spiritual daughters1 following this     
direction1 imitate the example of ,jesus
 ,christ1 of ,his ,blessed ,mother1 and 
of the disciples of our ,lord1 who led  
no other kind of life4 ,for the rest1   
they have at all times to submit        
themselves to the discretion and        
judgment of their superiors1 whose duty 
it is to decide for them on the         

expediency of extraordinary             
mortifications after hearing the        
circumstances of the case of any        
individual sister4  ,our ,saint himself 
often1 indeed1 practised bodily         
mortifications1 but always with judgment
 and prudence1 for he knew full well    
that the object of such austerities is  
the preservation of purity of soul1 not 
the destruction of bodily health4  ,in  
one word1 he practically set the life of
 ,jesus ,christ before that of ,st4     
,john the ,baptist4   ,,upon ,,the      
,,judging ,,of ,,vocations4  ,although  
our ,blessed ,father has given you the  
fullest possible instructions on this   
subject1 in his seventeenth ,conference1
 entitled1 ,on voting in a ,community1  
,i see that you are not quite satisfied 
in the matter4  ,i know very well that  
your dissatisfaction does not arise from
 any unworthy motive1 but only from a   
conscientious desire to do your duty to 
,god1 and to the sisters whom you have  
in a way to judge4 ,to relieve your     

minds of doubt1 ,i am about to          
supplement the teaching of that         
,conference with a few thoughts         
suggested to me at various times by     
,blessed ,francis himself1 which ,i put 
before you in words of my own4  ,in the 
first place1 we must be careful never to
 confuse the terms vocation and         
avocation1 for their meaning is very    
different4  ,an avocation is the        
condition of life in which we serve     
,god4  ,a vocation is ,his call to that 
condition of life4 ,when we call a      
servant to command him to do something1 
the calling him is one thing1 his       
obeying and employing himself as        
directed quite another2 and this1 even  
if he do the work precisely as he is    
told1 and no more4 ,now1 there are two  
sorts of vocation4 ,the first is the    
call to faith or grace2 the second1 the 
call to a particular avocation in life4 
,to follow the first vocation1 viz41 to 
,faith1 is necessary for salvation1     
since he who refuses to listen to this  

call and to obey its voice risks the    
loss of his immortal soul4 ,a pagan or  
heretic called by ,god to embrace       
,christianity or to submit to the       
,catholic ,church1 and to the end       
neglecting this call1 must needs be     
lost1 for out of the true ,church there 
is no salvation4 ,again1 if a member of 
the true ,church who is spiritually dead
 in mortal sin1 refuse to listen to the 
call1 or vocation1 of preventing grace  
which bids him return to ,god by        
confession1 or by contrition of heart1  
he is in a state of damnation4  ,not so1
 however1 with the second kind of call  
or vocation4 ,as this is only to some   
particular condition of life in the     
world or the cloister1 although we must 
not neglect it1 but must listen with    
respect to what it may please ,god to   
say to our heart1 yet essentially it is 
not of vital importance to the welfare  
of our soul that we should follow such a
 call1 since1 at the most1 it is but an 
inward counsel1 which may be acted upon 

or not according to our choice4  ,and   
now remember that the counsels given in 
,holy ,scripture are not precepts4#a    
,our ,blessed ,father has often said    
that it would be not only an error1 but 
a heresy1 to maintain that there is any 
kind of legitimate calling or avocation 
in which it is impossible to save one's 
soul4 ,on the contrary1 in each1 grace  
is offered1 by means of which we may    
safely walk before ,god in holiness and 
justice all the days of our life4  ,to  
deny this would be to cut off from the  
hope of salvation1 not thousands only1  
but millions of men and women1 those1   
namely1 who are engaged all their lives 
long in occupations which they have     
undertaken1 not only without a vocation 
from ,god1 but sometimes even against   
their own inclination4  ,this is the    
teaching of this ,blessed ,father in his
 ,philothea1 where he says1 ,it is an   
error1 nay1 a heresy1 to wish to exclude
 the highest holiness of life from the  
soldier's barrack1 the mechanic's       

workshop1 the courts of princes1 or the 
household of married people4  ,he used  
to say that it is not sufficient merely 
to love our calling1 but that our most  
earnest endeavours as true and faithful 
,christians should be to strive to      
attain perfection in that same calling4 
,he remarked1 too1 that we do wrong to  
waste time in arguing as to what that   
perfection consists in4 ,the glory of   
,god should be the one aim of every     
devout soul4  ,only by the practice of  
virtue can that final end be reached1   
and no virtue unaccompanied by charity  
avails to attain to it4 ,therefore1     
charity is the bond of all perfection1  
nay1 itself is all perfection4  ,he     
attached much more importance to the    
spirit in which a vocation is followed  
out1 than to the mere fact of its being 
embraced4  ,and this because the        
salvation of our souls1 which we shall  
owe to ,god's grace1 does not depend so 
much on the nature of our particular    
vocation or calling1 but on our own     

persevering faithful submission to the  
will of ,god1 which will of ,god is the 
salvation of us all4  ,now1 as we can   
save our souls1 so we can also lose them
 in any calling whatsoever4  ,would you 
desire a more unmistakable vocation than
 that of ,king ,saul1 or one more       
glorious than that of ,judas8 ,yet both 
were lost4 ,where will you find one more
 troubled1 and more interrupted by sin1 
than that of ,king ,david8 ,yet in spite
 of all that happened to him1 how happy 
was its issue4  ,the vocation of a      
certain young lady who resolved upon    
taking the veil1 but only out of a sort 
of despair1 and because irritated       
against her family1 was nevertheless    
approved by our ,blessed ,father1 who to
 justify his approval gave the following
 explanation4  ,as regards the vocation 
of this young lady1 ,i consider it good1
 mingled though it be in her mind with  
imperfections and desirable though it   
would have been that she should have    
come to ,god simply and solely for the  

sake of the happiness of being wholly   
,his4 ,remember that those whom ,god    
calls to ,himself are not all drawn by  
,him with the same kind1 or degree1 of  
motives4  ,there are but few who give   
themselves absolutely to ,his service   
from the one only desire to be ,his1 and
 to serve ,him alone4  ,among the women 
whose conversion the ,gospel has made   
famous1 ,magdalen alone came through    
love1 and with love4  ,the adulteress   
came through public shame1 the woman of 
,samaria from private and individual    
self-reproach1 the woman of ,canaan in  
order to be healed of bodily infirmity4 
,again1 among the saints1 ,st4 ,paul1   
the first hermit1 at the age of fifteen1
 took refuge in his cave to escape      
persecution4 ,st4 ,ignatius ,loyola came
 through distress and suffering1 and so 
on with hundreds of others4 ,we must not
 expect all to begin by being perfect4  
,it matters little how we commence1     
provided only that we are firmly        
resolved to go on well1 and to end well4

 ,certainly ,leah intruded with scant   
courtesy into ,rachel's promised place1 
as the wife of ,jacob1 yet she          
afterwards conducted herself so         
irreproachably1 and behaved with such   
modesty and sweetness1 that to her      
rather than to ,rachel was vouchsafed   
the blessing of being an ancestress of  
our ,lord4  ,those who were compelled to
 come into the marriage feast in the    
,gospel1 ate1 and drank of the best1    
nor1 had they been the guests for whom  
the banquet was prepared1 could they    
have fared better4 ,if1 then1 we would  
have a pledge of their good living and  
perseverance1 we must lock at the good  
dispositions of those who enter         
,religion rather than at the motives    
which impel them3 for there are many    
souls who would not have entered the    
convent at all if the world had smiled  
upon them1 and whom we nevertheless may 
find to be resolute in trampling under  
their feet the vanities of that same    
world4  ,footnote #a3 #a ,cor4 vii4     

,,upon ,,prudence ,,and ,,simplicity4   
,i know not1 said our ,blessed ,father1 
on one occasion1 what this poor virtue  
of prudence has done to me that ,i find 
it so difficult to love it3 if ,i do so 
at all1 it is only because ,i have no   
choice in the matter1 seeing that it is 
the very salt of life1 and a light to   
show us the way out of its difficulties4
  ,on the other hand1 the beauty of     
simplicity charms me4 ,i would rather   
possess the harmlessness of one dove    
than the wisdom of a hundred serpents4  
,i know that a combination of wisdom and
 simplicity is useful1 and that the     
,gospel recommends it to us2#a but ,i am
 of opinion that in this matter it      
should be as it is with certain         
medicines1 in which a minute dose of    
poison is mixed with many wholesome     
drugs4 ,if the doses1 of serpent and    
dove were equal1 ,i would not trust the 
medicine2 the serpent can kill the dove1
 the dove cannot kill the serpent4      
,besides1 there is a sort of prudence   

that is human and worldly which         
,scripture calls carnal wisdom1#b as it 
is only used for wrong-doing1 and is so 
dangerous and so subtle that those who  
possess it are unconscious of their own 
danger4 ,they deceive others1 yet are   
the first to be themselves deceived4  ,i
 am told that in an age so crafty as our
 own prudence is necessary1 if only to  
prevent our being wronged4 ,i say       
nothing against this dictum1 but ,i do  
believe that more in harmony with the   
mind of the ,gospel is that which       
teaches us that it is great wisdom in   
the sight of ,god to suffer men to      
devour us1 and to take away our goods1#c
 bearing the loss of them joyfully1     
knowing that a better and a more secure 
substance awaits us4 ,in a word1 a good 
,christian should always choose rather  
to be the anvil than the hammer1 the    
robbed than the robber1 the victim than 
the murderer1 the martyr than the       
tyrant4 ,let the world rage1 let the    
prudence of so-called philosophy stand  

aghast1 let the flesh despair2 it is    
better to be good and simple than clever
 and wicked4  ,footnote #a3 ,matt4 x4   
#af4 ,footnote #b3 ,rom4 viii4 #f4      
,footnote #c3 #b ,cor4 xi4 #bj4   ,,the 
,,same ,,subject ,,continued4  ,some of 
the friends of our ,saint1 actuated by  
this spirit of worldly prudence1 having 
seen the flattering reception given by  
the public to his ,philothea1 which had 
at once been translated into various    
languages1 advised him not to write any 
more books1 as it was impossible that   
any other work from his pen should meet 
with equal success4  ,these remarks were
 unwelcome to our ,blessed ,father1 who 
afterwards said to me3 ,these good      
people no doubt love me1 and their love 
makes them speak as they do1 out of the 
abundance of their hearts2 but if they  
will only be so good as to turn their   
eyes for a moment from me1 vile and     
wretched as ,i am1 and fix them upon    
,god1 they will soon change their note2 
for if it has pleased ,him to give ,his 

blessing to that first little book of   
mine1 why should ,he deny it to my next8
 ,and if from little ,philothea ,he made
 ,his glory to shine forth1 as ,he      
brought forth the light from darkness1#a
 and the sacred fire from the clay#b1 is
 ,his arm thereby shortened1 or ,his    
power diminished8 ,can ,he not make     
living and thirst-quenching water flow  
forth from the jaw-bone of an ass8 ,but 
these good people do not dwell upon such
 considerations2 they think solely of my
 personal glory1 as if we ought to      
desire credit for ourselves1 and not    
rather ascribe all to ,god1 who works in
 us whatever good seems to emanate from 
us4  ,now1 according to the spirit of   
the ,gospel1 so far from its being right
 to depend upon the applause of the     
world1 ,st4 ,paul declares that if we   
please men1 we are not the servants of  
,god1#c the friendship of the world     
being enmity with ,god4 ,if then that   
little book has brought to me some vain 
and unmerited praise1 it would be well  

worth my while to build upon its        
foundation some inferior work1 so as to 
beat down the smoke of this incense1 and
 earn that contempt from men which makes
 us so much the more pleasing to ,god1  
because we are thereby more and more    
crucified to the world4  ,footnote #a3  
,gen4 i4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #b3 ,mach4 i4
 #ai1 #bb4 ,footnote #c3 ,gal4 i4 #aj4  
,,upon ,,mental ,,prayer4  ,i once asked
 our ,blessed ,father if it was not     
better to take one single point for     
mental prayer1 and to draw from this    
point one single affection and          
resolution1 as ,i thought that by taking
 three points and deducing from them    
very many affections and resolutions    
great confusion and perplexity of mind  
were occasioned4 ,he replied that unity 
and simplicity in all things1 but       
especially in spiritual exercises1 must 
always be preferred to multiplicity and 
complexity1 but that to beginners1 and  
to those little skilled in this         
exercise1 several points should be      

proposed so as fully to occupy their    
minds4  ,i enquired whether1 supposing  
that a single point were taken1 it would
 not be better to dwell likewise upon   
only one affection and resolution rather
 than upon several4 ,he answered that   
when ,spring is richest in flowers1 bees
 make the least honey1 because they are 
so delighted to flutter from flower to  
flower that they do not give themselves 
time to extract the essence and spirit  
of which they form their combs4 ,drones 
make a great deal of noise and produce a
 very small result4 ,and to the question
 whether it was not better often to     
repeat and dwell upon the same affection
 and resolution1 rather than to develop 
and expand it by thinking it out1 he    
replied that we ought to imitate        
painters and sculptors1 who work by     
repeating again and again the strokes of
 their brush and chisel1 and that in    
order to make a deep impression on the  
heart it is often necessary to go over  
the same thing many times4  ,he added   

that as those sink1 who in swimming move
 their legs and arms too rapidly1 it    
being necessary to stretch them         
leisurely and easily1 so also those who 
are too eager in mental prayer1 faint   
away in their thoughts1 their distracted
 meditations causing them only pain and 
dissatisfaction4  ,i am asked to explain
 that saying attributed by our ,blessed 
,father to the great ,st4 ,anthony1 that
 he who prays ought to have his mind so 
fixed upon ,god1 as even to forget that 
he is praying4 ,here is the explanation 
in our ,saint's own words4 ,he says in  
one of his ,conferences3 ,the soul must 
be kept steadfastly in this path 7that1 
namely1 of love and confidence in ,god7 
without allowing it to waste its powers 
in continually trying to ascertain what 
precisely it is doing and whether its   
work is satisfactory4 ,alas6 our        
satisfactions and consolations do not   
always satisfy ,god3 they only feed that
 miserable love and care of ourselves   
which has to do neither with ,god nor   

with the thought of ,god4 ,certainly1   
children whom our ,lord has set before  
us as models of the perfection to be    
aimed at by us are1 generally speaking1 
especially in the presence of their     
parents1 quite untroubled about what is 
to happen4 ,they cling to them without a
 thought of providing for themselves4   
,the pleasures their parents procure    
them they accept in good faith and enjoy
 in simplicity1 without any curiosity   
whatever as to their causes or effects4 
,the love they feel for their parents   
and their reliance upon them is all they
 need4 ,those whose one desire is to    
please the ,divine ,lover have neither  
inclination nor leisure to turn back    
upon themselves1 for their minds tend   
continually in the direction whither    
love carries them4#a  ,there is a saying
 of ,tauler's1 that holy man who wrote a
 book on mystic theology1 which our     
,blessed ,francis held in high esteem1  
and was never weary of inculcating upon 
those of his disciples who were anxious 

to lead a devout life1 or who1 having   
already entered upon it1 needed         
encouragement to make progress in it4   
,tauler was asked where he1 who was so  
great a contemplative1 and who held such
 close and familiar communication with  
,god1 had found ,god4 ,he answered1     
,where ,i found myself4 ,on being       
further asked where he had found        
himself1 he said1 ,where ,i forgot      
myself in ,god4  ,he went on to say1 ,we
 must lose ourselves in order to find   
ourselves in ,god1 as it is written3 ,he
 that loveth his life shall lose it1 and
 he that hateth his life in this--world 
keepeth it unto life eternal4#b ,no man 
can serve two masters1 ,god and         
mammon4#c ,to follow one you must of    
necessity quit the other4 ,there is no  
fellowship between light and darkness or
 between ,christ and ,belial4#d  ,the   
two lovers who built1 one the ,city of  
,jerusalem1 the other the ,city of      
,babylon1 of whom ,st4 ,augustine       
speaks1 have nothing in common4 ,it is  

the struggle of ,esau and ,jacob over   
again4  ,footnote #a3 ,conf4 xii4       
,footnote #b3 ,john xii4 #be4 ,footnote 
#c3 ,st4 ,matt4 #bd4 ,footnote #d3 ,cor4
 vi4 #ad1 #ae4   ,,upon ,,aspirations4  
,as the ,saint's own ordinary and       
favourite spiritual exercise was the    
practice of the presence of ,god1 so he 
advised those whom he directed in the   
ways of holiness to devote themselves   
most earnestly to recollection1 and to  
the use of frequent aspirations or      
ejaculatory prayers4  ,on one occasion  
,i asked him whether there would be more
 spiritual loss in omitting the exercise
 of mental prayer or in omitting that of
 recollection and aspirations4 ,he      
answered that the omission of mental    
prayer might be repaired during the day 
or night by frequent withdrawal of the  
mind into ,god and by aspirations to    
,him1 but that mental prayer            
unaccompanied by aspirations was1 in his
 estimation1 like a bird with clipped   
wings4 ,he went on to say that3 by      

recollection we retire into ,god1 and   
draw ,god into ourselves1 as it is      
written3 ,i opened my mouth1 and panted1
 because ,i longed for ,thy             
commandments1#a by which is meant the   
mouth of the heart to which ,god always 
graciously inclines ,his ear4 ,in the   
,canticle the bride says that her       
,beloved led her into ,his cellar of    
wine1 he set in order charity in me4#b  
,or1 as another version has it1 ,he     
enrolled me under the banner of ,his    
love4 ,just as wine is stored up in     
vaults or cellars1 and as soldiers      
gather under their standards or banners2
 so all the faculties of our soul gather
 together around the goodness and love  
of ,god by short spiritual retreats1    
made from time to time throughout the   
day4 ,but when are they made1 and in    
what place8 ,at any moment1 and in any  
place1 and there is no meal1 or company1
 or employment1 or occupation of any    
sort which can hinder them1 just as they
 on their part neither hinder nor       

interfere with anything that has to be  
done4 ,on the contrary1 this is a salt  
which seasons every kind of food1 or    
rather a sugar which never spoils any   
sauce4 ,it consists only in inward      
glances from ourselves and from ,god1   
from ourselves into ,god1 and from ,god 
into ourselves1 without pictures or     
speech1 or any outward aid2 and the     
simpler this recollection is the better 
it is4 ,as regards aspirations1 they    
also are short but swift dartings of the
 soul into ,god1 and can be made by a   
simple mental glance cast towards ,him4 
,cast thy care1 or thoughts1 upon the   
,lord1#c says ,david4 ,the more         
vigorously an arrow is shot from the bow
 the more swift is its flight4 ,the more
 vehement and loving is an aspiration1  
the more truly is it a spiritual        
lightning-flash4 ,these transports or   
aspirations1 of which we have so many   
formulas1 are the better the shorter    
they are4 ,one of ,st4 ,bruno seems to  
me excellent on account of its brevity3 

,o goodness of ,god2 that also of ,st4  
,francis1 ,my ,god and my all6 and that 
of ,st4 ,augustine1 ,oh6 to love1 to go 
forward1 to die to self1 to reach ,god6 
,our ,blessed ,father treats excellently
 of these two exercises in his          
,philothea1 and recommends them         
strongly1 saying that they hold to one  
another1 as did ,jacob and ,esau at     
their birth1 and follow one another1 as 
do respiration and aspiration4 ,and just
 as in respiration we draw the fresh    
outer air into our lungs1 and by        
aspiration drive out that into which the
 heat of our bodies has entered1 so by  
the breath of recollection we draw ,god 
into ourselves1 or retire into ,god1 and
 by aspirations we cast ourselves into  
the arms of ,his goodness4  ,happy the  
soul that often thus breathes1 and thus 
aspires1 for she abides in ,god and ,god
 in her4  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm cxviii1  
#aca4 ,footnote #b3 ,cant4 ii4 #d4      
,footnote #c3 ,psalm liv4 #bc4   ,,upon 
,,interior ,,recollection ,,and         

,,ejaculatory ,,prayers4  ,the two      
exercises which he especially           
recommended to his penitents were       
interior recollection and ejaculatory   
aspirations and prayers4 ,by them1 he   
said1 the defects of all other spiritual
 exercises might be remedied1 and       
without them those others were saltless1
 that is1 without savour4 ,he called    
interior recollection the collecting or 
gathering up of all the powers of the   
soul into the heart1 there to hold      
communion with ,god1 alone with ,him1   
heart to heart4  ,this ,blessed ,francis
 could do in all places and at all hours
 without being hindered by any company  
or occupations4 ,this recollection of   
,god and of ourselves was the favourite 
exercise of the great ,st4 ,augustine1  
who so often exclaimed3 ,lord1 let me   
know ,thee1 and know myself6 and of the 
great ,st4 ,francis1 who cried out3 ,who
 art ,thou1 my ,god and my ,lord8 and   
who am ,i1 poor dust and a worm of the  
earth8 ,this frequent looking up to ,god

 and then down upon ourselves keeps us  
wonderfully to our duties1 and either   
prevents us from falling1 or helps us to
 raise ourselves quickly from our falls1
 as the ,psalmist says3 ,i set the ,lord
 always in my sight3 for ,he is at my   
right hand1 that ,i be not moved4#a     
,thou hast held me by my right hand2 and
 by ,thy will thou hast conducted me1   
and with ,thy glory ,thou hast received 
me4#b ,he teaches us how to practise    
this exercise in his ,philothea1 where1 
dealing with the subject of aspirations 
or ejaculatory prayers1 he says3 ,in    
this exercise of spiritual retreat and  
ejaculatory prayers lies the great work 
of devotion4 ,we may make up for the    
deficiency of all other prayers1 but    
failure in this can scarcely ever be    
repaired4 ,without it we cannot well    
lead the contemplative life1 and can    
only lead the active life very          
imperfectly2 without it repose is       
idleness1 and labour only vexation4     
,this is why ,i conjure you to embrace  

it with your whole heart1 and never to  
lay it aside4#c  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm   
xv4 #h4 ,footnote #b3 ,psalm lxxii4 #bd4
 ,footnote #c3 ,part ii4 c4 xii4 and    
xiii4   ,,upon ,,doing ,,and ,,enduring4
  ,his opinion was that one ounce of    
suffering was worth more than a pound of
 action2 but then it must be of         
suffering sent by ,god1 and not         
self-chosen4 ,indeed1 to endure pain    
which is of our own choosing is rather  
to do than to suffer1 and1 speaking in  
general1 our having chosen it spoils our
 good work1 because self-love has       
insinuated itself into our motives4 ,we 
wish to serve ,god in one way1 while ,he
 desires to be served in another2 we    
wish what ,he wishes1 but not as ,he    
wishes it4 ,we do not submit ourselves  
wholly and as we should do to ,his will4
  ,a person who was very devout and who 
was accustomed to spend much time in    
mental prayer1 being attacked with      
severe headache1 was forbidden by her   
doctor to practise this devotion1 as it 

increased her suffering and prevented   
her recovery4 ,the patient much         
distressed at this prohibition wrote to 
consult our ,blessed ,father on the     
subject1 and this is his reply3  ,as    
regards meditation1 he says1 the doctors
 are right4 ,while you are so weak1 you 
must abstain from it2 but to make up you
 must double your ejaculatory prayers1  
and offer them all to ,god as an act of 
acquiescence in ,his good pleasure1     
which1 though preventing you from       
meditating1 in no way separates you from
 ,himself1 but1 on the contrary1 enables
 you to unite yourself more closely to  
,him by the practice of calm and holy   
resignation4 ,what matters it how or by 
what means we are united to ,god8       
,truly1 since we seek ,him alone1 and   
since we find ,him no less in           
mortification than in prayer1 especially
 when ,he visits us with sickness1 the  
one ought to be as welcome to us as the 
other4 ,moreover1 ejaculatory prayers   
and the silent lifting of the heart to  

,god1 are really a continued meditation1
 and the patient endurance of pain and  
distress is the worthiest offering we   
can possibly make to ,him who saved us  
through suffering4 ,read also           
occasionally some good book that will   
fill up what is wanting to you of food  
for the spirit4   ,,upon ,,mortification
 ,,and ,,prayer4  ,our ,blessed ,father 
considered that mortification without   
prayer is like a body without a soul2   
and prayer without mortification like a 
soul without a body4 ,he desired that   
the two should never be separated1 but  
that1 like ,martha and ,mary1 they      
should without disputing1 nay1 in       
perfect harmony1 unite in serving our   
,lord4 ,he compared them to the scales  
in a balance1 one of which goes down    
when the other goes up4 ,in order to    
raise the soul by prayer1 we must lower 
the body by mortification1 otherwise the
 flesh will weigh down the soul and     
hinder it from rising up to ,god1 whose 
spirit will not dwell with a man sunk in

 gross material delights or cares4  ,the
 lily and the rose of prayer and        
contemplation can only grow and flourish
 among the thorns of mortification4 ,we 
cannot reach the hill of incense1 the   
symbol of prayer1 except by the steep   
ascent on which we find the myrrh of    
mortification1 needed to preserve our   
bodies from the corruption of sin4      
,just as incense1 which in ,scripture   
represents prayer1 does not give forth  
its perfume until it is burned1 neither 
can prayer ascend to ,heaven unless it  
proceeds from a mortified heart4        
,mortification averts temptations1 and  
prayer becomes easy when we are         
sheltered under the protecting wings of 
mortification4 ,when we are dead to     
ourselves and to our passions we begin  
to live to ,god4 ,he begins to feed us  
in prayer with the bread of life and    
understanding1 and with the manna of    
,his inspirations4 ,in fine1 we become  
like that pillar of aromatic smoke to   
which the ,bride is compared1 compounded

 of all the spices of the perfumer4#a   
,our ,blessed ,father's maxim on this   
subject was that3 ,we ought to live in  
this world as if our soul were in heaven
 and our body in the tomb4  ,footnote   
#a3 ,cant4 iii4 #f4   ,,upon ,,the      
,,presence ,,of ,,god4  ,the practice of
 recollection of the presence of ,god   
was so much insisted upon by our        
,blessed ,father that1 as you know1 my  
sisters1 he recommended it to your      
,congregation to be the daily bread and 
constant nourishment of your souls4  ,he
 used to say that to be recollected in  
,god is the occupation of the blessed2  
nay1 more1 the very essence of their    
blessedness4 ,our ,lord in the ,gospel  
says that the angels see continually1   
without interruption or intermission1   
the face of their ,father in heavens and
 is it not life eternal to see ,god and 
to be always in ,his most holy presence1
 like the angels1 who are called the    
supporters of ,his throne4  ,you know   
that whenever you are gathered together 

for recreation1 one of you is always    
appointed as a sort of sentinel to watch
 over the proper observance of this holy
 practice1 pronouncing from time to     
time1 aloud1 these words3 ,sisters1 we  
remind your ,charities of the holy      
presence of ,god1 adding1 if it has been
 a day of general communion1 and of the 
holy communion of to-day4  ,our ,blessed
 ,father on this subject says in his    
,devout ,life3 ,begin all your prayers1 
whether mental or vocal1 by an act of   
the presence of ,god1 ,adhere strictly  
to this rule1 the value of which you    
will soon realize4#a  ,and again3 ,most 
of the failures of good people in the   
discharge of their duty come to pass    
because they do not keep themselves     
sufficiently in the presence of ,god4   
,if you desire more instruction on the  
matter1 read again what he has written  
about it in the same book4  ,footnote   
#a3 ,part ii4 chap4 #a4   ,,his ,,unity 
,,of ,,spirit ,,with ,,god4  ,he who is 
joined to the ,lord is one spirit1#a    

says ,st4 ,paul4  ,our ,blessed ,father 
had arrived at that degree of union with
 ,god which is in some sort a unity1    
because the will of ,god in it becomes  
the soul of our will1 that is1 its life 
and moving principle1 even as our soul  
is the life and the moving principle of 
our body4 ,hence his rapturous          
ejaculation3 ,oh6 how good a thing it is
 to live only in ,god1 to labour only in
 ,god1 to rejoice only in ,god6  ,again1
 he expresses this sentiment even more  
forcibly in the following words3        
,henceforth1 with the help of ,god's    
grace1 ,i will no longer desire to be   
anything to any one1 or that any one be 
anything to me1 save in ,god1 and for   
,god only4 ,i hope to attain to this    
when ,i shall have abased myself utterly
 before ,him4 ,blessed be ,god6 ,it     
seems to me that all things are indeed  
as nothing to me now1 except in ,him1   
for whom and in whom ,i love every soul 
more and more tenderly4  ,elsewhere he  
says3 ,ah6 when will this poor human    

love of attentions1 courtesies1         
responsiveness1 sympathy1 and favours be
 purified and brought into perfect      
accordance with the all pure love of the
 ,divine will8 ,when will our self-love 
cease to desire outward tokens of ,god's
 nearness and rest content with the     
changeless and abiding assurance which  
,he gives to us of ,his eternity8 ,what 
can sensible presence add to a love     
which ,god has made1 which ,he supports1
 and which ,he maintains8 ,what marks   
can be lacking of perseverance in a     
unity which ,god has created8 ,neither  
presence nor absence can add anything to
 a love formed by ,god ,himself4        
,footnote #a3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ag4   ,,his 
,,gratitude ,,to ,,god ,,for ,,spiritual
 ,,consolations4  ,in one of his letters
 written to a person both virtuous and  
honourable1 in whom he had great        
confidence1 he says3 ,if you only knew  
how ,god deals with my heart1 you would 
thank ,him for ,his goodness to me1 and 
entreat ,him to give me the spirit of   

counsel and of fortitude1 so that ,i may
 rightly act upon the inspirations of   
wisdom and understanding which ,he      
communicates to me4 ,he often expressed 
the same thought to me in different     
words4 ,ah6 he would say1 how good must 
not the ,god of ,israel be to such as   
are upright of heart1 since ,he is so   
gracious to those even who have a heart 
like mine1 miserable1 heedless of ,his  
graces1 and earth-bound6 ,oh6 how sweet 
is ,his spirit to the souls that love   
,him and seek ,him with all their might6
 ,truly1 ,his name is as balm1 and it is
 no wonder that so many ardent spirits  
follow ,him with enthusiastic devotion1 
eagerly and joyously hastening to ,him1 
led by the sweetness of ,his            
attractions4 ,oh6 what great things we  
are taught by the unction of divine     
goodness6 ,being at the same time       
illumined by so soft and calm a light   
that we can scarcely tell whether the   
sweetness is more grateful than the     
light1 or the light than the sweetness6 

,truly1 the breasts of the ,spouse are  
better than wine1 and sweeter than all  
the perfumes of ,arabia4#a  ,sometimes  
,i tremble for fear that ,god may be    
giving me my ,paradise in this world6 ,i
 do not really know what adversity is2  
,i have never looked poverty in the     
face2 the pains which ,i have           
experienced have been mere scratches1   
just grazing the skin2 the calumnies    
spoken against me are nothing but a gust
 of wind1 and the remembrance of them   
dies away with the sound of the voice   
which utters them4 ,it is not only that 
,i am free from the ills of life1 ,i am1
 as it were1 choked with good things1   
both temporal and spiritual4 ,yet in the
 midst of all ,i remain ungrateful and  
insensible to ,his goodness4 ,oh6 for   
pity's sake1 help me sometimes to thank 
,god1 and to pray ,him not to let me    
have all my reward at once6  ,he1       
indeed1 shows that ,he knows my weakness
 and my misery by treating me thus like 
a child1 and feeding me with sweetmeats 

and milk1 rather than with more solid   
food4 ,but oh1 when will ,he give me the
 grace1 after having basked in the      
sunshine of ,his favours1 to sigh and   
groan a little under the burden of ,his 
,cross1 since to reign with ,him1 we    
must suffer with ,him1 and to live with 
,him1 we must die together with ,him8   
,assuredly we must either love or die1  
or rather we must die that we may love  
,him2 that is to say1 die to all other  
love to live only for ,his love1 and    
live only for ,him who died that we may 
live eternally in the embrace of ,his   
divine goodness4  ,footnote #a3 ,cantic4
 i4 #a1 #b4   ,,upon ,,the ,,shedding   
,,of ,,tears4  ,although he was himself 
very easily moved to tears1 he did not  
set any specially high value on what is 
called the gift of tears1 except when it
 proceeds1 not from nature1 but directly
 from the ,father of light1 who sends   
,his rain upon the earth from the       
clouds4 ,he told me once that1 just as  
it would be contrary to physical laws   

for rain1 in place of falling from      
heaven to earth1 to rise from earth to  
heaven2 so it was against all order that
 sensible devotion should produce that  
which is supernatural4 ,for this would  
be for nature to produce grace4 ,he     
compared tears shed1 in moments of      
mental excitement1 by persons gifted    
with a strong power of imagination1 to  
hot rains which fall during the most    
sultry days of summer1 and which scorch 
rather than refresh vegetation4 ,but    
when supernatural devotion1 seated in   
the higher powers of the soul1 breaking 
down all restraining banks1 spreads     
itself over the whole being of man1 he  
compared the tears it causes him to shed
 to a mighty1 irresistible and          
fertilising torrent1 making glad the    
,city of ,god4 ,tears of this sort1 he  
thought much to be desired1 seeing that 
they give great glory to ,god and profit
 to the soul4 ,of those who shed such   
tears1 he said1 the ,gospel ,beatitude  
speaks when it tells us that3 ,blessed  

are they that weep4#a  ,in one of his   
letters he writes as follows3 ,i say    
nothing1 my good daughter1 about your   
imagining yourself hard of heart1       
because you have no tears to shed4 ,no1 
my child1 your heart has nothing to do  
with this4 ,your lack of tears proceeds 
not from any want of affectionate       
resolve to love1 ,god1 but from the     
absence of sensible devotion1 which does
 not depend at all upon our heart1 but  
upon our natural temperament1 which we  
are unable to change4 ,for just as in   
this world it is impossible for us to   
make rain to fall when we want it1 or to
 stop it at our own good pleasure1 so   
also it is not in our power to weep from
 a feeling of devotion when we want to  
do so1 or1 on the other hand1 not to    
weep when carried away by our emotion4  
,our remaining unmoved at prayer and    
meditation proceeds1 not from any fault 
of ours1 but from the providence of     
,god1 who wishes us to travel by land1  
and often by desert land1 rather than by

 water1 and who wills to accustom us to 
labour and hardship in our spiritual    
life4 ,on this same subject ,i once     
heard him make one of his delightful    
remarks3 ,what6 he cried1 are not dry   
sweetmeats quite as good as sweet       
drinks8 ,indeed they have one special   
advantage4 ,you can carry them about    
with you in your pocket1 whereas the    
sweet drink must be disposed of on the  
spot4 ,it is childish to refuse to eat  
your food when none other is to be had1 
because it is quite dry4 ,the sea is    
,god's1 for ,he made it1 but ,his hands 
also laid the foundations of the dry    
land1 that is to say1 of the earth4 ,we 
are land animals1 not fish4 ,one goes to
 heaven by land as easily as by water4  
,god does not send the deluge every day4
 ,great floods are not less to be feared
 than great droughts6  ,footnote #a3    
,matt4 v4 #e4   ,,upon ,,joy ,,and      
,,sadness4  ,as the blessedness of the  
life to come is called joy in           
,scripture1 ,good and faithful servant1 

enter into the joy of thy ,lord1 so     
also--it is in joy that the happiness of
 this present life consists4 ,not1      
however1 in all kinds of joy1 for the   
joy of the hypocrite is but for a       
moment1#a that is to say1 lasts but for 
a moment4  ,it is said of the wicked    
that they spend their days in wealth1   
and in a moment go down to hell1#b and  
that mourning taketh hold of the end of 
false joy4#c  ,true1 joy can only       
proceed from inward peace1 and this     
peace from the testimony of a good      
conscience1 which is called a continual 
feast4#d  ,this is that joy of the      
,lord1 and in the ,lord1 which the      
,apostle recommends so strongly1        
provided it be accompanied by charity   
and modesty4  ,our ,blessed ,father     
thought so highly of this joyous peace  
and peaceful joy that he looked upon it 
as constituting the only true happiness 
possible in this life4 ,indeed he put   
this belief of his into such constant   
practice that a great servant of ,god1  

one of his most intimate friends1       
declared him to be the possessor of an  
imperturbable and unalterable peace4    
,on the other hand1 he was as great an  
enemy to sadness1 trouble1 and undue    
hurry and eagerness1 as he was a friend 
to peace and joy4 ,besides all that he  
says on the subject in his ,philothea   
and his ,theotimus1 he writes thus to a 
soul who1 under the pretext of austerity
 and penance1 had abandoned herself to  
disquietude and grief3 ,be at peace1 and
 nourish your heart with the sweetness  
of heavenly love1 without which man's   
heart is without life1 and man's life   
without happiness4 ,never give way to   
sadness1 that enemy of devotion4 ,what  
is there that should be able to sadden  
the servant of ,him who will be our joy 
through all eternity8 ,surely sin1 and  
sin only1 should cast us down and grieve
 us4 ,if we have sinned1 when once our  
act of sorrow at having sinned has been 
made1 there ought to follow in its train
 joy and holy consolation4  ,footnote   

#a3 ,job xx4 #e4 ,footnote #b3 ,job xxi4
 #ac4 ,footnote #c3 ,prov4 xiv4 #ac4    
,footnote #d3 ,ibid4 xv4 #ae4   ,,upon  
,,the ,,degrees ,,of ,,true ,,devotion4 
,loving devotion1 or devout love1 has   
three degrees1 which are3 #a4 ,when we  
perform those exercises which relate to 
the service of ,god1 but with some      
sluggishness4 #b4 ,when we betake       
ourselves to them with readiness4 #c4   
,when we run and even fly to execute    
them with joy and with eagerness4  ,our 
,blessed ,father illustrates this by two
 very apt comparisons4  ,ostriches never
 fly1 barn door fowls fly heavily1 close
 to the ground1 and but seldom2 eagles1 
doves1 and swallows fly often1 swiftly  
and high4 ,thus sinners never fly to    
,god1 but keep to the ground1 nor so    
much as look up to ,him4  ,those who are
 in ,god's grace but have not yet       
attained to devotion1 fly to ,god by    
their good actions rarely1 slowly1 and  
very heavily2 but devout souls fly to   
,god frequently and promptly and soar   

high above the earth4#a ,his second     
comparison is this3  ,just as a man when
 convalescent from an illness walks as  
much as is necessary1 but slowly and    
wearily1 so the sinner being healed from
 his iniquity walks as much as ,god     
commands him to do1 but still only      
slowly and heavily1 until he attains to 
devotion4 ,then1 like a man in robust   
health1 he runs and bounds along the way
 of ,god's commandments2 and1 more than 
that1 he passes swiftly into the paths  
of the counsels and of heavenly         
inspirations4 ,in fact1 charity and     
supernatural devotion are not more      
different from one another than flame   
from fire1 seeing that charity is a     
spiritual fire1 and when its flame burns
 fiercely is called devotion4 ,thus     
devotion adds nothing to the fire of    
charity except the flame1 which renders 
charity prompt1 active1 and diligent1   
not only in observing the commandments  
of ,god1 but also in the practice of the
 counsels and heavenly inspirations4    

,footnote #a3 ,the ,devout ,life4 ,part 
i4 c4 i4   ,,the ,,test ,,of ,,true     
,,devotion4  ,it was his opinion that   
the touchstone of true devotion is the  
regulation of exercises of piety        
according to one's state of life4 ,he   
often compared devotion to a liquid     
which takes the form of the vessel into 
which it is put4 ,here are his words to 
,philothea on the subject #a3 ,devotion1
 he says1 must be differently practised 
by a gentleman1 by an artisan1 by a     
servant1 by a prince1 by a widow1 by a  
maiden1 by a wife1 and not only must the
 practice of devotion be different1 but 
it must in measure and in degree be     
accommodated to the strength1           
occupations1 and duties of each         
individual4 ,i ask you1 ,philothea1     
would it be proper for a ,bishop to wish
 to lead the solitary life of a         
,carthusian monk8 ,if a father of a     
family were as heedless of heaping up   
riches as a ,capuchin2 if an artisan    
spent the whole day in church like a    

monk2 if a monk1 like a ,bishop1 were   
constantly in contact with the world in 
the service of his neighbour1 would not 
the devotion of each of these be        
misplaced1 ill-regulated1 and laughable8
 ,yet this mistake is very often made1  
and the world1 which cannot or will not 
distinguish between devotion and        
indiscretion in those who think         
themselves devout1 murmurs against and  
blames piety in general1 though in      
reality piety has nothing to do with    
mistakes such as these4  ,he goes on to 
say3 ,when creating them1 ,god commanded
 the plants to bring forth their fruits1
 each according to its kind2 so ,he     
commands christians1 who are the living 
plants of ,his ,church1 to produce      
fruits of devotion1 each according to   
his state of life and calling4  ,at the 
close of the same chapter1 our ,blessed 
,father says3 ,devotion or piety1 when  
it is real1 spoils nothing1 but on the  
contrary perfects everything4 ,whenever 
it clashes with the legitimate calling  

of those who profess it1 you may be     
quite certain that such devotion is     
spurious4 ',the bee1' says ,aristotle1  
'draws her honey from a flower1 without 
injuring that flower in the least1 and  
leaves it fresh and intact as she found 
it4'  ,footnote #a3 ,the ,devout ,life4 
,part i4 c1 #c4   ,,what ,,it ,,means   
,,to ,,be ,a ,,servant ,,of ,,god4      
,some think that they are not making any
 progress in the service of ,god unless 
they feel sensible devotion and interior
 joy continually1 forgetting that the   
road to heaven is not carpeted with rose
 leaves but rather bristling with       
thorns4 ,does not the divine oracle tell
 us that through much tribulation we    
must enter the ,kingdom of ,heaven8 ,and
 that it is only taken by those who do  
violence to themselves8 ,our ,blessed   
,father writes thus to a soul that was  
making the above mistake3  ,live wholly 
for ,god1 and for the sake of the love  
which ,he has borne to you1 do you bear 
with yourself in all your miseries4 ,in 

fact1 the being a good servant of ,god  
does not mean the being always          
spiritually consoled1 the always feeling
 sweet and calm1 the never feeling      
aversion or repugnance to what is good4 
,if this were so1 neither ,st4 ,paul1   
nor ,st4 ,angela1 nor ,st4 ,catherine of
 ,siena1 could have served ,god well4   
,to be a servant of ,god is to be       
charitable towards our neighbour1 to    
have1 in the superior part of our soul1 
an unswerving resolution to follow the  
will of ,god1 joined to the deepest     
humility and a simple confidence in     
,him2 however many times we fall1 always
 to rise up again2 in fine1 to be       
patient with ourselves in our miseries1 
and with others in their imperfections4 
,another error into which good people   
fall is that of always wanting to find  
out whether or not they are in a state  
of grace4 ,if you tranquillize them on  
this point1 then they begin to torment  
themselves as to the exact amount of    
progress they have made1 and are        

actually making1 in this happy state of 
grace1 as though their progress were in 
any way their own work4 ,they quite     
forget that though one may plant and    
another water1 it is ,god who gives the 
increase4  ,in order to cure this       
spiritual malady1 which borders very    
closely upon presumption1 he gives in   
another of his letters the following    
wise counsel3  ,remember that all that  
is past is nothing1 and that every day  
we should say with ,david3 ,now only am 
,i beginning to love my ,god truly4 ,do 
much for ,god1 and do nothing without   
love1 let this be your aim1 eat and     
drink for this4   ,,that ,,devotion     
,,does ,,not ,,always ,,spring ,,from   
,,charity4  ,do not deceive yourself1 he
 once said to me1 people may be very    
devout1 and at the same time very       
wicked4 ,but1 ,i said1 they are then    
surely not devout1 but hypocrites6 ,no1 
no1 he answered1 ,i am speaking of true 
devotion4 ,as ,i was quite unable to    
solve this riddle1 ,i begged him to     

explain it to me1 which he did most     
kindly1 and1 if ,i can trust my memory1 
more or less as follows3  ,devotion is  
of itself and of its own nature a moral 
and acquired virtue1 not one that is    
supernatural and infused1 otherwise it  
would be a theological virtue1 which it 
is not4 ,it is then a virtue1           
subordinate to that which is called     
,religion1 and according to some is only
 one of its acts2#a as religion again is
 subordinate to one of the four cardinal
 virtues1 namely justice4 ,now you know 
that all the moral virtues1 and even the
 theological ones of faith and hope1 are
 compatible with mortal sin1 although   
become1 as it were1 shapeless and dead1 
being without charity1 which is their   
form1 their soul1 their very life4 ,for1
 if one can have faith so great as to be
 able to move mountains1 without        
charity1 and yet1 precisely because     
charity is absent1 be utterly worthless 
and wicked2 if it is possible to be a   
true prophet and yet a bad man1 as were 

,saul1 ,balaam1 and ,caiphas2 to work   
miracles as ,judas is believed to have  
done1 and yet to be sinful as he was2 if
 we can give all our goods to the poor1 
and suffer martyrdom by fire1 without   
having charity1 much more may we be     
devout without being charitable1 since  
devotion is a virtue less estimable in  
its nature than those which we have     
mentioned4 ,you must not then think it  
strange when ,i tell you that it is     
possible to be devout and yet wicked1   
since we may have faith1 mercy1         
patience1 and constancy to the extent of
 which ,i have spoken1 and yet1 with all
 that be stained with many deadly vices1
 such as pride1 envy1 hatred1           
intemperance1 and the like4  ,what then1
 ,i asked1 is a truly devout man8 ,he   
answered3 ,i tell you again that1 though
 in sin1 one may be truly devout4 ,but  
such devotion1 though a virtue1 is dead1
 not living1 ,i rejoined3 ,but how can  
this dead devotion be real8 ,in the same
 way1 he replied1 as a dead body is a   

real body1 soulless though it be4 ,i    
rejoined3 ,but a dead body is not really
 a man4 ,he answered3 ,it is not a true 
man1 whole and perfect1 but it is the   
true body of a man1 and the body of a   
true man though dead4 ,thus1 devotion   
without charity is true1 though dead and
 imperfect4 ,it is true devotion dead   
and shapeless1 but not true devotion    
living and fully formed4 ,it is only    
necessary to draw a distinction between 
the words1 true1 and complete or        
perfect1 which is done so clearly by    
,st4 ,thomas1#b in order to find the    
solution of your difficulty4 ,he who    
possesses devotion without charity has  
true1 but not perfect or complete       
devotion2 in him who has charity1       
devotion is not only true but perfect4  
,by charity he becomes good1 and by     
devotion devout2 losing charity he loses
 supernatural goodness and becomes      
sinful or bad1 but does not necessarily 
cease to be devout4 ,this is why ,i told
 you that one could be devout and yet   

wicked4 ,so also by mortal sin we do not
 necessarily lose faith or hope1 except 
we deliberately make an act of unbelief 
or of despair4  ,he had expressed a     
somewhat similar idea in the first      
chapter of his ,philothea1 though ,i had
 not then noticed it4 ,these are his    
words3  ,devotion is nothing more than a
 spiritual agility and vivacity1 helped 
by which charity acts more readily2 or  
better1 helped by which we more readily 
elicit acts of charity4 ,it belongs to  
charity to make us keep ,god's          
commandments1 but it belongs to devotion
 to make us keep them promptly and      
diligently4 ,this is why he who does not
 observe all the commandments of ,god   
cannot be considered either good or     
supernaturally devout1 since in order to
 be good we must have charity1 and to be
 devout we must have besides charity    
great alertness and promptitude in doing
 charitable actions4#c  ,in another of  
his books1 speaking to ,theotimus1 he   
says3  ,all true lovers of ,god are     

equal in this1 that all give their heart
 to ,god1 and with all their strength2  
but they are unequal in this1 that they 
give it diversely and in different      
manners1 whence some give all their     
heart1 with all their strength1 but less
 perfectly than others4 ,this one gives 
it all by martyrdom2 this1 all by       
virginity2 this1 all by the pastoral    
office2 and whilst all give it all by   
the observance of the commandments1 yet 
some give it with less perfection than  
others4#d  ,we must remember that true  
devotion cannot be restricted to the    
practice of one virtue only2 we must    
employ all our powers in the worship and
 service of ,god4 ,one of the chief     
maxims of ,blessed ,francis was that the
 sort of devotion which is not only not 
a hindrance but actually a help to us in
 our legitimate calling is the only true
 one for us1 and that any other is false
 for us4 ,he illustrates this teaching  
to ,philothea by saying that devotion is
 like a liquid which takes the shape of 

the vessel into which it is put4 ,he    
even went further1 boldly declaring that
 it was not simply an error but a heresy
 to exclude devotion from any calling   
whatever1 provided it be a just and     
legitimate one4 ,this shows the mistake 
of those who imagine that we cannot save
 our souls in the world1 as if salvation
 were only for the ,pharisee1 and not   
for the ,publican1 nor for the house of 
,zaccheus4 ,this error which approaches 
very nearly to that of ,pelagius1 makes 
salvation to be dependent on certain    
callings1 as though the saving of our   
souls were the work of nature rather    
than of grace4 ,our ,blessed ,father    
supports his teaching in this matter by 
many examples1 proving that in every    
condition of life we may be holy and may
 consequently save our souls1 and arrive
 at a very high degree of glory4  ,he   
concludes by saying3 ,some even have    
been known to lose perfection in        
solitude1 which is often so helpful for 
its attainment1 and to have regained it 

in a busy city life which seems to be so
 unfavourable to it4 ,wherever we are1  
we can and ought to aspire to the       
perfect life4  ,footnote #a3 ,s4 ,thomas
 #b;a1 #b;ae1 ,quaest1 lxxxi41 art4 #b4 
,footnote #b3 #b;a1 #b;ae1 ,quaest1     
lxxxii4 to lxxxviii4 ,footnote #c3 ,the 
,devout ,life1 ,part i41 chap4 #a4      
,footnote #d3 ,book x41 chap4 #c4       
,,upon ,,perfect ,,contentment ,,in     
,,the ,,privation ,,of ,,all ,,content4 
,it is true that the devout life1 which 
is nothing but an intense and fervent   
love of ,god1 is an angelic life and    
full of contentment and of extraordinary
 consolation4 ,it is1 however1 also true
 that those who submit themselves to the
 discipline of ,god1 even while         
experiencing the sweetness of this      
divine love1 must prepare their soul for
 temptation4 ,the path which leads to   
the ,land of ,promise is beset with     
difficulties--dryness1 sadness1         
desolation1 and faint-hearted fears--and
 would end in bewildering               

discouragement1 did not ,faith and      
,hope1 like ,joshua and ,caleb1 show us 
the fair fruits of this much to be      
desired country1 and thus animate us to 
perseverance4  ,but ,he who brings light
 out of darkness1 and roses out of      
thorns1 who helps us in all our         
tribulations1 and performs wonders in   
heaven and earth1 makes the happy souls 
whom ,he leads through ,his will to ,his
 glory to find perfect content in the   
loss of all content1 both corporal and  
spiritual when once they recognize that 
it is the will of ,god that they should 
go to ,him by the way of darkness1      
perplexity1 crosses1 and anguish4  ,in  
saying this ,i am putting into my own   
words the thoughts of our ,blessed      
,father as expressed in the eleventh    
chapter of the sixth book of his        
,treatise on the ,love of ,god4   ,,upon
 ,,the ,,will ,,of ,,god4  ,meditating  
this morning on that passage of ,holy   
,scripture which tells us that the life 
of man is in the good will of ,god1#a ,i

 reflected that to live according to the
 will of the flesh1 that is1 according  
to the human will1 is not really life1  
since the prudence of the flesh is      
death2 but that to live according to the
 will of ,god is the true life of the   
soul1 since the grace attached to that  
divine will imparts a life to our soul  
far higher than the life our soul       
imparts to our body4  ,the divine will  
is our sanctification1 and this         
sanctification is the gate of eternal   
life2 of that true life in comparison   
with which the life which we lead on    
earth is more truly a death4 ,to live in
 ,god1 in whom is true life1 is to live 
according to ,his will4  ,our life1     
then1 is to do ,his will4 ,this made    
,st4 ,paul say that he lived1 yet not he
 himself1 but that ,jesus ,christ lived 
in him1#b because he had only one will  
and one mind with ,jesus ,christ1 ,i was
 rejoiced to find that unconsciously my 
thoughts on this subject had followed   
closely in the track of our ,blessed    

,father's when he meditated on the same 
passage4 ,this ,i discovered on reading 
these words in one of his letters3      
,this morning1 being alone for a few    
moments1 ,i made an act of extraordinary
 resignation which ,i cannot put on     
paper1 but reserve until ,god permits me
 to see you1 when you shall know it by  
word of mouth4 ,oh6 how blessed are the 
souls who live on the will of ,god      
alone4 ,ah6 if even to taste a little of
 that blessedness in a passing          
meditation is so sweet to the heart     
which accepts that holy will with all   
the crosses it offers1 what must the    
happiness be of a soul all steeped in   
that will8 ,oh6 my ,god1 what a blessed 
thing is it not to bring all our        
affections into a humble and absolute   
subjection to the divine love6 ,this we 
have said1 this we have resolved to do1 
and our hearts have taken the greatest  
glory of the love of ,god for their     
sovereign law4 ,now the glory of this   
holy love consists in its power of      

burning and consuming all that is not   
itself1 that all may be resolved and    
changed into it4 ,god exalts ,himself   
upon our annihilation of ourselves and  
reigns upon the throne of our voluntary 
servitude4  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm xxix4  
#f4 ,footnote #b3 ,gal4 ii4 #bj4   ,,his
 ,,resignation ,,to ,,the ,,will ,,of   
,,god4  ,it happened that ,blessed      
,francis fell ill at the very time when 
his predecessor in the ,bishopric of    
,geneva was imploring the ,holy ,see to 
appoint him as his coadjutor4  ,the     
illness was so serious that the         
physicians despaired of his life1 and   
this our ,blessed ,father was told4 ,he 
received the announcement quite calmly1 
and even joyfully1 as though he saw the 
heavens open and ready to receive him1  
and being entirely resigned to the will 
of ,god both in life and in death1 said 
only3  ,i belong1 to ,god1 let ,him do  
with me according to ,his good pleasure4
  ,when someone in his presence said    
that he ought to wish to live if not for

 the service of ,god at least that he   
might do penance for his sins1 he       
answered thus3 ,it is certain that      
sooner or later we must die1 and        
whenever it may be1 we shall always have
 need of the great mercy of ,god3 we may
 as well fall into ,his pitiful hands   
to-day as to-morrow4 ,he is at all times
 the same1 full of kindness1 and rich in
 mercy to all those who call upon ,him3 
and we are always evil1 conceived in    
iniquity1 and subject to sin even from  
our mother's womb4 ,he who finishes his 
course earlier than others has less of  
an account to render4 ,i can see that   
there is a design afoot to lay upon me a
 burden not less formidable to me than  
death itself4 ,between the two ,i should
 find it hard to choose4 ,it is far     
better to submit myself to the care of  
,providence3 far better to sleep upon   
the breast of ,jesus ,christ than       
anywhere else4 ,god loves us4 ,he knows 
better than we do what is good for us4  
,whether we live1 or whether we die1 we 

are the ,lord's4#a ,he has the keys of  
life1 and of death4#b ,they who hope in 
,him are never confounded4#c ,let us    
also go1 and die with ,him4 ,and when   
someone said it was a pity he should die
 in the flower of his age 7he was only  
thirty-five71 he answered3 ,our ,lord   
was still younger when ,he died4 ,the   
number of our days is before ,him1 ,he  
can gather the fruits which belong to   
,him at any season4 ,do not let us waste
 our time and thoughts over             
circumstances2 let us consider only ,his
 most holy will4 ,let that be our       
guiding star2 it will lead us to ,jesus 
,christ whether in the cribs or on      
,calvary4 ,whoever follows ,him shall   
not walk in darkness but shall have the 
light of eternal life1 and shall be no  
more subject to death4  ,these were the 
words1 this was the perfect resignation1
 of our ,blessed ,father4 ,who can say  
we have not here the cause of the       
prolongation of his days1 even as a like
 resignation led to the prolonging of   

those of ,king ,ezechias4  ,footnote #a3
 ,rom4 xiv4 #h ,footnote #b3 ,apoc4 i4  
#ah4 ,footnote #c3 ,psalm xxiv4 #c4     
,,that ,,we ,,must ,,always ,,submit    
,,ourselves ,,to ,,god',s ,,holy ,,will4
  ,in #afai1 when our ,saint was in     
,paris with the ,prince of ,savoy1 a    
gentleman of the court fell dangerously 
ill4 ,he sent for ,blessed ,francis1    
who1 when visiting him1 remarked with   
some surprise that1 although he bore his
 physical sufferings with great         
patience1 he fretted grievously about   
other troubles seemingly of very small  
moment4 ,he was distressed at the       
thought of dying away from home1 at     
being unable to give his family his last
 blessing1 at not having his accustomed 
physician by his side1 etc4 ,then he    
would begin to worry about the details  
of his funeral1 the inscription on his  
tombstone1 and so on4 ,nothing was right
 in his surroundings2 the sky of ,paris1
 his doctors and nurses1 his servants1  
his bed1 his rooms1 all were matters of 

complaint4 ,strange inconsistency6      
exclaimed the holy ,bishop4 ,here is a  
brave soldier and a great statesman1    
fretted by the merest trifles1 and      
unhappy because he cannot die in exactly
 the circumstances which he would have  
chosen for himself4 ,i am glad to be    
able to add that in spite of all this   
the poor man made a holy and a happy    
end4  ,but ,blessed ,francis afterwards 
said to me3 ,it is not enough to will   
what ,god wills1 we must also desire    
that all should be exactly1 even in the 
minutest detail and particular1 as ,god 
wills it to be4 ,for instance1 in regard
 to sickness we should be willing to be 
sick because it pleases ,god that we    
should be so2 and sick of that very     
sickness which ,god sends us1 not of one
 of a different character2 and sick at  
such time1 and in such place1 and       
surrounded by such attendants1 as it may
 please ,god to appoint4 ,in short1 we  
must in all things take for our law the 
most holy will of ,god4   ,,his         

,,sublime ,,thoughts ,,on ,,holy        
,,indifference4  ,many of the saints1   
and especially ,st4 ,catherine of       
,siena1 ,st4 ,philip ,neri1 and ,st4    
,ignatius ,loyola1 have spoken in the   
most beautiful and elevated language of 
that holy indifference which1 springing 
from the love of ,god1 makes life or    
death and all the circumstances of the  
one or the other equally acceptable to  
the soul which realizes that all is     
ordered by the will of ,god4  ,let us   
hear what our ,blessed ,father says on  
this subject in his ,treatise on the    
,love of ,god4  ,god's will is the      
sovereign object of the indifferent     
soul2 wheresoever she sees it she runs  
after the odour of its perfumes1        
directing her course ever thither where 
it most appears1 without considering    
anything else4 ,she is conducted by the 
divine will1 as by a beloved chain2     
which way soever it goes she follows it3
 she would prize hell with ,god's will  
more than heaven without it2 nay1 she   

would even prefer hell before heaven if 
she perceived only a little more of     
,god's good-pleasure in that than in    
this1 so that if--to suppose what is    
impossible--she should know that her    
damnation would be more agreeable to    
,god than her salvation1 she would quit 
her salvation and run to her            
damnation4#a  ,this is1 indeed1 a bold  
and daring proposition1 but to convince 
you how tenaciously he clung to it ,i   
would remind you of his words in the    
,conferences2#b on the same subject3    
,the saints who are in heaven are so    
closely united to the will of ,god that 
if there were even a little more of ,his
 good-pleasure in hell than in paradise 
they would quit paradise to go there4   
,and again in the same ,conference3     
,whether the malady conquers the        
remedies or the remedies get the better 
of the malady should be a matter of     
perfect indifference4 ,so much so that  
if sickness and health were put before  
us and our ,lord were to say to us3 ',if

 thou choose health ,i will not deprive 
thee of a single particle of my grace1  
if thou choose sickness ,i shall not in 
any degree increase that grace1 but in  
the choice of sickness there is a little
 more of my good-pleasure1' the soul    
which has wholly forsaken herself and   
abandoned herself into the hands of our 
,lord will undoubtedly choose sickness  
solely because it is more pleasing to   
,god4 ,nay1 though this might mean a    
whole lifetime spent on her couch in    
constant suffering1 she would not for   
any earthly consideration desire to be  
in any other condition than this4       
,footnote #a3 ,bk4 ix41 c4 #e4 ,footnote
 #b3 ,conf4 ii4   ,,nothing1 ,,save     
,,sin1 ,,happens ,,to ,,us ,,but ,,by   
,,the ,,will ,,of ,,god4  ,nothing      
happens to us1 ,blessed ,francis was    
accustomed to say1 whether of good or of
 evil1 sin alone excepted1 but by the   
will of ,god4 ,good1 because ,god is the
 source of all good4 ,every best gift   
and every perfect gift is from above1   

coming down from the ,father of         
lights4#a ,evil1 for1 ,shall there be   
evil in the city which the ,lord hath   
not done8#b ,the evil here spoken of is 
that of pain or trouble1 seeing that    
,god cannot will the evil of crime1     
which is sin1 though he permits it1     
allowing the human will to act according
 to the natural liberty which ,he has   
given to it4 ,properly speaking1 sin    
cannot be said to happen to us1 because 
what happens to us must come from       
without1 and sin1 on the contrary1 comes
 from within1 proceeding from our       
hearts1 as holy ,scripture expressly    
states1 telling us also that iniquity   
comes from our fatness1#c that is to    
say1 from our ease and luxury4  ,oh1    
what a happiness it would be for our    
souls if we accustomed ourselves to     
receive all things from the fatherly    
hand of ,him who1 in opening it1 fills  
all things living with blessing6 ,what  
unction should we not draw from this in 
our adversities6 ,what honey from the   

rock1 what oil from the stones6 ,and    
with how much moderation should we not  
behave in prosperity1 since ,god sends  
us both the one and the other1 that we  
may use both to the praise and glory of 
,his grace4  ,footnote ,i3 ,st4 ,james  
i4 #ag4 ,footnote ,,ii3 ,amos iii4 #f4  
,footnote ,,iii3 ,psalm lxxii4 #g4      
,,upon ,,the ,,same ,,subject4  ,i must 
confess to you1 my sisters1 that ,i was 
astonished to read in one of our        
,saint's letters that our ,lord ,jesus  
,christ did not possess the quality of  
indifference in the sensitive part of   
,his nature4  ,i will give the exact    
words in which this wonderful fact is   
stated4 ,this virtue of indifference1 he
 says1 is so excellent that our old     
,adam1 and the sensitive part of our    
human nature1 so far as its natural     
powers go1 is not capable of it1 no1 not
 even in our ,lord1 who1 as a child of  
,adam1 although exempt from all sin1 and
 from everything pertaining to sin1 yet 
in the sensitive part of his nature and 

as regards his human faculties was in no
 way indifferent1 but desired not to die
 upon the ,cross4 ,indifference1 and the
 exercise of it1 is entirely reserved   
for the spirit1 for the supreme portion 
of our nature1 for faculties set on fire
 by grace1 and in fine for ,himself     
personally1 inasmuch as ,he is divine   
and human1 the ,new ,man4 ,how1 then1   
can we complain when as far as this     
lower portion of our nature is concerned
 we find ourselves unable to be         
indifferent to life1 and to death1 to   
health1 and to sickness1 to honour and  
to ignominy1 to pleasure and to pain1 to
 comfort and to discomfort1 when1 in a  
word1 we feel in ourselves that conflict
 going on which the vessel of election  
experienced in such a manner as to make 
him exclaim3 ,unhappy man that ,i am1   
who shall deliver me from the body of   
this death8#a  ,the love of ourselves is
 so deeply rooted in our nature that it 
is impossible wholly to rid ourselves of
 it4 ,even grace does not do away with  

our self-love1 but only reduces it to   
the service of divine charity4  ,by the 
love of self ,i mean a natural1 just1   
and legitimate love1 so legitimate      
indeed as to be commanded by the law of 
,god which bids us love our neighbour as
 ourselves2 that is to say1 according to
 ,god's will1 which is not only the one 
way in which we can rightly love our    
neighbour1 but also the one way in which
 we are commanded to love ourselves4    
,nevertheless1 this love of ourselves1  
however just and reasonable it may be1  
turns only too easily1 and too          
imperceptibly1 into a self-love1 which  
is unlawful and forbidden1 but into     
which even persons the most earnest and 
the most spiritual are at times         
surprised4  ,we often think we love     
someone1 or something in ,god1 and for  
,god1 when it is really only in         
ourselves1 and for ourselves1 that we do
 so4 ,we think sometimes that we have   
only an eye to the interests of ,god1   
which is ,his glory1 when it is really  

our own glory which we are seeking in   
our work4 ,this is when we stop short   
voluntarily at the creature to the      
prejudice of the ,creator2 as comes to  
pass in all sin1 whether mortal or      
venial4 ,we must therefore watch and be 
constantly on our guard lest we fall    
into this snare4 ,from it we must snatch
 our soul as we would a bird from the   
snare of the fowler4 ,we shall be safe  
if we remember that every just and      
lawful love in us is always either in   
actual touch with the love of ,god1 or  
can be brought into such touch1 whilst  
self-love is never in such touch1 nor   
can ever be brought into it4  ,this is  
the test by which we can detect the     
false coin that is mixed up with the    
true4  ,footnote #a3 ,rom4 vii4 #bd4    
,,upon ,,abandoning ,,ourselves ,,to    
,,god4  ,i cannot tell you1 my sisters1 
how great a point our ,blessed ,father  
made of self-abandonment1 i4e41         
self-surrender into the hands of ,god4  
,in one place he speaks of it as3 ,the  

cream of charity1 the odour of humility1
 the flower of patience1 and the fruit  
of perseverance4 ,great1 he says1 is    
this virtue1 and worthy of being        
practised by the best beloved children  
of ,god4#a ,and again1 ,our ,lord loves 
with a most tender love those who are so
 happy as to abandon themselves wholly  
to ,his fatherly care1 letting          
themselves be governed by ,his divine   
,providence without any idle            
speculations as to whether the workings 
of this ,providence will be useful to   
them to their profit1 or painful to     
their loss1 and this because they are   
well assured that nothing can be sent1  
nothing permitted by this paternal and  
most loving ,heart1 which will not be a 
source of good and profit to them4 ,all 
that is required is that they should    
place all their confidence in ,him1 and 
say from their heart1 ,into ,thy hands  
,i commend my spirit1 my soul1 my body1 
and all that ,i have1 to do with them as
 it shall please ,thee4#b  ,you are     

inclined1 my sisters1 to say that we are
 not all of us capable of such entire   
self-renunciation1 that so supreme an   
act of self-abandonment is beyond our   
strength4 ,hear then1 too1 what our     
,blessed ,father goes on to say4 ,these 
are his words in the same ,conference3  
,never are we reduced to such an        
extremity that we cannot pour forth     
before the divine majesty the perfume of
 a holy submission to ,his most holy    
will1 and of a continual promise never  
wilfully to offend ,him4  ,footnotes #a1
 #b3 ,conf4 #b4   ,,upon ,,interior     
,,desolation4  ,as there are1 more      
thorns than roses in our earthly life1  
and more dull days than sunny ones1 so  
also in our spiritual life our souls are
 more frequently clouded by a sense of  
desolation1 dryness1 and gloom1 than    
irradiated by heavenly consolations and 
brightness4  ,yet our ,blessed ,father  
says that those are mistaken who think  
that1 even in ,christians1 whose        
conscience does not accuse them of sins 

unconfessed1 but on the contrary bears  
good witness for them1 a heavy heart and
 sorrow-laden mind is a proof of ,god's 
displeasure4  ,has ,god not said that   
,he is with us in tribulation1 and is   
not ,his ,cross the mark of the chosen8 
,at the birth of ,jesus1 while the      
shepherds were surrounded by the light  
which shone from heaven and their ears  
filled with the songs of angels1 ,mary  
and ,joseph were in the stable in the   
darkness of night1 the silence only     
broken by the weeping of the ,holy      
,child4 ,yet who would not rather be    
with ,jesus1 ,mary1 and ,joseph in that 
shadowy gloom than with the shepherds   
even in their ecstasy of heavenly joy8  
,st4 ,peter1 indeed1 amid the glories of
 ,thabor said3 ,it is good to be here1  
let us make here three tabernacles4#a   
,but ,holy ,scripture adds3 ,not knowing
 what he said4  ,the faithful soul loves
 ,jesus covered with wounds and         
disfigurements on ,calvary1 amid the    
darkness1 the blood1 the crosses1 the   

nails1 the thorns1 and the horror of    
death3 loves ,him1 ,i say1 as dearly1 as
 fervently as in ,his triumph1 and cries
 out from a full heart amid all this    
desolation3  ,let us make here three    
tabernacles1 one for ,jesus1 one for    
,his holy ,mother1 and one for ,his     
beloved disciple4  ,footnote #a3 ,luke  
ix1 #cc4   ,,upon ,,the ,,presence ,,in 
,,our ,,souls ,,of ,,the ,,grace ,,of   
,,god4  ,there is1 ,i think1 no greater 
temptation than one which assails many  
good people1 namely1 the desire to know 
for certain whether or not they are in a
 state of grace4  ,to a poor soul       
entangled in a perfect spider's web of  
doubt and mistrust1 our ,blessed ,father
 wrote the following consoling words3   
,to try and discover whether or not your
 heart is pleasing to ,god is a thing   
you must not do1 though you may         
undoubtedly try to make sure that ,his  
,heart is pleasing to you4 ,now1 if you 
meditate upon ,his ,heart it will be    
impossible but that it should be well   

pleasing to you1 so sweet is it1 so     
gentle1 so condescending1 so loving     
towards those of ,his poor creatures who
 do but acknowledge their wretchedness3 
so gracious to the unhappy1 so good to  
the penitent4 ,ah6 who would not love   
this royal ,heart1 which to us is as the
 heart both of a father and of a mother8
  ,as regards interior desolation there 
are some souls who seem to think that no
 devotion is worthy of the name which is
 not sensible and full of emotion4  ,to 
one who complained to our ,blessed      
,father of having lost all relish for   
exercises of piety1 he wrote in the     
following words3 ,the love of ,god      
consists neither in consolations nor in 
tenderness--otherwise our ,lord would   
not have loved ,his father when ,he was 
sorrowful unto death1 nor when ,he cried
 out1 ,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast ,thou 
forsaken me8#a ,that is to say1 then1   
when ,he performed the greatest act of  
love that it is possible to imagine4    
,the truth is1 we are always hungering  

after consolation1 for a little sugar to
 be added to our spiritual food2 in     
other words1 we always want to          
experience our feelings of love and     
tenderness1 and thereby to be cheered   
and comforted4  ,footnote #a3 ,matt4    
xxvii4 #df4   ,,upon ,,our ,,desire ,,to
 ,,save ,,our ,,soul4  ,faith teaches   
us1 by means of the ,holy ,scriptures1  
that ,god ardently desires that we      
should be saved1#a and that none should 
perish4 ,his will is our sanctification1
 that is to say1 ,he wishes us to be    
holy4 ,moreover1 to prove that ,his     
desire is neither barren nor unhelpful1 
,he gives us in ,his holy ,church all   
the graces necessary for our salvation1 
so that if we are lost it will only be  
because of our own wilful malice4       
,unfortunately1 however1 though it may  
be that all desire to save their souls1 
all are not willing to accept the means 
offered them for so doing4 ,hence the   
disorders which we see in the world     
around us and the truth1 that1 while    

many are called few are chosen4 ,on this
 subject our ,blessed ,father speaks as 
follows in his ,theotimus3  ,we are1 he 
says1 to will our salvation in such sort
 as ,god wills it2 now ,he wills it by  
way of desire1 and we also must         
incessantly desire it1 in conformity    
with ,his desire4 ,nor does ,he will it 
only1 but1 in effect1 gives us all      
necessary means to attain to it4 ,we    
then1 in fulfilment of the desire we    
have to be saved1 must not only wish to 
be saved1 but1 in effect1 must accept   
all the graces which ,he has provided   
for us1 and offers us4 ,with regard to  
salvation itself1 it is enough to say3  
,i desire to be saved4 ,but1 with regard
 to the means of salvation1 it is not   
enough to say3 ,i desire them4 ,we must1
 with an absolute resolution1 will and  
embrace the graces which ,god presents  
to us2 for our will must correspond with
 ,god's will4 ,and1 inasmuch as ,he     
gives us the means of salvation1 we     
ought to avail ourselves of such means1 

just as we ought to desire salvation in 
such sort as ,god desires it for us1 and
 because ,he desires it4#b  ,footnote   
#a3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #d4 ,footnote #b3 ,the 
,love of ,god4 ,bk4 viii4 #d4   ,,upon  
,,good ,,natural ,,inclinations4        
,blessed ,francis always impressed upon 
us the necessity of making use for the  
glory of ,god of any good inclinations  
natural to us4 ,if you possess such1 he 
would say1 remember that they are gifts1
 of which you will have to render an    
account4 ,take care1 then1 to employ    
them in the service of ,him who gave    
them to you4 ,engraft upon this wild    
stock the shoots of eternal love which  
,god is ready to bestow upon you1 if1 by
 an act of perfect self-renunciation1   
you prepare yourself to receive them4   
,there are people who are naturally     
inclined to certain moral virtues1 such 
as silence1 sobriety1 modesty1 chastity1
 humility1 patience1 and the like1 and  
who1 however little they may cultivate  
these virtues1 make great progress in   

them4 ,this was the case with many of   
the great pagan philosophers as we know1
 and it is quite true1 that with all of 
us1 the bent and inclination of the mind
 towards the acquisition of any kind of 
excellence1 whether moral or physical1  
is an immense assistance4 ,still1 we    
must bear in mind the fact that the     
acquiring of every moral virtue and     
every physical power1 nay1 of the whole 
world itself1 is nothing1 if1 in gaining
 them1 we should lose our own soul4 ,st4
 ,paul tells us this1#a and for the same
 reason1 our ,blessed ,father warns us  
not to keep our talents wrapped up in a 
napkin1 not to hide their light under   
the bushel of nature1 but to trade with 
them according to the intention of ,him 
who is their author and distributor4 ,he
 reminds us that this divine ,giver who 
bestowed them on us in order thereby to 
increase ,his exterior glory1 promises  
us a reward if we use them as ,he means 
us to do1 and threatens us with         
punishment if we are careless in the    

matter4  ,you ask me how we are to deal 
with these inclinations and manage these
 talents or virtues8 ,well1 you have the
 answer to that question in the words of
 our ,blessed ,father which ,i quoted3  
,engraft on the wild stock of natural   
inclination shoots of divine charity4   
,footnote #a3 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #a1 #c4    
,,how ,,to ,,speak ,,of ,,god4  ,st4    
,francis loved those words of ,st4      
,peter3 ,if any man speak1 let him speak
 as the words of ,god4 ,if any man      
minister1 let him do it as of the power 
which ,god administreth1#a and of ,st4  
,paul3 ,all things whatsoever you do1   
whether in word or in work1 do them in  
the name 7that is to say1 to the honour 
and glory7 of our ,lord ,jesus          
,christ4#b  ,that we may carry out this 
excellent precept in our actions1 our   
,blessed ,father gives us some          
remarkable teaching4 ,in one of his     
letters he says3 ,we must never speak of
 ,god or of things relating to ,his     
worship1 that is1 of religion1          

carelessly1 and in the way of ordinary  
conversation1 but always with great     
respect1 esteem1 and devotion4  ,this   
advice applies to those who speak of    
,god1 and of religious matters as they  
would of any ordinary topics of         
conversation1 without taking into       
account the circumstances of time1      
place1 or persons4 ,st4 ,jerome         
complained of this abuse1 saying that   
whilst there are masters and experts in 
every art and science1 only on matters  
of theology and ,holy ,scripture1 the   
foundations of all arts and sciences1   
can few be found to speak well4 ,yet    
questions relating to them are discussed
 most flippantly at table1 and in public
 places2 the hare-brained youth1 the    
uneducated labourer1 and the dotard1    
give their opinions freely on the       
highest mysteries of the ,faith4        
,again1 ,blessed ,francis says3 ,always 
speak of ,god as of ,god1 that is to    
say1 reverently and devoutly1 not in a  
self-sufficient1 preaching spirit1 but  

with gentleness1 charity1 and           
humility4#c  ,in the same book he gives 
his advice to ,philothea in the         
following words3 ,never1 then1 speak of 
,god or of religion for form's sake1 or 
to make conversation1 but always with   
attention and devotion4 ,i tell you     
this1 that you may not be guilty of an  
extraordinary sort of vanity1 which is  
observable in many who profess to be    
devout4 ,these people1 on all possible  
occasions1 throw in expressions of piety
 and fervour without the least thought  
of what they are saying1 and1 having    
uttered these phrases1 imagine that they
 themselves are such1 as their words    
would indicate1 which is not at all the 
case4  ,footnote #a3 #a ,st4 ,peter iv4 
#aa4 ,footnote #b3 ,col4 iii #ag4       
,footnote #c3 ,part iii41 chap4 #bf4    
,,upon ,,eccentricities ,,in ,,devotion4
  ,blessed ,francis had a great dislike 
of any kind of affectation or           
singularity practised by devout persons1
 whether in ,religious houses or in the 

world4 ,he went so far as to say that it
 rendered their piety not merely        
offensive1 but ridiculous4  ,he wished  
every one to conform as far as possible 
to the way of life proper to his or her 
calling1 without affecting any          
peculiarity4 ,he gave as his authority  
for this desire the example of our      
,lord1 who1 in the days of ,his flesh1  
condescended to make ,himself like to   
,his brethren in all things excepting   
sin4  ,the holy ,bishop inculcated this 
lesson upon his penitents1 not only by  
word1 but much more by his example4     
,never during the whole fourteen years  
which1 happily for me1 ,i spent under   
his direction studying most closely all 
his actions1 his very gestures1 his     
words1 and his teaching2 never1 ,i say1 
did ,i observe in him the faintest      
shadow of singularity4  ,i must confess 
to having1 in order to find out exactly 
what he was1 practised a ruse1 which    
some might think inexcusable or         
impertinent4 ,every year he paid me a   

week's visit1 and before he came ,i took
 care to have some holes pierced in the 
doors or boarding of his rooms1 that ,i 
might closely observe his behaviour when
 quite alone4 ,well1 ,i can truly say   
that whatever he did1 whether he prayed1
 read1 meditated1 or wrote1 in his lying
 down and in his rising up1 at all times
 and in all circumstances1 he was the   
same--calm1 unaffected1 simple--his     
outward demeanour corresponding with the
 interior beauty of his soul4 ,francis  
quite alone was the very same as        
,francis in company4 ,i think1 myself1  
that this was the result of his         
continual attention to the presence of  
,god1 a practice which he recommended so
 strongly to all who were under his     
direction4  ,when he prayed1 it was as  
though he saw the angels and the saints 
gathered round him4 ,he remained for    
hours calm1 motionless as a statue1 and 
changeless in expression4  ,never1 even 
when alone1 did he for the sake of      
greater comfort sit or stand or assume  

attitudes other than those he permitted 
himself when in public4 ,he never so    
much as crossed his legs1 or rested his 
head on his hand4 ,the unvarying but    
easy gravity of his demeanour naturally 
inspired an unfailing love and respect4 
,he said that our exterior deportment   
should be like water which1 the better  
it is1 the more is it tasteless4  ,i was
 much pleased on hearing a very famous  
and devout person1#a whom ,i met in     
,paris1 say this to me about our ,saint4
 ,that nothing brought so vividly to his
 mind what the conversation of our ,lord
 ,jesus ,christ must have been among    
men1 as the presence and angelic        
deportment of the holy ,bishop1 of whom 
one might truly say that he was not only
 clothed with1 but absolutely full of1  
,jesus ,christ4 ,nor will this appear   
strange to us if we remember that the   
just soul1 that is to say1 the soul     
which is in a state of grace1 is said to
 be conformed to the image of the ,son  
of ,god1 and is called a participator of

 the divine nature4  ,footnote #a3 ,st4 
,vincent de ,paul4   ,,upon             
,,confraternities4  ,he advised devout  
people to give in their names boldly1   
and without much consultation1 to the   
confraternities which they happened to  
meet with1 so as to become by this means
 participators of grace with all those  
who fear ,god and live according to ,his
 law4 ,he pitied the scruples of those  
good souls who fear to enrol themselves1
 lest1 as they ignorantly imagine1 they 
should sin by not fulfilling certain    
duties laid down in the rules given for 
the guidance and discipline of these    
confraternities1 but which are rather   
recommended than commanded4  ,for1 he   
said1 if the rules of ,religious ,orders
 are not in themselves binding under    
pain of either mortal or venial sin1 how
 much less so are the statutes of       
confraternities8  ,the following out of 
the recommendations given to their      
members to do certain things1 to recite 
certain prayers1 to take part in certain

 meetings or processions1 is a matter of
 counsel1 and not of precept4 ,to those 
who perform such pious actions1         
,indulgences are granted1 which those   
who do not practise them fail to gain2  
but such failure1 even if wilful1 is not
 a sin4 ,there is much to gain1 and     
nothing to lose4  ,on this subject he   
speaks thus to ,philothea3  ,enter      
readily into the confraternities of the 
place in which you are living1 and      
specially into those whose exercises are
 the most fruitful and edifying4 ,in    
doing this1 you will be practising a    
kind of obedience which is very pleasing
 to ,god1 and the more so because       
although the joining confraternities is 
not commanded1 yet it is recommended by 
the ,church1 who1 to show that she      
desires ,catholics to enrol themselves  
therein1 grants ,indulgences and other  
privileges to their members4 ,then1 too1
 it is always a charitable thing to     
concur and co-operate with others in    
their good works4 ,and although it may  

be that we should make quite as good    
exercises by ourselves as we do in      
common with our fellow-members1 yet we  
promote the glory of ,god better by     
uniting ourselves with our brethren and 
neighbours1 and sharing our good deeds  
with them4#a  ,footnote #a3 ,part ii41  
chap4 #ae4   ,,upon ,,intercourse ,,with
 ,,the ,,world4  ,there are some good   
people whose zeal not being sufficiently
 tempered with knowledge1 as soon as    
they desire to give themselves up to a  
devout life1 fly from society and from  
intercourse with others as owls shun the
 company of birds that fly by day4      
,their morose and unsociable conduct    
causes a dislike to be taken to devotion
 instead of rendering it sweet and      
attractive to all4 ,our ,blessed ,father
 was altogether opposed to such         
moroseness1 wishing ,his devout children
 to be by their example a light to the  
world1 and the salt of the earth1 so as 
to impart a flavour to piety which might
 tempt the appetite of those who would  

otherwise surely turn from it with      
disgust4 ,to a good soul who asked him  
whether ,christians who wished to live  
with some sort of perfection should see 
company and mix in society1 he answers  
thus3 ,perfection1 my dear lady1 does   
not lie in avoiding our fellow-men1 but 
it does lie in not over-relishing social
 pleasures and in not taking undue      
delight in them4 ,there is danger for us
 in all that we see in a sinful world1  
for we run the risk of fixing our       
affections upon things worldly2 at the  
same time to those who are steadfast and
 resolute1 the mere sight of the things 
of this world will do no harm4 ,in a    
word1 the perfection of charity is the  
perfection of life1 for the life of our 
soul is charity4 ,the early ,christians1
 who were in the world in their body    
though not in their heart1 undoubtedly  
were very perfect4#a  ,as regards the   
world's opinion of us1 and the          
estimation in which we are held by      
others1 it is not well to be too        

sensitive4 ,at the same time1 to be     
altogether indifferent about our        
reputation is blameworthy4 ,our ,blessed
 ,prelate teaches his ,philothea exactly
 what we have to do3  ,if1 he says1 the 
world despises us1 let us rejoice1 for  
it is right--we see for ourselves that  
we are very contemptible4 ,if it esteems
 us1 let us despise its esteem and its  
judgment1 for it is blind4 ,trouble     
yourself very little about what the     
world thinks2 do not ask or even care to
 know4 ,despise equally its appreciation
 and its contempt1 and let it say what  
it will1 good or evil4 ,i do not approve
 of doing what is not right1 that people
 may have a bad opinion of us4          
,transgressing is always transgressing1 
and we are thereby making our neighbour 
transgress likewise4 ,on the contrary1  
,i desire that1 keeping our eyes always 
fixed upon our ,lord1 we do what we have
 to do without regarding what the world 
thinks of us1 or its behaviour towards  
us4 ,we need not endeavour to give      

others a good opinion of ourselves1 yet 
neither have we to try to give a bad    
one1 and especially must we be careful  
not to do wrong with this intent4  ,but 
we can never stand quite well with the  
world2 it is far too exacting4 ,if out  
of compliance we yield to it1 and play  
and dance with it1 it will be           
scandalized2 and if we do not1 it will  
accuse us of hypocrisy and gloom2 if we 
are well-dressed it will impute to us   
some bad motive2 and if we are          
ill-dressed it will call us mean2 it    
will style our gaiety dissoluteness and 
our mortification gloom4 ,it will       
exaggerate our failings and publish our 
faults2 and if it cannot find fault with
 our actions it will attack our motives4
 ,whatever we do the world will find    
fault4 ,if we spend a long time at      
confession it will ask what we can have 
to say2 if we take but a short time1 it 
will say that we do not tell everything4
 ,if one little cross word escape us it 
will pronounce our temper unbearable2 it

 will denounce our prudence as avarice1 
our gentleness as folly4 ,spiders       
invariably spoil the bees' labour4      
,therefore1 do not mind what opinion the
 world has of you1 good or bad2 do not  
distress yourself about it1 whichever it
 be4 ,to say that we are not what the   
world thinks1 when it speaks well of us1
 is wise1 for the world1 like a quack   
doctor1 always exaggerates4  ,you       
question me1 regarding the contempt     
which we should feel for the world and  
the world's opinion of us2 in other     
words you want to know exactly what ,st4
 ,paul means when he says that1 being   
crucified to the world and the world to 
us1 we should glory only in the ,cross  
of our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4#b  ,this
 seems to you a paradox2 light evolved  
from darkness1 and glory from shame4    
,let me remind you that the ,christian  
religion is full of such paradoxes1 and 
that we belong to an all-powerful ,god1 
who has given life to us by ,his death2 
who has healed us by ,his wounds1 and   

who makes us rich by ,his poverty4 ,i   
cannot1 however1 explain the difficulty 
to you better than by quoting the words 
of our ,blessed ,father in one of his   
letters4 ,he says3 ,in this alone lies  
our glory1 that our divine ,saviour died
 for us1 the ,master for ,his slaves1   
the just for the unjust4  ,footnote #a3 
,cf4 ,the ,devout ,life4 ,part iv41 c4  
#g4 ,footnote #b3 ,galat4 vi4 #ad4      
,,against ,,over-,,eagerness4  ,blessed 
,francis advised his penitents to avoid 
above all things1 excessive eagerness1  
which1 in his view1 is the mortal foe of
 true devotion4 ,he says3 ,it is far    
better to do a few things well than to  
undertake many good works and leave them
 half done4  ,this was the mistake of   
the man in the ,gospel who began to     
build and was not able to finish because
 he had not counted the cost beforehand4
 ,there are some who think they are     
never doing well unless they are doing  
much4 ,they are like the ,pharisees who 
considered the perfection of prayer to  

consist in its length4 ,our ,lord       
reproves them for this and much more for
 devouring widows' houses with their    
long prayers4 ,in one of his            
,conferences the ,saint speaks thus3 ,it
 is not by the multiplicity of things we
 do that we acquire perfection1 but by  
the perfection and purity of intention  
with which we do them4  ,and this is    
what he says on the subject in his      
,theotimus3 ,to do few actions but with 
great purity of intention and with a    
firm will to please ,god1 is to do      
excellently4 ,such greatly sanctify us4 
,some men eat much1 and yet are ever    
lean1 thin1 and delicate1 because their 
digestive power is not good2 there are  
others who eat little1 and yet are      
always in excellent health and vigorous1
 because their stomach is good4 ,even   
so1 there are some souls that do many   
good works and yet increase but little  
in charity1 because they do those good  
works either coldly and negligently1 or 
have undertaken them rather from natural

 instinct and inclination than because  
,god so willed and with heaven-given    
fervour4 ,on the contrary1 others there 
are who get through little work1 but do 
it with so holy a will2 and inclination1
 that they make a wonderful advancement 
in charity2 they have little talent1 but
 they husband it so faithfully that the 
,lord largely2 rewards them for it4#a   
,footnote #a3 ,love of ,god4 ,b4 xii41  
c4 #g4   ,,upon ,,the ,,same ,,subject4 
,our ,blessed ,father always insisted on
 the necessity of discretion as well as 
charity in our devotion1 and warned us  
against that want of self-restraint and 
calmness1 which he called eagerness4    
,this1 he said1 is1 indeed1 the remora  
of true devotion1 and its worst enemy1  
the more so because it decks itself in  
the livery of devotion1 in order more   
easily to entrap the unwary and to make 
them mistake zeal without knowledge for 
genuine fervour4  ,he was very fond of  
that saying of an ancient ,emperor3     
,make haste slowly1 and of another3     

,soon enough1 if well enough4 ,he would 
rather have a little done thoroughly    
well1 than a great deal undertaken with 
over-eagerness4 ,one of his favourite   
maxims was ,little and good4 ,in order  
to persuade us that he was right1 he    
used to warn us against thinking that   
perfection depends on the number of our 
good works1 exterior or interior4 ,when 
asked what then became of that          
insatiable love of which the masters of 
the spiritual life speak1 that love     
which never thinks that it has reached  
the goal1 but is always pressing on     
farther and farther1 spanning the whole 
extent of heaven with giant strides1 he 
answered3 ,the tree of that love must   
grow at the roots1 rather than by the   
branches4 ,he explained his meaning     
thus3 ,to grow by the branches is to    
wish to perform a great number of good  
works1 of which many are imperfect1     
others superfluous like the useless     
leaves which overload the vine1 and have
 to be nipped off before the grapes can 

grow to any proper size4 ,on the other  
hand we grow at the roots when we do    
only a few good works1 but those few    
most perfectly1 that is to say1 with a  
great love of ,god1 in which all the    
perfection of the ,christian consists4  
,it is to this that the ,apostle exhorts
 us when he bids us be rooted and       
grounded in charity if we would         
comprehend the surpassing charity of the
 knowledge of ,jesus ,christ4 ,true     
devotion1 he used to say1 should be     
gentle1 tranquil1 and discreet1 whereas 
eagerness is indiscreet1 tempestuous1   
and turbulent4  ,especially he found    
fault with the eagerness which attempts 
to do several things at once4 ,he said  
it was like trying to thread more than  
one needle at a time4 ,one of his       
favourite mottos was3 ,sufficient to the
 day is the labour thereof4  ,when he   
was reproached1 as he sometimes was1    
with bestowing such earnest and         
undivided attention on the most trivial 
concerns of the people who came to him  

for sympathy and advice1 he answered3   
,these troubles appear great to them1   
and1 therefore1 they must be consoled1  
as if they really were so4 ,god knows1  
too1 that ,i do not want any great      
employment4 ,it is perfectly indifferent
 to me what my occupation is so long as 
it is a serving of ,him4 ,to do these   
small works is all that is1 at the time 
being1 asked of me4 ,is not doing the   
will of ,god a work great enough for    
anyone8 ,we turn little actions into    
great ones when we perform them with a  
supreme desire to please ,god1 who      
measures our services1 not by the       
excellence of the work we do1 but by the
 love which accompanies it1 and that    
love by its purity1 and that purity by  
the singleness of its intention4        
,,upon ,,liberty ,,of ,,spirit4  ,he was
 a great enemy to every sort of         
spiritual restriction and constraint1   
and was fond of quoting the words of    
,st4 ,paul3 ,where the spirit of ,god   
is1 there is liberty4#a ,and again3 ,you

 are redeemed with a great price1 do not
 make yourselves slaves again4#b ,he had
 advised a lady of rank to work with her
 own hands1 in order to avoid sloth1    
and1 as she was well to do1 he suggested
 to her to devote her manual labour to  
the adornment of altars or to the       
service of the poor1 following the      
advice of the ,apostle1 who counsels us 
to labour with our hands to provide for 
the wants of the needy4 ,this lady1 who 
always followed his suggestions to the  
very letter as if they were commands1   
having done some little piece of work   
for herself1 felt a scruple about the   
matter1 as though she had failed in the 
exact obedience which she had resolved  
to yield1 not only to the commands of   
the holy ,prelate1 but even to his      
opinions4 ,she therefore1 asked him if  
she ought to give in alms exactly what a
 piece of work she had done for herself 
was worth4 ,moreover1 having been       
advised to fast on ,fridays she wished1 
she said1 in order to gain more merit to

 make a vow that she would always       
practise this mortification4  ,here is  
his reply3 ,i approve of your ,friday   
fasts1 but not that you should make any 
vow to keep them1 nor that you should   
tie yourself down1 tightly in such      
matters4 ,still more do ,i approve of   
your working with your hands1 spinning  
and so forth1 at times when nothing     
greater or more important claims your   
attention1 and that what you make should
 be destined either for the altar or for
 the poor1 ,i should not1 however1 like 
you to keep to this so strictly1 that if
 it should happen that you do something 
for yourself or for your family you     
should feel obliged to give the poor the
 value of your work4 ,for1 holy liberty 
and freedom must reign1 and we must have
 no other law than love1 which1 when it 
bids us to do some kind of work for our 
own family or friends1 must not be      
looked upon as if it had led us to do   
wrong4 ,still less does it require us to
 make amends1 as you wished to do seeing

 that whatever it invites us to take in 
hand1 whether for the rich or for the   
poor1 is equally pleasing to our ,lord4 
,what do you think of this doctrine1 you
 who go by rule and measure in valuing  
an act of virtue8 ,is liberality        
displayed towards the rich1 in your     
opinion1 worth as much as alms given to 
the poor8 ,see now1 this holy ,bishop   
follows a very different rule1 and      
measuring the one action and the other  
by the golden standard of charity1      
esteems them as equal1 provided both be 
done with equal charity4  ,footnote #a3 
,,ii4 ,cor4 iii4 #ag4 ,footnote #b3     
,cor4 vii4 #bc   ,,upon ,,nature ,,and  
,,grace4  ,in certain minds there seems 
always to lurk some remains of          
,pelagianism1 a hydra from which though 
bruised and crushed by the ,church--the 
pillar and bulwark of the ,truth--new   
heads are ever springing forth4  ,many1 
as ,i am willing to believe1 from lack  
of consideration1 ascribe too much to   
nature1 and too little to grace1 making 

too great capital of the matter of moral
 virtues1 and too little of the manner  
in which they are practised4 ,these     
people forget that in our works ,god    
does not regard how much we do1 but with
 how much love we do it1 non quantum1   
sed ex quanta1 in the language of the   
schools4  ,on this subject our ,blessed 
,father gives the following excellent   
advice to a pious person who1 because   
she had to devote the greater part of   
her time to household affairs and to mix
 a good deal in society was discouraged1
 and thought it almost impossible for   
her to lead a devout life4  ,do not1 he 
says1 look at all at the substance of   
the things which you do1 but rather1    
poor though they be1 at the honour by   
which they are ennobled1 that of being  
willed by ,god1 ordered by ,his         
,providence1 and arranged by ,his       
wisdom1 in a word1 that of being        
pleasing to ,god4 ,and if they please   
,him1 whom can they reasonably offend8  
,strive1 my dearest daughter1 to become 

every day more pure in heart4  ,this    
purity of heart consists in setting on  
all things their true value1 and in     
weighing them in the balance of the     
sanctuary1 which balance is only another
 name for the wilt of ,god4 ,in the same
 way in his ,theotimus he teaches that  
acts of the lesser virtues are often    
more pleasing to ,god1 and consequently 
more meritorious1 because done with     
great love1 than the most splendid      
virtues when practised with less of     
heavenly charity4 ,charity is the pure  
gold which makes us rich in immortal    
wealth4   ,,upon ,,exaggerated          
,,introspection4  ,blessed ,francis was 
not at all fond of too much             
self-introspection1 or of the habit of  
turning an unimportant matter over and  
over a hundred times in the mind4 ,he   
called this pernicious hair-splitting2  
or1 with the ,psalmist3 ,spinning       
spiders' webs4#a ,people given to it he 
used to say are like the silkworm1 which
 imprisons and entangles itself in its  

own cocoon4 ,in his twelfth ,conference 
he speaks further on this subject4  ,the
 soul1 he says1 which is wholly bent on 
pleasing its divine ,lover1 has neither 
desire nor leisure to fall back upon    
itself4 ,it presses on continually 7or  
should do so7 along the one straight    
path which has that love for its aim1   
not allowing itself to waste its powers 
in continual self-inspection for the    
purpose of seeing what it is doing or if
 it is satisfied4 ,alas6 our own        
satisfactions and consolations do not   
satisfy ,god1 they only feed that       
miserable love and care of ourselves    
which is quite apart from ,god and the  
thought of ,him4  ,a great deal of time 
is wasted in these useless              
considerations which would be far better
 employed in doing good works4  ,by over
 considering whether we do right1 we may
 actually do wrong4  ,st4 ,anthony was  
once asked how we might know if we      
prayed properly4 ,by not knowing it at  
all1 he answered4 ,he certainly prays   

well who is so taken up with ,god that  
he does not know he is praying4 ,the    
traveller who is always counting his    
steps will not make much headway4       
,footnote #a3 ,cf4 ,ps4 lxxxix4 #aj4    
,,upon ,,interior ,,reformation4  ,our  
,blessed ,father used to say that1      
generally speaking1 grace worked as     
nature1 and not as art1 does4 ,art only 
reproduces what appears outwardly as in 
painting and sculpture1 but nature      
begins her work from within1 so that in 
a living creature the internal organs   
are formed before the skin1 whence the  
saying that the heart is the first      
living part of man4  ,when1 therefore1  
he wished to lead souls on from a       
worldly to a devout life1 he did not at 
first suggest changes in the exterior1  
in the dressing of the hair1 in the     
fashion of garments1 and so on4 ,no1 he 
spoke only to the heart1 and of the     
heart1 knowing that when once that      
stronghold is gained1 nothing else can  
resist4  ,when a house is on fire1 said 

he1 see how all the furniture is thrown 
out of the window6 ,so is it when the   
heart is possessed by true love of ,god1
 all that is not of ,god seems then to  
it of no moment at all4 ,if a man1 says 
the ,canticle of ,canticles give all his
 riches for love he will think that he  
has done nothing4#a  ,i will give you a 
trifling illustration of this teaching  
which may be useful to you4 ,a lady of  
high rank1 having placed herself under  
the direction of the holy ,prelate1     
became more and more assiduous in       
attending the services of the ,church1  
spending much time in prayer and        
meditation1 and1 in what leisure was    
left her from her household cares1      
visiting the sick and poor4 ,her friends
 and acquaintances1 however1 observed   
with surprise that she made no change at
 all in external matters1 that her dress
 was as rich as ever1 and that she laid 
aside none of her magnificent ornaments4
  ,this so scandalized them that they   
began to murmur openly1 not only against

 her1 but also against her director4    
,they even went so far as to accuse her 
of hypocrisy1 forgetting that a         
hypocrite always tries to appear better 
in the eyes of others than he really is1
 whereas she1 in spite of interior      
amendment1 remained quite unchanged in  
her exterior4  ,the truth was that she  
did not in the least care for her       
ornaments1 but as it was her husband's  
will that she should dress as before1   
she followed the example of ,esther1    
who1 though she detested all vain pomp  
and show1 to please ,assuerus1 decked   
herself out with magnificence4  ,on one 
occasion some busybody told our ,blessed
 ,father that this lady1 devout though  
she was1 had not even given up wearing  
ear-rings1 and expressed great surprise 
that he who was so good a confessor had 
not advised her to have done with the   
like vanities4 ,to all this ,francis    
replied with his accustomed gentleness1 
and with a touch of humour3 ,i assure   
you1 ,i do not know that she has got    

ears1 much less ear-rings in them4 ,she 
always comes to confession with her head
 so completely enveloped in a great hood
 or scarf that ,i cannot see so much as 
its shape4 ,then1 too1 let us remember  
that the saintly ,rebecca of old1 who   
was quite as virtuous as this lady1 lost
 nothing of her sanctity by wearing the 
ear-rings which ,eleazer presented to   
her as the gift of his master ,isaac6   
,thus did our ,blessed ,father deal with
 matters which are a stumbling-block to 
the weak and foolish1 showing how true  
it is that all things work together for 
good to those who are good1 and that to 
the pure all things are pure4  ,footnote
 #a3 ,cant4 viii4 #g4   ,,his ,,vision  
,,of ,,the ,,most ,,holy ,,trinity4     
,all ,christians ought to be not only   
devout but absolutely devoted to the    
most ,blessed ,trinity4 ,it is the most 
august and fundamental of all our       
mysteries2 it is that to which we are   
consecrated by our entrance into the    
holy ,church1 for we are baptized in the

 name of the ,father1 of the ,son1 and  
of the ,holy ,ghost4  ,but you1 my      
sisters1 ought in an especial manner to 
be devoted to this great and ineffable  
mystery1 remembering the wonderful      
vision which our ,blessed ,father1 your 
founder1 had on the day of his episcopal
 consecration4 ,in that sublime vision  
,almighty ,god showed him most clearly  
and intelligibly that the three adorable
 ,persons of the most ,holy ,trinity    
were operating in his soul1 producing   
there special graces which were to aid  
him in his pastoral office1 at the very 
moment that the three ,bishops who were 
consecrating him1 blessed him1 and      
performed all the holy ceremonies which 
render this action so great and so      
solemn4 ,thenceforth he always regarded 
himself as consecrated to the           
ever-,blessed ,trinity and as a vessel  
of honour and sanctification4  ,then1   
too1 in the year #afaj1 he both founded 
and opened your ,institute on the day   
dedicated by the ,church to the memory  

and adoration of that incomprehensible  
mystery4 ,trinity ,sunday that year     
happening to fall on the ,feast of ,st4 
,claude1 he gave you that saint as your 
special intercessor with the most ,holy 
,trinity4  ,again1 you ,congregation    
began with three members only1 and this 
of set purpose1 in order to honour the  
,blessed ,trinity as well as to         
accomplish what is written in the       
,gospel1 that when two or three are     
gathered together in the name1 that is  
to say1 for the glory of ,god1 ,he will 
be in the midst of them1 and will       
animate and govern them by ,his spirit2 
the spirit of love1 unity1 and concord1 
which makes us keep the unity of the    
spirit in the bond of peace1 and renders
 us one through love1 as the ,father1   
the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost are one  
only1 in nature1 essence1 and substance4
 ,it is this peace of ,god1 passing all 
understanding1 which has up to the      
present time kept all the convents of   
your ,order in unity4 ,woe to him who   

shall break down this defence and       
rampart6 ,may the ever-,blessed ,trinity
 avert this misery1 and both regard and 
preserve you always1 as adopted         
daughters of the ,father1 adopted       
sisters of the ,son1 and spouses of the 
,holy ,ghost6 ,amen4   ,,his ,,devotion 
,,to ,,our ,,blessed ,,lady4            
,astrologers1 as you know1 make a great 
point of observing what star is rising  
on the horizon at the moment of a       
person's birth4 ,they call it the       
ascendant1 and it forms1 as it were1 the
 apex of their horoscope4 ,well1 this is
 an idle fancy1 but we may draw from it 
a useful suggestion4 ,it would be good  
for us to notice what star was in the   
ascendant in the heavens1 that is to    
say1 what blessed ,saint's feast day    
illumined the heaven of the ,church     
militant at the moment of our birth4 ,i 
cannot tell you how much this knowledge 
has helped many a soul4  ,ah6 how bright
 and glorious an ascendant our ,blessed 
,father had6 seeing that he was born    

under the very sign and protection of   
the ,mother of ,god1 on one of the days 
in the ,octave of her ,assumption1      
,august #bast1 #aefg4  ,no wonder that  
he always had a special devotion to her 
and showed it in every possible way2    
among others1 in giving her name to many
 of the confraternities and             
congregations established by him in the 
,church4 ,no wonder either that he had  
so great a love of purity1 and that     
under the protection1 and with the      
assistance of the ,queen of ,virgins1 he
 should have consecrated himself to ,god
 in holy virginity and continence4  ,you
 know that it was on the ,feast of the  
,immaculate ,conception that he received
 episcopal consecration1 and at the same
 time that inward unction which we learn
 so much of from the history of his     
life4  ,he also dedicated his           
,theotimus#a to the ,queen of ,sovereign
 ,charity1 and preached continually and 
with extraordinary sweetness and fervour
 upon the perfections and greatness of  

that divine ,mother4  ,finally1 my dear 
sisters1 there was nothing that he      
recommended so much to his spiritual    
children as this devotion to the        
,blessed ,virgin4 ,you1 indeed1 more    
than all others1 ought to bear witness  
to this1 seeing that he made you        
daughters of holy ,mary1 under the title
 of the ,visitation1 marked thereby to  
distinguish you from so many other      
congregations consecrated to the honour 
and service of ,god under the title of  
,our ,lady4  ,his devotion to our       
,blessed ,lady was1 indeed1 as might    
have been expected from one so          
single-minded and sincere as he1        
eminently practical1 ,from his earliest 
youth he sought her protection and aid  
in all difficulties and temptations4    
,when he was pursuing his studies while 
at college in ,paris1 the evil spirit   
was permitted by ,god to insinuate into 
his mind the terrible idea that he was  
one of the number of the damned4 ,this  
delusion took such possession of his    

soul that he lost his appetite1 was     
unable to sleep1 and day by day grew    
more and more wasted and languid4 ,his  
tutor and director noticing how his     
health was affected and how pale1       
listless1 and joyless he had become1    
often questioned him as to the cause of 
his dejection and evident suffering1 but
 his tormentor who had filled his mind  
with this delusion1 being what is called
 a dumb devil1 the poor youth could give
 no explanation4  ,for one whole month  
he suffered this mental torture1 this   
agony of soul4 ,he had lost all the     
sweetness of divine love1 but not1      
happily1 his fidelity to it4 ,he looked 
back with bitter tears to the happy time
 when he was1 as it were1 inebriated    
with that sweetness1 nor did any ray of 
hope illumine the darkness of that night
 of despair4  ,at last1 led by a divine 
inspiration1 he entered a church to pray
 that this agony might pass4  ,on his   
knees before a statue of the ,blessed   
,virgin he implored the assistance of   

the ,mother of ,mercy with tears and    
sighs1 and the most fervent devotion4   
,he ended by reciting the ,memorare1    
that devout prayer attributed to ,st4   
,augustine or ,st4 ,bernard1 and which  
was such a favourite with our ,blessed  
,father and taught by him to all his    
penitents4  ,i may here mention that it 
was from his lips that ,i first learnt  
that prayer1 that ,i wrote it down in   
the beginning of my breviary1 and have  
made constant use of it in all my       
necessities4  ,but1 to return to my     
story4 ,no sooner had he finished this  
appeal to the ,mother of ,mercy than he 
began to experience the power of her    
intercession4 ,he seemed to hear the    
voice of ,god within him saying3 ,i am  
thy salvation3 ,oh6 man of little faith1
 wherefore dost thou doubt8 ,thou art   
mine and ,i will save thee2 have        
confidence2 ,i am ,he who has overcome  
the world4  ,then1 in a moment1 the     
devil departed from him2 the delusions  
with which that wicked one had filled   

his mind vanished2 joy and consolation  
took their place2 where darkness had    
reigned light assumed the empire1 and   
,francis felt he could never            
sufficiently thank ,god for this        
deliverance4  ,can you wonder that after
 such a battle and such a victory won   
through the intercession of the ,mother 
of ,god he always advised those who were
 undergoing temptation to have recourse 
to her powerful aid8 ,she is indeed     
terrible--to our foes--as an army in    
battle array1 and a tower of strength   
against the face of our enemies2 and    
what marvel seeing that it is she who   
has crushed the serpent's head8         
,footnote #a3 ,the ,treatise on the     
,love of ,god4   ,,his ,,devotion ,,to  
,,the ,,holy ,,winding ,,sheet ,,of     
,,turin4  ,with regard to our ,blessed  
,father's explanation of his special    
devotion to the ,holy ,winding ,sheet1  
as connected with circumstances         
preceding his birth1 ,i may here say a  
few words4  ,he was born1 as you know1  

on the #bast of ,august1 #aefg4 ,his    
mother was then very young1 not quite   
fifteen1 and frail and delicate in      
health4 ,it happened that at that very  
time the ,holy ,winding ,sheet1 then in 
the ,chapel of ,chambery1 was1 by       
command of ,his ,highness of ,savoy1 and
 at the request of the ,princess ,anne  
d',este1 wife1 by her second marriage1  
of ,james of ,savoy1 ,duke of ,nemours  
and ,prince of ,geneva1 brought to      
,annecy4 ,charles1 ,cardinal of         
,lorraine1 and ,louis1 ,cardinal of     
,guise1 were at the time at ,annecy1    
where the sacred relic was displayed    
with great solemnity and exposed to the 
veneration of the multitudes who flocked
 to the place from all parts4  ,among   
these crowds came the father and mother 
of ,blessed ,francis1 and we may well   
believe that ,god made use of this holy 
relic to imprint upon both the mother   
and the unborn child some special       
influence of grace4  ,there is another  
winding sheet at ,besancon 7for our     

,lord was buried in two1 ,holy          
,scripture itself suggesting this by the
 use of the word linteamina1#a linen    
cloths71 that city being the metropolis 
of the ecclesiastical province1 in which
 the ,bishopric of ,belley is situated4 
,one day when our ,blessed ,father was  
passing by the place the authorities had
 the relic exposed in his honour1 and   
begged him to preach upon the subject4  
,he did so1 with tears of emotion and   
such a torrent of vehement eloquence1 as
 went straight to the hearts of all who 
listened to him4  ,in his own diocese he
 took care to have the feast of the     
,holy ,winding ,sheet kept in all the   
churches4 ,he generally himself preached
 on that day1 and always with much      
feeling and devotion4  ,he had a most   
special devotion to the ,holy ,winding  
,sheet1 as it is to be seen at ,turin4  
,he had it copied or represented in all 
sorts of different ways1 or1 ,i should  
rather say1 by all sorts of different   
arts2 in embroidery1 in oil painting1 in

 copperplate1 in coloured engraving1 in 
miniature1 in demi-relief1 in etching4  
,he had it in his chamber1 his chapel1  
his oratory1 his study1 his refectory2  
in a word1 everywhere4  ,on one occasion
 ,i asked him the reason of this4 ,he   
answered3 ,it is the great treasure of  
the ,house of ,savoy1 the defence of the
 country2 it is our great relic2 more   
than this1 it is the miraculous picture 
of the sufferings of ,jesus ,christ1    
traced with ,his own blood4 ,and then1  
too1 ,i have a special reason for my    
devotion to this holy relic1 seeing that
 before ,i was born my mother dedicated 
me to our ,lord1 while contemplating    
this sacred standard of salvation4  ,it 
is said that he who carries the standard
 into battle1 rather than surrender it  
to the enemy1 should wrap its folds     
round his body and glory in so dying4   
,ah6 ,what a happiness it would he if we
 could thus fold round about us the     
,holy ,winding ,sheet1 buried with      
,jesus ,christ for love of ,him1 in whom

 we are buried by baptism4  ,footnote   
#a3 ,luke xxiv4 #ab4   ,,upon ,,merit4  
,every good work can1 as you know1 have 
four qualities3 it can be meritorious1  
satisfactory1 consolatory1 or           
impetratory4  ,in order to have the two 
first qualities it must be performed    
when we are in a state of grace2 that is
 to say1 through the motive of charity1 
or1 at least1 in charity4  ,but the two 
last it can have1 although imperfectly1 
without charity2 for how many sinners   
there are who feel consolation in doing 
works which are morally good1 and how   
many who in praying impetrate graces and
 favours from the mercy of ,god4        
,between the two first qualities of good
 works there is this difference1 that   
the first abides with and belongs wholly
 and entirely to the person who performs
 the work1 and cannot be communicated2  
that power of communication being       
reserved solely for the merits of ,jesus
 ,christ our ,lord1 which do not stop   
short1 as it were1 and end in ,him1 but 

can be1 and1 in fact1 are1 communicated 
to us4 ,neither the saints in heaven nor
 those on earth have power to           
communicate to us one tittle of their   
merits2 not the former1 because in glory
 they are rewarded far beyond their     
deserving2 not the latter1 because they 
have not yet reached the goal1 and      
whatever sanctity they may possess1 they
 may1 through sin1 fall away from it1   
and all have need of the grace and mercy
 of ,god to keep them from so falling4  
,the second quality1 however1 is        
communicable1 because we can share in   
the necessities of one another1 and can 
make satisfaction one for another2      
spiritual riches being no less          
communicable than temporal ones1 and the
 abundance of some being able to relieve
 the starvation of others4 ,hear what   
our ,blessed ,father says on this       
subject in his eighteenth ,conference3  
,we must never think that by going to   
,holy ,communion for others1 or by      
praying for them1 we lose anything4 ,we 

need not fear that by offering to ,god  
this communion or prayer in satisfaction
 for the sins of others we shall not    
make spiritual profit for ourselves4    
,the merit of the communion and of the  
prayer will remain with us1 for we      
cannot merit grace for one another2 it  
is our ,lord alone who can do that4 ,we 
can beg for graces for others1 but we   
can never merit them4   ,,upon ,,good   
,,will ,,and ,,good ,,desires4  ,good   
will being of so great importance1 you  
ask me of what use it is1 if it does not
 manifest itself by its works4  ,and    
,st4 ,gregory tells us that where there 
are no works there can be no love at    
all1 or at least none that is sincere4  
,our ,blessed ,father will give the best
 possible answer to your question4      
,these are his words3  ,the angel who   
proclaimed the birth of our infant      
,saviour sang glory to ,god1 announcing 
that he published joy1 peace1 and       
happiness to men of good will4 ,this was
 done in order that no one might be     

ignorant that to receive this ,child all
 that is needed is to be of good will1  
even though as yet one may have effected
 nothing of good1 for ,christ comes to  
bless all good wills1 and1 little by    
little1 ,he will render them fruitful   
and of good effect1 provided we allow   
,him to govern them4  ,with regard to   
good desires1 it is1 indeed1 marvellous 
that they should so often come to       
nothing1 and that such magnificent      
blossoms should produce so little fruit4
  ,he gives1 however1 a reason for this1
 which pleases me very much4  ,god      
knows1 he says1 why ,he permits so many 
good desires to require such length of  
time and such severe effort to bring    
them to action1 nay1 more than this1 why
 sometimes they are never actuated at   
all4  ,yet if there were no other profit
 from them than that resulting from the 
mortification of a soul which loves     
,god1 that would be much4  ,in fact1 we 
must not desire evil things at all2 good
 things we must desire only in          

moderation2 but desire supremely1 and in
 a limitless degree1 that one only      
divine ,good1 ,god ,himself4   ,,against
 ,,the ,,making ,,of ,,rash ,,vows4  ,a 
certain person of my acquaintance#a     
having learnt on good authority that    
,blessed ,francis had in his early youth
 made a vow to say his rosary every day1
 wished to imitate him in this work of  
piety1 and yet did not like to make the 
vow without first consulting him4  ,he  
received the answer3 ,beware of doing   
so4 ,my friend replying3 ,why do you    
refuse to others the advice which you   
took for yourself in your youth8        
,blessed ,francis continued3 ,the very  
word youth decides the question1 because
 ,i made the vow at that time with less 
reflection1 but now that ,i am older ,i 
say to you1 ,do not do it4 ,i do not    
tell you not to say your rosary2 on the 
contrary1 ,i advise you as earnestly as 
,i can1 and even conjure you not to     
allow a single day to pass without      
reciting that prayer1 which is most     

pleasing to ,god1 and to the ,blessed   
,virgin4 ,but do it from a firm and     
fixed purpose1 rather than from a vow1  
so that if you should happen to omit it 
either from weariness or forgetfulness1 
or any other circumstance1 you may not  
be perplexed by scruples1 and run the   
risk of offending ,god4 ,for it is not  
enough to vow1 we must also pay our vow1
 and that under pain of sin1 which is no
 small matter4 ,i assure you that this  
vow has often been a hindrance to me1   
and many a time ,i have been on the     
point of asking to be dispensed1 and set
 free from it1 or at least of having it 
changed into some other work of equal   
worth1 which might interfere less with  
the discharge of my duties4  ,but1      
rejoined this person1 is not what is    
done by vow more meritorious than what  
is done only from a firm and settled    
purpose8 ,i suspected that was it1      
replied ,blessed ,francis2 in that case 
who do you wish should profit by what   
you do8 ,a fine question1 cried the     

other1 my neighbour1 do you think8 ,no1 
certainly1 ,i want to gain it for       
myself4 ,then there is nothing more to  
be said1 replied ,blessed ,francis4 ,i  
see ,i have been making a mistake1 ,i   
imagined1 of course1 that you wished to 
make your vow to ,god1 for ,god1 and for
 ,his sake1 and so by your vow to merit 
or gain something for ,god4 ,what6 ,are 
we to talk of our merits and graces as  
if ,he needed them1 and were not        
,himself absolute merit and infinite    
goodness and perfection8  ,our ,blessed 
,father loved to see this bird beating  
its wings against the bars of its cage4 
,at last to let him fly1 he said3 ',but 
what then is merit1 but a work pleasing 
to ,god1 and a work done in ,his grace1 
and by ,his help1 and for ,his love--a  
work which ,he rewards with increase of 
grace and glory8' ,certainly1 said the  
other1 that is how ,i1 too1 understood  
it4 ,well1 then1 replied he1 if you     
understand it thus1 why do you contend  
against your understanding and your     

conscience8 ,are we not meriting for    
,god1 when we do a good work in a state 
of grace and for the love of ,god8 ,and 
ought not the love of ,god which seeks  
nothing but ,his interests1 that is to  
say1 ,his glory1 to be the chief end and
 final aim of all our good works1 rather
 than the reward we thereby merit1 which
 is merely an accessory8  ,and of what  
use to ,god are the merits and good     
works of men8 continued the other4 ,for 
one thing1 replied he1 ,god thereby     
saves you from taking a false step4 ,you
 are standing on the brink of a         
precipice1 and you have your eyes shut4 
,let me give you a helping hand4  ,in   
very truth1 no good works of ours1      
though done in a state of grace and for 
the love of ,god1 can increase ,his     
interior and essential glory4 ,the      
reason is that this glory1 being ,god   
,himself and consequently infinite1 can 
neither be increased by our good actions
 nor diminished by our sins2 and it is  
in this sense that ,david says that ,god

 is ,god and has no need of our goods4#b
 ,it is not thus1 however1 with the     
exterior glory which is rendered to ,him
 by creatures1 and for the obtaining of 
which ,he drew them forth out of        
nothingness into existence4 ,this is    
finite1 by reason of its subject1 ,god's
 creature1 and therefore can be         
increased by our good works done in and 
for the love of ,god1 or1 on the other  
hand1 diminished by our evil actions1 by
 which we dishonour ,god1 and rob ,him  
of ,his glory1 though only of glory     
which is exterior and outside of the    
divine nature4  ,now that we do increase
 the exterior glory of ,god by our good 
works1 done as ,i have said1 is evident 
from the testimony of the ,apostle1 when
 he calls the man who is purified from  
sin by justifying grace3 ,a vessel unto 
honour sanctified and profitable to the 
,lord prepared unto every good work4#c  
,indeed1 it is the very fact that a work
 done in grace increases the exterior   
glory of ,god1 which makes it           

meritorious1 ,his goodness being pledged
 by ,his promise to glorify those who   
glorify ,him1 and to give the crown of  
justice to those who fight the good     
fight1 and who do1 or endure1 anything  
for the glory of ,his name4 ,this is why
 ,i said that we must merit for ,god1   
that is to say1 we should refer our     
actions to the glory of ,god1 and act   
out of love for ,him4 ,so we shall merit
 eternal life1 provided always we be    
free from mortal sin1 since ,god is not 
pledged to give the glories of heaven to
 any but those who shall labour in ,his 
grace4  ,if1 on the other hand1 we wish 
to merit for ourselves1 that is to say1 
if we positively intend that the whole  
aim of our labour be the reward of      
grace1 or glory1 which we hope for3 and 
if we do not1 in performing our good    
works seek first and chiefly the glory  
of ,god2 then we really merit nothing   
for ourselves1 since we do nothing for  
,god4 ,the reason of this is that there 
is so close a relationship between merit

 and reward 7the two ,latin names for   
them1 meritum and merces1 having the    
same root and meaning71 that one cannot 
exist without the other any more than a 
mountain without a valley1 or paternity 
without sonship4  ,you see now that in  
the theory you have unwittingly adopted 
you entirely destroy the nature of true 
merit1 and are in danger of being       
shipwrecked on the same rock as those   
heretics of our day who hold that good  
works are unprofitable for salvation4 ,i
 am convinced1 as you may well believe1 
that you are as far from wishing to run 
the risk with them as you are from      
sharing their belief4  ,remember this1  
that in order to do a good work in true 
charity you must not make your own      
interest your ultimate aim1 but ,god's  
interest1 which is nothing else but ,his
 exterior glory4 ,the more1 too1 that   
you think of ,god's interest the more   
,he will think of yours1 and the less   
you trouble yourself about reward1 the  
greater will your reward be in heaven1  

because pure love1 never mercenary1     
looks only to the good of the beloved   
one1 not to its own4 ,this is the end   
and aim of the sacred teaching that we  
must seek first the ,kingdom of ,god1   
that is to say1 ,his glory1 knowing     
assuredly that in seeking this all good 
things will be added unto us4  ,he who  
only wishes to merit for himself does   
nothing for ,god and merits nothing for 
himself3 but1 on the other hand1 he who 
does everything for ,god and for ,his   
honour merits much for himself4  ,in    
this game he who loses1 wins2 and he who
 thinks only of winning for himself1    
plays a losing game4 ,his good works    
are1 as it were1 hollow1 and weigh too  
lightly in the divine balance4 ,he falls
 asleep on his pile2 of imaginary       
spiritual wealth1 and awakening finds he
 has nothing in his hands4 ,he has      
laboured for himself1 not for ,god1 and 
therefore receives his reward from      
himself and not from ,god4 ,like a moth1
 he singes his wings in the flame of a  

merit which is truly imaginary1 no work 
being really meritorious except that    
which is done in a state of grace1 and  
with ,god for its last end4  ,all this1 
replied the person1 does not at all     
satisfy me on the point which ,i brought
 forward1 namely1 as to whether work    
done by vow is not more meritorious than
 that which is done without it1 seeing  
that to the action of the particular    
virtue which is vowed is added that of  
the virtue of religion which is the vow4
  ,certainly1 replied our ,blessed      
,father1 as regards the question whether
 it is more meritorious to say the      
,rosary by vow rather than of one's free
 choice1 it is undoubtedly1 as you say1 
adding one act of virtue to another to  
do so in discharge of one's vow1 for is 
not prayer the highest of all religious 
actions8 ,again1 if ,i pray with        
devotion and fervour1 am ,i not adding  
to prayer another religious action1     
which is devotion8 ,if ,i offer to ,god 
this prayer1 as incense1 or a spiritual 

sacrifice1 or as an oblation1 are not   
sacrifice and oblation two religious    
actions8 ,moreover1 if by this prayer ,i
 desire to praise ,god1 is not divine   
praise a religious act8 ,if in praying  
,i adore ,god1 is not adoration one     
also8  ,and if ,i pray thus with        
devotion1 adoration1 sacrifice1         
oblation1 and praise1 have we not here  
five acts of the virtue of religion     
added by me to the sixth1 which is      
prayer8  ,but1 rejoined the other1 the  
vow is more than all that4 ,if1 replied 
,blessed ,francis1 you say that the act 
of making a vow is in itself more than  
all these six together1 you must really 
bring me some proof of its being so4  ,i
 mean1 said the other1 than each of     
these acts taken separately1 ,that1     
returned our ,blessed ,father1 is not   
the opinion of the ,angelical ,doctor1#d
 who1 when enumerating the eleven acts  
of religion1 places the making a vow    
only in the eighth rank1 with seven     
preceding it1 namely1 prayer1 devotion1 

adoration1 sacrifice1 oblation1 the     
paying of tithes1 and first-fruits2 and 
three after it3 the praise of ,god1 the 
taking of lawful oaths1 and the adjuring
 of creatures in ,god4  ,it is not that 
the act of making a vow is not an       
excellent thing2 but we have no right to
 set it above other virtues which       
surpass it in excellence1 and other good
 works of greater worth4 ,we must leave 
everything in its place1 going neither  
against the order of reason nor against 
that of divine charity4 ,a man who      
boasts too much of his noble birth      
provokes scrutiny into the genuineness  
of his claim and risks its being        
disallowed4  ,all the same1 persisted   
this person1 ,i maintain that a good    
work done by vow is more meritorious    
than one done without it1 charity1 of   
course1 being taken for granted4 ,it is 
not enough1 replied ,francis1 to take   
charity for granted4 ,we must also      
suppose it to be greater in the man who 
does the action with a vow than in the  

one who does it without2 for if he who  
says some particular prayer1 because    
bound by vow1 has less charity than he  
who says the same without being so      
bound1 he1 doubtless1 has1 and you will 
not deny it1 less merit than the other1 
because merit is not in proportion to   
the vow made1 but to the charity which  
accompanies it1 and without which it has
 neither life nor value4  ,and supposing
 equal charity1 vow1 or no vow1 resumed 
the person1 will not the action done by 
vow have greater merit than the other8  
,it will only have the same eternal     
glory for its reward1 replied our       
,blessed ,father1 in so far as it has   
the same amount of charity1 and thus    
each will receive the same reward of    
eternal life4  ,but as regards          
accidental glory1 supposing that there  
were a special halo for the vow which   
would add a fourth to the three of which
 schoolmen treat1 or1 if you wish1 that 
there should be as many special and     
accidental halos of glory as there are  

kinds of virtue1 they will be unequal in
 accidental glory4  ,but then we should 
have to prove that this multiplicity of 
halos1 or accidental glories1 exists1 in
 addition to the three of which the     
schoolmen speak4 ,this ,i would ask you 
now to do1 though ,i am doubtful as to  
the result4  ,of what then does it avail
 you1 said the other1 to have made that 
vow about which ,i have been consulting 
you8  ,it renders me1 replied our       
,blessed ,father1 more careful1         
diligent1 and attentive in keeping my   
word to ,god1 in binding myself closer  
to ,him1 in strengthening me to keep my 
promise 7for ,i do not deny that there  
is something more stable in the vow than
 in mere purpose and resolution71 in    
keeping myself from the sin ,i might    
incur1 if ,i should fail in what ,i have
 vowed1 in stimulating me to do better1 
and to make use of this means to further
 my progress in the love of ,god1 ,you  
do not then pretend to merit more on    
account of it8 said the other4 ,i leave 

all that to ,god1 replied ,francis1 ,he 
knows the measure of grace which ,he    
gives1 or wishes to give me4 ,i desire  
no more1 and only as much as it may     
please ,him to bestow on me for ,his    
glory4 ,love is not eager to serve its  
own interests1 it leaves the care of    
them to its ,beloved1 who will know how 
to reward those who love ,him with a    
pure and disinterested love4  ,i close  
this subject with two extracts from the 
writings of our ,blessed ,father4 ,in   
the first he says3 ,i do not like to    
hear people say1 ,we must do this1 or   
that1 because there is more merit in it4
 ,there is more merit in saying1 ',we   
must do all for the glory of ,god4' ,if 
we could serve ,god without merit--which
 cannot be done--we ought to wish to do 
so4 ,it is to be feared that by always  
trying to discover what is most         
meritorious we may miss our way1 like   
hounds1 which when the scent is crossed1
 easily lose it altogether4  ,footnote  
#a3 ,undoubtedly ,m4 ,camus himself4    

,note4--,it is considered by critics    
that ,m4 ,camus puts much of his own    
into the month of ,st4 ,francis in this 
section4--,ed4 ,footnote #b3 ,psal4 xv4 
#b4 ,footnote #c3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #ba4     
,footnote #d3 ,s4 ,thom4 #b;a1 #b;ae1   
,quaest1 xxiii4 art4 vii4   ,,upon ,,the
 ,,pro-,,passions ,,of ,,our ,,lord4  ,i
 have been asked whether our ,lord      
,jesus ,christ had passions4 ,i cannot  
do better than answer in the exact words
 of our ,blessed ,father1 taken from his
 ,theotimus4 ,he says3  ,jesus ,christ  
feared1 desired1 grieved1 and rejoiced4 
,he even wept1 grew pale1 trembled1 and 
sweated blood1 although in ,him these   
effects were not caused by passions like
 to ours4 ,therefore the great ,st4     
,jerome1 and1 following his example1 the
 ,schools of ,theology1 out of reverence
 for the divine ,person in whom they    
existed1 do not dare to give the name of
 passions to them1 but call them        
reverently pro-passions1 to show that in
 our ,lord these sensible emotions1     

though not passions1 took the place of  
passions4 ,moreover1 ,he suffered       
nothing whatever on account of them1    
excepting what seemed good to ,him1     
governing and controlling them at ,his  
will4 ,this1 we who are sinners do not  
do1 for we suffer and groan under these 
disorderly emotions1 which1 against our 
will1 and to the great prejudice of our 
spiritual peace and welfare1 disturb our
 souls4#a  ,footnote #a3 ,book ,i4 chap4
 #c4   ,,his ,,victory ,,over ,,the     
,,passions ,,of ,,love ,,and ,,anger4   
,blessed ,francis candidly owned that   
the two passions which it cost him the  
most to conquer were love of creatures  
and anger4 ,the former overcame by      
skill1 the latter by violence1 or as he 
himself was wont to say1 by taking hold 
of his heart with both hands4  ,the     
strategy by which he conquered love of  
creatures was this4 ,he gave his        
affections an altogether new object to  
feed upon and to live for1 an object    
absolutely pure and holy1 the ,creator4 

,the soul1 we know1 cannot live without 
love1 therefore all depends on providing
 it with an object worthy of its love4  
,our will is like our love4 ,we become  
earthly1 says ,st4 ,augustine1 if we    
love the earth1 but heavenly if we love 
heaven4 ,nay more1 if we love ,god1 we  
actually1 by participation1 become      
godlike4 ,osee1 speaking of idolaters1  
says3 ,they became abominable as those  
things were which they loved4#a ,all our
 ,saint's writings breathe love1 but a  
love so holy1 pure1 and beautiful as to 
justify itself in every expression of   
it3--,pure words 444 justified in       
themselves 444 sweeter than honey and   
the honeycomb4  ,as regards the passion 
of anger1 which was very strong in him1 
he fought against it1 face to face1 with
 such persevering force and success that
 meekness and gentleness are considered 
his chief characteristics4  ,footnote   
#a3 ,osee ix4 #aj4   ,,upon ,,our       
,,passions ,,and ,,emotions4  ,one day1 
at a time when ,i was writing a treatise

 on the subject of the human            
passions--which treatise was afterwards 
published among my ,miscellaneous       
,works--,i went to him to be enlightened
 upon several points4  ,after having    
answered my questions1 and satisfied my 
mind1 he asked me3 ,and what will you   
say about the affections8 ,i must       
confess that this question surprised me1
 for though ,i am quite aware of the    
distinction between the reasonable and  
the sensitive appetite1 ,i had no idea  
that there was such a difference between
 the passions and the affections1 as he 
told me existed4 ,i imagined that when  
the passions were governed by reason1   
they were called affections1 but he     
explained to me that this was not so at 
all4 ,he said that our sensitive        
appetite was divided into two parts3 the
 concupiscent and the irascible4444     
,the reasonable appetite is also        
divided1 like the sensitive1 into the   
concupiscent and the irascible1 but it  
makes use of the mind as its instrument4

  ,the sensitive concupiscent appetite  
is again subdivided into six passions3  
#a1 love2 #b1 hate2 #c1 desire2 #d1     
aversion2 #e1 joy2 #f1 sadness4 ,the    
irascible comprises five passions3 #a1  
anger2 #b1 hope2 #c1 despair2 #d1 fear2 
#e1 courage4  ,the reasonable appetite1 
which is the will1 has just as many     
affections1 and they bear the same      
names4 ,there is1 however1 this         
difference between the passions and the 
affections4 ,we possess the passions in 
common with the irrational brute        
creation1 which1 as we see1 is moved by 
love1 hate1 desire1 aversion1 joy1      
sadness1 anger1 hope1 despair1 fear1 and
 fearlessness1 but without the faculty  
of reason to guide and regulate the     
impulse of the senses4  ,the carnal man1
 that is to say1 he who allows himself  
to be carried away by the impetuosity of
 his feelings1 is1 says the ,psalmist3  
compared to senseless beasts and is     
become like to them4#a  ,he1 however who
 makes use of his reason1 directs his   

affections uprightly and well1 employing
 them in the service of the reasonable  
appetite1 only in as far as they are    
guided by the light and teaching of     
natural reason4 ,as this1 however1 is   
faulty and liable to deceptions and     
illusions1 mistakes are often made which
 are called by philosophers disorders of
 mind4  ,but when the regenerate1 that  
is to say1 the ,christian who possesses 
both grace and charity1 makes use of the
 passions of his sensitive appetite1 as 
well as of the affections of his reason1
 for the glory of ,god1 and for the love
 of ,him alone1 this does not happen4   
,then he loves what he ought to love1 he
 hates what he ought to hate1 he desires
 what ,god wills that he should desire1 
he flies from what displeases ,god1 he  
is saddened by offences done against    
,god1 he rejoices and takes delight in  
the things which are pleasing to ,god4  
,then his zeal fills him with anger and 
indignation against all that detracts   
from the honour due to ,god2 he hopes in

 ,god and not in the creature1 he fears 
nothing save to offend ,god1 he is      
fearless in ,god's service4 ,thus1 the  
,psalmist1 a man after ,god's own heart1
 was able to say that his flesh1 that   
is1 the passions seated in his senses1  
and his heart1 namely1 the affections   
rooted in his mind1 rejoiced in the     
living ,god4#b  ,the winds1 which1 as   
some of the ancients held1 come forth   
from the caverns and hollows of the     
earth1 produce two very different       
effects upon the sea4 ,without winds we 
cannot sail1 and yet through them       
tempests and shipwrecks happen4 ,the    
passions and affections shut up in the  
two caverns of the concupiscent and the 
irascible appetite are so many inward   
impulses which urge us on to evil if    
they are rebellious1 disorderly1 and    
irregular1 but if directed by reason and
 charity1 lead us into the haven of     
rest1 the port of life eternal4  ,this  
is what our ,blessed ,father taught me1 
and if you desire any more information  

on the subject you will find it in his  
,treatise on the ,love of ,god4#c ,his  
words did indeed open my eyes6 ,they    
were of the greatest assistance to me in
 writing the book ,i alluded to4        
,footnote #a3 ,psal4 xlviii4 #ac4       
,footnote #b3 ,psal4 lxxxiii4 #c4       
,footnote #c3 ,book #a4 chap4 #e4       
,,how ,,he ,,came ,,to ,,write ,,his    
,,philothea4  ,there is something       
remarkable about the origin of this     
book1 ,an ,introduction to the ,devout  
,life1 addressed by him to ,philothea1  
that is1 to every soul which desires to 
love and serve ,god1 and especially to  
persons living in the world4 ,one       
peculiarity about it is that it was     
composed two years before its author had
 thought of writing any book at all4 ,he
 says on this subject in his preface3   
,it was by no choice or desire of mine  
that this ,introduction saw the light4  
,some time ago1 a soul#a richly endowed 
with honourable and virtuous qualities1 
having received from ,god the grace to  

aspire to the devout life1 desired my   
special assistance in the matter4 ,i1 on
 my part1 having had much to do with her
 in spiritual concerns1 and having for a
 long time past observed in her a great 
aptitude for such a life1 took great    
pains in instructing her4 ,i not only   
led her through all the exercises       
suitable to her condition and           
aspirations1 but ,i also gave her some  
written notes1 to which she might refer 
when necessary4 ,later on she showed    
these to a learned and devout ,religious
 man1 who1 considering that they might  
be of use to many1 strongly urged me to 
publish them1 which he easily persuaded 
me to do1 because his friendship had    
great power over me1 and because ,i     
valued his judgment very highly4  ,i am 
able to give some further details4 ,this
 soul richly endowed with honourable and
 virtuous qualities1 as our ,blessed    
,father described her to be1 was a lady 
from ,normandy of good family1 who had  
married a gentleman of note in ,savoy4  

,his estates were partly in the diocese 
of ,geneva1 where he mostly resided1 and
 he was nearly related to our ,blessed  
,father4 ,the lady1 who was of a most   
pious disposition1 decided that she     
could not possibly choose a better guide
 in the devout life than our ,saint1 her
 ,bishop1 and her relative by marriage4 
,blessed ,francis instructed her        
carefully both by word of mouth and also
 by written lessons1 which she not only 
kept and treasured up1 but sorted and   
arranged according to their various     
subjects1 so as to be able to find in a 
moment the counsel she wanted4  ,for two
 years she went on steadily collecting  
and amassing these precious documents as
 one by one he wrote them for her4 ,at  
the end of that time1 owing to the      
disturbed state of the country1 a great 
change came over her life4 ,her husband 
served his ,prince1 the ,duke of ,savoy1
 in the war in ,piedmont1 and was       
obliged to leave the management of all  
his affairs and of his property to his  

wife1 who was as skilful in such matters
 as she was devout4  ,the business of a 
great lawsuit in which her husband was  
concerned obliged her to take up her    
residence for more than six months at   
,chambery1 where the senate or          
parliament was held4  ,during her stay  
in this place she took for her director 
,pre ,jean ,ferrier1 the ,rector of the 
,jesuit ,college1 and confessor to our  
,blessed ,father4 ,in her difficulties  
she applied to this ,father for advice1 
and he willingly gave it4  ,sometimes it
 agreed with what ,blessed ,francis had 
said to her on similar occasions1       
sometimes it differed4 ,when it         
differed1 in order to prove that she was
 not speaking at random1 and that she   
had something stronger than her own     
memory to rely upon1 she would show him 
some of the written memoranda of which  
,i have spoken4  ,the good ,priest1 who 
was deeply versed in all spiritual      
matters1 found so much in them that was 
profitable and delightful1 that on one  

occasion he asked her if she had many   
more of the same sort4  ,so many1       
,father1 she replied1 that if they were 
arranged in proper order they would make
 a good-sized volume4  ,the ,father at  
once expressed his wish to see them all1
 and after having slowly and            
thoughtfully perused them1 begged as a  
further favour that he might have       
several copies made of them4  ,this     
being readily granted1 he distributed   
the said copies among the ,fathers of   
the ,college1 who fully appreciated the 
gift1 and treasured it most carefully4  
,when this lady returned to ,geneva1 the
 ,father ,rector wrote a letter by her  
to our ,blessed ,father1 praising her   
many virtues and her business talents1  
and begging him to continue to guide and
 counsel a soul so rich in all          
,christian graces and heavenly          
dispositions4 ,he then went on to extol 
in the highest terms the written        
teaching with which he 7,francis7 had   
assisted her4 ,our ,blessed ,father read

 ,pre ,ferrier's first letter1 he has   
told me1 without giving a thought to the
 matter of his own writings4 ,but when  
this was followed by letter upon letter 
urging and imploring him not to keep    
such a treasure buried1 but to allow    
other souls to be enlightened and guided
 in the way of salvation by his         
teaching1 our ,blessed ,father was      
puzzled4 ,he wrote to ,pre ,ferrier     
saying that his present charge was so   
onerous1 and engrossing1 that he had no 
leisure for writing1 and moreover that  
he had no talent for it1 and could not  
imagine why people wanted him to attempt
 to do so4 ,pre ,ferrier replied1 saying
 that if his ,lordship did not publish  
the excellent instructions which he had 
given in writing to this lady he would  
be keeping back truth unlawfully1       
depriving souls of great advantages1 and
 ,god of great glory4 ,our ,blessed     
,father1 much surprised1 showed the     
letter to the lady1 begging her to      
explain it4 ,she replied that ,pre      

,ferrier had made the same request to   
her1 entreating her to have the         
memoranda1 given her for her private    
direction1 published4  ,what memoranda8 
said ,blessed ,francis4 ,oh6 ,father1   
replied the lady1 do you not remember   
all those little written notes on       
various subjects which you gave me to   
help my memory8 ,and pray what could be 
done with those notes8 he enquired4     
,possibly you might make a sort of      
,almanack out of them1 a sentence for   
every day in the year4 ,an ,almanack6   
cried the lady4 ,why1 ,father1 do you   
know that there are enough of them to   
fill a big book6 ,little by little the  
pile has grown larger than you would    
think6 ,many feathers make a pound1 and 
many strokes of the pen make a book4    
,you had better see the papers1 and     
judge for yourself4 ,the ,father ,rector
 has had them copied1 and they make a   
thick volume4 ,what6 cried ,blessed     
,francis1 has the good ,father really   
had the patience to read through all    

these poor little compositions1 put     
together for the use of an unenlightened
 woman6 ,you have done us both a great  
honour1 indeed1 by giving the learned   
doctor such a trifle to amuse himself   
with1 and by showing him these precious 
productions of mine6 ,yet he values them
 so much1 replied the lady1 that he     
persists in assuring me that he has     
never come across any writings more     
useful1 or more edifying2 and he goes on
 to say that this is the general feeling
 of all the ,fathers of his house1 who  
are all eager to possess copies4 ,if you
 refuse to take the matter in hand1 they
 will themselves see that this light is 
not left much longer under a bushel4    
,really1 said our ,blessed ,father1 it  
is amazing that people should want me to
 believe that ,i have written a book    
without meaning it4 ,however1 let us    
examine these precious pearls of which  
so much is thought4  ,the lady then     
brought to him all the bundles of notes 
which she had shown to ,pre ,ferrier4   

,our ,blessed ,father was astonished to 
see how many there were1 and wondered at
 the care which the lady had taken to   
collect and preserve them4 ,he asked to 
be allowed to look them through again1  
and begged ,pre ,ferrier not to attempt 
to send to the press disconnected and   
detached fragments which he had never   
for a moment thought of publishing4 ,he 
added1 however1 that if on examination  
he thought that what had been written   
for the consolation of one soul might   
prove useful to others1 he would not    
fail to put them into good order1 and to
 add what was necessary to make them    
acceptable to those who might take the  
trouble to read them4  ,this he did1 and
 the result was the ,introduction1#b    
which we are therefore justified in     
saying was composed two years before its
 author thought of writing it6  ,the    
simplicity1 beauty1 and usefulness of   
this book is well known4 ,it showed the 
possibility of living a holy life in any
 station1 amid the tumult of worldly    

cares1 the seductions of prosperity1 or 
the temptations of poverty4 ,it brought 
new light to devout souls1 and          
encouragement to all1 whether high or   
low1 who were desirous of finding and   
following ,jesus4  ,but1 alas6 there is 
a reverse side to the picture4 ,i mean  
the misrepresentations and calumnies    
which our ,blessed ,father had to endure
 from those who pretended that the      
principles on which the book was based  
were absurd1 and that it inculcated a   
degree of devotion quite impracticable  
in ordinary life4  ,i can hardly speak  
calmly about this matter1 and so content
 myself with remarking that in spite of 
bitter opposition the book has already1 
in my own time1 passed through thirty   
editions in ,french1 and has been       
translated not only into ,latin1 but    
into ,italian1 ,spanish1 ,german1       
,english1 in short1 into most ,european 
languages4  ,in order that you may not  
think1 however1 that ,i have exaggerated
 in what ,i have said of the opposition 

which it excited1 ,i will close the     
subject with our ,blessed ,father's own 
calm and gentle words of lament4 ,in his
 preface to the ,treatise on the ,love  
of ,god1 he says3  ,three or four years 
afterwards ,i published the             
,introduction to a ,devout ,life upon   
the occasion1 and in the manner which ,i
 have put down in the preface thereof3  
regarding which ,i have nothing to say  
to you1 dear reader1 save only that1    
though this little book has in general  
had a gracious and kind acceptance1 yes1
 even amongst the gravest ,prelates and 
,doctors of the ,church1 yet it has not 
escaped the rude censure of some who    
have not merely blamed me but bitterly  
and publicly attacked me1 because ,i    
tell ,philothea that dancing is an      
action indifferent in itself1 and that  
for recreation's sake one may make puns 
and jokes4 ,knowing the quality of these
 censors1 ,i praise their intention1    
which ,i think was good4 ,i should have 
desired them1 however1 to please to     

consider that the first proposition is  
drawn from the common and true doctrine 
of the most holy and learned divines2   
that ,i was writing for such as live in 
the world1 and at court2 that withal ,i 
carefully point out the extreme dangers 
which are found in dancing2 and that as 
to the second proposition1 it is not    
mine but ,st4 ,louis'1 that admirable   
,king1 a ,doctor worthy to be followed  
in the art of rightly conducting        
courtiers to a devout life4 ,for1 ,i    
believe1 if they had weighed this1 their
 charity and discretion would never have
 permitted their zeal1 how vigorous1 and
 austere soever1 to arm their           
indignation against me4  ,footnote #a3  
,madame de ,charmoisy1 ne ,louise       
,dutchatel4 ,ed4 ,footnote #b3 ,the     
,saint added advice given by him to his 
mother and others4 ,ed4   ,,upon ,,the  
,,example ,,of ,,the ,,saints4  ,god    
said to ,moses3 ,look1 and make it 7the 
tabernacle7 according to the pattern    
that was shewn thee in the mount1#a and 

he did so4 ,the ancient philosopher was 
right when he described the art of      
imitating as the mistress of all others1
 because it is by making copies that we 
learn how to draw originals1 ,the way of
 precept is long1 said the ,stoics1 but 
example makes it short and efficacious4 
,seneca1 treating of the best method of 
studying philosophy1 says that it is to 
nourish and clothe ourselves with the   
maxims of eminently philosophical minds4
  ,blessed ,francis always inculcated   
this practice of imitating others in    
virtue4 ,hence his choice of spiritual  
books to be read and followed4 ,with    
respect to the ,lives of the ,saints1 he
 advised the reading by preference of   
those of holy men and women whose       
vocation has either been identical with 
or very much like our own1 in order that
 we may put before ourselves models we  
can copy more closely4  ,on one         
occasion1 however1 when ,i was telling  
him how ,i had taken him for my pattern1
 and how closely ,i watched his conduct 

and ways1 trying thereon to model my    
own1 and that he must be careful not to 
do anything less perfect1 for if he did1
 ,i should certainly imitate it as a    
most exalted virtue1 he said3 ,it is    
unfortunate that friendship1 like love1 
should have its eyes bandaged and hinder
 us from distinguishing between the     
defects and the good qualities of the   
person to whom we are attached4 ,what a 
pity it is that you should force me to  
live among you as if ,i were in an      
enemy's country1 and that ,i have to be 
as suspicious of your eyes and ears as  
if you were spies6  ,still ,i am glad   
that you have spoken to me as you have  
done1 for a man warned is a man armed1  
and ,i seem to hear a voice saying3     
',child of earth1 be on thy guard1 and  
always walk circumspectly1 since ,god   
and men are watching thee6' ,our enemies
 are constantly on the alert to find    
fault and injure us by talking against  
us2 our friends ought to observe us just
 as narrowly but for a very different   

reason1 in order1 namely1 that they may 
be able to warn us of our failings1 and 
kindly to help us to get rid of them4   
,the just man1 says the ,psalmist1 shall
 correct me in mercy1 and shall reprove 
me1 but let not the oil of the sinner   
fatten my head4 ,by the oil of the      
sinner is meant flattery4 ,do not be    
offended with me if ,i assure you that  
you are still more cruel to me1 for you 
not only refuse to give me a helping    
hand to aid me in getting rid of my     
faults1 which you might do by wholesome 
and charitable warnings1 but you seem by
 your unfair copying of my faults to    
wish1 to make me an accomplice in your  
own wrong doings6  ,as for me1 the      
affection ,god has given me for you is  
very different4 ,my jealousy for ,god's 
honour makes me long so ardently to see 
you walk in ,his ways that your         
slightest failing is intolerable to me1 
and so far am ,i from wishing to imitate
 your faults1 that1 if ,i seem to       
overlook them for a time1 ,i am1 believe

 me1 doing violence to myself1 by       
waiting with patience for a fitting     
opportunity to warn you of them4        
,footnote #a3 ,exod4 xxv4 #dj4   ,,upon 
,,the ,,love ,,of ,,god',s ,,word4      
,blessed ,francis considered--as indeed 
,i have already told you in another     
place--that to love to listen to ,god1  
speaking to us1 either by the living    
voice of ,his ,priests1 or in pious     
books1 which are often the voice of ,his
 ,saints1 was one of the strongest marks
 of predestination4  ,but he also       
insisted on the folly and uselessness of
 listening to1 or reading1 without      
putting in practice the lessons so      
conveyed to us4 ,this1 he said1 was like
 beholding our faces in a glass1 then   
going our way1 and forgetting what we   
are like4 ,it is to learn the will of   
our ,master and not to take pains to    
fulfil ,his commands4  ,in his          
,philothea he says3  ,be devoted to the 
word of ,god1 whether it comes to you in
 familiar conversation with your        

spiritual friends1 or in listening to   
sermons4 ,always hear it with attention 
and reverence1 profit by it as much as  
possible1 and never permit it to fall to
 the ground4 ,receive it into your heart
 as a precious balm1 following the      
example of the ,blessed ,virgin1 who    
kept carefully in her heart every word  
that was spoken in praise of her divine 
,child4 ,do not forget that our ,lord   
gathers up the words which we speak to  
,him in our prayers1 in proportion to   
the diligence with which we gather up   
those ,he addresses to us by the mouth  
of ,his preachers4  ,as regards         
spiritual reading1 he recommended it    
most strongly as being food for the     
soul1 which we could always keep at     
hand1 at all times and in all places4   
,he said that we might be where we could
 not always hear sermons1 or easily have
 recourse to a spiritual director and   
guide1 and that our memory might not    
always serve us to recall what we had   
been taught1 either by preachers1 or by 

those who had instructed us specially   
and individually in the way of          
salvation4 ,he therefore desired those  
who aspired to lead a devout life to    
provide themselves with pious books     
which would kindle in their hearts the  
flame of divine love1 and not to let a  
single day pass without using them4 ,he 
wished them to be read with great       
respect and devotion1 saying that we    
should regard them as missives sent to  
us by the ,saints from heaven1 to show  
us the way thither1 and to give us      
courage to persevere in it4   ,,his     
,,love ,,of ,,retirement4  ,it is well  
known that if our ,blessed ,father had  
lived to return from ,lyons1 his        
intention was to retire from the world  
and its activities in which he had so   
long taken a part1 and to lead          
henceforth a purely contemplative life4 
,with this intention he had1 some years 
before his death1 caused a little       
hermitage to be built in a most suitable
 and sequestered spot on the shores of  

the beautiful lake of ,annecy4 ,this1   
however1 he had had done quite quietly  
without giving any idea of the real     
purpose for which it was destined4  ,on 
this same shore there is a ,benedictine 
,monastery called ,taloire1 easily      
accessible1 as it is built on the slope 
of the ,hill4 ,into it he had introduced
 some salutary reforms1 and he was on   
terms of the most affectionate intimacy 
with the holy men who lived a hidden    
life in its quiet seclusion4  ,at the   
top of a neighbouring spur of this same 
mountain1 on a gentle and smooth rising 
ground1 surrounded by rich vineyards and
 delightful shrubs of various kinds1    
watered by clear streams1 stood an old  
chapel1 dedicated to ,god1 under the    
name of ,st4 ,germain1 a ,saint who had 
been one of the first monks in the      
,monastery and who is greatly honoured  
in that part of the country4 ,blessed   
,francis secretly gave the necessary    
funds for repairing and decorating this 
chapel1 and for building round it five  

or six cells pleasantly enclosed4 ,this 
hermitage1 the ,superior said1 would be 
most useful to his monks1 enabling them 
to make their spiritual retreats in     
quiet solitude4 ,indeed1 from time to   
time he sent them there for this        
purpose1 in accordance with the rule of 
,st4 ,benedict1 which so greatly        
recommends solitude1 a rule practised to
 the letter in the hermitages of        
,montserrat in ,spain4  ,here1 then1 in 
this quiet and lonely retreat1 it was   
the intention of ,blessed ,francis to   
spend the last years of his life1 and   
when he spoke upon the subject in       
private to the good ,prior1 he expressed
 himself in these words3 ,when ,i get to
 our hermitage ,i will serve ,god with  
my breviary1 my rosary1 and my pen4     
,then ,i shall have plenty of happy and 
holy leisure1 which ,i can spend in     
putting on paper1 for the glory of ,god 
and the instruction of souls1 thoughts  
which have been surging through my mind 
for the last thirty years and which have

 been useful to me in my sermons1 in my 
instructions1 and in my own private     
meditations4 ,my memory is crowded with 
these1 but ,i hope1 besides1 that ,god  
will inspire me with others1 and that   
ideas will fall upon me from heaven     
thick and fast as the snowflakes which  
in winter whiten all our mountains4 ,oh6
 who will give me the wings of a dove1  
that ,i may fly to this holy resting    
place1 and draw breath for a little     
while beneath the shadow of the ,cross8 
,i expect until my change come6#a       
,footnote #a3 ,job xiv4 #ad4   ,,how    
,,he ,,sanctified ,,his ,,recreations4  
,blessed ,francis1 gentle and indulgent 
to others as regards recreation1 was    
severe towards himself in this matter4  
,he never had a garden in either of the 
two houses which he occupied during the 
time of his episcopate1 and only took   
walks when the presence of guests made  
them necessary1 or when his physician   
prescribed them for his health1 for he  
obeyed him faithfully4  ,but he acted   

otherwise with his friends and          
neighbours4 ,he approved of agreeable   
conversation after meals1 never showing 
weariness1 or making them feel ill at   
ease4 ,when ,i went to visit him1 he    
took pains to amuse me after the fatigue
 of preaching1 either by a row on the   
beautiful lake of ,annecy1 or by        
delightful walks in the fine gardens on 
its banks4 ,he did not refuse similar   
recreations which ,i offered him when he
 came to see me1 but he never asked for 
or sought them for himself4 ,although he
 found no fault with those who talked   
enthusiastically of architecture1       
pictures1 music1 gardening1 botany1 and 
the like1 and who devoted themselves to 
these studies or amusements1 he desired 
that they should use them as mystical   
ladders by means of which the soul may  
rise to ,god1 and by his own example he 
showed how this might be done4  ,if any 
one pointed out to him rich orchards    
filled with well-grown fruit trees3 ,we1
 he would say1 are the agriculture and  

husbandry of ,god4 ,if buildings of just
 proportion and symmetry3 ,we1 he would 
say1 are the edifice of ,god4 ,if some  
magnificent and beautifully decorated   
church3 ,we are the living temples of   
the living ,god4 ,why are not our souls 
as richly adorned with virtues8 ,if     
flowers3 ,ah6 when will our flowers give
 fruits1 and1 indeed1 be themselves     
fruits of honour and integrity8  ,when  
there was any talk of budding and       
grafting1 he would say3 ,when shall we  
be rightly grafted8 ,when shall we yield
 fruits both plentiful and well         
flavoured to the heavenly ,husbandman1  
who cultivates us with so much care and 
toil8 ,when rare and exquisite pictures 
were shown to him3 ,there is nothing1 he
 would say1 so beautiful as the soul    
which is made to the image and likeness 
of ,god4  ,when he was taken into a     
garden1 he would exclaim3 ,ah6 when will
 the garden of our soul be planted with 
flowers and plants1 well cultivated1 all
 in perfect order1 sealed and shut away 

from all that can displease the heavenly
 ,gardener1 who appeared under that form
 to ,magdalen6 ,at the sight of         
fountains3 ,when will fountains of      
living water spring up in our hearts to 
life eternal8 ,how long shall we        
continue to dig for ourselves miserable 
cisterns1 turning our backs upon the    
pure source of the water of life8 ,ah6  
when shall we draw freely from the      
,saviour's fountains6 ,when shall we    
bless ,god for the rivers of ,israel6   
,and so on with mountains1 lakes1 and   
rivers4 ,he saw ,god in all things and  
all things in ,god4   ,,what ,,he ,,drew
 ,,from ,,some ,,lines ,,of ,,poetry4   
,one day we went together into the cell 
of a certain ,carthusian monk1 a man    
whose rare beauty of mind1 and          
extraordinary piety1 drew many to visit 
him1 and in later days have taken his   
candlestick from under its bushel and   
set it up on high as one of the lights  
of the ,french ,church4  ,he had written
 in capital letters round the walls of  

his cell these two beautiful lines of an
 old ,latin poet3    ,tu mihi curarum   
requies1 tu nocte vel atra   ,lumen1 et 
in solis tu mihi turba locis4#a         
,thou art my rest in grief and care1    
,my light in blackest gloom2     ,in    
solitude which thou dost share1         
,for crowds there is no room4  ,our     
,blessed ,father read and re-read these 
lines several times1 thinking them so   
beautiful that he wished to engrave them
 on his memory1 believing that they had 
been written by some ,christian poet1   
perhaps ,prudentius4 ,finding1 however1 
that they were composedly a pagan1 and  
on a profane subject1 he said it was    
indeed a pity that so brilliant a burst 
of light should only have flashed out   
from the gross darkness of heathenism4  
,however1 he continued1 this good       
,father has made the vessels of the     
,egyptians into a tabernacle1 lining it 
with the steel mirrors which had lent   
themselves to feminine vanity4 ,thus it 
is that to the pure all things are pure4

 ,this1 indeed1 is quite a different    
thing from the way of acting of those   
who make light of the holy words of     
,scripture1 using them carelessly and   
even jestingly in idle conversation1 a  
practice intolerable among ,christians  
who profess to reverence these oracles  
of salvation4  ,we then began to analyse
 these beautiful lines1 taking them in  
the sense in which the holy monk had    
taken them when he wrote them on his    
walls1 namely1 as addressed to ,god4    
,our ,blessed ,father said that ,god    
alone was the repose of those who had   
quitted the world and its cares to      
listen to ,his voice speaking to their  
hearts in solitude1 and that without    
this attentive hearkening1 solitude     
would be a long martyrdom1 and a source 
of anxiety in place of a centre of      
tranquillity4  ,at the same time he said
 that those who were burdened with      
,martha's busy anxieties would not fail 
to enjoy in the very midst of their     
hearts the deep peace of ,mary's better 

part1 provided they carried all their   
cares to ,god4  ,we saw afterwards      
another inscription containing these    
words of the ,psalmist3    ,this is my  
rest for ever and ever3   ,here will ,i 
dwell for ,i have chosen it4#b  ,it is  
in ,god1 said our ,blessed ,father1     
rather than in a cell1 that we should   
choose our abode1 never to change it4   
,oh6 happy and blessed are they who     
dwell in that house1 which is not only  
the house of the ,lord1 but the ,lord   
,himself4 ,happy1 indeed1 for they shall
 praise ,him for ever and ever4  ,then  
we came upon another inscription1       
bearing these words3 ,one thing ,i have 
asked of the ,lord1 this will ,i seek   
after2 that ,i may see the delight of   
the ,lord and visit ,his ,temple4#c     
,this true dwelling of the ,lord1 said  
he1 is ,his holy will2 which is         
signified by the word delight2 i4e41    
pleasure4 ,since in ,god there is no    
pleasure that is not good1 what         
difference can there be between the good

 pleasure and the will of ,god8 ,the    
will of ,god never tends but towards    
goodness4  ,we then went back to the    
second part of the ,latin distich3 ,tu  
nocte vel atra1 lumen3 my light in      
blackest gloom4  ,yes1 truly1 he said1  
,jesus born in ,bethlehem brought a     
glorious day-dawn into the midst of     
night2 and by ,his ,incarnation did ,he 
not come to enlighten those who were    
sitting in darkness and in the shadow of
 death8 ,he is1 indeed1 our ,light and  
our ,salvation2 when we walk through the
 valley of the shadow of death we need  
fear nothing if ,he is at our side4 ,he 
is the ,light of the world2 ,he dwells  
in light inaccessible1 light that no    
darkness can overtake4 ,he alone can    
lighten our darkness4  ,upon the last   
clause of the beautiful verse3    ,et in
 solis tu mihi turba locis4   ,in       
solitude which thou dost share1 ,for    
crowds there is no room4  he said3 ,yes1
 communion with ,god in solitude is     
worth a thousandfold the pleasantest    

converse with the gay crowds who throng 
the doors of the wealthy2 for the rich  
man can only maintain his splendour by  
dint of much toil1 and is worn out by   
his cares and by the importunity of     
others4 ,miserable1 indeed1 are riches  
acquired at so great cost1 retained with
 so much trouble1 and yet lost with such
 painful regret4  ,this was one of his  
favourite sayings3 ,we must find our    
pleasure in ourselves when we are alone1
 and in our neighbour as in ourselves   
when we are in his company4 ,yet1       
wherever we may be1 we must primarily   
find our pleasure in ,god alone1 who is 
the maker of both solitude and society4 
,he who does otherwise will find all    
places wearisome and unsatisfying2 for  
solitude without ,god is death1 and the 
society of men without ,god is more     
harmful than desirable4 ,wherever we may
 be1 if ,god is there1 all is well3     
where ,he is not1 nothing is well3      
without ,him we can do nothing that has 
any worth4  ,footnote #a3 ,tibul iv41   

,eleg xiii4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #b3      
,psal4 cxxxi4 #ad4 ,footnote #c3 ,psal4 
xxvi4 #d4   ,,upon ,,being ,,content    
,,with ,,our ,,position ,,in ,,life4    
,perhaps there is nothing of which men  
are more apt to complain than of their  
own condition in life4 ,this temptation 
to discontent and unhappiness is a      
favourite device of the enemy of souls4 
,the holy ,bishop used to say3 ,away    
with such thoughts6 ,do not sow wishes  
in other people's gardens2 do not desire
 to be what you are not1 but rather try 
most earnestly to be the best of what   
you are4 ,try with all your might to    
perfect yourself in the state in which  
,god has placed you1 and bear manfully  
whatever crosses1 heavy or light1 may be
 laid upon your shoulders4 ,believe me1 
this is the fundamental principle of the
 spiritual life2 and yet1 of all        
principles it is the least well         
understood4 ,every one follows the bent 
of his own taste and desires2 very few  
find their sole happiness in doing their

 duty according to the pleasure of our  
,lord4 ,what is the use of building     
castles in ,spain1 when we have to live 
in ,france6  ,this1 as you remember1 is 
old teaching of mine1 and by this time  
you ought to have mastered it           
thoroughly4   ,,upon                    
,,self-,,sufficiency ,,and              
,,contentedness4  ,there is one kind of 
self-sufficiency which is blameworthy   
and another which is laudable4 ,the     
former is a form of pride and vanity1   
and those whom it dominates are termed  
conceited4 ,holy ,scripture says of them
 that they trust in themselves4 ,this   
vanity is so absurd that it seems more  
deserving of contempt and ridicule than 
of grave blame4  ,but to turn to good   
and rational contentedness4 ,of it the  
ancient stoic said that what is         
sufficient is always at our command1 and
 that what we labour for is superfluous2
 and again1 that if we live according to
 the laws of nature we shall never be   
poor1 but if we want to live according  

to our fancies we shall never be rich4  
,to be contented with what really       
suffices1 and to persuade ourselves that
 what is more than this ,is either evil 
or leading to evil1 is the true means of
 leading a tranquil1 and therefore a    
happy1 life4  ,this is not only my own  
opinion1 but it is also that of our     
,blessed ,father1 who congratulates a   
pious soul on being contented with the  
sufficiency she had4 ,god be praised for
 your contentment with the sufficiency  
which ,he has given you4 ,persevere in  
thanking ,him for it4 ,it is1 indeed1   
the beatitude of this poor earthly life 
to be contented with what is sufficient1
 because those who are not contented    
when they have enough will never be     
contented1 how much soever they may     
acquire4 ,in the words of your          
book--since you call it your            
book--,nothing will ever content those  
who are not contented when they have    
enough4   ,,the ,,reverence ,,of        
,,blessed ,,francis ,,for ,,the ,,sick4 

,if the poor1 by reason of their        
poverty1 are members of ,jesus ,christ1 
the sick are also such by reason of     
their sickness4 ,our ,saviour ,himself  
has told us so3 ,i was sick1 and you    
visited ,me4#a ,for if the great        
,apostle ,st4 ,paul said that with the  
weak he was weak1#b how much more the   
divine ,exemplar1 whom he but copied8   
,our ,blessed ,father expressed as      
follows his feelings of respect and     
honour towards a sick person to whom he 
was writing4 ,while ,i think of you sick
 and suffering in your bed1 ,i regard   
you with special reverence1 and as      
worthy of being singularly honoured as a
 creature visited by ,god1 clothed in   
,his apparel1 ,his favoured spouse4     
,when our ,lord was on the ,cross ,he   
was proclaimed ,king even by ,his       
enemies1 and souls who are bearing the  
cross 7of suffering7 are declared to be 
queens4 ,do you know why the angels envy
 us8 ,assuredly1 because we can suffer  
for our ,lord1 whilst they have never   

suffered anything for ,his sake4 ,st4   
,paul1 who had been raised to heaven and
 had tasted the joys of ,paradise1      
considered himself happy only because of
 his infirmities1 and of his bearing the
 ,cross of our ,lord4  ,farther on he   
entreats her1 as a person signed with   
the ,cross1 and a sharer in the         
sufferings of ,jesus ,christ1 to commend
 to ,god1 though in an agony of pain1 an
 affair of much importance which        
concerned the glory of ,god4 ,he held   
that in a condition such as hers was1   
prayer would be more readily heard1 just
 as our ,saviour1 praying fervently on  
the ,cross1 was heard for ,his          
reverence4 ,the ,psalmist was of the    
same opinion1 saying that ,god heard him
 willingly when he cried to ,him in the 
midst of his tribulation1 and that it   
was in his afflictions that ,god was    
nearest to him4  ,our ,blessed ,father  
believed that prayers offered by those  
who are in suffering1 though they be    
short1 are more efficacious than any    

others4 ,he says3 ,i entreat you to be  
so kind as to recommend to ,god a good  
work which ,i greatly desire to see     
accomplished1 and especially to pray    
about it when you are suffering most    
acutely3 for then it is that your       
prayers1 however short1 if they are     
heartfelt1 will be infinitely well      
received4 ,ask ,god at that time also   
for the virtues which you need the most4
  ,footnote #a3 ,matt4 xxv4 #cf4        
,footnote #b3 ,cor4 xi4 #bi4   ,,upon   
,,the ,,care ,,of ,,the ,,sick4  ,one   
day we went together to visit a very    
aged lady in her last illness4 ,her     
piety1 which was of no ordinary kind1   
made her look forward calmly to the     
approach of death1 for which she had    
prepared by the reception of the        
,sacraments of ,penance and of the      
,blessed ,eucharist4 ,she only awaited  
the visit of her doctor before asking   
for that of ,extreme ,unction4  ,all her
 worldly affairs were in perfect order1 
and but one thing troubled her1 namely1 

that her children who had all assembled 
round her1 on hearing of her danger1    
were too indefatigable in their         
attendance upon her1 and this1 as she   
thought1 to the detriment of their own  
health4 ,our ,blessed ,father wishing to
 comfort her1 said tenderly3 ,do you    
know that ,i1 on the contrary1 when ,i  
am ill1 am never so happy as when ,i see
 my relatives and servants all busy     
about me1 tiring themselves out on my   
behalf4 ,you are astonished1 and ask me 
why ,i feel like this4 ,well1 it is     
because ,i know that ,god will repay    
them generously for all these services4 
,for if a cup of cold water given to a  
poor man in the love and for the love of
 ,god receives such a reward as eternal 
life2 if our least labours undertaken   
for the love of ,god work in us the     
weight of a supreme glory1 why should we
 pity those whom we see thus occupied1  
since we are not ill-disposed towards   
them1 nor envious of their advantages8  
,for unto you it is given1 said ,st4    

,paul to the christians of his day1 not 
only to believe in ,christ1 but also to 
suffer for ,him4  ,the reapers and      
vintagers are never happier than when   
they are heavily laden1 because that    
proves the harvest1 or the vintage1 to  
have been plentiful4 ,in truth1 if those
 who wait on us1 whether in health or in
 sickness1 are only considering us1 and 
not ,god1 and are only seeking to please
 us1 they make so bad a use of their    
toil that it is right they should suffer
 for it4 ,he who serves the prophet for 
the love of the prophet shall receive   
the reward of the prophet4 ,but1 if they
 serve us for the love of ,god they are 
more to be envied than pitied2 for he   
who serves the prophet in consideration 
of ,him who sends him shall receive the 
reward of ,god1 a reward which passes   
all imagination1 which is beyond price1 
and which no words can express4  ,in his
 visiting of the sick when on their     
death-bed our ,blessed ,father was truly
 an angel of peace and consolation4 ,he 

treated the sick person with the utmost 
sweetness and gentleness1 speaking from 
time to time a few words suited to his  
condition and frame of mind1 sometimes  
uttering very short ejaculatory prayers1
 or aspirations for him1 sometimes      
leading the sufferer to utter them      
himself1 either audibly1 or1 if speech  
was painful to him1 secretly in his     
heart2 and then allowing him to struggle
 undisturbed with the mortal pains which
 were assailing him4  ,he could not bear
 to see the dying tormented with long   
exhortations4 ,that was not the time1 he
 would say1 for preaching1 or even for  
long prayers2 all that was needed was to
 keep the soul sustained in the         
atmosphere of the divine will1 which was
 to be its eternal element in heaven1 to
 keep it up1 ,i say1 by short beatings  
of the wings1 like birds1 who in this   
way save themselves from falling to the 
earth4   ,,upon ,,speaking ,,well ,,of  
,,the ,,dead4  ,when any of his friends 
or relatives died he never tired of     

speaking well of them nor of            
recommending their souls to the prayers 
of others4 ,he used to say3 ,we do not  
remember our dead1 our dear ones who    
have left us1 nearly enough2 and the    
proof that we do not remember them      
enough is that we speak of them too     
seldom4 ,we turn away conversation from 
that subject as though it were a painful
 one2 we let the dead bury their dead1  
their memory die out in us with the     
sound of the funeral knell1 seeming to  
forget that a friendship which can end  
even with death can never have been a   
true one4 ,holy ,scripture itself tells 
us that true charity1 that is1 divine   
and supernatural love1 is stronger than 
death6 ,it seems to me that as a burning
 coal not only remains alive but burns  
more intensely when buried under ashes1 
so sincere and pure love ought to be    
made stronger by death1 and to impel us 
to more fervent prayers for our deceased
 friends and relatives than to          
supplications for those who are yet     

living4  ,for thus we look upon the dead
 more absolutely as in ,god1 since1     
having died in ,him1 as we piously      
believe1 they rest upon the bosom of    
,his mercy4 ,then1 praise can no longer 
be suspected of flattery1 and1 as it is 
a kind of impiety to tear to pieces the 
reputation of the dead1 like wild beasts
 digging up a corpse to devour it2 so it
 is a mark of piety to rehearse and     
extol the good qualities of the         
departed1 since our doing so incites us 
to imitate them3 nothing affecting us so
 deeply and so strongly as the example  
of those with whom we come in close and 
frequent contact4  ,in order to         
encourage people to pray for the dead he
 used to represent to them that in this 
one single work of mercy all the other  
thirteen are included1 explaining his   
statement in the following manner4 ,are 
we not1 he would say1 in some sort      
visiting the sick when we obtain by our 
prayers relief or refreshment for the   
poor ,souls in purgatory8  ,are we not  

giving drink to the thirsty and feeding 
the hungry when we bestow the cool1     
refreshing dew of our prayers upon those
 who1 plunged in the midst of its       
burning flames1 are all athirst and     
hungering for the vision of ,god8 ,when 
we help on their deliverance by the     
means which ,faith suggests1 are we not 
most truly ransoming prisoners8 ,are we 
not clothing the naked when we procure  
for souls a garment of light1 the light 
of glory8  ,is it not an act of the most
 princely hospitality to obtain for them
 an entrance into the heavenly          
,jerusalem1 and to make them            
fellow-citizens with the saints and     
servants of ,god in the eternal ,zion8  
,then1 as regards the spiritual works of
 mercy4 ,is it not the most splendid    
thing imaginable to counsel the         
doubtful1 to convert the sinner1 to     
forgive injuries1 to bear wrongs        
patiently8 ,and yet1 what is the        
greatest consolation we can give to the 
afflicted in this life compared to the  

solace our prayers bring to the poor    
souls who are in such grievous          
suffering8   ,,upon ,,death4  ,strictly 
speaking1 the sojourn which we make on  
earth1 in the days of our flesh and     
which we call life1 is rather death than
 life1 since every moment leads us from 
the cradle to the grave4  ,this made an 
ancient philosopher say that we are     
dying every day of our lives1 that every
 day some portion of our being falls    
away1 and that what we call life is     
truly death4#a  ,hence the beautiful    
saying of the wise woman of ,thecua3 ,we
 all die1 and like waters that return no
 more1 we fall down into the earth4#b   
,nature has imprinted in the hearts of  
all men a horror of death4 ,our         
,saviour1 even1 taking upon ,himself our
 flesh and making ,himself like to ,his 
brethren1 sin only excepted1 would not  
be exempted from this infirmity1        
although ,he knew that the passage into 
another world would set ,him free from  
all miseries and transport ,him into a  

glory which ,he already possessed as    
regarded ,his soul4 ,seneca says that   
death ought not to be considered an evil
 when it has been preceded by a good    
life4  ,what makes death so formidable  
is that which follows upon it4 ,we have1
 however1 the shield of a most blessed  
hope to protect us against the terrors  
that arise from fear of the divine      
judgments4 ,this hope makes us put our  
trust1 not in our own virtue1 but solely
 in the mercy of ,god1 and assures us   
that those who trust in ,his goodness   
are never confounded4  ,but1 you say1 ,i
 have committed many faults4 ,true1 but 
who is so foolish as to think that he   
can commit more sins than ,god can      
pardon8 ,who would dare to compare the  
greatness of his guilt with the         
immensity of that infinite mercy which  
drowns his sins in the depths of the sea
 of oblivion each time we repent of them
 for love of ,him8 ,it belongs only to  
those who despair like ,cain to say that
 their sin is so great that there is no 

pardon for them1#c for with ,god there  
is mercy and plentiful redemption1 and  
,he shall redeem ,israel from all his   
iniquities4#d  ,listen to the words of  
holy consolation which were addressed by
 our ,blessed ,father to a soul         
encompassed and assaulted by the terrors
 of death and of the judgment to follow4
 ,they are to be found in one of his    
letters4 ,yes1 he says1 death is hideous
 indeed1 that is most true1 but the life
 which is beyond1 and which the mercy of
 ,god will give to us1 is much to be    
desired4 ,there must be no mistrust in  
your mind1 for1 miserable though we may 
be1 we are not half so miserable as ,god
 is merciful to those who desire to love
 ,him1 and have fixed their hope in     
,him4 ,when ,st4 ,charles ,borromeo was 
at the point of death he had the        
crucifix brought to him1 that by the    
contemplation of his ,saviour's death he
 might soften the bitterness of his last
 agony4 ,the best remedy of all against 
an unreasonable dread is meditation upon

 the death of ,him who is our life2 we  
should never think of our own death     
without going on to reflect upon that of
 ,christ4  ,footnote #a3 ,senec4 ,epist4
 #bd4 ,footnote #b3 ,kings xiv4 #ad4    
,footnote #c3 ,gen4 iv4 #ac4 ,footnote  
#d3 ,psal4 cxxix4 #g-h4   ,,upon        
,,wishing ,,to ,,die4  ,you ask me if we
 are permitted to wish for death rather 
than offend ,god any more8 ,i will tell 
you a thought which ,i believe was      
suggested to me by our ,blessed ,father1
 but ,i cannot distinctly remember on   
what occasion4  ,it is always dangerous 
to wish for death1 because this desire1 
generally speaking1 is only to be met   
with in those who have arrived at a very
 high pitch of perfection1 which we dare
 not think we have reached1 or else in  
persons of a morose and melancholy      
temperament1 and but seldom in those of 
ordinary disposition like ourselves4    
,it is alleged that ,david1 ,st4 ,paul1 
and other saints expressed their longing
 to be delivered from the burden of this

 body so that they might appear before  
,god and be satisfied with the vision of
 ,his glory4 ,but we must remember that 
it would be presumptuous to speak the   
language of ,saints1 not having their   
sanctity1 and to imagine that we had it 
would be inexcusable vanity4 ,to        
entertain such a wish because of        
sadness1 disappointment1 or dejection is
 akin to despair4  ,but1 you say1 it is 
that you may no longer offend ,god4     
,this1 no doubt1 shows great hatred of  
sin1 but the ,saints longed for death1  
more that they might glorify ,god4      
,whatever we may pretend1 ,i believe it 
to be very difficult to have only this  
one end in view1 in our desire to die4  
,usually it will be found that we are   
simply discontented with life4 ,to get  
to heaven we must not only not sin1 but 
we must do good4 ,if we refrain from sin
 we shall escape punishment1 but more is
 required to deserve heaven4   ,,upon   
,,the ,,same ,,subject4  ,there are some
 who imagine that ,st4 ,paul desired to 

die in order only that he might sin no  
more when he said that he felt in       
himself a contradiction between the law 
of his senses and of his reason2 and1   
feeling this1 cried out3 ,oh6 unhappy   
man that ,i am1 who shall deliver me    
from the body of this death8#a ,these   
people1 therefore1 as though they were  
so many little ,apostles1 when they are1
 by some trifle1 goaded to impatience1  
instantly say that they desire to die1  
and pretend that their only wish is to  
be in a condition in which they cannot  
possibly offend ,god4 ,this is1 indeed1 
to cover up mere impatience and         
irritation with a fine cloak6 ,but what 
is still worse1 it is to wrench and     
distort the words of the ,apostle and   
apply them in a sense of which he never 
thought4 ,our ,blessed ,father1 in one  
of his letters1 gives an explanation of 
this passage which is so clear and so   
excellent that ,i am sure if will be    
useful to you4 ,he speaks thus3 ,oh1    
unhappy man that ,i am1 said the great  

,apostle1 who shall deliver me from the 
body of this death8 ,he felt within     
himself1 as it were1 an armed host of   
ill humours1 antipathies1 bad habits1   
and natural inclinations which conspired
 to bring about his spiritual death2 and
 because he fears them he declares that 
he hates them1 and because he hates them
 he cannot support them without pain1   
and his grief makes him burst out into  
the exclamation which he himself answers
 in these words3 ,the grace of ,god by  
,jesus ,christ4 ,this will deliver him  
not from the death of the body with its 
terrors1 not from the last combat1 but  
from defeat in the struggle1 and will   
preserve him from being overcome4  ,you 
see how far the ,apostle is from        
invoking death1 although elsewhere he   
desires to be set free from the prison  
of the body that he may be with ,jesus  
,christ4 ,he calls the mass of          
temptations which urge and incite him to
 sin a body of death1 sin being the true
 death of the soul4 ,grace is the death 

of this death and the devourer of this  
abortion of hell1 for where sin abounded
 grace superabounds4  ,grace1 which has 
been merited for us by ,jesus ,christ   
our ,saviour1 to whom be honour and     
glory for ever and ever4  ,footnote #a3 
,rom4 vii4 #bd4   ,,upon ,,the ,,desire 
,,of ,,heaven4  ,here is a little       
village story to show how often true and
 solid piety is to be found among the   
lowly and ignorant1 of whom the world   
thinks not at all4 ,i had it from the   
lips of our ,blessed ,father1 who loved 
to tell it4  ,while visiting his        
diocese1 passing through a little       
country town1 he was told that a        
well-to-do inhabitant was very ill and  
desired to see him1 and to receive his  
blessing before he died4 ,our ,blessed  
,father hastened to his bedside and     
found him at the point of death1 yet in 
full possession of all his faculties4   
,when he saw the ,bishop the good farmer
 exclaimed3 ,oh6 my ,lord1 ,i thank ,god
 for permitting me to receive your      

blessing before ,i die4  ,then the room 
being cleared of all his relations and  
friends1 and he being left quite alone  
with the holy ,prelate1 he made his     
confession and received absolution4 ,his
 next question was1 ,my ,lord1 shall ,i 
die8 ,the ,bishop1 unwilling to alarm   
him unnecessarily1 answered quietly and 
reassuringly that he had seen people far
 more ill than he recover1 but that he  
must place all his trust in ,god1 the   
,master of life and death1 who knows the
 number of our days1 which cannot be    
even one more than he has decreed4      
,but1 my ,lord1 returned the man1 do you
 really yourself think that ,i shall    
die8 ,my son1 replied the good ,prelate1
 a physician could answer that question 
better than ,i can4 ,all ,i can tell you
 is that ,i know your soul to be just   
now in a very excellent state of        
preparation for death1 and that perhaps 
were you summoned at any other time1 you
 might not be so fit to go4 ,the best   
thing you can do is to put aside all    

desire of living and all care about the 
matter1 and to abandon yourself wholly  
to the providence and mercy of ,god1    
that ,he may do with you according to   
,his good pleasure1 which will be       
undoubtedly that very thing which is    
best for you4  ,oh1 my ,lord1 cried the 
sick man1 it is not because ,i fear to  
die that ,i ask you this1 but rather    
because ,i fear ,i shall not die1 for ,i
 can't reconcile myself to the idea of  
recovering from this sickness4  ,francis
 was greatly surprised at hearing him   
speak in this manner1 for he knew that a
 longing to die is generally either a   
grace given to very perfect souls such  
as ,david1 ,elias1 ,st4 ,paul1 and the  
like2 or1 on the contrary1 in sinners a 
prelude to despair1 or an outcome of    
melancholy4  ,he therefore asked the man
 if he would really be sorry to live1   
and1 if so1 why such disgust for life1  
the love of which is natural in all men4
  ,my ,lord1 answered the good man1 this
 world appears to me to be of so small  

account that ,i cannot think why so many
 people care for nothing beyond what it 
has to give4 ,if ,god had not commanded 
us to remain here below until ,he calls 
us by death ,i should have quitted it   
long ago4  ,the ,bishop1 imagining that 
the man had something on his mind1 or   
that the bodily pain he was enduring was
 too much for him1 asked him what his   
trouble was--perhaps something about    
money8  ,not at all1 replied he1 ,i have
 up to the present time1 and ,i am      
seventy1 enjoyed excellent health1 and  
have abundant means4 ,indeed1 ,i do not1
 thank ,god1 know what poverty is4      
,francis questioned him as to his wife  
and children1 asking him if any one of  
them was an anxiety to him4 ,they are   
each one a comfort and a delight to me1 
he answered1 ,indeed1 if ,i had any     
regret in quitting this world it would  
be that ,i shall have to part from them4
  ,more and more surprised1 and unable  
to understand the man's distaste for    
life1 the ,bishop said3 ,then1 my       

brother1 why do you so long for death8  
,my ,lord1 replied he1 it is because ,i 
have heard in sermons so much about the 
joys of ,paradise that this world seems 
to me a mere prison4 ,then1 speaking out
 of the fullness of his heart1 and      
giving vent to his thoughts1 he uttered 
marvellous words concerning the ,vision 
of ,god in ,heaven1 and the love kindled
 by it in the souls of the blessed4  ,he
 entered into so many details respecting
 the rapturous joys of ,eternity that   
the good ,bishop shed tears of delight1 
feeling that the good man had been      
taught by ,god in these things1 and that
 flesh and blood had not revealed them  
to him1 but the ,holy ,spirit4  ,after  
this1 descending from those high and    
heavenly speculations1 the poor farmer  
depicted the grandeur1 the wealth1 and  
the choicest pleasures of the world in  
their true colours1 showing their       
intrinsic vileness1 and how in reality  
they are vanity and vexation of spirit1 
so as to inspire ,blessed ,francis      

himself with increased contempt for     
them4 ,the ,saint1 nevertheless1 did no 
more than silently acquiesce in the good
 man's feelings1 and to calm the        
excitement under which he saw that he   
was labouring1 desired him to make acts 
of resignation1 and indifference as to  
living or dying4 ,he told him to follow 
the example set by ,st4 ,paul1 and by   
,st4 ,martin1 and to make his own the   
words of the ,psalmist3 ,for what have  
,i in heaven8 ,and besides ,thee what do
 ,i desire upon earth8#a  ,a few hours  
later1 having received ,extreme ,unction
 from the hands of the holy ,bishop1 the
 man quietly1 and apparently without    
suffering1 passed from this world4 ,so  
likewise may we when our last hour comes
 fall gently asleep4 ,blessed are the   
dead who die in the ,lord6  ,another    
story told me by our ,blessed ,father   
relates to himself and a man with whom  
he came in contact4  ,when he was at    
,paris in the year #afai1 this          
gentleman1 who was not only rich in this

 world's goods but also in piety and    
charity1 came to consult him on matters 
of conscience1 and began thus3 ,father1 
,i am much afraid that ,i shall not save
 my soul1 and therefore ,i have come to 
you to beg you to put me in the right   
way4  ,the ,bishop asked him what was   
the cause of this fear4 ,he answered3   
,my being too rich4 ,you know ,scripture
 makes the salvation of the rich a      
matter of such difficulty that1 in my   
case1 ,i fear it is an impossibility4   
,francis1 thinking that perhaps he had  
made his money dishonestly1 and that on 
that account his conscience was now     
pricking him1 questioned him as to this4
  ,not at all1 he answered1 ,my parents1
 who were excellent people1 left me no  
ill-gotten goods1 and what ,i have added
 to my inheritance has been amassed by  
my own frugality and honest work1 ,god  
preserve me from the sin of             
appropriating what belongs to my        
neighbour6 ,no1 my conscience does not  
reproach me in that respect4  ,well1    

then1 said the ,bishop1 have you made a 
bad use of this wealth8  ,i live1 he    
replied1 in such a manner as becomes my 
rank and position1 but ,i am afraid that
 ,i do not give enough to the poor1 and 
you know that we shall be one day judged
 on this point4  ,have you any children8
 asked ,francis4  ,yes1 he replied2 but 
they are all well provided for1 and can 
easily do without me4  ,really1 said the
 ,bishop1 ,i do not see whence your     
scruples can arise2 you are the first   
man ,i have ever met who has complained 
to me of having too much money2 most    
people never have enough4  ,it was easy 
to set this good soul at rest1 so docile
 was he in following the ,bishop's      
advice4 ,the latter told me afterwards  
that he found upon enquiry that the man 
had formerly held high appointments1    
discharging his duties in them most     
faithfully1 but had retired from all in 
order to devote himself to works of     
piety and mercy4 ,moreover1 he passed   
all his time in churches or hospitals1  

or in the houses of the uncomplaining   
poor1 upon whom he spent more than half 
his income4 ,by his will1 after his many
 pious legacies were paid1 it was found 
that our ,lord ,himself was his real    
heir1 for he gave to the town hospital a
 sum of money equal to that which was   
divided among his children4 ,i may add  
that a life so holy and devoted was     
crowned by a most happy death4 ,truly1  
,blessed are the merciful1 for they     
shall obtain mercy6  ,footnote #a3      
,psal4 lxxii4 #be4   ,,what ,,it ,,is   
,,to ,,die ,,in ,,god4  ,on one occasion
 ,blessed ,francis was asked what it was
 to die in ,god2 what was the meaning of
 those words3 ,blessed are the dead who 
die in the ,lord1 that they may rest    
from their labours1 for their works     
follow them4#a  ,he replied that to die 
in ,god was to die in the grace of ,god1
 because ,god and ,his grace are as     
inseparable as the sun and its rays4 ,he
 was asked again1 if to die in ,god     
meant to die while in habitual grace1 or

 to die in the exercise of charity1 that
 is to say1 whilst impelled by actual   
grace4 ,he answered that in order to be 
saved it was enough to die in habitual  
or sanctifying grace1 that is to say1 in
 habitual charity2 seeing that those who
 die in this state1 as for instance     
newly-baptized infants1 though they may 
never have performed a single act of    
charity1 obtain ,paradise by right of   
inheritance1 habitual charity making    
them children of ,god by adoption4      
,those1 however1 who die1 not only in   
the holy and supernatural state of      
habitual charity1 but whilst actually   
engaged in works of charity1 come into  
the possession of heaven by a double    
title1 that of inheritance and that of  
reward2 therefore is it written that    
their works follow them4 ,the crown of  
justice is promised by the just ,judge  
to those who shall have fought a good   
fight and finished their course with    
perseverance1 even to the end4  ,going  
on to explain what is meant by man's    

dying in actual grace1 he said that it  
was to die while making acts of lively  
faith and hope1 of contrition1          
resignation1 and conformity to the will 
of ,god4 ,he added these words1 which   
have always remained deeply impressed on
 my mind3 ,although ,god is             
all-powerful1 it is impossible for ,him 
to condemn to eternal perdition a soul  
whose will1 at the moment of its leaving
 the body1 is subject to1 and united    
with1 ,his own4  ,footnote #a3 ,apoc4   
xiv4 #ac4   ,,upon ,,length ,,of ,,life4
  ,judging from outward appearances1    
from the vigour of his frame1 from his  
sound constitution1 and from the        
temperate simplicity of his manner of   
life1 it seemed probable that ,blessed  
,francis would live to an advanced age4 
,one day ,i said as much to him1 he     
being at that time about forty-two or   
forty-three years old4 ,ah6 he replied  
with a sigh1 the longest life is not    
always the best4 ,the best is that which
 has been best spent in the service of  

,god1 adding these words of ,david3 ,woe
 is me that my sojourning is prolonged2 
,i have dwelt with the inhabitants of   
,cedar1 my soul hath been long a        
sojourner4#a ,i thought he was secretly 
grieving over his banishment from his   
,see1 his beloved ,geneva 7he always    
called it thus71 wrapped in the darkness
 of error1 and ,i quoted to him the     
words3 ,upon the rivers of ,babylon     
there we sat1 and wept4#b  ,oh6 no1 he  
answered1 it is not that exile which    
troubles me4 ,i am only too well off in 
our city of refuge1 this dear ,annecy4  
,i meant the exile of this life on      
earth4 ,as long as we are here below are
 we not exiled from ,god8 ,while we are 
in the body we are absent from the      
,lord4#c ,unhappy man that ,i am6 ,who  
shall deliver me from the body of this  
death8 ,the grace of ,god by ,jesus     
,christ4#d  ,i ventured in reply to     
remind him how much he had to make his  
life happy3 how his friends esteemed    
him1 how even the very enemies of       

religion honoured him1 how all who came 
in contact with him delighted in his    
society4  ,all that1 he answered1 is    
beneath contempt4 ,those who had sung   
,hosanna to the ,son of ,god three days 
later cried out ,crucifige4 ,such things
 do not make my life any dearer to me4  
,if ,i were told that ,i should live as 
long again as ,i have already done1 and 
that without pain1 without law-suits1   
without trouble1 or inconveniences of   
any kind1 but with all the content and  
prosperity men desire in life1 ,i should
 be sadly disturbed in mind6 ,of what   
small account are not the things of time
 to him who is looking forward to a     
blessed ,eternity6 ,i have always       
praised the words of the ,blessed       
,ignatius de ,loyola1 ',oh6 how vile and
 mean earth appears to me when ,i       
meditate upon and look up to heaven4'   
,footnote #a3 ,psalm cxix4 ,footnote #b3
 ,psalm cxxxvi4 #a4 ,footnote #c3 ,cor4 
v4 #f4 ,footnote #d3 ,rom4 vii4 #bd-ce4 
,,upon ,,purgatory4  ,concerning        

,purgatory1 ,st4 ,francis used to say   
that in the controversy with            
,protestants there was no point on which
 the ,church could support her doctrine 
by so many proofs1 drawn both from the  
,scriptures and from the ,fathers and   
,councils1 as on this4 ,he blamed those 
who oppose the doctrine for their lack  
of piety towards the dead4 ,on the other
 hand1 he reproved those ,catholic      
preachers who1 when speaking of         
,purgatory and of the pains and torments
 suffered there by the holy souls1 do   
not at the same time enlarge upon their 
perfect love of ,god1 and consequent    
entire satisfaction in the              
accomplishment of ,his will1 with which 
their own will is so indissolubly       
united1 that they cannot possibly feel  
the slightest movement of impatience or 
irritation4 ,nor can they desire to be  
anywhere but where they are1 were it    
even till the consummation of all       
things1 if such should be ,god's good   
pleasure4  ,on this subject he          

recommended the careful study of the    
,treatise on ,purgatory1 written by     
blessed ,catherine of ,genoa4 ,by his   
advice ,i read the book with attention1 
and have often re-read it1 always with  
fresh relish and profit4 ,i have even   
invited ,protestants to read if1 and    
they have been quite satisfied by it4   
,one young convert admitted that had he 
seen this ,treatise before his          
conversion it would have helped him more
 than all the discussions into which the
 subject had led him4  ,st4 ,francis was
 of opinion that the thought of         
,purgatory ought rather to comfort than 
to terrify4 ,the majority of those1 he  
used to say1 who dread ,purgatory do so 
in view of their own interests1 and out 
of self-love1 rather than for ,god's    
interests4 ,the cause of this is that   
those who preach on the subject are in  
the habit of depicting only the pains of
 that prison1 and say not a word on the 
joy and peace which the souls therein   
detained enjoy4 ,it is true that the    

torments of ,purgatory are so great that
 the most acute sufferings of this life 
cannot be compared with them2 but1 then1
 on the other hand1 the inward          
satisfaction of the sufferers is such   
that no amount of earthly prosperity or 
contentment can equal it4 #a4 ,the souls
 who are waiting there enjoy a continual
 union with ,god4 #b4 ,their wills are  
in perfect subjection to ,his will2 or1 
to speak more correctly1 their wills are
 so absolutely transformed into the will
 of ,god that they cannot will anything 
but what ,he wills4 #c4 ,if ,paradise   
were open to them1 they would rather    
cast themselves down into hell than     
appear before ,god stained and denied as
 they see themselves still to be4 #d4   
,they accept their ,purgatory lovingly  
and willingly1 because it is the good   
pleasure of ,god4 #e4 ,they wish to be  
there1 in the manner in which it pleases
 ,god that they should be1 and for as   
long as ,he wills4 #f4 ,they cannot sin4
 #g4 ,they cannot feel the slightest    

movement of impatience4 #h4 ,nor be     
guilty of the smallest imperfection4 #i4
 ,they love ,god more than themselves   
and more than any other creature1 and   
with a perfect1 pure1 and disinterested 
love1 #aj4 ,they are in ,purgatory      
consoled by the angels4 #aa4 ,they are  
secure of their salvation4 #ab4 ,they   
are in a state of hope1 which cannot but
 be realized4 #ac4 ,their grief is holy 
and calm4 #ad4 ,in short1 if ,purgatory 
is a species of hell as regards         
suffering1 it is a species of ,paradise 
as regards charity4 ,the charity which  
quickens those holy souls is stronger   
than death1 more powerful than hell2 its
 lamps are all of fire and flame4       
,neither servile fear nor mercenary hope
 has any part in their pure affection4  
,purgatory is a happy state1 more to be 
desired than dreaded1 for all its flames
 are flames of love and sweetness4 ,yet 
still it is to be dreaded1 since it     
delays the end of all perfection1 which 
consists in seeing ,god1 and therefore  

fully loving ,him1 and by this sight and
 by this love praising and glorifying   
,him through all eternity4   ,,upon     
,,penance4  ,he compared penance to an  
almond tree1 not only in allusion to the
 word amendment and the expression1     
amend your ways1 both of which in the   
,french language resemble in sound the  
word almond1 but by a very ingenious    
comparison4  ,the almond tree1 he said1 
has its blossom of five petals1 which as
 regards number bear some resemblance to
 the five fingers of the hand1 its      
leaves are in the shape of a tongue1 and
 its fruit of a heart4 ,thus the        
,sacrament of ,penance has three parts  
which make up its whole4 ,the first     
which concerns the heart is contrition1 
of which ,david says that ,god heals    
those who are contrite of heart1#a and  
that ,he does not despise the humble and
 contrite heart4#b  ,the second1 which  
concerns the tongue1 is confession4 ,the
 third1 which regards the hand1 that is 
to say1 the doing of good works1 is     

satisfaction4 ,moreover1 he went on to  
say1 as there are almonds of two kinds1 
the one sweet1 the other bitter1 which  
being mixed make a pleasant flavour1    
agreeable to the palate1 so also in     
penance there is a certain blending of  
sweetness and bitterness1 of consolation
 and pain1 of love and regret1          
resembling in taste the pomegranate1    
which has a certain sharp sweetness and 
a certain sweet sharpness far more      
agreeable than either sharpness or      
sweetness separately4 ,penance which had
 only the sweetness of consolation would
 not be a cleansing hyssop1 powerful to 
purge away the stains of iniquity4 ,nor1
 if it had only the bitterness of regret
 and sorrow1 without the sweetness of   
love1 could it ever lead us to that     
justification which is only perfected by
 a loving displeasure at having offended
 the ,eternal1 ,supreme1 and ,sovereign 
,goodness4  ,our ,blessed ,father treats
 of this mingling of love and sorrow    
proper to true penitence with so much   

grace and gravity in his ,theotimus that
 ,i think nothing grander or sweeter    
could be written on the subject4 ,here  
is an extract4 ,amidst the tribulation  
and remorse of a lively repentance ,god 
often kindles at the bottom of our heart
 the sacred fire of ,his love2 this love
 is converted into the water of tears1  
then by a second change into another and
 greater fire of love4 ,thus the        
penitent ,magdalen1 the great lover1    
first loved her ,saviour2 her love was  
converted into tears1 and these tears   
into an excellent love2 whence our      
,saviour told her that many sins were   
pardoned her because she had loved much4
 ,the beginning of perfect love not only
 follows upon penitence1 but clings to  
it and knits itself to it2 in one word1 
this beginning of love mingles itself   
with the end of penitence1 and in this  
moment of mingling penitence and        
contrition merit life everlasting4#c    
,footnote #a3 ,psalm cxlvi4 #c4         
,footnote #b3 ,psalm l4 #ai4 ,footnote  

#c3 ,love of ,god1 ,book ,,ii1 c4 #bj4  
,,upon ,,penitent ,,confusion4  ,our    
,blessed ,father had a wonderful        
aptitude for distinguishing between what
 was real and genuine and what was false
 in the shame manifested by his         
penitents4 ,he used to say that when    
this confusion was full of trouble and  
agitation it proceeded from self-love1  
from vexation and shame at having to own
 our sins and imperfections1 not from   
the spirit of ,god4 ,this he expresses  
in his second ,conference in these      
words3  ,we must never suffer our       
confusion to be attended with sadness   
and disquietude2 that kind of confusion 
proceeds from self-love1 because we are 
troubled at not being perfect1 not so2  
much for the love of ,god as for love of
 ourselves4 ,an extract from ,theotimus 
will close this subject most suitably3  
,remorse which positively excludes the  
love of ,god is infernal1 it is like    
that of the lost4 ,repentance which does
 not regret the love of ,god1 even      

though as yet it is without it1 is good 
and desirable1 but imperfect3 it can    
never save us until it attains to love1 
and is mingled with it4 ,so that1 as the
 great ,apostle said1 even if he gave   
his body to be burned1 and all his goods
 to the poor1 and had not charity it    
would all be of no avail2 we1 too1 may  
say with truth1 that1 however great our 
penitence may be1 even though it make   
our eyes overflow with tears of sorrow1 
and our hearts to break with remorse1   
still if we have not the holy love of   
,god it will serve us nothing as regards
 eternal life4#a  ,footnote #a3 ,book   
ii4 c4 #ai4   ,,upon ,,interior ,,peace 
,,amidst ,,anxieties4  ,it is a great   
mistake when souls1 in other respects   
good and pious1 imagine that it is      
impossible to preserve inward peace amid
 bustle and turmoil4 ,there are some    
even1 strange to say1 who though        
dedicated to ,god by their holy calling1
 complain if they are employed by their 
community in laborious and troublesome  

offices1 calling them distracting       
functions and occupations4 ,assuredly1  
these good people know not what they    
say1 any more than did ,st4 ,peter on   
,mount ,thabor4  ,what do they mean by  
distracting occupations8 ,possibly those
 which separate us from ,god8 ,i know   
nothing which can separate us from ,his 
love except sin1 which is that labour in
 brick and clay in which the infernal   
,pharaoh1 tyrant of souls1 and king over
 the children of pride1 employs his     
unhappy subjects4 ,these are the strange
 gods who give no rest either by night  
or by day4 ,but with that exception1 ,i 
know of no legitimate occupation which  
can either separate us from ,god1 or1   
still more1 which cannot serve as a     
means to unite us to ,him4 ,this may be 
said of all callings1 of those of       
soldiers1 lawyers1 merchants1 artisans4 
,our ,blessed ,father devotes two       
chapters in his ,theotimus to this      
subject1 but he speaks even more        
explicitly upon it in one of his        

letters1 in which he says3 ,let us all  
belong wholly to ,god1 even amid the    
tumult and disturbance stirred up round 
about us by the diversity of human      
affairs4 ,when can we give better proof 
of our fidelity than amid contrarieties1
 ,alas6 my dearest daughter1 my sister1 
solitude has its assaults1 the world has
 its disorder and uproar2 yet in either 
we must be of good heart1 since         
everywhere heaven is close to those who 
have confidence in ,god1 and who with   
humility and gentleness implore ,his    
fatherly assistance4 ,beware of letting 
your carefulness degenerate into trouble
 and anxiety4  ,tossed about upon the   
waves and amid the winds of many a      
tumult1 always look up to heaven1 and   
say to our ,lord3 ',o ,god1 it is for   
,thee that ,i set my sails and plough   
the seas2 be ,thou my guide and my      
pilot6' ,and then console yourself by   
remembering that when we are in port the
 joys which will be ours will blot out  
all remembrance of our toils and        

struggles to reach it4 ,we are now      
voyaging thither in the midst of all    
these storms1 and shall safely reach our
 harbour if only we have an upright     
heart1 a good intention1 firm courage1  
eyes fixed on ,god1 and place all our   
confidence in ,him4 ,if the violence of 
the tempest makes our head dizzy1 and we
 feel shaken and sick1 do not let us be 
surprised1 but1 as quickly as we can1   
let us take breath again1 and encourage 
ourselves to do better4 ,i feel quite   
sure that you are not forgetful of your 
good resolutions as you pursue your way2
 do not then distress yourself about    
these little attacks of anxiety1 and    
vexation1 caused by the multiplicity of 
domestic affairs4 ,nay1 my dear         
daughter1 all this tumult gives you     
opportunities of practising the dearest 
and most lovable of the virtues         
recommended to you by our ,lord4        
,believe me1 true virtue is not         
nourished in external calm any more than
 are good fish found in the stagnant    

waters of the marshes4   ,,upon         
,,discouragement4  ,our ,blessed ,father
 used to say that the most cowardly of  
all temptations was discouragement4     
,when the enemy of our salvation makes  
us lose hope of ever advancing in virtue
 he has gained a great advantage over   
us1 and may very soon succeed in        
thrusting us down into the abyss of     
vice4 ,those who fly into a passion at  
the sight of their own imperfections are
 like people who want to strike and     
bruise their own faces1 because they are
 not handsome enough to please their    
self-love4 ,they only hurt themselves   
the more4  ,the holy ,bishop wishing to 
correct this fault in one of his        
penitents said to her3 ,have patience   
with every one1 but especially with     
yourself4 ,i mean1 do not be            
over-troubled about your imperfections1 
but always have courage enough at once  
to rise up again when you fall into any 
of them4 ,i am very glad to hear that   
you begin afresh every day4 ,there is no

 better means for persevering in the    
spiritual life than continually to be   
beginning again1 and never to think that
 one has done enough4  ,on these words  
we may make the following reflections3  
#a4 ,how shall we patiently suffer the  
faults of our neighbour if we are       
impatient over our own8  #b4 ,how shall 
we reprove others in a spirit of        
gentleness if we correct ourselves with 
irritation1 with disgust1 and with      
unreasonable sharpness8 ,what can come  
out of a bag but what is in it8  #c4    
,those who fret impatiently over their  
own imperfections will never correct    
themselves of them1 for correction1 if  
it is to be of use1 must proceed from a 
tranquil1 restful mind4 ,cowardice1 says
 ,david1 is the companion of trouble and
 tempest4  #d4 ,he who has lost courage 
has lost everything1 he who has thrown  
up the game can never win1 nor can the  
soldier who has thrown away his arms    
return to the fight1 however much he may
 want to do4  #e4 ,david said3 ,i waited

 for him that saved me from             
pusillanimity and a storm4 ,he who      
believes himself to be far advanced in  
the ways of ,god has not yet even made a
 good beginning4  #f4 ,st4 ,paul1 who   
had been raised to the third heaven1 who
 had fought so many good fights1 run so 
many splendid races1 and had kept the   
,faith inviolate1 in spite of all1 never
 thought that he had finished his work1 
or reached the goal1 but always pressed 
forward as though he had but just       
begun4#a  #g4 ,this mortal life is but a
 road leading to heaven4 ,it is a road  
to which we must steadily keep4 ,he who 
stops short in it runs the risk of not  
reaching safely the presence of ,god in 
which it ends4 ,he who says1 ,i have    
enough1 thereby shows that he has not   
enough2 for in spiritual things         
sufficiency implies the desire for more4
  ,footnote #a3 #b ,cor4 xii4 #b1 #d4   
,,upon ,,rising ,,after ,a ,,fall4  ,our
 ,blessed ,father was a great enemy to  
hurry and over-eagerness1 even in rising

 up again after a fall4  ,he used to say
 that if our act of contrition is more  
hurried than humble we are very likely  
to fall again soon1 and that this second
 fall will be worse than the first4  ,as
 he considered our penitence incomplete 
without an act of the love of ,god1 so  
also he maintained recovery from a fall 
to be imperfect if not accompanied by   
tranquillity and peace4 ,he wished us to
 correct ourselves1 as well as others1  
in a spirit of sweetness4 ,here is the  
advice which he gives on the subject4   
,when we happen to fall from some sudden
 outburst of self-love1 or of passion1  
let us as soon as possible prostrate    
ourselves in spirit before ,god1 saying1
 with confidence and humility3 ,have    
mercy on me1 for ,i am weak4 ,let us    
rise again with peace and tranquillity  
and knot up again our network of holy   
indifference1 then go on with our work4 
,when we discover that our lute is out  
of tune1 we must neither break the      
strings nor throw the instrument aside2 

but listen attentively to find out what 
is the cause of the discord1 and then   
gently tighten or slacken the strings1  
according to what is required4  ,to     
those who replied to him that we ought  
to judge ourselves with severity1 he    
said3 ,it is true that with regard to   
ourselves we ought to have the heart of 
a judge1 but as the judge who hastily1  
or under the influence of passion1      
pronounces sentence1 runs the risk of   
committing an injustice1 but not so when
 reason is master of his actions and    
behaviour1 we must1 in order to judge   
ourselves with equity1 do so with a     
gentle1 peaceful mind1 not in a fit of  
anger1 nor when so troubled as hardly to
 know what we are doing4   ,,upon       
,,kindliness ,,towards ,,ourselves4     
,since the measure and the model of the 
love which ,god commands us to bear     
towards our neighbour ought to be the   
just and ,christian love which we should
 bear towards ourselves1 and as charity1
 which is patient and kind1 obliges us  

to correct our neighbours' faults with  
gentleness and sweetness1 our ,blessed  
,father did not consider it right that  
we should correct ourselves in a manner 
different from this1 nor be harsh and   
severe with ourselves because of our    
falls and ill-doings4 ,in one of his    
letters he wrote as follows3 ,when we   
have committed a fault1 let us at once  
examine our heart and ask it whether it 
does not still preserve living and      
entire the resolution to serve ,god4 ,it
 will1 ,i hope1 answer yes1 and that it 
would rather die a thousand deaths than 
give up this resolution4 ,let us go on  
to ask it further4 ,why1 then1 are you  
stumbling now8 ,why are you so cowardly8
 ,it will reply3 ,i was taken by        
surprise3 ,i know not how2 but ,i am    
tolerably firm now4 ,ah6 my dear        
daughter1 we must pardon it2 it was not 
from infidelity1 but from infirmity that
 it failed4 ,we must then correct       
ourselves gently and quietly1 and not   
irritate and disturb ourselves still    

more4 ,rise up1 my heart1 my friend1 we 
should say to ourselves1 and lift up our
 thoughts to our ,help1 and our ,god4   
,yes1 my dear daughter1 we must be      
charitable to our own soul1 and not     
rebuke it over harshly when we see that 
the fault it has committed was not fully
 wilful4  ,moreover1 he would not have  
us accuse ourselves over-vehemently and 
exaggerate our faults4 ,at the same     
time1 he had no desire that in regard to
 ourselves we should err on the side of 
leniency4 ,he wanted us to embrace the  
happy medium1 by humiliating without    
discouraging ourselves1 and by          
encouraging ourselves with humility4 ,in
 another letter he says3 ,be just1      
neither accuse nor excuse your poor     
soul1 except after much consideration1  
for fear lest if you excuse yourself    
when you should not1 you become         
careless1 and if you accuse yourself    
without cause1 you discourage yourself  
and become cowardly4 ,walk simply and   
you will walk securely4   ,,upon        

,,imperfections4  ,some people have so  
high an opinion of their own perfection 
that should they discover any failings  
or imperfections in themselves they are 
thrown into despair4 ,they are like     
people so anxious about their health    
that the slightest illness alarms them1 
and who take so many precautions to     
preserve this precious health that in   
the end they ruin it4  ,our ,blessed    
,father wished us to profit1 not only by
 our tribulations1 but also by our      
imperfections1 and that these latter    
should serve to establish and settle us 
in a courageous humility1 and make us   
hope1 even against hope1 and in spite of
 the most discouraging appearances4 ,in 
this way1 he said1 we draw our healing  
and help from the very hand of our      
adversaries4 ,to a person who was       
troubled at her imperfections1 he wrote 
thus3 ,we should1 indeed1 like to be    
without imperfections1 but1 my dearest  
daughter1 we must submit patiently to   
the trial of having a human1 rather than

 an angelic1 nature4 ,our imperfections 
ought not1 indeed1 to please us2 on the 
contrary1 we should say with the holy   
,apostle3 ,unhappy man1 that ,i am1 who 
shall deliver me from the body of this  
death6#a ,but1 at the same time1 they   
ought not to astonish us1 nor to        
discourage us3 we should draw from them 
submission1 humility1 and mistrust of   
ourselves2 never discouragement and loss
 of heart1 far less distrust of ,god's  
love for us2 for though ,he loves not   
our imperfections and venial sins1 ,he  
loves us1 in spite of them4  ,the       
weakness and backwardness of a child    
displeases its mother1 but she does not 
for that reason love it less4 ,on the   
contrary1 she loves it more fondly1     
because she compassionates it4 ,so1 too1
 is it with ,god1 who cannot1 as ,i have
 said1 love our imperfections and venial
 sins1 but never ceases to love us1 so  
that ,david with reason cries out to    
,him3 ,have mercy on me1 ,o ,lord1 for  
,i am weak4#b  ,footnote #a3 ,rom4 vii4 

#bd4 ,footnote #b3 ,psalm vi4 #c4       
,,the ,,just ,,man ,,falls ,,seven      
,,times ,,in ,,the ,,day4  ,a good man  
meditating upon this passage1 and taking
 it too literally1 fell into a perfect  
agony1 saying to himself3 ,alas6 how    
many times a day1 then1 must not ,i1 who
 am not just1 fall8 ,yet during his     
evening examination of conscience1      
however closely and carefully he        
searched1 and however much he was on the
 watch during the day to observe his    
failings and faults1 he sometimes could 
not make up the number4 ,greatly        
troubled and perplexed about this1 he   
carried his difficulties to our ,blessed
 ,father1 who settled them in this way3 
,in the passage which you have quoted1  
he said1 we are not told that the just  
man sees or feels himself fall seven    
times a day1 but only that he does fall 
seven times1 and that he raises himself 
up again without paying any heed to his 
so doing4 ,do not then distress         
yourself2 humbly and frankly confess    

what you have observed of faulty in     
yourself1 and what you do not see1 leave
 to the sweet mercy of ,him who puts out
 ,his hand to prevent those who fall    
without malice1 from being jarred or    
bruised against the hard ground2 and who
 raises them up again so quickly and    
gently that they never notice it nor are
 conscious of having so much as fallen4 
,the great imperfection of most of us   
proceeds from want of reflection1 but1  
on the other hand1 there are many who   
think overmuch1 who fall into the       
mistake of too close self-inspection1   
and who are perpetually fretting over   
their failings and weaknesses4  ,blessed
 ,francis writes again on the subject3  
,it is quite certain that as long as we 
are imprisoned in this heavy and        
corruptible body there will always be   
something wanting in us4 ,i do not know 
whether ,i have already told you that we
 must have patience with every one2 and1
 first of all1 with ourselves4 ,for     
since we have learnt to distinguish     

between the old ,adam and the new1      
between the outward man and the inward1 
we are really more troublesome to       
ourselves than any of our neighbours4   
,,upon ,,the ,,purgative ,,way4  ,of the
 three ways leading to perfection the   
first is called the purgative1 and      
consists in the purifying of the soul2  
from which1 as from a piece of waste    
ground1 we must take away the brambles  
and thorns of sin before planting there 
trees which shall bear good fruit4 ,this
 purgation has1 however1 two different  
stages2 that which precedes the         
justification of the soul1 and that     
which follows it4 ,this latter may again
 be subdivided into two parts4 ,there is
 not only the freeing of the soul from  
sin1 whether mortal or venial1 but there
 is also its purgation from any         
inclination or attachment to either the 
one or the other4  ,it is not enough to 
be purged from deadly sin2 we must      
labour incessantly to rid ourselves of  
any love1 however slight1 of the sin    

from which we have been cleansed1       
otherwise we shall be only too likely to
 fall back into it again4 ,it is the    
same as regards venial sins4 ,our       
,blessed ,father speaks of this         
purgative way in his ,philothea as      
follows3  ,we can never be wholly pure  
from venial sins1 at least1 never for   
any continuous length of time1 but we   
can and may get rid of any sort of      
affection for these lesser faults4      
,assuredly it is one thing to tell      
falsehoods once or twice1 lightly and   
thoughtlessly1 and in matters of small  
importance2 and another to take delight 
in lying and to cling fondly to this    
sort of sin4#a  ,besides venial sins1   
there are certain natural propensities  
and inclinations which are called       
imperfections1 since they tend towards  
evil1 and1 if unchecked1 lead to        
excesses of various kinds4 ,they are    
not1 properly speaking1 sins1 either    
mortal or venial2 nevertheless they are 
true failings and defects of which we   

must endeavour to correct ourselves1    
inasmuch as they are displeasing both to
 ,god and man4 ,such are propensities to
 anger1 grief1 joy1 excessive laughter1 
flattery1 favouritism1 self-pity1       
suspicion1 over-eagerness1 precipitancy1
 and vain affections4 ,we must strive to
 rid ourselves of those defects which1  
like weeds1 spring up without being sown
 in the soil of our corrupt nature1 and 
incline us to evil from our birth4  ,the
 means of getting rid of all these      
evils1 whether mortal sins1 venial ones1
 imperfections1 or attachment to any or 
all of these1 you will find most clearly
 set forth by our ,blessed ,father in   
the same book4#b  ,i once asked him what
 was the true difference between venial 
sin and imperfection1 and ,i will try to
 recall his teaching on the subject that
 ,i may impart it to you4 ,every venial 
sin is an imperfection1 but every       
imperfection is not a venial sin4 ,in   
sin there is always malice1 and malice  
is in the will1 hence the maxim that    

nothing involuntary is sin2 and         
according to the degree of this malice1 
whether great or small1 and according to
 the matter on which it is exercised1   
the sin is either mortal or venial4     
,you ask me if imperfections are matters
 sufficient for confession1 as well as  
venial sin4 ,our ,blessed ,father       
considered that it was well to accuse   
ourselves of them in order to learn from
 the confessor how to correct ourselves 
of and get rid of them4 ,he did not1    
however1 think them sufficient matter   
for the ,sacrament1 and for this reason 
when his penitents only told him of     
imperfections he would make them add    
some venial sin committed in the past1  
so as to furnish sufficient matter for  
absolution1 ,i say sufficient1 but not  
absolutely necessary matter1 for it is  
only mortal sin that has these two      
qualities4  ,footnote #a3 ,part i4 chap4
 #bb4 ,footnote #b3 ,part i4 chaps4 #f1 
#g1 #bb1 #bc1 #bd4   ,,upon ,,venial    
,,sin4  ,he compares venial sin to the  

diamond which was thought by its        
presence to prevent the loadstone from  
attracting iron4 ,a soul attached to    
venial sin is retarded in its progress  
in the path of justice1 but when the    
hindrance is removed ,god dilates the   
heart and makes it to run in the way of 
,his commandments4  ,you ask me if a    
great number of venial sins can ever    
make up a mortal one1 and consequently  
cause us to lose the grace of ,god4     
,no1 indeed6 ,not all the venial sins   
which ever existed could make one mortal
 sin3 but nevertheless1 not many venial 
sins are needed to dispose us to commit 
a mortal one1 as it is written that he  
that contemneth small things shall fall 
by little and little1#a and that he who 
loves danger shall perish in it4#b      
,for1 according to the maxim of ,st4    
,bernard1 received by all spiritual     
writers1 not to advance in the way of   
,god is to fall back1 not to sow with   
,him is to scatter1 not to gather up is 
to lose1 not to build is to pull down1  

not to be for ,god is to be against     
,him1 not to reap with ,him is to lay   
waste4 ,now to commit a venial sin is   
essentially a not working with ,god1    
though it may not be a positive working 
against ,him4  ,charity1 says our       
,blessed ,father1 being an active       
quality cannot be long without either   
acting or dying3 it is1 say the early   
,fathers1 symbolized by ,rachel4 ,give  
me children1 she said to her husband1   
otherwise ,i shall die4#c ,thus charity 
urges the heart which she has espoused  
to make her fertile in good works2      
otherwise she will perish4  ,venial sin1
 especially when the soul clings to it1 
makes us run the risk of losing charity1
 because it exposes us to the danger of 
committing mortal sin1 by which alone   
charity is driven forth and banished    
from the soul4 ,on this subject our     
,blessed ,father1 in the chapter from   
which we have already quoted1 speaks as 
follows3 ,neither venial sin1 nor even  
the affection to it1 is contrary to the 

essential resolution of charity1 which  
is to prefer ,god before all things2    
because by this sin we love something   
outside reason but not against reason4  
,we make too much and more than is fit  
of creatures1 yet we do not positively  
prefer them before the ,creator4 ,we    
occupy ourselves more than we ought in  
earthly things2 yet we do not1 for all  
that1 forsake heavenly things4  ,in     
fine1 venial sin impedes us in the way  
of charity1 but does not put us out of  
it1 and1 therefore1 venial sin1 not     
being contrary to charity1 never        
destroys charity either wholly or       
partially4  ,further on he says3        
,however1 venial sin is sin1 and        
consequently it troubles charity1 not as
 a thing that is contrary to charity    
itself1 but as being contrary to its    
operations and progress and even to its 
intention4 ,for1 as this intention is   
that we should direct all our actions to
 ,god1 it is violated by venial sin1    
which is the referring of an action to  

something outside of ,god and of the    
divine will4  ,footnote #a3 ,eccle4 iii4
 #bg4 ,footnote #b3 ,id4 iii4 #bg4      
,footnote #c3 ,the ,love of ,god4 ,book 
iv4 chap4 #b4   ,,upon ,,complicity ,,in
 ,,the ,,sins ,,of ,,another4  ,there   
are some scrupulous minds which are     
perplexed by everything and frightened  
at shadows4 ,in conversation1 and in    
mixing with others1 a faulty word which 
they may hear or a reprehensible action 
they may witness1 however much they may 
in their secret hearts detest it1 is at 
once charged upon their own conscience  
as a partaking in the sins of others4   
,they are also troubled with doubts1 and
 are uncertain whether it is their duty 
or not to denounce the faults of their  
neighbour1 to express their own         
disapproval1 and to rebuke the offender4
 ,to a soul perplexed on this subject   
our ,blessed ,father gives the following
 wholesome advice3 ,as regards          
conversation1 my dear daughter1 do not  
worry about anything said or done by    

others4 ,if good1 you can praise ,god   
for it1 if evil1 it will furnish you    
with an opportunity of serving ,god by  
turning away your thoughts from it1     
showing neither surprise nor irritation1
 since you are not a person of          
sufficient importance to be able to put 
a stop to bad or idle talk4 ,indeed1 any
 attempt on your part to do so would    
make things worse4 ,acting as as ,i bid 
you to do you will remain unharmed amid 
the hissing of serpents and1 like the   
strawberry1 will not assimilate their   
poison even though licked by their      
venomous tongues4   ,,upon              
,,equivocating4  ,our ,saint used to say
 that to equivocate was1 in his opinion1
 to canonize lying1 and that simplicity 
was1 after all1 the best kind of        
shrewdness4 ,the children of darkness1  
he said1 use cunning and artifice in    
their dealings with one another1 but the
 children of ,god should take for their 
motto the words3 ,he that walketh       
sincerely walketh confidently4          

,duplicity1 simulation1 insincerity     
always betray a low mind4 ,if1 in the   
language of the wise man1 the lips that 
lie kill the soul1 what can be the      
effect of the conversation of one who   
habitually speaks with a double heart8#a
  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm xii4 #c4   ,,upon
 ,,solitude4  ,some one was praising    
country life1 and calling it holy and   
innocent4  ,blessed ,francis replied    
that country life has drawbacks just as 
city life has1 and that as there is both
 good and bad company1 so there is also 
good and bad solitude4 ,good1 when ,god 
calls us into it1 as ,he says by a      
prophet1 ,i will lead her into the      
wilderness and ,i will speak to her     
heart4#a ,bad1 when it is of that kind  
of which it is written1 ,woe to him that
 is alone4#b  ,as regards holiness and  
innocence1 he said that country folk    
were certainly far from being1 as a     
matter of course1 endowed with these    
good qualities4  ,as for temptations and
 occasions of sin1 he said3 ,there are  

evil spirits who go to and fro in desert
 places quite as much as in cities2 if  
grace does not hold us up everywhere1   
everywhere we may stumble4 ,lot1 who in 
the most wicked of all cities was holy  
and just1 when in solitude fell into the
 most dreadful of sins4 ,men carry      
themselves about with them and find     
themselves everywhere1 and frailty can  
no more be got rid of by them than can  
the shadow by the body that casts it4   
,many deceive themselves greatly and    
become their own seducers by imagining  
that they possess those virtues1 the    
sins contrary to which they do not      
commit4 ,the absence of a vice and the  
possession of its contrary virtue are   
very different things4  ,to be without  
folly is1 indeed1 to have the beginning 
of wisdom1 but it is a beginning so     
feeble as by itself scarcely to deserve 
the name of wisdom4  ,abstaining from   
evil is a very different thing from     
doing good1 although this abstaining is 
of itself a species of good3 it is like 

the plan of a building compared with the
 building itself4 ,virtue does not      
consist so much in habit as in action4  
,habit is in itself an indolent sort of 
quality1 which1 indeed1 inclines us to  
do good1 but does no more1 unless       
inclination be followed by action4  ,how
 shall he who has no one in command set 
over him learn obedience8 ,he who is    
never contradicted1 patience8 ,he who   
has no superior1 humility8 ,and how     
shall he who1 like a misanthrope1 flies 
from intercourse with other men1        
notwithstanding that he is obliged to   
love them as himself1 how shall he1 ,i  
say1 learn brotherly love8  ,there are  
many virtues which cannot be practised  
in solitude2 above all1 mercy1 upon the 
exercise of which we shall be questioned
 and judged at the last day2 and of     
which it is said3 ,blessed are the      
merciful1 for they shall obtain mercy4#c
  ,footnote #a3 ,osee ii4 #ad4 ,footnote
 #b3 ,eccle4 iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #c3     
,matt4 v4 #g4   ,,upon ,,vanity4  ,it is

 a vanity of the understanding to think 
ourselves more than we really are2 but  
it is a far more dangerous vanity of the
 will to aspire to a condition higher   
than our own1 and to persuade ourselves 
that we are deserving of it4 ,he who    
thinks himself to be more than he is has
 in his mind some picture of content and
 satisfaction1 and consequently some    
sort of tranquillity like one who finds 
his peace and repose in his riches4     
,but he who aspires to a condition more 
exalted than his own is in a constant   
state of disquietude1 like the needle of
 the compass which trembles incessantly 
until it points to the north4 ,an       
ancient proverb makes the happiness of  
this life to consist in wishing to be   
what we are and nothing more4    ,quod  
sis esse velis1 nihilque malis4         
,blessed ,francis who1 in his own       
opinion1 had already risen too high in  
the hierarchy of the ,church1 turned his
 thoughts rather to giving up his       
dignities than to seeking promotion4 ,he

 looked forward to the calm retreat of  
solitude rather than the dignity of     
illustrious offices4  ,he was even      
apprehensive of the high esteem in which
 he knew that he was held1 dreading lest
 he should be less the servant of ,god  
for thus delighting men4  ,on one       
occasion some worthy soul having warned 
him to keep humble amid the praises and 
acclamations bestowed on him1 he        
answered3 ,you please me greatly by     
recommending holy humility to me1 for1  
do you know1 when the wind gets         
imprisoned in our valleys1 among our    
mountains1 even the little flowers are  
beaten down and the trees are uprooted4 
,i am situated rather high up and1 in my
 post of ,bishop1 am tossed about most  
of all4 ,o ,lord6 save us3 command these
 winds of vanity to cease to blow and   
there will be a great calm4 ,stand firm1
 ,o my soul1 and clasp very tightly the 
foot of our ,saviour's holy ,cross3 the 
rain which falls there in plenteous     
showers on all sides stills the wind1   

however violent it may be4  ,when ,i am 
there1 ,o my ,god1 as ,i sometimes am1  
how sheltered is my soul1 and how       
refreshed by that crimson dew6 but no   
sooner have ,i moved a single step away 
than the wind again takes me off my     
feet6   ,,upon ,,the ,,knowledge ,,which
 ,,puffs ,,up4  ,you wish to know what  
,st4 ,paul means when he says that      
knowledge puffs up and that charity     
edifies4#a ,i imagine he means by the   
knowledge which puffs up1 that which is 
destitute of charity and which          
consequently tends only to vanity4 ,all 
those are vain1 say the sacred          
,scriptures1 who have not the knowledge 
of ,god2#b and what is this knowledge of
 ,god if not the knowledge of ,his ways 
and of ,his will8 ,it is the ,god of    
knowledge who teaches this knowledge to 
men2 the science of the saints1 the     
science which makes saints1 the science 
of salvation1 a science without which   
all else is absolute ignorance4 ,he who 
thinks that he knows something and does 

not know how to save his soul1 does not 
yet know what it is most important to   
know4 ,those who know many things       
without knowing themselves1 and without 
knowing ,god in the manner in which even
 in this present life he can be known   
and desires to be known1 resemble the   
giants in the fable1 who piled up       
mountains and then buried themselves    
beneath them4  ,do not1 however1 think  
for a moment that1 in order to save our 
souls1 or to be truly devout1 we must be
 ignorant2 for1 as sugar spoils no      
sauce1 true knowledge is in no wise     
opposed to devotion4 ,on the contrary1  
by enlightening the understanding it    
contributes much to fervour in the will4
 ,listen to what our ,blessed ,father   
says on this subject in his ,theotimus3 
,knowledge is not of itself contrary1   
but very useful to devotion4 ,meeting1  
they should marvellously assist one     
another2 though it too often happens    
through our misery that knowledge       
hinders the birth of devotion1 because  

knowledge puffeth up and makes us proud1
 and pride1 which is contrary to all    
virtue1 ruins all devotion4 ,without    
doubt1 the eminent science of a         
,cyprian1 an ,augustine1 a ,hilary1 a   
,chrysostom1 a ,basil1 a ,gregory1 a    
,bonaventure1 a ,thomas1 not only taught
 these ,saints to value1 but greatly    
enhanced their devotion2 as again1 their
 devotion not only supernaturalized1 but
 eminently perfected their knowledge4#c 
,footnote #a3 #a ,cor4 viii4 #a4        
,footnote #b3 ,sap4 xiii4 #a4 ,footnote 
#c3 ,book vi4 chap4 #d4   ,,upon        
,,scruples4  ,it was ,blessed ,francis' 
opinion that scruples have their origin 
in a cunning self-esteem4 ,i call it    
cunning because it is so subtle and     
crafty as to deceive even those who are 
troubled by it4 ,as a proof of this     
assertion he evidenced the fact that    
those who suffer from this malady will  
not acquiesce in the judgment of their  
directors1 however discreet and         
enlightened in the ways of ,god they may

 be2 obstinately clinging to their own  
opinions instead of1 by humble          
submission1 accepting the remedies and  
consequent peace offered to them4 ,who  
can wonder at the prolonged sufferings  
of the sick man who resolutely refuses  
every salutary remedy which he is       
entreated to take8 ,who will pity one   
who suffers himself to die of hunger and
 thirst1 although everything that could 
satisfy the one and quench the other be 
placed within his reach8  ,holy         
,scripture teaches us that the crime of 
disobedience is equal in guilt to that  
of idolatry and witchcraft4 ,but what   
shall we say of the disobedience of the 
scrupulous1 who so idolize their own    
opinions as to be absolutely slaves to  
them1 and whom no sort of remonstrance  
or reasoning will convince of the       
idleness of their unfounded fears4      
,they will tell you1 in answer to your  
judicious and soothing arguments1 that  
you are only flattering them1 that they 
are misunderstood1 that they do not     

explain themselves clearly1 and so on4  
,this is1 indeed1 a malady difficult of 
cure1 because1 like jealousy1 its fires 
are fed by everything with which it     
comes in contact4 ,may ,god preserve you
 from this lingering and sad disease1   
which ,i regard as the quartan fever or 
jaundice of the soul4   ,,upon          
,,temptations4  ,if we only knew how to 
make a good use of temptations1 said our
 ,blessed ,father1 instead of dreading1 
we should welcome them--,i had almost   
said desire them4 ,but because our      
weakness and our cowardice are only too 
well known to us1 from our long         
experience1 and from many sorrowful     
falls1 we have good reason to say1 ,lead
 us not into temptation4  ,if to this   
just mistrust of ourselves we united    
confidence in ,god1 who is stronger to  
deliver us from temptation than we are  
weak in falling into it1 our hopes would
 rise in proportion to the lessening of 
our fears4 ,for by ,thee ,i shall be    
delivered from temptation1 and through  

my ,god ,i shall go over a wall4#a      
,with such a support can we not boldly  
tread upon the asp and the basilisk1 and
 trample under foot the lion and the    
dragon8#b ,as it is in temptation that  
we learn to know the greatness of our   
courage and of our fidelity to ,god1 so 
it is by suffering temptation that we   
make progress in strength of heart1 and 
that we learn to wield the weapons of   
our warfare1 which are spiritual against
 the spiritual malice of our invisible  
enemies4 ,then it is that our soul1     
clothed in the panoply of grace1 appears
 terrible to them as an army in battle  
array1 and as the hosts of the ,lord4   
,some think that all is lost when they  
are tormented by thoughts of blasphemy  
and impiety1 and fancy that their faith 
is gone4 ,yet as long as these thoughts 
merely distress them and they are       
resisted1 they cannot harm them1 and    
such stormy winds only serve to make    
souls become more deeply rooted in      
faith4 ,as much has to be said of       

temptations against purity and other    
virtues1 for the maxim is quite a       
general one4  ,there is no good         
,christian who is not tempted4 ,the     
angel said to ,tobias3 ,because thou    
wast acceptable to ,god it was necessary
 that temptation1 should prove thee4#c  
,footnote #a3 ,psalm xxvi4 #cj4         
,footnote #b3 ,psalm xc4 #ac4 ,footnote 
#c3 ,job xii4 #ac4   ,,upon ,,the ,,same
 ,,subject4  ,you ask me why ,god       
permits the enemy of our salvation to   
afflict us with so many temptations1    
which put us into such great danger of  
offending ,god and losing our soul4 ,i  
might answer you in words from ,holy    
,scripture1 but ,i will give you our    
,blessed ,father's teaching on the      
subject1 which is only an interpretation
 of what ,st4 ,paul and ,st4 ,james tell
 us in their epistles3 ,do you know1 he 
says1 what ,god does in temptation8  ,he
 permits the evil one to furbish up his 
wares and to offer them to us for sale1 
so that by the contempt with which we   

look upon them we may show our affection
 for divine things4  ,must you then1 my 
dear sister1 my dearest daughter1       
because of this temptation1 fret and    
disquiet yourself and change your manner
 of thought8  ,oh1 no6 by no means1 it  
is the devil who prowls round about your
 soul1 peeping and prying to see if he  
can find an open door4 ,he did this with
 ,job1 with ,st4 ,anthony1 with ,st4    
,catherine of ,siena1 and with an       
infinity of good souls whom ,i know1 as 
well as with my own1 which is           
good-for-nothing1 and which ,i do not   
know4 ,and have you1 my good daughter1  
to distress yourself about what the     
devil attempts8 ,let him wait outside   
and keep all the avenues of your soul   
fast shut4 ,in the end he will be tired 
out1 or if not ,god will force him to   
raise the siege4  ,remember what ,i     
think ,i have told you before4 ,it is a 
good sign when the devil stirs up such a
 tumult outside the fortress of your    
will1 for it shows he is not inside it4 

,one cause of our interior trouble and  
mental disturbance is the difficulty we 
experience in discerning whether a      
temptation comes from within or from    
without1 whether it is from our own     
heart or from the enemy1 who takes up   
his position as a besieger before that  
heart8 ,you may apply the following test
 in order to find out4  ,does the       
temptation please or displease you8 ,one
 of the ancient ,fathers says that sins 
which displease us cannot harm us4 ,how 
much less then displeasing temptations6 
,notice that1 as long as the temptation 
displeases you there is nothing to fear1
 for why should it displease if not     
because your will does not consent to   
it8  ,but1 you say1 if ,i1 as it were1  
dally with the temptation1 either from  
inadvertence or torpor1 or slothful     
unwillingness to reject and repel it1 is
 not that in a way taking pleasure in   
it8 ,the evil of temptation is not      
measured by its duration3 it may be     
working against us all our life long1   

but while it displeases us it cannot    
make us fail into sin2 on the contrary1 
being repulsive to us1 this very        
antipathy not only preserves us from    
being infected by its venom1 but adds   
strength to our virtue and jewels to our
 crown4  ,but ,i am so much afraid of   
taking pleasure in it6  ,that very fear 
is a proof that it displeases you1 for  
we are not afraid of that which pleases 
us4 ,we are not terrified except by what
 displeases us1 just as we can only     
enjoy what is good or has the appearance
 of being good4  ,if you were able all  
the time to look upon temptation as an  
evil it cannot have pleased you4        
,still1 is it wrong to find pleasure in 
thinking of what is sinful8 ,if this    
pleasure is felt before we reflect that 
the thing is evil it is of no           
consequence1 since voluntary malice and 
consent are needed to make this pleasure
 a sin4  ,how shall we know whether or  
not we have yielded this consent8       
,assuredly1 it is difficult to define   

the nature of voluntary consent4 ,this  
difficulty gave rise to the saying of   
the ,psalmist1 ,who can understand      
sins8#a  ,this1 too1 is why he prays to 
be delivered from his secret faults1    
that is to say1 from sins which he      
cannot easily discern4  ,i will1        
however1 on this subject give you       
another excellent lesson which ,i       
learned from our ,blessed ,father4      
,when you are doubtful1 he said to me1  
whether or not you have consented to    
evil1 always take the doubt for a       
negative1 and for this reason4 ,a true  
and full consent of the will is         
necessary to form a real grave sin1     
there being no sin in what is not       
voluntary4 ,now full consent is so clear
 that there can never be left in the    
mind a shadow of doubt about its having 
taken place4  ,this plain teaching      
surely cuts the gordian knot of our     
perplexities4  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm     
xviii4 #ac4   ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the     
,,incarnation4  ,there are two opinions 

held by theologians on the subject of   
the ,incarnation4 ,some hold that had   
,adam never sinned the ,son of ,god     
would not have become incarnate1 others 
that the ,incarnation would have taken  
place even had our first parents        
remained in the state of innocence and  
original justice in which they were     
created4 ,for1 as they urge1 the ,word  
was made flesh1 not to merely be a      
redeemer and restorer of the human race1
 but that through ,him ,god might be    
glorified4 ,our ,blessed ,father held   
this second opinion1 which he advanced1 
not only in familiar conversation and in
 the pulpit1 but also in his writings4  
,in his ,theotimus he expresses himself 
thus3 ,god knew from all eternity that  
,he could create an innumerable         
multitude of beings with divers         
perfections and qualities1 to whom ,he  
might communicate ,himself4 ,and        
considering that amongst all the        
different communications which were     
possible1 none was so excellent as that 

of uniting ,himself to some created     
nature1 in such sort that the creature  
might be engrafted and implanted in the 
,divinity1 and become one single person 
with it3 ,his infinite goodness1 which  
of itself and by itself tends towards   
communication1 resolved and determined  
to communicate ,himself in this manner4 
,so that1 as eternally there is an      
essential communication in ,god1 by     
which the ,father communicates all ,his 
infinite and indivisible divinity to the
 ,son in producing ,him1 and the ,father
 and the ,son together producing the    
,holy ,ghost1 communicate to ,him also  
their own singular divinity2 so this    
sovereign sweetness was so perfectly    
communicated externally to a creature   
that the created nature and the divinity
 retaining each of them its own         
properties were1 notwithstanding so     
united together that they were but one  
same person4 ,now of all the creatures  
which that ,sovereign ,omnipotence could
 produce1 ,he thought good to make      

choice of human nature which afterwards 
in effect was united to the person of   
,god the ,son1 ,he created it1 and to it
 ,he destined the incomparable honour of
 personal union with ,his divine        
majesty1 to the end that for all        
eternity it might enjoy above all others
 the treasures of ,his infinite glory4#a
  ,this thought has always pleased me   
exceedingly2 this thought1 ,i mean1 of  
the communication of ,god1 in the       
worthiest manner possible1 namely1      
through the mystery of the ,incarnation4
 ,but ah6 ,what shall we then say of the
 mystery of the most holy ,eucharist1   
which is1 as it were1 an extension of   
the ,incarnation6 ,in the holy          
,eucharist the ,son of ,god1 in ,his    
overflowing mercy1 not content with     
having made ,himself the ,son of ,man1 a
 sharer in our humanity and our         
,brother1 has invented a wondrous way of
 communicating ,himself to each one of  
us in particular4 ,by this ,he          
incorporates ,himself in us1 and us in  

,him4 ,he dwells in us1 and makes us    
dwell in ,him1 becoming our food and    
support1 flesh of our flesh1 and bone of
 our bone1 by a grace which surpasses   
every other grace1 since it contains in 
itself the author of all grace6 ,truly1 
we possess in this divine mystery1      
though veiled and hidden under the      
sacramental species1 ,him whom the      
angels desire to see1 even while they   
see ,him continually4 ,nor is there any 
difference between their possession and 
ours1 except in the manner in which it  
is effected4 ,for if they have the      
advantage of sight1 we have that of a   
closer intimacy1 seeing that ,he is only
 before them as the ,beatific ,vision1  
while ,he is actually within us1 as the 
living and life-giving bread1 a bread   
strengthening our heart1 or1 rather1 the
 very heart of our heart1 or the soul of
 our heart1 or the heart of our soul4   
,and if the heart of the disciples of   
,emmaus burned within them when ,he only
 spoke to them on their way1 what ardour

 should be kindled in our breasts by the
 receiving of ,him who came to bring the
 fire of divine love upon earth1 that it
 might inflame and kindle all hearts6   
,you ask me whether we are happier in   
having been redeemed from that state of 
original sin into which our first       
parents fell than had we been born in   
the innocence which was theirs at their 
creation4  ,at first sight it would seem
 that never to have been bound by the   
chain of misery and evil with which the 
first sin of ,adam fettered us would    
surely have been more desirable than    
even to be loosed from it by the divine 
goodness6 ,this1 however1 is a merely   
human judgment1 revealed to us by flesh 
and blood4 ,the light of faith1 far     
brighter and more ennobling1 teaches us 
a sublimer lesson4 ,this is what our    
,blessed ,father says on the subject3   
,who can doubt of the abundance of the  
means of salvation1 since we have so    
great a ,saviour1 for the sake of whom  
we have been made1 and by whose merits  

we have been ransomed4 ,for ,he died1   
for all1 because all were dead1 and ,his
 mercy was more far-reaching when ,he   
built up anew the race of men than      
,adam's misery when he ruined it4       
,indeed1 ,adam's sin was so far from    
quenching ,god's love for mankind1 that1
 on the contrary1 it stirred it up1 and 
invited it4 ,so that by a most sweet and
 loving re-action1 love was quickened by
 the presence of sin1 and as if         
re-collecting its forces for victory    
over evil1 made grace to superabound    
where sin had abounded4#b ,whence1 ,holy
 ,church1 in an excess of devout wonder1
 cries out 7upon ,easter-eve71 ',o truly
 necessary sin of ,adam1 which was      
blotted out by the death of ,jesus      
,christ6 ,o happy fault which merited to
 have such and so great a ,redeemer6'   
,truly1 ,theotimus1 we may say1 as did  
he of old1 ',we were ruined1 had we not 
been undone2 that is1 ruin brought us   
profit1 since in effect human nature1   
through being redeemed by its ,saviour1 

has received more graces than ever it   
would have received if ,adam had        
remained innocent4'#c  ,one of the      
marvels of divine ,omnipotence is that  
it knows by a secret power1 reserved to 
itself alone1 how to draw good from     
evil1 the contrary from the contrary2   
water from1 fire1 as in the furnace of  
the three children#d and fire from      
water1 as in the sacred fire which was  
found in a well1 the thick water of     
which was changed into fire4 ,by this   
secret power ,he makes all things work  
together for good to those who love     
,him4  ,truly1 says our ,blessed        
,father1 in the same place1 as the      
rainbow touching the thorn aspalathus1  
makes it more odoriferous than the lily1
 so our ,saviour's ,redemption1 touching
 our miseries makes them more beneficial
 and worthy of love than original       
innocence could ever have been4  ,i say 
to you1 says our ,saviour1 there shall  
be joy in ,heaven upon one sinner that  
doth penance2 more than upon ninety-nine

 just1 who need not penance1#e and so   
the state of redemption is a hundred    
times better than that of innocence4    
,verily1 by the watering of our         
,saviour's ,blood1 made with the hyssop 
of the ,cross1 we have been re-clothed  
in a whiteness incomparably more        
excellent than the snowy robe of        
innocence4 ,we come out1 like ,naaman1  
from the stream of salvation more pure  
and clean than if we had never been     
leprous1 to the end that the divine     
majesty1 as ,he has ordained also for   
us1 should not be overcome by evil1 but 
overcome evil by good1#f that mercy 7as 
a sacred oil7 should keep itself above  
judgment1#g and ,god's tender mercies be
 over all ,his works4#h  ,footnote #a3  
,book ii4 chap4 #d4 ,footnote #b3 ,col4 
i4 #af4 ,footnote #c3 ,the ,love of     
,god4 ,book ii1 c4 #e4 ,footnote #d3    
,daniel iii4 #ej4 ,footnote #e3 ,luke   
xv4 #g4 ,footnote #f3 ,rom4 xii4        
,footnote #g3 ,james ii4 #ac4 ,footnote 
#h3 ,psalm cxliv4 #i4   ,,upon          

,,confession ,,and ,,communion4  ,these 
two ,sacraments were styled by ,blessed 
,francis the two poles of the christian 
life1 because around them that life ever
 revolves4 ,one purifies the soul1 the  
other sanctifies it4 ,he greatly admired
 the saying of ,st4 ,bernard that all   
the spiritual good which we possess is  
derived from the frequent use of the    
,sacraments4 ,he would say that those   
who neglect the ,sacraments are not     
unlike the people in the ,parable1 who  
would not accept the invitation to the  
,marriage ,feast1 and who thus incurred 
the wrath of the ,lord who had prepared 
it4 ,some plead as their excuse that    
they are not good enough2 but how are   
they to become good if they keep aloof  
from the source of all goodness8 ,others
 say3 ,we are too weak2 but is not this 
the ,bread of the strong8 ,others2 ,we  
are infirm2 but in this ,sacrament have 
you not the ,good ,physician ,himself8  
,others3 ,we are not worthy2 but does   
not the ,church direct that even the    

holiest of men should not approach the  
,feast without having on his lips the   
words3 ,lord6 ,i am not worthy that     
,thou shouldst enter under my roof8 ,to 
those who plead that they are           
overwhelmed with cares and with the     
business of this life1 ,he cries3 ,come 
to me all you that labour and are       
burdened and ,i will refresh you4#a ,if 
any fear to come lest they should incur 
condemnation1 are they not in yet       
greater danger of being condemned for   
keeping away8 ,indeed1 the plea of      
humility is as false as that of ,achaz1 
who detracted from the glory of ,god    
when he feigned to be afraid of tempting
 ,him4 ,what better way of learning to  
receive ,him well can there be than     
receiving ,him often8 ,is it not so with
 other acts which are perfected by      
frequent repetition8  ,he extolled      
highly the precept of ,st4 ,augustine on
 this subject4 ,it was his desire that  
any person 7he was speaking of the      
laity7 free from mortal sin1 and without

 any affection for it1 should           
communicate confidently yet humbly every
 ,sunday1#b if not advised by his       
confessors to do so oftener4 ,he does   
not say anyone who is without venial    
sin1 for from that who is exempt8  ,his 
sentiments with regard to ,holy         
,communion were most sweet and so       
tempered by divine love1 that reverent  
fear was in no way prejudicial to       
confidence1 neither was confidence to   
reverence4 ,he fervently desired that we
 should annihilate ourselves when       
receiving the ,blessed ,sacrament1 as   
our ,lord annihilated ,himself in order 
to communicate ,himself to us1 bowing   
down the heaven of ,his greatness to    
accommodate and unite ,himself with our 
lowness4  ,but you will be better       
satisfied to hear his feelings expressed
 in his own words4  ,they were          
addressed1 not directly1 but through the
 medium of another1 to a person1 who    
from a false idea of humility dared not 
approach this divine mystery1 and who1  

in the words but not in the spirit of   
,st4 ,peter1 entreated her ,saviour to  
depart from her4  ,tell her1 he says1 to
 communicate fearlessly1 calmly1 yet    
with all humility1 in order to          
correspond with the action of that      
,spouse who in order to unite ,himself  
with us annihilated ,himself and        
lovingly abased ,himself to the extent  
even of becoming our food and our       
pasturage2 condescending thus to us who 
are the food and pasturage of worms4    
,oh6 my daughter1 those who communicate 
according to the spirit of the ,heavenly
 ,bridegroom1 annihilate themselves and 
say to our ,lord3 feed on me1 change me1
 annihilate me1 convert me into         
,thyself4 ,there is nothing1 ,i think1  
in the world of which we have more      
absolute possession1 or over which we   
have more entire dominion1 than over the
 food which1 for our own                
self-preservation1 we annihilate4       
,well1 our ,lord has condescended to    
this excess of love1 namely1 to give    

,himself to us for our food2 and as for 
us1 what ought not we to do in order    
that ,he may possess us1 that ,he may   
feed on us1 that ,he may make us what   
,he pleases8  ,read what is said on this
 subject in the ,devout life and the    
,conferences4  ,footnote #a3 ,matt4 xi4 
#bh4 ,footnote #b3 ,by the recent       
,decree of ,pope ,pius ,x41 ,his        
,holiness desires that1 with such       
dispositions1 it should be daily4--,ed4 
,,upon ,,confession4  ,our ,blessed     
,father thought so much of frankness1   
candour and ingenuousness in            
,confession1 that when he met with these
 virtues in his penitents he was filled 
with joy and satisfaction4  ,it happened
 one day that he received a letter from 
one of his spiritual daughters telling  
him that she had been betrayed into the 
sin of malicious envy 7by which she     
meant jealousy7 of one of her sisters4  
,he answered her letter as follows3 ,i  
tell you with truth that your letter has
 filled my soul with so sweet a perfume1

 that ,i can affirm that ,i have not for
 a long time read any thing so          
consoling4 ,i repeat1 my dear daughter1 
that this letter awakens in me such     
fresh ardour of love towards ,god who is
 so good1 and towards you whom ,he      
desires to make so good1 that ,i can    
only make an act of thanksgiving for    
this to ,his divine ,providence4 ,thus  
it is1 my daughter1 that we must always 
without a moment's hesitation thrust our
 hands into the secret recesses of our  
hearts to tear out the foul growths     
which have sprung up there1 from the    
mingling of our self-love with our      
humours1 inclinations1 and antipathies4 
,oh1 my ,god6 ,what satisfaction for the
 heart of a most loving ,father to hear 
a beloved daughter protest that she has 
been envious and malicious6 ,how blessed
 is this envy1 since it is followed by  
so frank a confession6 ,your hand in    
writing your letter made a stroke more  
valiant than ever did that of           
,alexander6   ,,upon ,a ,,change ,,of   

,,confessor4  ,i have told you by word  
of mouth1 and now ,i repeat in writing1 
so that you may better remember it1 that
 the scruple of scruples is not to dare 
to change one's ,confessor4 ,the ,priest
 who should put this scruple into your  
head deserves to be left1 as himself    
scrupulous1 and unsafe4 ,virtue1 like   
truth1 is always to be found half way   
between two faulty extremes4 ,to be     
always changing one's ,confessor1 and   
never to dare to do so1 or sooner to    
omit ,confession than to confess to any 
one but our usual ,confessor1 are two   
blame-worthy extremes4  ,in the one case
 we show ourselves volatile and         
ill-balanced2 in the other we are       
cowardly4 ,if you ask me which of the   
two is the more to be avoided ,i should 
say the second1 and this because it     
seems to me to indicate a low tone of   
mind1 human respect1 attachment to the  
creature1 and in general a slavish      
spirit which is quite contrary to the   
spirit of ,god1 who only dwells there1  

where there is perfect liberty4  ,st4   
,paul tells us that being redeemed by   
the ,precious ,blood of ,jesus ,christ  
we ought not to make ourselves slaves of
 men4  ,possibly1 however1 you would    
more readily submit your judgment to    
that of our ,blessed ,father than to    
mine4  ,i remind you then how highly he 
thought of this holy christian liberty4 
,you may be quite sure that he          
inculcated it on persons like yourself  
living in the world since1 as ,i am     
going to show you1 he made a great point
 of it with his ,religious4  ,the ,holy 
,council of ,trent having decreed that  
three or four times a year all nuns     
should have extra-ordinary ,confessors  
given to them to relieve them from the  
yoke and constraint which might ensue   
from being always under the direction of
 one and the same ordinary ,confessor1  
our ,blessed ,father decreed that every 
three months1 in the four ,ember weeks  
the ,sisters of the ,visitation1 of     
which ,order he was the ,founder1 should

 have an ,extraordinary ,confessor1     
carefully recommending to the ,superiors
 to ask for one even oftener for any    
,sisters who might desire or really need
 his help4  ,blessed ,teresa#a was also 
very careful to ensure to her ,sisters  
this holy and reasonable liberty1 which 
renders the yoke of the ,saviour sweet  
and light as it should be1 and her      
daughters1 the ,carmelites1 still value 
their privilege as she did4  ,our       
,blessed ,father used1 moreover1 to say 
that ,religious men to whom the         
direction of nuns was entrusted1 and all
 convents subject to their jurisdiction1
 would do well to observe the excellent 
rule and custom some of them have of    
never leaving a ,confessor for more than
 a year in a convent4  ,he added that   
,superiors should reserve to themselves 
the power of withdrawing ,confessors    
even before the time for which they were
 appointed had expired1 and indeed      
whenever it may please them1 and should 
not keep any ,confessor longer than the 

time for which he was appointed1 unless 
for some very urgent reason or pressing 
necessity4  ,to show you that it was not
 only to me that our ,blessed ,father   
expressed his opinion on this point1    
this is how he wrote about it to a      
,superior of the ,visitation4  ,we ought
 not to be so fickle as to wish without 
any substantial reason to change our    
,confessor1 but1 on the other hand1 we  
should not be immovable and persistent  
when legitimate causes make such a      
change desirable1 and ,bishops should   
not so tie their own hands as to be     
unable to effect the change when        
expedient1 and especially when either   
the ,sisters or the ,spiritual ,father  
desire it4  ,footnote #a3 ,st4 ,teresa  
was not then canonised4 ,ed4   ,,upon   
,,different ,,methods ,,of ,,direction4 
,in the year #afai our ,blessed ,father 
went to ,paris where he remained for    
eight or nine months4 ,i was there at   
the same time1 having been summoned for 
the ,advent and ,lent sermons4  ,many   

pious persons came to consult him on    
their spiritual concerns1 and thus gave 
him the opportunity of observing the    
variety of methods employed by ,god to  
draw souls to ,himself1 and also the    
different ways in which ,his ,priests   
guide and direct these same souls4      
,among others1 he told me of two priests
 celebrated for their preaching1 and who
 also applied themselves most zealously 
to the administration of the ,sacrament 
of ,penance4 ,both were faithful        
servants of ,god and exemplary in the   
discharge of their functions1 but yet so
 different in their methods of          
direction1 that they almost seemed to   
oppose one another1 though both had the 
one single aim in view1 namely1 to      
promote the service and the glory of    
,god1 ,one of them1 said the ,saint1 is 
severe and almost terrible in his       
preaching4 ,he proclaims the judgments  
of ,god like the very trump of doom4 ,in
 his special devotions1 too1 he speaks  
of nothing but mortifications1          

austerities1 constant self-examination  
and such like exercises4 ,thus1 by the  
wholesome fears with which he fills the 
minds of his penitents1 he leads them to
 an exact observance of ,god's law1 and 
to an anxious solicitude for their own  
salvation4 ,he does not harass them with
 scruples1 and yet keeps them in a      
marvellous state of subjection4  ,the   
effect of his direction is that ,god is 
greatly feared and dreaded by them1 that
 they fly from sin as from a serpent1   
and that they earnestly practise virtue4
 ,this divine fear is coupled with a    
high esteem for their ,director1 and a  
friendship for him1 holy indeed1 but so 
strong and vehement that it seems to    
these souls as though1 were they to lose
 their guide1 they must needs go astray4
  ,the other ,director leads souls to   
,god by quite a different path4 ,his    
sermons are always on the love of ,god4 
,he inculcates the study of virtue      
rather than the hatred of vice4 ,he     
makes his penitents love virtue more    

because it pleases ,god1 than because it
 is itself worthy of love1 and he makes 
them hate vice more because it          
displeases ,god than because of the     
sufferings which it brings upon those   
who are slaves to it4  ,the effect of   
this direction is to make souls conceive
 a love for ,god that is great1 pure and
 disinterested2 also a great affection  
for their neighbour for the love of     
,god2 while1 as for their sentiments    
towards their ,director1 they approach  
him with reverential awe1 beholding ,god
 in him and him in ,god1 having no      
affection for his person beyond that due
 to all our fellow-men4  ,our ,blessed  
,father never told me the name of this  
,director1 nor even gave me the         
slightest hint as to who he was1 and ,i 
therefore sought no further explanation1
 contenting myself with admiring the    
ways of ,god and ,his various desires   
for the good of the souls whom ,he calls
 to ,his service4 ,i became penetrated1 
too1 with the conviction that by many   

different routes we can reach one and   
the same goal4 ,let every spirit praise 
the ,lord4   ,,advice ,,upon ,,having ,a
 ,,director4  ,i asked him one day who  
was his ,director4 ,taking from his     
pocket the ,spiritual ,combat1 he said3 
,you see my ,director in this book1     
which1 from my earliest youth1 has1 with
 the help of ,god1 taught me and been my
 master in spiritual matters and in the 
interior life4 ,when ,i was a student at
 ,padua1 a ,theatine ,father instructed 
and gave me advice from it1 and         
following its directions all has been   
well with me4 ,it was written by a very 
holy member of that celebrated          
congregation1 the author concealing his 
own name under that of his ,orders which
 makes use of the book almost in the    
same way as the ,jesuits make use of the
 ,exercises of ,st4 ,ignatius ,loyola4  
,i reminded him that in his ,philothea#a
 he recommends people to have a living  
,director4 ,that is true1 he answered1  
but have you not noticed that ,i say he 

must be chosen out of ten thousand8#b   
,because there is scarcely one in a     
thousand to be found having all the     
qualities necessary for this office1 or 
who1 if he has them1 displays them      
constantly and perseveringly2 men being 
so variable that they never remain in   
one state1 as ,holy ,scripture assures  
us4#c  ,i asked him if we must then run 
uncertainly and pursue our way without  
guidance4 ,he answered3 ,we must seek it
 among the dead2 among those who are no 
longer subject to passion or change1 and
 who have ceased to be swayed by human  
interests4 ,as an ,emperor of old said  
that his most faithful counsellors were 
the dead1 meaning books1 so we may say  
that our safest spiritual directors are 
books of piety4  ,but what1 ,i asked1   
are those who cannot read to do8 ,they1 
he replied1 must have good books read to
 them by people in whom they can have   
absolute confidence4 ,besides1 such     
simple souls as these do not1 as a rule1
 trouble themselves much about methods  

of devotion1 or1 if they do1 ,god for   
the most part bestows on them such      
graces as to make it plain that ,he     
,himself is their ,teacher1 and that    
they are truly ,theodidacts1 or taught  
by ,god4  ,must we then1 ,i asked1 give 
up all spiritual guides8 ,by no means1  
he answered1 for besides the fact that  
we are bound to obey the law of ,god    
coming to us through our ,superiors1    
both spiritual and temporal1 we must    
also defer most humbly to our           
,confessors1 to whom we lay bare the    
secrets of our conscience4 ,then1 when  
we find difficulties in the books which 
we have chosen for our guidance1        
difficulties which1 as we read1 we      
cannot settle to our satisfaction1 we   
must consult those who are well versed  
in mystic language1 or rather1 ,i should
 say1 in spiritual matters1 and listen  
humbly to their opinion4 ,we must not1  
however1 always consult the same man2   
for1 besides the fact that ,holy        
,scripture warns us that there is safety

 where there is much counsel1#d we must 
remember that if we always consulted the
 same living oracle1 he would in time   
become superior to the dead one2 that he
 would make himself a supplanter1 a     
second ,jacob1 pushing aside the book   
which we had chosen for our guide1 and  
assuming dominion and mastery over both 
dead and living1 that is1 over the book 
and the reader who had chosen it for his
 direction4 ,to prevent this            
encroachment1 ,i had almost said this   
unfelt and imperceptibly increasing     
tyranny1 it is well when we meet with   
difficulties to consult several persons1
 following the advice given by the ,holy
 ,ghost through the ,apostle ,st4 ,paul 
not to make ourselves the slaves of men1
 having been delivered and redeemed at  
so great a price1 even that of the      
,precious ,blood of ,jesus ,christ4#e   
,in answer to my remark that ,i very    
much preferred as a book ,the ,imitation
 of ,christ to the ,spiritual ,combat1  
he said that they were both the works of

 writers truly animated by the ,spirit  
of ,god1 that they were indeed different
 in many respects1 but that it might be 
said of each of them as it is of the    
,saints3 ,there was not found the like  
to him4#f  ,he added that in such       
matters comparisons were always more or 
less odious2 that beauty1 however it    
might vary1 was always beauty2 that the 
book of the ,imitation had in some      
respects great advantages over the      
,combat1 but that the latter had also   
some advantages over the ,imitation4    
,among these he mentioned with special  
commendation its arrangement and that it
 goes deeper into things and more       
thoroughly to the root of the matter4   
,he concluded by saying that we should  
do well to read the one and not neglect 
the other1 for that both books were so  
short that to do this would not put us  
to much expenditure of time or trouble4 
,he valued the ,imitation1 he said1     
greatly for its brevity and conciseness 
as an aid to prayer and contemplation1  

but the ,combat as a help in active and 
practical life4  ,footnote #a3 ,book #a4
 c4 #aj4 ,footnote #b3 ,this hyperbole  
of ,st4 ,francis is sometimes pushed to 
excess1 ,it is a question1 too1 if ,m4  
,camus always understood him rightly4   
,,ed4 ,footnote #c3 ,job xiv4 #b4       
,footnote #d3 ,prov4 xi4 #ad4 ,footnote 
#e3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #bc4 ,footnote #f3    
,eccle4 xliv4 #bj4   ,,upon ,,true ,,and
 ,,mistaken ,,zeal4  ,zeal was a virtue 
which ,blessed ,francis ever regarded   
with a certain amount of suspicion1 ,it 
is1 he used to say1 generally speaking1 
impetuous1 and although it strives to   
exterminate vice by reproving sinners1  
it is apt1 if not guided by moderation  
and prudence1 to produce most disastrous
 effects4  ,there is a zeal so bitter   
and fierce that it pardons nothing1     
exaggerates the smallest faults1 and1   
like an unskilful physician1 only makes 
the disease of the soul more serious4   
,there is zeal of another kind1 which is
 so lax and weakly tender1 that it      

forgives everything1 thinking in so     
doing to practise charity1 which is     
patient and kind1 seeks not her own1 and
 bears all wrongs done to her even      
joyfully2 but such zeal1 too1 is quite  
mistaken1 for true charity cannot endure
 without grief any wrong done to ,god1  
that is to say1 anything contrary to    
,his honour and glory4  ,true zeal must 
be accompanied by knowledge and         
judgment4 ,it pardons certain things1   
or1 at least1 winks at them1 until the  
right time and place are come for       
correcting them2 it reproves others when
 it sees there is hope of amendment1    
leaving no stone unturned when it thinks
 there is a possibility of preserving or
 advancing the glory of ,god4  ,it is   
certain that zeal tempered with         
gentleness is far more efficacious than 
that which is turbulent and boisterous4 
,this is why the ,prophet1 wishing to   
demonstrate the power of the ,messiah to
 bring the whole universe under the     
sweet yoke of obedience to ,him1 does   

not speak of ,him as the ,lion of the   
,tribe of ,juda1 but as the ,lamb1 the  
,ruler of the ,earth4 ,the ,psalmist    
says the very same thing in a few words3
 ,mildness is come upon us1 and we shall
 be corrected4  ,i was complaining one  
day to our ,saint of injuries which ,i  
had suffered through the mistaken zeal  
of some persons of eminent virtue1 and  
he replied thus3 ,do you not know that  
the best honey is made by the bees which
 have the sharpest sting8 ,it is true1  
indeed1 that nothing hurts us so much as
 wrong done by those on whose support we
 reckoned1 as ,david knew well when he  
said3 ,for if my enemy had reviled me1  
,i would verily have borne with it1 and 
if he that hated me had spoken great    
things against me1 ,i would perhaps have
 hidden myself from him1 but thou1 a man
 of one mind1 my guide1 and my          
familiar--who together didst take sweet 
meats with me3 in the house of ,god we  
walked with consent4#a  ,consider1 the  
,saint went on to say1 by whom ,jesus   

,christ was betrayed4 ,listen to the    
words spoken by him through the mouth of
 ,his ,prophet1 spoken moreover of ,his 
most sacred wounds1 ,with these ,i was  
wounded in the house of them that loved 
me4#b  ,and1 after all1 is not hope     
always at the bottom of ,pandora's box8 
,virtuous people carried away by this   
mistaken zeal1 will1 directly their eyes
 are opened1 only too gladly recognise  
the truth1 and will love you more than  
ever4 ,pray to ,god to enlighten them   
and to deliver you from the attacks of  
calumny4 ,and if the worst comes to the 
worst1 is it not the duty of a true     
,christian to bless those who curse him1
 to pray for those who persecute him1   
and to render good for evil1 provided he
 really wishes to be a faithful child of
 the ,heavenly ,father1 who makes ,his  
sun to shine1 and ,his rain to fall1 on 
the wicked as well as on the good4#c    
,let your sighs and lamentations be     
breathed softly into the ear of ,god    
alone1 saying to ,him3  ,they will      

curse1 and ,thou wilt bless1 and they   
that look to ,thee shall not be         
confounded4#d  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm liv4
 #ac-af4 ,footnote #b3 ,zach4 xiii4 #f4 
,footnote #c3 ,matt4 v4 #dd-de4         
,footnote #d3 ,psalm cviii4 #bh4        
,,upon ,,the ,,institution ,,of ,,the   
,,visitation ,,order4  ,when he         
instituted the ,congregation of the     
,visitation of ,holy ,mary in the town  
of ,annecy1 where he resided1 he had no 
intention either of multiplying         
,religious ,houses or of forming a new  
,order or ,institute with vows1 of which
 he said there were already enough in   
the ,church4 ,his idea was to form an   
assembly of devout widows and maidens1  
free and unbound either by monastic vows
 or enclosure1 who should1 in their     
house1 occupy themselves with prayer and
 manual labour1 only going out for two  
objects1 namely1 to discharge their own 
domestic duties or to perform works of  
mercy done for their neighbour to the   
glory of ,god4 ,those who embraced this 

mode of life practised it with such     
success that not only the town of       
,annecy1 but all the country round felt 
the influence of their holy life1 and   
was greatly edified by their example2   
while the sick and poor1 whom they      
visited in their distress1 were both    
consoled and relieved by them4  ,later  
on1 these holy women formed a little    
settlement at ,lyons1 but not to the    
satisfaction of the then ,archbishop1   
afterwards ,cardinal1 de ,marquemont4   
,this ,prelate1 although a person of    
much excellence1 having lived the       
greater part of his life in ,rome1 where
 he was ,auditor to the ,rota1 was so   
thoroughly imbued with all the ,italian 
maxims as to the management of women    
that he could not endure their living   
thus without vows or enclosure4 ,he     
therefore not only advised1 but even    
urged our ,blessed ,father to insist    
upon their choosing some one of the     
monastic ,rules approved by the ,church1
 and upon their taking perpetual vows1  

and preserving an inviolable enclosure4 
,our ,blessed ,father1 who was extremely
 pliable1 condescending1 and ready to   
yield to the will of others1 allowed    
himself to be persuaded by this great   
,prelate4  ,the ,archbishop then        
promised that he would submit to the    
approbation of ,rome the ,constitutions 
which the holy ,bishop had prepared for 
the guidance of this simple community1  
provided that they were in accordance   
with the ,rule of ,st4 ,augustine4  ,our
 ,blessed ,father also induced his dear 
daughters to lay aside their original   
manner of life in order to embrace this 
second1 which took the shape of an      
,order properly so called1 having       
perpetual vows4  ,since this change he  
has often told me that the ,congregation
 owed its establishment simply to the   
providence and ordering of ,god1 ,whose 
,spirit breathes where ,he wills1 and   
,who effects changes with ,his own right
 hand when it pleases ,him2 and ,whose  
own perfection it is which makes ,his   

works admirable in our eyes4  ,as for   
me1 he once said to me1 ,i am filled    
with astonishment when ,i reflect that1 
alone and unaided1 but with             
extraordinary calmness of mind1 ,i have 
done what ,i wished to undo1 and undone 
what ,i wished to do4  ,what do you mean
 by that8 ,i asked4 ,and he replied3 ,i 
never thought for a moment of forming a 
,religious ,order1 being of opinion that
 their number is already amply          
sufficient4 ,no1 ,i only intended to    
gather together a little company of     
maidens and widows without solemn vows  
and without enclosure1 having no wealth1
 but that of holy charity1 which is     
indeed all silk and gold1 and is the    
great bond which unites all ,christians1
 the true bond of all perfection1 the   
bond of the ,spirit of ,god1 the spirit 
of holy and absolute liberty4 ,he went  
on to say that their occupation had     
hitherto been1 as ,i have already told  
you1 prayer1 manual labour1 and visiting
 the sick and destitute4 ,i fear1 he    

added1 that there will be quite an      
uproar in the little town when1 under   
the new system1 their vows and enclosure
 oblige them to abandon their works of  
mercy4 ,indeed1 ,i gave their ,order the
 title of the ,visitation of ,holy ,mary
 that they might take for their pattern 
in their visits to the sick1 that visit 
which the ,blessed ,virgin paid to her  
cousin ,st4 ,elizabeth1 with whom she   
dwelt for three months1 to help her and 
to wait upon her4 ,now that they are    
enclosed1 they will be rather visited   
than visitors2 but since the holy       
providence of ,god so orders it1 may    
that providence be for ever blessed4    
,all that ,i have just told you is      
clearly expressed in the letter written 
by him on the subject of the change to  
,cardinal ,bellarmine1 which can be seen
 in the volume of his letters4 ,in      
remembrance1 as it were1 of his first   
design1 he expresses his desire to      
obtain from the ,holy ,see1 through the 
intervention of the great ,cardinal1    

three privileges for this ,institution4 
,the first1 that it should only be      
obliged to recite the office of the     
,blessed ,virgin4 ,the second1 that     
widows should be allowed to be received 
and to live there1 wearing their secular
 dress1 without taking any vows1 and    
with power to come out if at any time   
the necessity of their affairs should   
oblige them to do so4 ,the third1 that  
even married women should be allowed to 
enter1 and to remain for a short time   
with the permission of their husbands   
and of the ,spiritual ,father1 without  
being either ,benefactresses or         
,foundresses4 ,the letter justifies all 
this1 and is full of beautiful and      
sensible reasons for it4 ,i know also   
that during his lifetime1 when the      
twelve first ,houses of the ,order were 
established1 he saw that in them all    
those rules were carried out4  ,i cannot
 here refrain from quoting for you a    
passage from ,cardinal ,bellarmine's    
reply to the letter written to him by   

our ,blessed ,father on this subject4   
,it shows very plainly how highly that  
good and learned ,prelate approved of   
the first design for the constitution of
 this ,order1 and how little he favoured
 the change of plan1 which has1         
nevertheless1 we must admit1 redounded  
greatly to the glory of ,god and to the 
edification of the whole ,church4  ,the 
,cardinal says in this letter3 ,i will  
give you the same advice as ,i should   
take for myself were ,i in similar      
circumstances4 ,i should then keep these
 maidens and widows exactly as they are 
at present1 not making any change in a  
state of things which is so admirable4  
,for1 before the time of ,boniface      
,,viii4 there were consecrated persons  
in the ,church1 the ,eastern as well as 
the ,western1 mentioned by the ,fathers4
 ,among the ,latins1 ,st4 ,cyprian1 ,st4
 ,ambrose1 ,st4 ,jerome1 and ,st4       
,augustine2 among the ,greeks1 ,st4     
,athanasius1 ,st4 ,chrysostom1 ,st4     
,basil1 and many others2 but they were  

not enclosed in their convents in such a
 manner that they could not come out of 
them when1 necessary4 ,and your most    
,reverend ,lordship is aware that simple
 vows are no less binding and are of no 
less merit in the sight of ,god than    
solemn ones4 ,indeed1 the solemnizing of
 vows1 as well as the rule of           
,enclosure1 was originated by an        
ecclesiastical decree of the said       
,boniface ,,viii4 ,even at the present  
day1 the convent of noble ladies1       
founded by ,st4 ,frances of ,rome1      
nourishes in that city1 although without
 any enclosure or solemn profession4    
,therefore1 if in your country maidens  
and widows live in so holy a manner1    
without being either cloistered or      
enclosed1 and are able thus to be of use
 to those in the world1 ,i do not see   
why their mode of living should be      
changed4  ,what our ,blessed ,father    
dreaded for the ,institute was what     
happens to those ,institutes which fail 
in exactitude of observance4 ,and he    

often quoted ,saint ,bernard's saying   
that though devotion had given birth to 
riches1 these unnatural daughters had   
stifled their mother4 ,whenever he heard
 of any ,house established in his time  
beginning to complain of want of        
comforts or conveniences he would say3  
,one day they will have only too many4  
,all his letters are full of            
exhortations to put up with discomforts1
 and to lean upon ,providence1 casting  
all care upon ,god1 ,who feeds the young
 ravens1 satisfies the hunger of all    
flesh1 and fills every living creature  
with blessings4 ,wealth1 not poverty1   
was what he feared for his ,order4 ,this
 is what he says in the ,constitutions3 
,for the more perfect observance of the 
holy virtue of poverty1 when once the   
buildings of the convents are finished1 
the revenues shall be limited according 
to the place where each convent is      
situated1 to the end that even in this a
 proper mean may be kept1 and that there
 be no superfluity of goods in the      

,community1 but only a fair sufficiency1
 and when this is once attained nothing 
further shall be taken for the reception
 of the ,sisters coming to it1 but what 
shall be requisite to keep up and       
maintain well the just competency of the
 convent4#a  ,and in the letter which he
 wrote to the most ,serene ,infanta1    
,margaret of ,sovoy1 ,dowager ,duchess  
of ,mantua1 to invite her to take this  
,congregation under her protection1 he  
says3  ,this ,congregation does not     
solicit alms1 but is established in such
 a manner that the ladies who enter it  
give a dowry in order to maintain the   
buildings1 the sacristy1 the chaplain1  
and to defray the expenses of illness1  
etc41 either by means of a regular and  
perpetual income1 or by some other way  
which cannot injure anyone or interfere 
in any possible manner with the payment 
of the taxes and subsidies due to his   
most ,serene ,highness the ,duke4 ,i    
hope also that the above-mentioned      
,congregation will in a few years' time 

be endowed with revenues sufficient for 
the support of the ,community1 ,thus    
widows without children1 and young girls
 who desire to serve ,god in chastity1  
obedience1 and poverty1 will have every 
facility for entering it1 since they    
will be received without any other      
payment than that of a dowry or pension 
provided by their family for their      
support4  ,footnote #a3 ,constitution   
#e4   ,,his ,,defence ,,of ,,his ,,new  
,,congregation ,,of ,,the ,,visitation4 
,on one occasion1 some one speaking to  
him1 my ,sisters1 of your ,congregation1
 said3 ,but what do you mean to do with 
all this crowd of women and maidens8 ,of
 what use will they be to the ,church of
 ,god8 ,are there not already enough of 
such institutions into which these      
applicants might be drafted8 ,would you 
not be doing better if you were to      
establish some ,college for the training
 and education of ,priests1 and spend   
your time on them instead of on these   
persons to whom one must repeat a thing 

a hundred times before they can retain  
it8 ,and then1 after all1 if they do1 it
 is a treasure buried1 a candlestick    
under a bushel4 ,is it not a case of    
painting on water and sowing on sand8   
,our ,blessed ,father1 smiling          
graciously1 answered with his           
extraordinary serenity and sweetness3   
,it is not for me to work with costly   
materials2 goldsmiths handle the        
precious metals1 potters only clay4     
,believe me1 ,god is a skilled workman2 
with poor tools ,he can accomplish      
wonderful work4 ,he is wont to choose   
weak things to confound the strong2     
ignorance to confound knowledge1 and    
that which is nothing to confound that  
which seems to be something4 ,what did  
,he not do with a rod in the hand of    
,moses8 ,with the jaw-bone of an ass in 
that of ,samson8 ,with what did ,he     
vanquish ,holofernes8 ,was it not by the
 hand of a woman8 ,when ,he willed to   
create the world1 out of what did ,he   
form it1 save nothingness8 ,believe me1 

great fires are often kindled from small
 sparks4 ,where was the sacred fire     
found when the ,jews returned from their
 captivity among the ,medes8 ,in a      
little mud6  ,this weaker sex is        
deserving of being treated with great   
tenderness2 we must take much more care 
of it than we do of the stronger one4   
,st4 ,bernard says that the charge of   
souls is for the weak far more than for 
the strong4 ,our ,lord never refused    
,his assistance to women4 ,he was       
generally followed by several of them1  
and they did not forsake ,him on the    
,cross1 where he was abandoned by all   
,his disciples excepting ,his beloved   
,john4 ,the ,church who gives the title 
of devout to this sex does not hold it  
in such low estimation as you do4       
,besides1 do you reckon as nothing the  
good example which they may set wherever
 ,god calls them8 ,is it unimportant in 
your opinion to be a sweet odour in     
,jesus ,christ1 an odour of life        
eternal8 ,of the two requisites for a   

good pastor1 precept and example1 which 
think you is the most estimable8 ,for my
 part ,i think more of an ounce of      
example than of a hundred pounds' weight
 of precept4 ,without a good life       
doctrine turns into scandal2 it is like 
a church bell1 it calls others1 but     
itself never goes in2 hence the         
reproach3 ,physician1 heal thyself4     
,even if holy women only served as      
perfumes for the ,church they would not 
be useless4 ,a great deal of incense is 
employed by her in her ceremonies6  ,it 
is true that there are1 as you say1 a   
great many other ,congregations already 
in the ,church1 into which some of those
 who are enrolled in this new one might 
enter2 but there are1 besides1 many in  
the ,visitation who1 on account of their
 age or infirmities1 or because of their
 feebleness of constitution1 though they
 be young1 are quite incapable of       
enduring the bodily austerities imposed 
by other ,orders1 and therefore cannot  
be admitted into them4 ,if we receive   

into this one some who are strong and   
healthy1 it is that they may wait upon  
the weak and delicate1 for whom this    
,congregation has chiefly been          
instituted1 and to put in practice that 
holy command3 ,bear ye one another's    
burdens1 and so you shall fulfil the law
 of ,christ4#a  ,as for your exhortation
 to me to think about forming a         
,congregation of ,priests1 do you not   
see that that is already planned by ,m4 
de ,berulle1 a great and faithful       
servant of ,god1 who has far more       
capacity for the work1 and much more    
leisure also1 than ,i can get8 ,remember
 how heavily burdened ,i am with the    
charge of a diocese1 in which is        
situated such a place as ,geneva1 the   
very fountain-head of the errors which  
are troubling the whole ,church4 ,in    
conclusion1 let us leave great designs  
to great workmen4 ,god will do what ,he 
pleases with my little plan4  ,footnote 
#a3 ,gal4 vi4 #b4   ,,upon ,,the ,,odour
 ,,of ,,sanctity4  ,our ,blessed ,father

 held in the very highest esteem the    
odour of sanctity1 and revered those who
 by their good example shed it abroad   
through the world1 not for their own    
glory1 but for the glory of ,god4  ,on  
another occasion when some morose and   
captious person was finding fault with  
the ,visitation ,order1 and after taking
 exception to it because of its newness1
 wound up by saying to ,blessed         
,francis1 ,and then of what use will it 
be to the ,church8 ,the holy ,prelate   
answered pleasantly3 ,to play the part  
of the ,queen of ,sheba4 ,and what part 
is that8 returned the man1 ,to render   
homage to ,him who is greater than      
,solomon1 and to fill the whole militant
 ,jerusalem with perfumes and sweet     
odours4  ,in one of his ,conferences he 
expresses the same thought as follows3  
,in my opinion the divine ,majesty has  
made choice of you to go forth as       
perfume-bearers1 seeing that ,he has    
commissioned you to go and scatter far  
and wide the sweet odours of the virtues

 of your ,institute4 ,and as young      
maidens love sweet odours 7for the      
,bride in the ,canticle of ,canticles   
says that the name of her ,beloved is as
 oil1 or balm1 shedding on all sides the
 sweetest perfumes1 and therefore1 she  
adds1 the young maidens have followed   
,him1 attracted by ,his divine          
perfumes71 so do you1 my dear sisters1  
as perfume-bearers of the ,divine       
,goodness1 go forth1 shedding all around
 the incomparable sweetness of sincere  
humility1 gentleness1 and charity1 so   
that many young maidens may be attracted
 thereby1 and may embrace your manner of
 life1 and that they may even in this   
world enjoy1 like you1 a holy loving    
peace and tranquillity of soul1 and in  
the world to come eternal happiness4    
,,he ,,rebukes ,,pharisaism4  ,on one   
occasion when the ,sisters of the       
,visitation had made a foundation in a  
city famous for the piety of its        
inhabitants and in which there were     
already a number of ,religious ,houses  

highly esteemed for external austerities
 and severe discipline1 they met with   
much criticism and even harsh treatment 
on account of their own gentler and     
apparently easier rule4  ,in the end1   
they made known to ,blessed ,francis    
what they had to put up with4  ,i ought1
 perhaps1 to say that1 among other      
ill-natured remarks1 they had been      
reproached with having strewn a path of 
roses to lead them to ,heaven1 and with 
having brought our ,saviour down from   
the ,cross2 meaning that they did not   
practise many corporal austerities4     
,those who said this quite forgot the   
fact that this ,order of the ,visitation
 was founded for the reception and      
consolation largely of women1 whether   
young or old1 weak in bodily health1    
though strong and healthy in mind1 whose
 feeble frames could not support the    
external rigour demanded by other       
,communities4  ,our ,blessed ,father1 as
 ,i told you1 having heard from letters 
addressed to him by the ,superior1 of   

the harsh treatment and sufferings of   
his poor daughters1 wrote to her several
 times on the subject4 ,the following   
words of his are especially remarkable  
for their beauty3  ,beware1 my daughter1
 of replying in any way whatever to     
these good ,sisters1 or to their friends
 in the world1 unless1 indeed1 you do so
 with unalterable humility1 gentleness1 
and sweetness4 ,do not defend           
yourselves1#a for such is the express   
command of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,if they   
despise your ,order because it appears  
to them inferior to theirs1 they violate
 the law of charity1 which does not     
permit the strong to despise the weak1  
or the great the small4 ,granted that   
they are superior to you1 do the        
,seraphim despise the little ,angels1 or
 the great ,saints in ,paradise1 those  
of inferior1 nay1 of the lowest rank8   
,oh1 my dear daughter1 whoever loves    
,god the most will be the most loved by 
,him1 and will be the most glorious up  
in ,heaven4 ,do not distress yourself1  

the prize is awarded to those who love4 
,footnote #a3 ,rom4 xii4 #ai4   ,,upon  
,,religious ,,superiors4  ,speaking of  
,superiors1 ,i may tell you that        
,blessed ,francis divided them into four
 classes4 ,first1 he said1 there are    
those who are very indulgent to others1 
and also to themselves4 ,secondly1 there
 are those who are severe to others1 and
 equally so to themselves4 ,thirdly1    
there are some who are indulgent to     
their subordinates and rigid to         
themselves4 ,fourthly1 there are those  
who are indulgent to themselves and     
rigorous to others4  ,he condemned the  
first as careless and criminal persons1 
heedless of their duties3 they abandon  
the ship they should pilot1 to the mercy
 of the waves4  ,a ,superior of the     
second kind often spoils everything     
precisely because he wishes to do too   
much1 and falls into those exaggerations
 which have lent truth to the saying1   
,absolute right is absolute injustice4  
,he who would rule well1 runs an ancient

 aphorism1 must rule with a slack hand4 
,we must not hold our horse's bridle    
over tightly1 for though we may save him
 from stumbling we hinder him even from 
walking4  ,superiors of the third class 
are better because they put a kindly    
construction upon the faults and        
infirmities of others less known to     
them1 as they necessarily are1 than     
their own4 ,this is the reason why they 
are severe to themselves and indulgent  
to others--a line of conduct which      
generally meets with the approval of    
their subjects4 ,the latter are the more
 edified because they see their         
,superiors observing those very laws    
from which they have dispensed them4 ,it
 is just so with the laity3 they are    
mostly more anxious about the morals of 
their clergy than they are about their  
own4  ,superiors of the fourth and last 
kind are truly unfaithful servants4     
,they resemble those ,pharisees who laid
 on the shoulders of other men heavy    
burdens which they themselves would not 

touch with the tip of their finger4     
,our ,blessed ,father wished that all   
these four classes could be merged in a 
fifth1 that of which the watchword      
should be holy equality according to    
that precept both of nature and of the  
,gospel3 ,do to others as you would be  
done by2 treat others as you would wish 
to be treated yourself1 and treat       
yourself as you know you ought to be    
treated4 ,in fact1 since each man is to 
himself his nearest neighbour1 we all   
recognise the injustice of demanding in 
the life of others what we do not       
practise in our own4 ,to command others 
to do what we do not ourselves do is to 
be like ,urias1 who carried his own     
condemnation and death-warrant in his   
bosom4  ,one day1 in his presence1 ,i   
was praising a certain ,superior for his
 extreme goodness1 gentleness1 patience1
 and condescension1 which attracted all 
hearts to him1 just as flies are        
attracted to a honeycomb4 ,he answered1 
,goodness is not good when it puts up   

with evil2 on the contrary1 it is bad   
when it allows evils to go on which it  
can1 and should1 prevent4 ,gentleness in
 such a case is not gentleness1 but     
weakness and cowardice4 ,patience in    
such a case is not patience1 but        
absolute stupidity4  ,when we suffer    
evil which we could prevent1 we do not  
merely tolerate but become accomplices  
in wrong-doing4 ,i am of opinion that   
subjects are made good by bad1 ,i mean1 
by harsh and disagreeable ,superiors4   
,the severity of a mother is more       
wholesome for a child than the petting  
of an indulgent nurse1 and the firmness 
of a father is always more useful to his
 children than their mother's           
tenderness4 ,the rougher the file the   
better it smoothes the iron1 and the    
more rust it rubs off2 the hotter the   
iron1 the better the surface it gives to
 the cloth4 ,he related with regard to  
this subject an anecdote which will both
 please and profit you4  ,the head of a 
certain ,religious ,order1 which was at 

the time undergoing a vigorous reform1  
had1 with the consent of the ,provincial
 ,chapter1 established a ,novitiate     
,house which was to serve as the one    
only ,seminary for the whole province4  
,it was decided that no novice should be
 clothed until he had been examined by  
three ,fathers of the ,order appointed  
for that purpose4 ,the first was to     
enquire into the birth and condition of 
those who presented themselves for      
examination1 the second into their      
literary capacity1 and the third into   
their manner of life and vocation4 ,this
 last1 in order to get a firm grip on   
the pulse of the postulants1 and to     
sound their vocation to the very quick  
almost always asked them if they would  
have courage and patience enough to put 
up with bad ,superiors1 bad in the      
extreme1 cruel1 rude1 peevish1 choleric1
 melancholy1 captious1 pitiless1 those1 
in a word1 whom they would find it      
impossible to please or satisfy4  ,some1
 evading the question1 replied that     

there could be none such in the ,order1 
or1 at least1 would not be suffered to  
remain in office1 seeing that it was    
governed with so much gentleness and    
benignity1 and that its yoke was so     
sweet and desirable4 ,the examiner1 who 
did not like evasive and ambiguous      
replies of this sort1 determined to get 
an answer that should be                
straight-forward and to the point4      
,taking a much sterner tone1 he         
represented a ,superior to them as a    
sort of slave-driver3 a man who would   
govern his subjects by blows and        
stripes1 and who yet would expect them  
to drink this chalice of bitterness as  
if offered to their lips by the hand of 
,god4  ,some of the postulants fearing  
the test1 became pale or crimson with   
agitation1 and either answered nothing1 
showing by their silence that they could
 not swallow the pill1 or1 if they      
answered at all1 declared that they     
could not believe he was speaking       
seriously1 and that they were not       

galley-slaves4  ,these he dismissed at  
once as unfit to be received into the   
,order4  ,others1 however1 full of      
courage and constancy1 still answered1  
that they were prepared for any         
ill-treatment1 and that nothing could   
deter them from carrying out their      
,god-inspiring resolution4 ,that no     
creature1 however cruel and however     
unfeeling1 could separate them from the 
love of ,jesus ,christ1 nor from ,his   
service4 ,these the examining ,father   
received with open arms into the bosom  
of the ,order4  ,you may judge from this
 how skilful was this master of novices 
in hewing1 hammering1 and cutting the   
stones he was endeavouring to fit for   
the spiritual edifice of the ,order4    
,our ,blessed ,father himself1 in spite 
of all the sweetness and gentleness of  
his natural disposition1 did not fail to
 follow this plan to a certain extent1  
representing to all who came to him1    
desiring to enter into religion1 the    
interior and spiritual crosses which    

they must resolve to carry all their    
life long1 not the least heavy of which1
 and at the same time not the least     
useful in helping them to make great    
advance in perfection would perhaps be  
the severity of ,superiors4   ,,upon    
,,unlearned ,,superiors4  ,a certain    
community having had their ,superior    
taken from them on account of their     
complaints of the severity of his rule1 
and having a new one set over them in   
his place1 came to ,blessed ,francis to 
pour out their grievances on the subject
 of their recently appointed head4 ,they
 declared that he was an ignorant man4  
,what is to be done with you8 cried our 
,blessed ,father1 you remind me of the  
frogs to whom ,jupiter could not give a 
king who was to their taste4 ,we ought  
certainly to wish to have good and      
capable ,superiors1 but still whatever  
they may be we must put up with them4   
,one of the complainers was so wanting  
in discretion as to say that their      
one-eyed horse had been changed into a  

blind one4 ,blessed ,francis suffered   
this jest to pass1 merely frowning      
slightly1 but his modest silence only   
unchained the tongue of another scoffer 
who presumed to say that an ass had been
 given to them instead of a horse4 ,then
 ,blessed ,francis spoke1 and1 rebuking 
this last speech1 added in a tone of    
gentle remonstrance1 that the first     
remark1 though far from being           
respectful1 was more endurable because  
it was a proverb and implied that a     
,superior had been given to them who was
 less capable than his predecessor1 and 
that this was expressed in figurative   
terms1 as ,david speaks of himself in   
relation to ,almighty ,god in one of the
 ,psalms when he says3 ,i am become as a
 beast before ,thee4#a ,the second      
sarcasm1 however1 he added1 has nothing 
figurative in it1 and is absolutely and 
grossly insulting4 ,we must never speak 
of our ,superiors in such a manner1     
however worthless they may be4 ,remember
 that ,god would have us obey even the  

vicious and froward1#b and he that      
resisteth the power resisteth the       
ordinance of ,god4  ,then taking up the 
defence of this much-abused ,superior1  
,do you imagine1 he said1 that it is not
 within the power of ,god to exalt in a 
moment one who is poor in spirit by     
bestowing on him the gift of            
intelligence8 ,is not ,he the ,god of   
knowledge8 ,is it not ,he who imparts it
 to men8 ,are not all the faithful      
taught of ,god8  ,the science of the    
,saints is the science of ,salvation1   
and this is a knowledge more frequently 
given to those who are destitute of the 
knowledge which puffs up4 ,in what      
condition think you was ,saul when ,god 
raised him to the throne of ,israel8    
,he was keeping his father's asses4 ,on 
what did ,jesus ,christ ride triumphant 
on ,palm ,sunday8 ,was it not upon an   
ass8  ,again1 in his eleventh           
,conference1 he says3 ,if ,balaam was   
well instructed by an ass1 we may with  
greater reason believe that ,god1 ,who  

gave you this ,superior1 will enable him
 to teach you according to ,his will1   
though it may not be according to your  
own4  ,he wound up his remarks on the   
subject of the new ,superior by saying3 
,i understand that this good man is most
 gentle and kind1 and that if he does   
not know much he does none the less     
well1 so that his example makes up for  
any deficiency in his teaching4 ,it is  
far better to have a ,superior who does 
the good which he fails in teaching1    
than one who tells us what we ought to  
do1 but does not himself practise it4   
,footnote #a3 #a ,peter ii4 #ah4        
,footnote #b3 ,rom4 xiii4 #b4   ,,upon  
,,the ,,founding ,,of ,,convents4  ,you 
know1 my ,sisters1 with what            
circumspection and prudence our ,blessed
 ,father moved in the matter of         
foundations4 ,during the last thirteen  
years of his life1 in which he          
established your ,congregation1 he only 
accepted twelve convents and refused    
three times as many1 saying1 as was his 

wont1 ,few and good4 ,he was always very
 particular about the ,superiors to whom
 he committed the charge of monastic    
houses1 knowing the immense importance  
of such choice and its influence upon   
all the members of a ,religious family4 
,he was fond of comparing a convent to a
 beehive1 and in one of his ,conferences
 applies this comparison to your own    
,order as follows3--,your ,congregation1
 he says1 is like a bee-hive which has  
already sent forth various swarms3 but  
with this difference1 that when bees go 
forth to settle in another hive and to  
begin a new household each swarm chooses
 a particular queen under whom they live
 and dwell apart4  ,you1 my dear souls1 
though you may go into a new hive1 that 
is1 begin a new house of your ,order1   
have always only one and the same ,king1
 our crucified ,lord1 under ,whose      
authority you will live secure and safe 
wherever you may be4 ,do not fear that  
anything will be wanting to you1 for1 as
 long as you do not choose any other    

,king ,he will ever be with you2 only   
take great care to grow in love and     
fidelity to ,his divine goodness1       
keeping as close to ,him as possible4   
,thus all will be well with you4 ,learn 
from ,him all that you will have to do2 
do nothing without ,his counsel1 for ,he
 is the faithful ,friend who will guide 
you and govern you and take care of you1
 as with all my heart ,i beseech ,him to
 do4#a  ,very often ,i urged him to     
consent to certain foundations which it 
was proposed to make1 but ,he always    
gave me some good reason for refusing4  
,it was not without trouble and         
difficulty that we obtained a little    
colony for ,belley4 ,he often said to   
me3 ,the ,sisters are as yet but novices
 in piety1 they must be left to grow a  
little stronger2 have patience1 for we  
shall be doing quite enough if the      
little we do is what pleases our divine 
,master4 ,it is better for them to grow 
at the roots by virtue rather than in   
the branches by forming new houses4     

,will they1 do you think1 be more       
perfect because they have more convents8
  ,footnote #a3 ,conf4 #f4   ,,upon     
,,receiving ,,the ,,infirm ,,into       
,,communities4  ,regarding the reception
 of the infirm1 he might have exclaimed 
with ,st4 ,paul3 ,who is weak and ,i am 
not weak8 ,blessed ,francis shared      
largely in this spirit1 so much did he  
love the infirm1 whether of body or of  
mind4 ,he loved the poor in spirit2     
poor1 that is1 whether in earthly goods 
or in the wisdom of the world1 and he   
used to say that their simplicity was a 
soil suitable for the planting of all   
sorts of virtues1 that it would yield   
much fruit in due season4 ,he was of    
opinion that during the year of         
,novitiate established in all           
communities preparatory to the embracing
 of religious life1 too much attention  
was paid to the consideration of        
infirmities1 both spiritual and         
corporal1 just as if convents were not  
in reality so many hospitals for healing

 the diseases of body and mind4 ,hence1 
he added1 came the name of ,therapeutes1
 that is1 curers1 healers1 or operators1
 formerly given to ,monks4  ,it is true 
that there are certain bodily diseases  
which from the fact of their being      
infectious necessitate the separation of
 such as are afflicted with them from   
the healthy4 ,so also there are         
spiritual maladies1 such as             
incompatibility of temper and           
incorrigibility of defects1 which may   
make it proper to refuse those who are  
thus disqualified for entering          
,religion1 just as in former days1      
persons suffering from these            
disabilities could be dismissed even    
after ,profession4  ,in one of his      
letters he thus expresses his feeling   
for the infirm3 ,i am1 he says1 a great 
partisan of the infirm and am always    
afraid lest the inconveniences to which 
they must naturally put the ,community  
should excite a spirit of human prudence
 in our convents and banish the spirit  

of charity in which our ,congregation   
was founded1 and which is our safest    
guide in selecting our ,sisters4 ,i     
take1 then1 the side of your infirm     
applicant1 and provided that she be     
humble and ready to recognise and       
appreciate your charity1 you must       
receive the poor girl2 it will be a     
constant opportunity for the ,sisters to
 practise the holy virtue of            
loving-kindness4   ,,upon ,,self-,,pity4
  ,gentle and compassionate as his      
disposition was1 full of tenderness1 and
 sympathy for the feeble and the frail1 
,blessed ,francis was nevertheless      
strict and severe in his dealings with  
those whom he knew to be too lenient to 
themselves1 either in temporal or       
spiritual matters4  ,he who practised so
 much severity in his own case1         
assuredly had the right to advise others
 to do as much1 and especially1 like    
him1 to refrain from complaining at the 
inconveniences and sufferings endured in
 time of sickness4 ,he succeeded in     

inspiring his ,daughters of the         
,visitation with his spirit1 teaching   
them that true ,christian patience1     
which is neither apathy nor             
insensibility1 nor the dull stupid      
endurance of the ,stoics2 but a sweet   
and reasonable submission to the ,will  
of ,god1 coupled with cheerful obedience
 to the physician whom ,he commands us  
to honour1 and a grateful acceptance of 
the remedies prescribed for us4   ,,upon
 ,,the ,,government ,,of ,,nuns ,,by    
,,religious ,,men4  ,it was never his   
opinion that nuns should be under the   
jurisdiction and guidance of other      
,religious1 especially of those of their
 own ,order4  ,for this he alleged      
several very weighty reasons1 which ,i  
have been careful to bear in mind that  
,i may impart them to you at the right  
time and place4  ,for the present1      
however1 ,i will content myself with    
reading you one of his letters1 and with
 afterwards making a little comment upon
 it4  ,i observe1 he says1 that many    

influential people are inclined to think
 that ,religious ,houses should be under
 the authority of the ,ordinaries1      
according to the old rule revived lately
 throughout almost the whole of ,italy2 
whilst others would have them to be     
under ,superiors of their own ,order1   
conformably to a custom introduced about
 four or five hundred years ago1 and    
almost universally observed in ,france4 
,for my own part1 ,i confess that ,i    
cannot bring myself to adopt the view of
 those who desire that convents of women
 should be placed under the guidance of 
,religious men1 still less of the       
,fathers of their own ,order4 ,and in   
this ,i feel that ,i am of the same mind
 as the ,holy ,see1 which always1 where 
it can be reasonably brought about1     
opposes itself to the government of nuns
 by ,regulars4  ,i do not say that such 
government is not sometimes             
advantageous1 even at the present day1  
but ,i do say that it would be far      
better if in general it were done away  

with4 ,and this for many reasons4  ,it  
seems to me that it is no more difficult
 for the ,pope to exempt the nuns of any
 ,order from the jurisdiction of the    
,fathers of that same ,order1 than it is
 for him to exempt monasteries from the 
jurisdiction of their ,ordinary1 a      
procedure inspired no doubt by the most 
excellent motives1 and that has been    
carried out successfully for so many    
centuries4  ,the ,pope has1 as a matter 
of fact1 kept our own nuns in ,france   
under the rule of the ,bishops1 and it  
appears to me that these same good nuns 
do not know what is good for them when  
they seek to be transferred to the      
jurisdiction of a ,religious ,order1    
seeing that ,regular ,superiors are apt 
to be a little rigorous in the exercise 
of their authority1 and to deprive those
 under them of holy liberty of spirit4  
,i would call your attention to the fact
 mentioned by our ,blessed ,father that 
almost everywhere in ,italy the nuns are
 under the guidance and jurisdiction of 

the ,bishops4 ,of this ,i was myself an 
eye-witness1 and ,i noticed at          
,florence1 that out of fifty convents1  
only four are not under the jurisdiction
 and direction of the ,archbishop4  ,i  
would also remind you that the ,holy    
,apostolic ,see has1 as far as possible1
 and for many reasons1 revived this     
ancient form of government of nuns4     
,that these reasons exist it is well to 
bear in mind1 though it may not always  
be prudent to urge them in public4      
,again1 if in former times it was       
thought advisable to exempt nuns from   
the guidance and jurisdiction of their  
,ordinaries1 or ,diocesan ,pastors1 at  
the present day there are far more      
weighty reasons for replacing them under
 the authority of the ,bishops1 and for 
taking from the ,regulars this          
exceptional jurisdiction4  ,this is     
exactly what our ,blessed ,father       
thought about the matter4 ,remember then
 always that to put convents under the  
,bishops is to bring things back to     

their first and purest state1 for as    
regards exemption we can assuredly say  
that from the beginning it was not so4  
,it seems1 too1 to me1 that nuns who    
desire the guidance of ,monks1          
especially of ,fathers of their own     
,order1 are true daughters of ,zebedee2 
they know not what they ask1 nor what   
they want1 nor what they are doing4     
,,that ,,we ,,must ,,not ,,be ,,wedded  
,,to ,,our ,,own ,,plans4  ,our ,blessed
 ,father used to praise very highly the 
conduct of ,blessed ,john of ,avila as  
having been prompted by great strength  
of mind1 and extraordinary forgetfulness
 of self in that his zeal made him not  
only love his neighbour as himself but  
even more than himself4 ,i will give you
 an instance of this in ,francis' own   
words1 addressed to ,theotimus3 ,the    
,blessed ,ignatius of ,loyola1 having   
with such pains set up the company of   
,jesus1 which he saw produced many fair 
fruits1 and foresaw many more that would
 ripen in time to come1 had1            

nevertheless1 the nobleness of soul to  
resolve that1 though he should see it   
dissolved 7which would be the bitterest 
pain which could befall him7 within half
 an hour afterwards1 he would be stayed 
and tranquil in the ,will of ,god4 ,john
 of ,avila1 that holy and learned       
preacher of ,andalusia1 having a design 
to form a company of reformed ,priests  
for the advancement of ,god's glory1 and
 having already made good progress in   
the matter1 as soon as he saw the       
,jesuits in the field1 thinking they    
were enough for that time1 immediately1 
with incomparable meekness and humility1
 renounced his own undertaking4 ,oh1 how
 blessed are such souls1 bold and strong
 in the undertakings ,god proposes to   
them1 and withal tractable and facile in
 giving them up when ,god so disposes4  
,it is a mark of a most perfect         
,indifference to leave off doing a good 
work when ,god pleases1 and to return1  
our journey half accomplished when      
,god's ,will1 which is our guide1 so    

ordains4#a ,i may tell you1 my ,sisters1
 that you have only to change the name  
of ,john of ,avila into that of the     
,blessed ,francis de ,sales1 and you can
 apply to an event in his life these    
very words4 ,i know that he had in his  
mind a scheme of forming a ,congregation
 of ,priests1 not bound by monastic     
vows1 something on the pattern of your  
,order of the ,visitation in its        
beginning2 but1 of course1 conformable  
to the calling of the ,priesthood4      
,hearing1 however1 that ,pierre de      
,berulle1 that faithful servant of ,god1
 afterwards a ,cardinal1 had established
 the ,congregation of the ,french       
,oratory1 now so greatly distinguished  
for its piety and learning1 he abandoned
 his enterprise1 rejoicing that ,god    
should have given this holy commission  
to one less busy than himself1 and      
therefore more capable of ordering all  
things in this holy ,society1 and thus  
promoting the glory of ,god4 ,i have    
said1 that he meant to take the         

,visitation as a model of this projected
 ,congregation of ,priests1 intending   
them to develop1 and to prosper side by 
side4 ,i must add1 however1 that even   
before the formation of your            
,congregation he had made an attempt in 
the same direction by drawing together a
 little company of hermits on the gloomy
 but holy mountain of ,notre ,dame de   
,voiron1 and preparing for them laws and
 constitutions in the observance of     
which they have lived with great        
sanctity ever since4  ,you know also    
that his zeal was so condescending in   
its nature1 and that he was so little   
wedded to his own opinions1 that1 though
 the ,visitation had flourished for four
 or five years with great edification to
 others as well as to itself1 yet as    
soon as ,his ,grace the ,archbishop of  
,lyons1 afterwards ,cardinal de         
,marquemont1 had represented to him that
 it would better for it to be           
re-constructed with vows and enclosures 
like other ,orders1 he consented to     

change its whole constitution4          
,speaking of great works undertaken for 
the glory of ,god1 which1 owing to the  
illness or death of their founder or    
head1 sometimes seem in danger of       
falling to the ground1 ,blessed ,francis
 said3 ,there are some undertakings     
which ,god wishes to be begun indeed by 
us1 but completed by others4 ,thus      
,david gathered together materials for  
the temple which his son ,solomon built1
 ,st4 ,francis1 ,st4 ,dominic1 ,st4     
,ignatius ,loyola1 sighed for the grace 
of martyrdom1 and sought for it by all  
possible means2 yet ,god would not crown
 them with it1 contenting ,himself with 
the offering of their will4  ,to submit 
ourselves simply and cheerfully to the  
,will of ,god in the failure of         
undertakings which concern ,his glory is
 an act of no small resignation4        
,footnote #a3 ,book ix4 chap4 #f4       
,,his ,,views ,,regarding               
,,ecclesiastical ,,dignities4  ,it is   
certain that two great ,pontiffs1       

,clement ,,viii4 and ,paul ,v41 held    
,blessed ,francis in the highest        
possible esteem4 ,paul ,v4 more than    
once when speaking to me dwelt upon his 
merit1 and said how suitable and indeed 
how necessary such a ,bishop was for a  
diocese like that of ,geneva4  ,we know1
 too1 that the same ,pope often thought 
of raising him to the dignity of        
,cardinal4 ,our ,blessed ,father was    
himself well aware of this1 and         
mentioned it in letters written to his  
confidential friends1 some of which have
 since been published4  ,it is probable 
that the fact that this honour was never
 conferred upon him was owing to the    
political difficulties which beset the  
,supreme ,pontiff in these matters4     
,puzzled at his not receiving the hat1  
,i one day expressed to him my great    
surprise at the delay4 ,why1 he         
answered1 can you really think this     
dignity would in any way conduce to my  
serving our ,lord and ,his ,church      
better than ,i can now do8 ,would ,rome1

 which would be the place of my         
residence1 afford me more opportunities 
for so doing1 than this post in which   
,god has placed me8 ,should ,i have more
 work there1 more enemies to fight      
against1 more souls to direct1 more     
cares1 more pious exercises1 more visits
 to make1 or more pastoral functions to 
discharge8  ,you would enter1 ,i        
replied1 into the solicitude of all the 
churches2 and from the direction of one 
particular ,church you would be promoted
 to share in the care of the ,universal 
,church1 becoming1 as it were1 the      
co-assessor of the ,holy ,see4          
,nevertheless1 he replied1 you see      
,cardinals of our own day1 who when they
 were ,bishops and had dioceses were    
distinguished for their piety1 quit     
their residence at ,rome1 which is only 
theirs by a positive and ecclesiastical 
law1 in order to return to their flocks 
among which the law of ,god has fixed   
their homes1 bidding them watch over    
these flocks and feed and guide the     

souls entrusted to them4  ,he then told 
me a memorable circumstance concerning  
the great ,cardinal ,bellarmine of      
saintly memory4 ,that ,prelate was      
promoted to the dignity1 unknown to     
himself and against his will1 by        
,clement ,,viii4 ,under the pontificate 
of ,paul ,v41 who succeeded ,leo ,,xi41 
he was promoted to the ,archbishopric of
 ,capua1 again contrary to his own      
wishes1 but by the desire of the ,pope4 
,he bowed beneath this yoke1 but not    
until he had remonstrated with the ,holy
 ,father1 who1 in reply1 simply         
commanded him to take upon himself the  
episcopal charge4  ,immediately after   
his consecration he prepared to take up 
his residence at ,capua4 ,the ,pope1 who
 desired his services at ,rome1 sent for
 him1 and asked him if he was quite     
resolved to live in his diocese4 ,the   
,cardinal replied that he was1 because  
unwillingly as he had accepted this     
charge he had done so with the          
conviction that his ,holiness felt he   

could dispense with his services at     
,rome1 nor would otherwise have placed  
him over the diocese of ,capua4 ,the    
,pope replied that he would dispense him
 from residing in his diocese4 ,holy    
,father1 he answered1 that is not what  
,i have been teaching in the schools all
 my life4 ,i have always held that the  
residence of ,bishops in their diocese  
is commanded by the law of ,god1 and    
that therefore they cannot be dispensed 
from observing it4 ,at least1 returned  
the ,pope1 give us half the year4 ,and  
during those six months1 replied        
,bellarmine1 at whose hands will the    
blood of the lost sheep of my flock be  
required8 ,then1 at least1 three months1
 pleaded the ,pope4 ,the ,cardinal gave 
the same answer as he had given about   
the six1 and1 in fact1 soon took his    
departure for ,capua1 where he remained 
in uninterrupted residence for three    
years1 in the course of which time1 as a
 relaxation from the labours of his     
office1 he wrote his beautiful          

,commentary on the ,psalms4  ,such was  
the high value set by the holy ,cardinal
 upon the residence of a ,bishop among  
his flock3 and ,st4 ,charles ,borromeo1 
and more recently his worthy successor1 
,cardinal ,borromeo1 have been as       
uncompromising as ,bellarmine was4 ,as  
for our ,blessed ,father1 he only valued
 the ,honours and dignities of the      
,church and of the world in proportion  
as they afford means for serving ,god   
and advancing ,his glory4 ,this was the 
golden standard with which he measured  
the holy ,city of ,jerusalem4   ,,his   
,,promotion ,,to ,,the ,,bishopric ,,of 
,,geneva ,,and ,,his ,,refusal ,,of     
,,the ,,archbishopric ,,of ,,paris4     
,although in the life of our ,blessed   
,father his promotion to the ,bishopric 
of ,geneva is described at great length1
 yet1 in my opinion1 the subject has    
been treated very superficially1 and no 
attempt has been made to give a full    
account of the matter4  ,the truth is   
that the ,saint had all his life but one

 aim in regard to the following out of  
his holy vocation1 namely1 to serve ,god
 in whatever sacred office he might be  
called to fill4 ,he had passed through  
all the various ecclesiastical offices  
of ,canon1 ,parish ,priest1 ,provost1   
,dean of the ,cathedral ,church1        
,preacher1 ,confessor1 and ,missionary1 
when ,m4 de ,granier1 at that time      
,bishop of ,geneva1 inspired by ,god1   
desired to make him his successor4 ,in  
this1 as in all other matters1 our      
,saint recognised the inspiration1 and  
with a single eye1 that saw ,god only1  
committed himself entirely to ,his      
providence4  ,he did nothing at all     
either to hinder or to further the      
design1 leaving it all to ,m4 de        
,granier1 who obtained the consent of   
the ,duke of ,savoy to propose ,francis 
to his ,holiness4 ,it was1 however1 a   
condition that he should at once present
 himself at ,rome to be examined in full
 ,consistory4 ,he was therefore obliged 
to undertake the journey thither4 ,this 

journey1 as we know1 is fairly well     
described by the writers of his life4   
,they tell also of his success1 and of  
the approval bestowed upon him by ,pope 
,clement1 who used the inspired words3  
,drink water out of thine own cistern1  
and the streams of thine own well4 ,let 
thy fountains be conveyed abroad1 and in
 the streets divide thy waters4#a ,from 
so excellent a vocation what but good   
results could be expected8 ,a good tree 
cannot bear evil fruit4 ,we know well   
how worthily ,blessed ,francis walked in
 the vocation to which he had been      
called1 and how the light of his holy   
life1 like the dawn of morning1 shone   
more and more unto the perfect day4  ,in
 the year #afai1 having come to ,paris  
with the ,princes of ,savoy1 he remained
 there for eight months1 during which   
time it is impossible to give any idea  
of all that he did for the glory of ,god
 and the good of souls4 ,the eyes of all
 men in this great theatre were turned  
upon him1 as were those of the ,romans  

upon ,cato1 when one day he showed      
himself in their assembly4  ,it was not 
only by the people of ,paris that he was
 thought so much of1 but also by their  
pastor1 the ,cardinal de ,retz 7,peter  
de ,gondi71 a ,prelate of incomparable  
gentleness1 benignity1 liberality1      
modesty1 and every other delightful     
quality4 ,the sweet attractive grace of 
,blessed ,francis' manners and          
conversation produced such an effect    
upon him that he at once desired to make
 him his coadjutor1 with right of       
succession4  ,not expecting any         
opposition from the holy ,bishop1 and   
having gained the consent of the ,king1 
he thought that nothing remained to be  
done but to carry out the formalities   
prescribed by the ,roman ,congregations4
 ,francis1 however1 with marvellous     
adroitness1 warded off the blow1 leaving
 the great ,cardinal penetrated with    
admiration of his virtue if without the 
satisfaction of gaining his compliance4 
,among the various reasons for this     

refusal which are to be found in his    
letters1 one or two please me           
especially4 ,for instance1 he said that 
he did not think he ought to change a   
poor wife for a rich one2 and again1    
that if he did ever quit his spouse it  
would not be to take another1 but in    
order not to have one at all1 following 
the ,apostolic counsel3 ,art thou bound1
 to a wife1 seek not to be loosed4 ,art 
thou loosed from a wife1 seek not a     
wife4#b  ,it is true that honours and   
dignities are but trifles2 yet to       
despise and refuse them is not a        
trifling thing4 ,it is easy to disdain  
them from a distance1 but difficult to  
deal with them face to face1 and either 
to quit them when we possess them1 or to
 refuse them when they are offered4     
,blessed is the rich man that is found  
without blemish1 and that hath not gone 
after gold nor put his trust in money1  
nor in treasures4 ,who is he8 and we    
will praise him1 for he hath done       
wonderful things in his life4#c  ,such a

 one1 my ,sisters1 believe me1 was your 
,father and mine1 my preserver and your 
,founder1 ,blessed ,francis de ,sales4  
,footnote #a3 ,prov4 v4 #ae1 #af4       
,footnote #b3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #bg4        
,footnote #c3 ,eccle4 xxxi4 #h1 #i4   ,a
 ,,bishop',s ,,care ,,for ,,his ,,flock4
  ,good digestions assimilate all kinds 
of food1 and convert it into wholesome  
nourishment1 and so in like manner holy 
souls turn all that they meet with into 
material for instruction and into help  
towards their eternal profit4 ,thus1 the
 great ,st4 ,anthony1 saw the ,creator  
on every page of the book of nature and 
in all living creatures4 ,the tiniest   
flower1 growing and blossoming at his   
feet1 raised his thoughts to ,him ,who  
is the ,flower of the ,field and the    
,lily of the ,valley1 the ,blossom      
springing from the root of ,jesse4      
,those who are smitten by some          
passionate human love are so absolutely 
possessed by it that they think of      
nothing else1 and since their tongue    

speaks out of the abundance of their    
heart this is their one subject of      
conversation1 all others being          
distasteful to them4 ,they write the    
name of the beloved object on rocks and 
trees1 and wherever they can they leave 
behind them some carved token or emblem 
of their affection4  ,just so was it    
with our ,blessed ,father4 ,his delight 
was to make all subjects of             
conversation1 all incidents that might  
occur1 further in one way or another the
 glory of ,god1 and kindle ,his divine  
love in the hearts of others4 ,on one   
occasion1 when he was visiting that part
 of his diocese which lies among the    
lofty and bleak mountains of ,faucigny1 
where it is always winter1 he heard that
 a poor cowherd had lost his life by    
falling over a steep precipice while    
trying to save one of his herd4 ,from   
this incident he drew a marvellous      
lesson upon the care which a ,bishop    
ought to take of the flock entrusted to 
his charge by ,god1 showing that he     

ought to be ready to sacrifice even life
 itself for its salvation4 ,he thus     
relates the incident1 and gives his     
comments on it in one of his letters4   
,during the past few days ,i have seen  
mountains1 terrible in their grandeur1  
covered with ice ten or twelve inches   
thick2 and the inhabitants of the       
neighbouring valleys told me that a     
herdsman going out to try and recover a 
cow which had strayed away fell over a  
precipice from a height of thirty feet1 
and was found frozen to death at the    
bottom4 ,oh1 ,god6 ,i cried1 and was the
 ardour of this poor herdsman in his    
search for the beast that had strayed1  
so burning that even the cold of those  
frozen heights could not chill it8 ,why1
 then1 am ,i so slothful and lax in the 
quest after my wandering sheep8 ,this   
thought filled my heart with grief1 yet 
in no wise melted its frozen surface4 ,i
 saw in this region many wonderful      
sights4 ,the valleys were full of happy 
homesteads1 the mountains coated with   

ice and snow4 ,like the fertile and     
smiling valleys1 the village mothers    
play their homely part1 while a ,bishop1
 raised to such a lofty eminence in the 
,church of ,god1 remains ice-bound as   
the mountains4 ,ah6 will there never    
rise a sun with rays powerful enough to 
melt this ice which freezes me6 ,what   
zeal for souls1 what humility1 what holy
 fervour breathe in these words6   ,,on 
,,the ,,first ,,duty ,,of ,,bishops4    
,being a ,bishop1 he used to say to me1 
you are at the same time a              
superintendent1 sentinel1 and overseer  
in the ,house of ,god1 for this is what 
the word ,bishop means4 ,it is then your
 part to watch over and guard your whole
 diocese1 making continual              
supplications1 crying aloud day and     
night like a watchman on the walls1 as  
the prophet bids you do1 knowing that   
you have to render an account to the    
great ,father of the family of all the  
souls committed to your care4  ,but     
especially you ought to watch over two  

classes of people who are the heads of  
all the others1 namely1 the ,parish     
,priests and the fathers of families1   
for they are the source of most of the  
good and of most of the evil which is to
 be found in parishes or households4    
,from the instruction and good example  
given by ,parish ,priests1 who are the  
shepherds of the flock1 proceeds all the
 advance of that flock in knowledge and 
virtue4 ,they are like the rods of which
 ,jacob made use to give the colours he 
wanted to the fleeces of the lambs4     
,teaching does much1 but example does   
incomparably more4 ,it is the same with 
fathers and mothers of families3 on     
their words1 but still more on their    
conduct1 depends all the welfare of     
their households4  ,as ,bishop you are  
the master-builder1 the superintendent4 
,it is your duty then to watch over the 
leaders of your flock and over those    
who1 like ,saul1 are a head taller than 
the rest4 ,through them healing and     
blessing flows down upon others1 even as

 ,aaron's ointment descended from his   
head to the very hem of his garment4    
,this is why you ought continually to   
exhort and instruct1 in season and out  
of season1 for you are the ,parish      
,priest of all ,parish ,priests1 and the
 ,father of all ,fathers of families4   
,,upon ,,the ,,pastoral ,,charge4  ,on  
one occasion ,i was complaining to him  
of the difficulties which ,i met with in
 the discharge2 of my episcopal duties4 
,he replied that on entering the service
 of ,god we must prepare ourselves for  
temptation1 since no one could follow   
,jesus ,christ or be of the number of   
,his true disciples except by bearing   
,his ,cross1 nor could anyone enter     
,heaven except by the path and through  
the gate of suffering4 ,remember1 he    
said1 that our first father even in the 
state of innocence was put into the     
earthly ,paradise to work in it and to  
keep it4 ,do you imagine that he was    
banished from it in order to do nothing8
 ,consider how ,god condemned him and   

all his posterity to labour1 and to till
 an ungrateful earth which produced of  
itself nothing but thorns and thistles4 
,there is much more toil and difficulty 
in weeding and cultivating souls than   
any earthly soil1 rough1 stony1 and     
barren though it may be4 ,the art of    
arts is the direction of souls1 it is of
 no use to undertake it unless we have  
made up our minds to innumerable labours
 and disappointments4  ,the ,son of ,god
 being a sign of contradiction1 can we  
wonder if ,his work is exposed to the   
same2 and if ,he had so much difficulty 
in winning souls1 is it likely that his 
coadjutors and those who labour with    
,him will have less8  ,then fearing to  
depress me by the enumeration of so many
 difficulties1 he went on to cheer me   
with the example of the ,prince of      
,pastors1 the ,bishop of our souls1 the 
,author and ,finisher of our faith1 who 
preferred shame and toil to joy1 that   
,he might further the work of oar       
salvation4  ,he added that of the       

,apostles1 and other ,pastors of the    
,church1 reminding me that if we think  
much of the honour of being their       
successors we must1 with the            
inheritance1 accept its burdens1 nor    
shelter ourselves by1 in legal phrase1  
disclaiming liability for debts beyond  
the assets inherited4 ,otherwise1 he    
said1 we should be like that kinsman of 
,ruth who wished to have the inheritance
 of the first husband1 but not to marry 
the widow and raise up to him an heir4  
,he generally wound up his remarks with 
some reminder of that love which makes  
all that is bitter to be sweet3         
sometimes quoting to me those words of  
,st4 ,augustine1 ,where we love1 there  
is no labour1 or if there is any we love
 the labour itself1 for he who labours  
in loving1 loves to labour for the      
beloved object4   ,,upon ,,the ,,care   
,,of ,,souls4  ,a ,priest once          
complained to ,blessed ,francis of the  
thorns besetting his path in life1 of   
the difficulties of his holy calling1 of

 the anxieties inseparable from it1 but 
chiefly of the intractableness of       
stiff-necked ,christians1 who refuse to 
submit to the easy yoke of ,jesus       
,christ1 and to do what their duty      
requires4 ,the ,bishop replied that     
their obstinacy was not so much to be   
wondered at as the weakness of their    
,pastors who were so easily discouraged 
and impatient1 just because they saw    
that the seed sown by their labours did 
not forthwith produce the plentiful     
harvest they desired4  ,the peasant is  
not blamed for failing to reap an       
abundant harvest1 but only for not      
carefully cultivating his field1 and for
 not doing all that is necessary to make
 his land productive4 ,discouragement is
 a mark of excessive love of self and of
 zeal unaccompanied by knowledge4  ,the 
best lesson for those who have the care 
of souls1 is that which the ,apostle    
gives to all in the person of one3      
,preach the word3 be instant in season  
and out of season3 reprove1 entreat1    

rebuke in all patience and doctrine4#a  
,in this text the word patience is the  
key to the whole mystery1 for patience  
has its perfect work when it is         
accompanied by charity1 which is        
patient1 kind1 and is the virtue by     
which we possess our souls in peace4    
,the charge of souls means having to    
bear with the weak1 for the strong are  
able to go on by themselves in their    
progress towards what is good4 ,our holy
 ,bishop explained this by two beautiful
 similitudes3 ,the plumage of birds is  
heavy1 and yet without this load they   
could neither raise themselves from the 
ground nor hover in the air4 ,the burden
 borne by holy souls is like a load of  
cinnamon1 which1 by its perfume         
invigorates him who carries it4 ,so     
souls which are weak serve to make their
 ,pastors1 who bear the burden of them1 
rise on wings towards ,heaven1 and on   
earth to run in the way of ,god's       
commandments4  ,the other comparison ,is
 this3 ,notice1 he said1 a shepherd     

driving a flock of sheep3 if one of them
 breaks a leg the shepherd at once takes
 it on his shoulders to carry it back to
 the fold1 and this single one is       
certainly a heavier load than all the   
rest together1 who go along of          
themselves4 ,in like manner souls which 
of themselves advance in the way of ,god
 afford little occasion for their       
,pastors to exercise care and vigilance4
 ,it is of the faulty and intractable   
they have chiefly to think1 ,st4        
,bernard says that the care of souls is 
not a care of the strong1 but of the    
infirm1 for if any one helps thee more  
than he is helped by thee1 know that    
thou art not his father but his equal4  
,even the prophets complain of men of   
obstinate and rebellious hearts4 ,to    
work among them is to go down to the sea
 in ships and to do our business in     
great waters1 for these waters are      
,god's people with whom we have to deal4
  ,footnote #a3 #b ,tim4 iv4 #b4        
,,upon ,,learning ,,and ,,piety4  ,by   

rights1 the more learned a man becomes  
the more pious should he be4 ,this does 
not1 however1 always happen1 and if we  
must choose between the two1 there is no
 doubt that it is better to be          
uneducated but pious1 rather than to be 
learned without being religious-minded4 
,blessed ,francis remarked one day when 
we were speaking of a ,parish ,priest   
whose holy life was highly praised1 but 
with whose defects as a teacher great   
fault was found3 ,it is quite true that 
knowledge and piety are1 as it were1 the
 two eyes of a ,priest2 still1 as a man 
can1 by dispensation1 receive ,holy     
,orders even though he has only one eye1
 so also it is quite possible for a     
,parish ,priest to be a most faithful   
servant in his ministry by simply       
leading a zealous1 exemplary1 and       
well-regulated life4 ,the function of   
teaching may be discharged by others1   
who1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 are instructors
 but not fathers4#a ,but no one can be a
 pattern to others except by giving good

 example1 and this cannot be done by    
proxy4  ,besides1 the ,gospel tells us  
that we are to pluck out the eye which  
offends4 ,it is better to enter heaven  
with one eye1 than to be cast into      
hell-fire with two4#b ,there is1 indeed1
 he continued1 a degree of ignorance so 
gross as to be inexcusable and to render
 him who is plunged into it in very     
truth a blind leader of the blind4      
,when1 however1 a man is in good repute 
for his piety he surely has within him  
that true light which leads him to      
,jesus ,christ and enables him to show  
light to others4 ,it is as though he    
said to them1 like ,gideon1 ,do as ,i   
do1 or with ,st4 ,paul1 ,be ye followers
 of me1 as ,i also am of ,christ4#c     
,such a one does not walk in darkness   
and those who follow him are sure to    
reach the haven4 ,though he has not     
talents of learning and erudition such  
as would make him shine in the pulpit1  
yet he has enough if he can1 as the     
,apostle says1 exhort in sound doctrine 

and convince the gainsayers4#d ,remark1 
he added1 how ,god taught ,balaam by the
 mouth of his ass4 ,thus1 his charity   
dexterously covered the defects of his  
neighbour1 and by this lesson he taught 
us to value an ounce of piety more than 
many pounds of empty learning4          
,footnote #a3 #a ,cor4 iv4 #ae4         
,footnote #b3 ,matt4 xviii4 #i4         
,footnote #c3 #a ,cor4 iv4 #af4         
,footnote #d3 ,tit4 i4 #i4   ,,advice   
,,to ,,bishop ,,camus ,,as ,,to         
,,resigning ,,his ,,see4  ,when ,i was  
consulting him once as to whether or not
 ,i should follow the bent of my own    
inclination in the matter of retiring   
into a private and solitary life1 he1   
wishing to ascertain by what spirit ,i  
was led1 answered me in the beautiful   
words of ,st4 ,augustine3 ,otium sanctum
 diligit charitas veritatis1 et negotium
 justum suscipit veritas charitatis4#a  
,charity1 the holy love of eternal      
truth1 draws us into retirement1 that we
 may in that calm leisure contemplate   

things divine2 but when our hearts are  
filled with true charity we are none the
 less urged to undertake good works in  
order to advance the glory of ,god by   
serving our neighbour4  ,although he    
esteemed ,mary's part--called in the    
,gospel the better part--much more      
highly than ,martha's1 yet it was his   
opinion that ,martha's1 undertaken      
purely for the love of ,god1 was more   
suitable to this present life1 and that 
,mary's had more in common with that of 
a blessed eternity4 ,he only made an    
exception as regards some special and   
extraordinary vocations1 some           
irresistible and most powerful          
attractions1 acting upon the soul1 and  
in the case of those who do not possess 
the talents requisite for serving as    
,martha served1 and have only those     
suitable for a purely contemplative     
life4 ,also those who1 having expended1 
all their physical strength in the      
service of the ,church1 withdraw into   
solitude towards the close of their     

life1 there to prepare for that last    
journey which is ordained for all flesh4
  ,for this reason he repulsed and      
silenced me--not indeed harshly1 for his
 incomparable sweetness was incompatible
 with harshness--but firmly and         
decidedly whenever ,i spoke to him of   
quitting my post and of resigning the   
helm into the hand of some more skilful 
pilot4 ,he called my desire to do so a  
temptation1 and in the end closed the   
discussion so peremptorily that1 during 
his lifetime1 ,i never ventured to      
revive it with anyone4  ,he dealt in    
almost exactly the same manner with that
 virtuous soul#b the corner-stone of the
 spiritual edifice of the ,congregation 
of the ,visitation which he founded1 for
 he kept her in the world for more than 
seven years1 bringing up and educating  
the children whom ,god had given her and
 affording spiritual help to her father 
and father-in-law4 ,he kept her back1 ,i
 say1 for this long period1 before      
permitting her to retire into the       

solitude of the cloister2 so exact was  
he in himself following1 and in leading 
those who were under his direction to   
follow1 the holy light of faith rather  
than the false and lurid glimmers of    
their natural inclinations4  ,on a      
previous occasion a certain ,bishop whom
 ,i knew well asked him whether in his  
opinion it would be allowable for him to
 give up his ,bishopric with its heavy  
burdens and retire into private life1   
bringing forward as an example ,st4     
,gregory of ,nazianzen1 surnamed the    
,theologian1 the oracle of his time1 who
 gave up the charge of three            
,bishoprics1 ,sozima1 ,nazianzen1 and   
the ,patriarchate of ,constantinople1   
that he might go and end his days ,in   
rural life1 on his paternal estate of   
,arianzen4  ,our ,blessed ,father       
replied that we must presume that these 
great ,saints never did anything without
 being moved to do it by the ,spirit of 
,god1 and that we must not judge of     
their actions by outward appearances4   

,he added that ,st4 ,gregory in quitting
 ,constantinople was only yielding to   
pressure and violence1 as is proved by  
the manner in which he said his last    
,mass in public1 and which brought tears
 into the eyes of all who heard him4    
,this same ,bishop replying that the    
greatness of his own charge terrified   
him1 and that he was overpowered by the 
thought of having to answer for so many 
souls3 ,alas6 said ,blessed ,francis1   
what would you say1 or do1 if you had   
such a burden as mine on your shoulders8
 ,and yet that must not lessen my       
confidence in the mercy of ,god4  ,the  
,bishop still complaining and declaring 
that he was like a candle which consumes
 itself in order to give light to       
others1 and that he was so much taken up
 with the service of his neighbour that 
he had scarcely any leisure to think of 
himself and to look after the welfare of
 his own soul1 our ,blessed ,father     
replied3 ,well1 considering that the    
eternal welfare of your neighbour is a  

part1 and so large a part1 of your own1 
are you not securing the latter by      
attending to the former8 ,and how1      
indeed1 could you possibly work out your
 own salvation except by furthering that
 of others1 seeing that you have been   
called to do so precisely in this       
manner8  ,the ,bishop still objecting   
and saying that he was like a whetstone 
which is worn out by the mere sharpening
 of blades1 and that while trying to    
lead others to holiness he ran the risk 
of losing his own soul1 our ,holy       
,prelate rejoined3 ,read the history of 
the ,church and the lives of the        
,saints1 and you will find more ,saints 
among ,bishops than in any other ,order 
or avocation1 there being no other      
position in the ,church of ,god which   
furnishes such abundant means of        
sanctification and perfection4 ,for     
remember that the best means of making  
progress in perfection is the teaching  
others both by word and example4        
,bishops are by their very office       

compelled to do this and to strive with 
all their heart and soul to be a pattern
 and model to their flocks4 ,the whole  
life of a ,christian on earth is a      
warfare1 and should be one unceasing    
progress towards the goal of perfection4
 ,were you to do as you propose it would
 be in a manner to look behind you1 and 
to imitate the children of ,ephraim1 who
 turned back when they should have faced
 the enemy4 ,you were going on so well1 
who is it who is holding you back8 ,stay
 in the ship in which ,god has placed   
you to make the voyage of life2 the     
passage is so short that it is not worth
 while changing the boat4 ,for1 indeed1 
if you feel giddy in a large vessel1 how
 much more so will you in a slight skiff
 tossed by every motion of the waves6 ,a
 lower condition of life1 though less   
busy and apparently more tranquil1 is   
none the less equally subject to        
temptation4  ,this reasoning so         
convinced the ,bishop#c that he remained
 faithful to his post in the army of    

,holy ,church4  ,footnote #a3 ,de       
,civit4 ,dei4 ,lib4 #ai4 cap #ai4       
,footnote #b3 ,st4 ,jane ,frances de    
,chantal4 ,footnote #c3 ,this ,bishop   
was evidently ,m4 ,camus himself4 ,ed4  
,,the ,,joyous ,,spirit ,,of ,,blessed  
,,francis4  ,so light-hearted and gay   
was he1 so truly did his happy face     
express the serenity and peace of his   
soul that it was almost impossible to   
remain for any time in his company      
without catching something of this      
joyous spirit4  ,i feel sure that only  
those of dull and gloomy temperament can
 take exception to what ,i am going to  
relate in order to illustrate our       
,blessed ,father's delightful gift of   
pleasantry in conversation4  ,on one    
occasion when ,i was paying a visit to  
him at ,annecy two young girls1 sisters1
 and both most virtuous and most devout1
 were professed in one of the convents1 
he performing the ceremony1 and ,i1 by  
his desire1 giving the exhortation4     
,while preaching1 although ,i said      

nothing to my mind very heart-stirring1 
,i noticed that a venerable ,priest who 
was present was so much affected as to  
attract the attention of everyone4      
,after the ceremony1 when we were       
breakfasting with the holy ,bishop1 the 
,priest being also at table1 ,i asked   
,blessed ,francis what had been the     
cause of such emotion4 ,he replied that 
it was not to be wondered at seeing that
 this good ,priest had lost his aureola1
 and had been reduced from the high rank
 of a martyr to the lowly one of a      
,confessor6  ,he went on to explain that
 the ,priest had been married1 but that 
on the death of his wife1 who was a most
 saintly woman1 he had become a ,priest1
 and that all the children of that happy
 marriage had been so piously brought up
 that every one of them had devoted     
himself or herself to the service of the
 ,altar1 the young girls just professed 
being of the number4  ,the tears shed by
 the ,priest were therefore of joy1 not 
of sorrow1 for he saw his most ardent   

desire fulfilled1 and that his daughters
 were now the ,brides of the ,lamb4     
,but1 ,i cried1 what did you mean by    
saying that a man married to such a wife
 as that was a ,martyr8 ,that may be the
 case when a man has a bad wife1 but it 
cannot be true in his case4  ,our       
,blessed ,father's manner changed at    
once from gaiety to seriousness4 ,take  
care1 he said to me in a low voice1 that
 the same thing does not happen to you2 
,i will tell you how1 by-and-by1 in     
private4  ,when we were alone afterwards
 ,i reminded him of his promise4 ,take  
care1 he said again with some severity  
of aspect1 lest if you yield to the     
temptation which is now assailing you   
something worse does not befall you4 ,he
 was alluding to my desire to give up   
the burden of my ,bishopric and to      
retire into more private life4  ,your   
wife1 he went on to say1 meaning the    
,church1 whose ring when he consecrated 
me he had put on my finger1 is far more 
holy1 far more able to make you holy    

than was that good man's faithful wife1 
whose memory is blessed4 ,it is true    
that the many spiritual children whom   
she lays in your arms are a cause of so 
much anxiety that your whole life is a  
species of martyrdom1 but remember that 
in this most bitter bitterness you will 
find peace for your soul1 the peace of  
,god which is beyond all thought or     
imagination4 ,if you quit your place in 
order to seek repose1 possibly ,god will
 permit your pretended tranquillity to  
be disturbed by as many vexations as the
 good brother ,leone's1 who1 amid all   
his household cares in the monastery1   
was often visited by heavenly           
consolations4 ,of these he was deprived 
when1 by permission extorted from his   
,superior1 he had retired into his cell 
in order1 as he said1 to give himself up
 more absolutely to contemplation4 ,know
 7,oh6 how deeply these words are       
engraven on my memory7 that ,god hates  
the peace of those whom ,he had destined
 for war4  ,he is the ,god of armies and

 of battles1 as well as of peace1 and he
 compares the ,sulamite1 the peaceful   
soul1 to an army drawn up in battle     
array and in that formation terrible to 
its enemies4 ,i may add that our        
,blessed ,father's predictions were     
perfectly verified1 and after his death 
when the very things he had spoken of   
happened to me ,i remembered his words  
with tears4  ,as ,i write ,i call to    
mind another instance of his delightful 
manner which you will like to hear4     
,young as ,i was when consecrated a     
,bishop1 it was his desire that ,i      
should discharge all the duties of my   
holy office without leaving out any     
single one of them1 although ,i was     
inclined to make one exception1 that of 
hearing confessions4 ,i considered      
myself too young for this most          
responsible work1 and wanting in that   
prudence and wisdom which are born of   
experience4  ,our ,blessed ,father1     
however1 thought differently in the     
matter1 and ,i1 holding this judgment in

 so much higher esteem than my own1 gave
 way1 bent my neck under the yokes and  
took my place in the confessional4      
,there ,i was besieged by penitents1 who
 scarcely allowed me any time for rest  
or refreshment4  ,one day1 worn out with
 this labour1 ,i wrote to ,st4 ,francis1
 saying1 among other things1 that       
intending to make a ,confessor he had   
really made a ,martyr4  ,in answering my
 letter he said that he knew well that  
the vehemence of my spirit suffered the 
pangs of a woman in travail1 but then ,i
 must take courage and remember that it 
is written1 a woman when she is in      
labour hath sorrow because her hour is  
come2 but when she hath brought forth   
the child she remembereth no more the   
anguish for joy that a man is born into 
the world4#a  ,footnote #a3 ,john xvi4  
#ba4   ,,upon ,,daily ,,mass4 ,,his     
,,advice ,,to ,a ,,young ,,priest4#a    
,to a ,priest whom ,i know well1 and    
whom our ,blessed ,father loved much in 
,our ,lord1 he gave most excellent      

advice1 and in a very kindly manner1    
conveyed it to him by means of an       
ingenious artifice4  ,the ,priest was   
young1 and owing to his extreme youth1  
although he was a ,parish ,priest1 he   
dreaded saying ,mass often1 contenting  
himself with doing so on ,sundays and   
holidays4  ,our ,blessed ,father1       
wishing to lead him to say his ,mass    
every day1 devised this plan4 ,he       
presented him with a little box covered 
with crimson satin1 embroidered in gold 
and silver and studded with pearls and  
garnets4 ,before he actually put it into
 his hands1 however1 he said to him1 ,i 
have a favour to ask of you which ,i am 
sure you will not refuse me1 since it   
only concerns the glory of ,god1 which  
,i know you have so much at heart4 ,i am
 at your command1 replied the ,priest4  
,oh1 no1 said the ,bishop1 ,i am not    
speaking to you as one who commands1 but
 as one who requests1 and ,i make this  
request in the name and for the love of 
,god1 which is our common watchword4    

,after that1 what could the ,priest     
possibly refuse him8 ,his silence       
testified his readiness to obey1 better 
than any words could have done4         
,blessed ,francis then opening the box  
showed him that it was quite full of    
unconsecrated hosts1 and said1 ,you are 
a ,priest1 ,god has called you to that  
vocation1 and also to the ,pastoral     
,office in ,his ,church4 ,would it be   
the right thing if an artisan1 a        
magistrate1 or a doctor only worked at  
his profession one or two days in the   
week8 ,you have the power to say ,holy  
,mass every day4 ,why do you not avail  
yourself of it8  ,consider that the     
action of saying ,mass is the loftiest1 
the most august1 of all the functions of
 religion1 the one which renders more   
glory to ,god and more solace to the    
living and the dead than any other4  ,i 
conjure you1 then1 by the glory of ,him 
in whom we live and move and have our   
being1 to approach the ,altar every day1
 and never1 except under extreme        

necessity1 to fail to do so4  ,there is 
nothing1 thank ,god1 to prevent your    
doing this4 ,i know your soul as well as
 a soul can be known1 and of this you   
are yourself quite aware1 you who have  
so frankly unfolded to me the inmost    
recesses of your conscience4 ,far from  
seeing any impediment1 ,i see that      
everything invites you to do what ,i    
ask1 and that you may so use the daily  
and supersubstantial ,bread ,i make you 
this present1 entreating you not to     
forget at the holy ,altar him who makes 
you this prayer on the part of ,god     
,himself4  ,the young ,priest was       
somewhat surprised1 and without         
attempting to evade the implied rebuke  
contented himself with submitting to the
 judgment of the holy ,bishop his secret
 unworthiness1 his youth1 his           
unmortified passions1 his fear of       
misusing so divine a mystery by not     
living as they should live who each day 
offer it up4  ,all this excusing        
yourself1 replied our ,blessed ,father1 

is only so much self-accusing as would  
appear if ,i chose to examine your      
reasons in detail and weigh them in the 
scales of the sanctuary4 ,but without   
entering into any discussion of them let
 it suffice that you refer the matter to
 my judgment4 ,i tell you then1 and in  
this ,i think that ,i have the ,spirit  
of ,god1 that all the reasons which you 
bring forward to dispense yourself from 
so profitable an exercise of piety are  
really those which oblige you to        
practise it4 ,this holy exercise will   
ripen your youth1 moderate your         
passions1 weaken your temptations1      
strengthen your weakness1 illuminate    
your path1 and the very act of          
practising it will teach you to do so   
with greater perfection4 ,moreover1 if  
the sense of your unworthiness would    
make you abstain from it out of         
humility1 as happened to ,st4           
,bonaventure1 and if your own unfitness 
makes the custom of daily celebrating   
productive in your soul of less fruit   

than it should1 consider that you are a 
public person1 and that your flock and  
your ,church have need of your daily    
,mass4 ,more than that1 you ought to be 
stimulated and spurred on by the thought
 that every day on which you refrain    
from celebrating you deprive the        
exterior glory of ,god of increase1 the 
,angels of their delight1 and the       
,blessed of a most special happiness4   
,the young ,priest deferred to this     
counsel1 saying ,fiat1 fiat1 and from   
that time for a space of thirty years   
has never failed to say ,mass daily1    
even when on long journeys through      
,france1 ,italy1 ,spain1 ,germany1 and  
in heretical countries4 ,he never       
failed1 ,i repeat1 even under conditions
 which seemed to make the saying of     
,mass impossible4  ,such power have     
remonstrances when tempered with        
kindness and prudence4  ,footnote #a3   
,possibly ,m4 ,camus himself4 ,ed4   ,a 
,,priest ,,saying ,,mass ,,should ,,be  
,,considerate ,,of ,,others4  ,he was   

told that ,i was very lengthy in my     
preparation for saying ,holy ,mass1 and 
that this was a cause of inconvenience  
to many who either wished to be present 
at it or to speak to me afterwards4 ,i  
was accustomed1 by his orders1 to say   
daily ,mass at a fixed hour1 and not in 
the private chapel of the ,bishop's     
house1 unless ,i happened to be ill1 but
 in a large chapel adjoining the        
,cathedral ,church1 where synods1       
ordinations1 and similar pastoral       
functions were held4 ,the bell rang for 
this ,mass always at a few minutes      
before the appointed hour1 but those who
 knew the length of my preparation in   
the sacristy did not hurry to come to   
it1 and those who did not know lost     
patience1 and in winter time often got  
chilled to the bone4  ,our ,blessed     
,father1 wishing to correct this fault  
in me1 waited quietly till the right    
moment came for doing so4 ,he was paying
 me one of his annual visits at ,belley1
 when it chanced that one morning he was

 detained very late in his room writing 
some letters which he had to send off   
without loss of time4 ,when eleven      
o'clock drew near1 his servants1 knowing
 that he never failed to say ,mass      
unless hindered by illness or some real 
impediment1 came to remind him that he  
had not yet done so4  ,the ,altar in the
 private ,chapel had been prepared for  
him4 ,he came out of his room1 wearing  
as usual his rochet and mosetta1 and    
after saluting those who had come to see
 him and to hear his ,mass1 said a short
 prayer at the foot of the ,altar1 then 
vested and celebrated the holy          
sacrifice4 ,mass ended1 he knelt down   
again1 and1 after another short prayer1 
joined us with a face of angelic        
serenity4 ,having greeted each of us    
affectionately1 he entered into         
conversation with us1 until we were     
called1 as we soon were1 to table4 ,i1  
who watched his actions most closely and
 ever found them regular and harmonious 
as a stave of music1 was amazed at the  

brevity of this preparation and         
thanksgiving4 ,in the evening1          
therefore1 when we were alone together1 
,i said1 using the filial privilege     
which ,i knew was mine1 ,father1 it     
seemed to me this morning that your     
preparation for ,mass and your          
thanksgiving were very hasty and short4 
,he turned suddenly1 and1 embracing me1 
exclaimed1 ,oh1 how delighted ,i am that
 you are so straightforward in telling  
me home truths6 ,for three or four days 
,i have been wanting to do the same     
thing to you1 but did not know how to   
begin6 ,now1 tell me what do you say as 
to that lengthiness of yours which      
inconveniences everybody8 ,all complain1
 and quite openly1 though possibly these
 complaints have not yet reached your   
ears1 so few dare speak the truth to    
,bishops4 ,doubtless it is because no   
one loves you as ,i do that ,i have been
 asked to speak about this4 ,my         
commission is quite authentic1 though ,i
 do not show you the signatures4 ,a     

little of your superfluity handed over  
to me would do us both good1 by making  
you go more quickly and1 me more slowly4
  ,do you think1 he continued1 that the 
people who are so anxious to assist at  
your ,mass have any sympathy with your  
long preparation before-hand in the     
sacristy8 ,still less those who are     
waiting to speak to you after ,mass1    
with your interminable thanksgiving4    
,many of these people come from a       
distance1 and have business engagements 
in the town4  ,but1 ,father1 ,i said1   
how ought we to make our preparation8   
,scripture says1 ,before prayer prepare 
thy soul1 and be not as a man that      
tempteth ,god4#a ,how much more1 then1  
must we prepare with all care for the   
stupendous act of celebrating ,mass1    
before which1 in the words of the       
,preface1 the powers of ,heaven tremble8
 ,how can one play on a lute without    
tuning it8 ,why do you not make this    
preparation earlier1 in your morning    
exercise1 which ,i know1 or at least ,i 

think1 you never neglect8 ,i rise at    
four o'clock in the summer1 sometimes   
sooner1 ,i replied1 and ,i do not go to 
the ,altar till about nine or ten       
o'clock4 ,and do you suppose1 he        
returned1 that the interval from four to
 nine is very great to ,him1 in ,whose  
sight a thousand years are as           
yesterday8#b  ,this passage1 so well    
applied1 was like a sudden illumination 
to me4 ,and what about the thanksgiving8
 ,i said4 ,wait till your evening       
exercise to make it1 he answered2 you   
make your examination of conscience1    
surely so great an act will have its    
weight2 and is not thanksgiving one of  
the points of self-examination8 ,both   
these acts can be made more at leisure  
and more calmly in the morning and      
evening3 no one will be inconvenienced  
by them1 and they will interfere with   
none of your ordinary duties4 ,but1 ,i  
objected1 will it not be a cause of     
disedification to others to see me so   
quick over things8 ,god should not be   

adored hurriedly4 ,we may hurry as much 
as we like1 he replied2 ,god goes faster
 than we do4 ,he is as the lightning    
which comes forth from the east and the 
next moment flashes in the west4 ,all   
things are present to ,him2 with ,him   
there is neither past nor future4 ,how  
can we escape from ,his spirit8 ,i      
acquiesced1 and since then all has gone 
well in this matter4  ,footnote #a3     
,eccle4 xviii4 #bc4 ,footnote #b3 ,psalm
 lxxxix4 #d4   ,,blessed ,,francis      
,,encourages ,,the ,,bishop ,,of        
,,belley4  ,owing to the fact that the  
,see of ,belley had been vacant for four
 years1 a dispensation was obtained from
 the ,bishop enabling me1 at the age of 
twenty-five1 to be consecrated ,bishop1 
and at the same time to be put in       
possession of that ,see to which the    
,king1 ,henry ,,iv41 had already        
appointed me4  ,blessed ,francis        
,himself consecrated me1 in my own      
,cathedral ,church of ,belley1 ,august  
#cjth1 #afji4  ,after a while scruples  

began to disturb my mind on account of  
this consecration1 seemingly so         
premature4 ,i had1 as it were1 been made
 a captain when ,i had scarcely enlisted
 as a soldier4 ,i carried my troubles to
 the director of my conscience1 this    
,blessed ,father who consoled and       
cheered me by suggesting many excellent 
reasons for this unusual state of       
things4 ,the necessities of the diocese1
 the testimony to my character of so    
many persons of dignity and piety1 the  
judgment of ,henry the ,great1 whose    
memory he held in high honour1 and1 last
 of all1 and above all1 the command of  
,his ,holiness4 ,he concluded by urging 
me not to look back1 but rather to      
stretch forward to the things which were
 before me1 following the advice of ,st4
 ,paul4  ,you have come to the vineyard1
 he went on to say1 in the first hour of
 your day4 ,beware lest you labour there
 so slothfully1 that those who enter at 
the eleventh hour outstrip you both in  
the work and in reward4  ,one day ,i    

said jestingly to him3 ,father1 virtuous
 and exemplary as you are considered to 
be1 you have committed one fault in your
 life1 that of having consecrated me too
 early4  ,he answered me with a laugh   
which opened a heaven of joy to me4 ,it 
is certainly true1 he said1 that ,i have
 committed that sin1 but ,i am much     
afraid ,god will never forgive me for   
it1 for up to the present moment ,i have
 never been able to repent of it4 ,i    
conjure you by the bowels of our common 
,master to live in such a manner that   
you may never give me cause for regret  
in this matter and rather1 often to stir
 up in yourself the grace which was     
bestowed upon you from on high by the   
imposition of my hands4 ,i have1 you    
must know1 been called to the           
consecration of other ,bishops1 but only
 as assistant4 ,i have never consecrated
 any one but you3 you are my only one1  
my apprenticeship work4  ,take courage4 
,god will help us4  ,he is our light and
 our salvation1 whom shall we fear8 ,he 

is the ,protector of our life1 of whom  
shall we be afraid8   ,,upon ,a         
,,compassionate ,,mind4  ,although his  
soul was one of the strongest and most  
well-balanced possible1 yet it was      
capable of the tenderest and most       
compassionate feelings for the sorrows  
of others4 ,he did not repine over the  
miseries and infirmities of human       
nature1 he only desired that all souls  
should be strengthened by grace4  ,to a 
lady who was heart-broken at the death  
of a sister whom she passionately loved1
 he wrote3  ,i will not say to you1 do  
not weep1 for1 on the contrary1 it is   
just and reasonable that you should weep
 a little--but only a little--my dear   
daughter1 as a proof of the sincere     
affection which you bore her1 following 
the example of our dear ,master1 who    
shed a few tears over ,his friend       
,lazarus1 but not many1 as do those     
whose thoughts1 being bounded by the    
moments of this miserable life1 forget  
that we1 too1 are on our way to         

,eternity1 in which if we live well in  
this life we shall be reunited to our   
beloved dead1 nor ever be parted from   
them again4 ,we cannot prevent our poor 
hearts from being affected by the       
changes of this life1 and by the loss of
 those who have been our pleasant       
companions in it4 ,still never must we  
be false to our solemn promise to unite 
our will inseparably to the ,will of    
,god4  ,again1 let me remind you how    
tenderly he expresses himself on the    
sorrowful occasions of the death of his 
dearest relatives and friends4 ,indeed1 
he says1 at times like these ,i myself  
weep much4 ,then my heart1 hard as a    
stone with regard to heavenly things1   
breaks and pours forth rivers of tears4 
,but ,god be praised6 ,they are always  
gentle tears1 and1 speaking to you as to
 my own dear daughter1 ,i never shed    
them without a loving grateful thought  
of the providence of ,god4 ,for1 since  
our ,saviour loved death and gave ,his  
death to be the object of our love1 ,i  

cannot feel any bitterness1 or grudge   
against it1 whether it be that of my    
sisters or of anyone else1 provided it  
be in union with the holy death of my   
,saviour4  ,and in another place he     
says3  ,i must say just one word in     
confidence to you4 ,there is not a man  
living who has a heart more tender and  
more open to friendship than mine1 or   
who feels more keenly than ,i do the    
pain of separation from those ,i love2  
nevertheless4 ,i hold so cheap this poor
 earthly life which we lead that ,i     
never turn back to ,god with a more     
ardent affection than when ,he has dealt
 me some blow of the kind or permitted  
one to be dealt me4   ,,upon ,,doing    
,,one',s ,,duty1 ,,without ,,respect    
,,of ,,persons4  ,after ,i had preached 
several ,advents and ,lents in various  
towns of my diocese of ,belley1 he      
thought it well that ,i should do so in 
my own native city1 ,paris4  ,well      
knowing1 as he did1 the various views   
and judgments of the great world which  

rules there1 he wished to teach me to   
care very little what people said about 
me1 and he impressed the lesson upon me 
by relating to me the following story of
 an aged ,priest and the college clock4 
,a good ,father being incapacitated by  
infirmities even more than by age from  
fulfilling the duty of teaching binding 
on his ,order1 and yet being anxious to 
have some little useful employment1 was 
entrusted by his ,superior with the     
winding and regulating the college      
clock4  ,very soon1 however1 he came to 
complain of the difficulty and almost   
impossibility of his work2 not1 he said1
 that it was at all beyond his strength1
 but that it was quite beyond him to    
satisfy everyone4 ,when the clock was a 
little slow1 he said1 the young men who 
had difficult and troublesome work to do
 indoors1 complained1 declaring that the
 town clocks were much faster1 and to   
please them he would put it on a little4
 ,as soon as this was done complaints   
burst forth from those whose work lay   

outside the college1 in visiting the    
sick and prisoners1 or providing for the
 needs of the household in the city4    
,they came back declaring that the town 
clocks were much slower1 and reproaching
 me for having put theirs on4  ,the     
,superior settled the matter by telling 
the good ,father to let the clock take  
its own course1 but always to use soft  
words to those who might complain1 and  
to assure each one of them that he would
 do his best to keep the clock right if 
possible4 ,so let it be with you1       
concluded our ,blessed ,father4 ,you are
 going to be exposed to the criticism of
 many2 if you attend to all that they   
say of you1 your work1 like ,penelope's1
 will never be done1 but every day you  
will have to begin it over again4  ,even
 some of your friends will in perfect   
good faith give you suggestions on      
matters which seem to them important1   
but which in reality are not so at all4 
,one will tell you that you speak too   
fast1 another that you gesticulate too  

much1 a third that you speak too slowly1
 and don't move enough--one will want   
quotations1 another will dislike them2  
one will prefer doctrinal1 another moral
 lessons2 some one thing1 some another4 
,they will be like drones who do nothing
 but disturb the working bees1 and who1 
though they can sting1 yet make no      
honey4  ,well6 what is to be done in all
 this8  ,why1 you must always answer    
gently1 promising to try and correct    
yourself of your faults whatever they   
may be1 for there is nothing which      
pleases these counsellors so much as to 
see that their suggestions are accepted 
as judicious1 and1 at least1 worthy of  
consideration4 ,in the meantime go your 
own way1 follow the best of your own    
character1 pay no heed to such          
criticisms1 which are often             
contradictory one of the other4  ,keep  
,god before your eyes1 abandon yourself 
to the guidance of the spirit of grace1 
and say often with the ,apostle1 ',if ,i
 yet pleased men ,i should not be the   

servant of ,christ1' who said of        
,himself that ,he was not of this world4
 ,neither1 indeed1 were ,his ,apostles1 
for the friendship of the world is      
enmity with ,god4  ,it is no small      
matter for a steersman in the midst of a
 storm to keep the rudder straight4 ,of 
little consequence ought it to be to us 
that we are judged by men4 ,god is our  
only true judge1 and it is ,he ,who sees
 the secrets of our hearts1 and all that
 is hidden in darkness4   ,,the ,,honour
 ,,due ,,to ,,virtue4  ,honour is like  
thyme which the pagans thought ought    
only to be burnt on the ,altar of       
,virtue4 ,in ancient ,rome the ,temple  
of ,honour could only be entered through
 the ,temple of ,virtue4  ,the virtue of
 ,blessed ,francis de ,sales was so     
generally recognized by both ,catholics 
and ,protestants that he may be truly   
said to have been universally           
reverenced4  ,a remarkable instance of  
this occurred at ,grenoble1 the chief   
town of ,dauphin1 in the year in which  

he went there to preach during ,advent  
and ,lent4 ,monsieur de ,lesdigiures1   
the ,king's ,viceroy at ,grenoble1 and  
,marshal of ,france1 was not yet        
converted to the ,catholic ,faith4 ,he1 
however1 received the ,bishop with      
affectionate warmth1 and paid him       
extraordinary honours4 ,he frequently   
invited him to his table1 and often     
visited him in his house1 sometimes even
 being present at his sermons1 for he   
really valued the teaching of the holy  
,bishop1 and thought most highly of his 
virtue4 ,the ,protestants of ,grenoble  
took fright at this1 more particularly  
because of the long1 private interviews 
which took place between the ,magistrate
 and the holy ,bishop4  ,wherever he    
went the ,king's representative spoke of
 ,blessed ,francis in the highest terms1
 and invariably made a point of giving  
him his title1 ,bishop of ,geneva4 ,in  
short1 he paid him such deference as    
excited universal astonishment4  ,in    
vain did the ,huguenot clergy storm and 

rage1 in vain did they threaten to      
excommunicate anyone having dealings    
with the ,bishop4 ,they could not       
prevent the majority of their           
congregations from pressing every day to
 hear the ,saint's sermons1 which       
created a great sensation amongst them4 
,the ,huguenot preachers1 far from      
gaining fresh adherents1 saw their flock
 steadily dwindling away4  ,at last1 in 
despair1 the ,consistory determined to  
send a deputation to remonstrate with   
,m4 de ,lesdigiures on the warm welcome 
he was giving the holy ,bishop1 and on  
his own behaviour in scandalizing the   
whole ,protestant party by attending    
,blessed ,francis' sermons4  ,the       
deputation1 formed of the elders and    
most notable men of the sect1 reached   
the ,marshal's house early in the       
morning1 so that he was not even dressed
 when their request for an interview was
 brought to him4  ,being a man who would
 not be dictated to1 he sent down word  
to the ,huguenots that if they came to  

visit him as friends1 or to communicate 
any matter of business to him1 he would 
receive them gladly1 but if they meant  
to remonstrate with him1 in the name of 
the ,consistory or ministers1 on the    
politeness he was showing to the ,bishop
 of ,geneva1 they might rest assured    
that they would go out through the      
window faster than they had come in by  
the door6  ,this message was enough4    
,the deputation broke up at once2 but   
with how many lamentations over this    
unexpected reception1 given by one whom 
they had reckoned upon as the chief stay
 and prop of their sect4  ,their next   
plan was to send one of the principal   
noblemen of the province1 a ,protestant 
like themselves1 upon the same errand as
 before4 ,he1 however1 fared no better  
than the deputation4  ,tell those       
gentlemen 7said ,m4 de ,lesdigiures7    
that ,i am old enough to know the rules 
of politeness4  ,up to the age of thirty
 ,i was myself a ,roman ,catholic4 ,i   
know how ,roman ,catholics treat their  

,bishops1 and with what respect these   
,bishops are treated by ,kings and      
,princes4 ,they hold a rank altogether  
different from that of our ministers1   
who1 even the highest among them1 are   
only ,parish ,priests1 since they       
themselves deny the very existence of   
the order of ,bishop1 however good a    
foundation for it there may seem to be  
in the teaching of ,holy ,scripture4 ,as
 for me1 my belief is that they will in 
the end be sorry they have given up this
 distinction of rank4 ,tell ,m4 ,b4 7he 
was a minister of low birth1 had        
formerly been ,m4 de ,lesdigiures'      
servant1 and owed to him his actual     
position in the so-called ,reformed     
,church of ,grenoble7 that when ,i see  
among ,huguenot ministers1 sons and     
brothers of sovereign ,princes1 as ,i do
 among ,roman ,catholic ,bishops1       
,archbishops1 and ,cardinals1 ,i will   
perhaps change my mind as to how to     
treat them socially4  ,as regards the   
,bishop of ,geneva1 ,i can only say that

 if ,i were in his place and were1 as he
 is1 sovereign ,prince of this city1 ,i 
would see that ,i was properly obeyed1  
and that my authority was duly          
recognised4 ,i know what are his rights 
and titles better than ,b 444 or any of 
his colleagues can possibly do2 it is   
for me to give them a lesson on the     
subject1 and for them1 if they are wise1
 to listen4 ,it is not for young1       
uneducated men to presume to show a man 
of my age and rank how to behave        
himself4  ,after this the ,viceroy      
redoubled his attentions to the holy    
,bishop1 to whom he paid every honour in
 his power4  ,on the other hand1 he     
himself received such good impressions  
of our religion from what he saw of the 
,bishop that they greatly facilitated   
his conversion1 which took place after  
he had been promoted to the rank of     
,constable4  ,he died an excellent      
,catholic1 and most happily4   ,,upon   
,,memory ,,and ,,judgment4  ,on one     
occasion ,blessed ,francis was          

complaining to me of the shortness of   
his memory4 ,i tried to console him by  
reminding him that even if it were true1
 there was no lack in him of judgment1  
for in that he always excelled4  ,in    
reply1 he said that it was certainly    
unusual to find a good memory and       
excellent judgment united1 although the 
two qualities might be possessed        
together by some in a moderate degree4  
,he added that there were of course     
exceptions to the rule1 but such        
exceptions were mostly of rare and      
extraordinary merit4  ,he gave as an    
instance one of his most intimate       
friends1 the great ,anthony ,favre1     
first ,president of ,savoy1 and one of  
the most celebrated lawyers of his time1
 who united in his own person remarkable
 keenness of judgment with a marvellous 
memory4 ,in truth1 he went on to say1   
these two qualities are so different in 
their nature1 that it is not difficult  
for one to push the other out4 ,one is  
the outcome of vivacity and alertness1  

the other is not unfrequently           
characteristic of the slow and          
leaden-footed4  ,after some more        
conversation with me on this subject1 in
 which ,i deplored my want of judgment1 
he concluded with these words3 ,it is a 
common thing for people to complain of  
their defective memory1 and even of the 
malice and worthlessness of their will1 
but nobody ever deplores his poverty of 
spirit1 i4e41 of judgment4 ,in spite of 
the ,beatitude1 everyone rejects such a 
thought as a doing an injustice to      
themselves4 ,well1 courage6 advancing   
years will bring you plenty of judgment3
 it is one of the fruits of experience  
and old age4  ,but as for memory1 its   
failure is one of the undoubted defects 
of old people4 ,that is why ,i have     
little hope of the improvement of my    
own2 but provided ,i have enough to     
remember ,god that is all ,i want4#a ,i 
remembered1 ,o ,lord1 ,thy judgments of 
old3 and ,i was comforted4  ,footnote   
#a3 ,psalm cxviii4 #eb4   ,a ,,priest   

,,should ,,not ,,aim ,,at ,,imitating   
,,in ,,his ,,sermons ,,any ,,particular 
,,preacher4  ,i esteemed him so highly1 
and not without reason1 that all his    
ways delighted me4 ,among others1 ,i    
thought that ,i should like to imitate  
his style of preaching4 ,can it be said 
that ,i chose a bad model or was wanting
 in taste8  ,do not1 however1 imagine   
for a moment that ,i have ever aimed at 
reproducing his lofty and deep thoughts 
and teaching1 the eloquent sweetness of 
his language1 the marvellous power which
 swayed the hearts of his audience4 ,no1
 ,i have always felt that to be beyond  
my powers1 and ,i have only tried to    
mould my action1 gestures1 and          
intonation after the pattern set by him4
 ,now1 as it happened1 that owing to his
 constitution and temperament his speech
 was always slow and deliberate1 not to 
say prosy1 and my own quite the         
opposite1 ,i became so strangely changed
 that my dear people at ,belley 7where  
the above incident occurred7 almost     

failed to recognise me4 ,they thought a 
changeling had been foisted upon them in
 the place of their own ,bishop1 whose  
vehement action and passionate words    
they dearly loved1 even though sometimes
 they had found his discourses hard to  
follow4 ,in fact1 ,i had ceased to be   
myself2 ,i was now nothing more than a  
wretched copy with nothing in it really 
recalling the original4  ,our ,blessed  
,father heard of this1 and being eager  
to apply a remedy chose his opportunity1
 and one day1 when we were talking about
 sermons1 quietly remarked that he was  
told ,i had taken it into my head to    
imitate the ,bishop of ,geneva in my    
preaching4 ,i replied that it was so1   
and asked if ,i had chosen a bad model1 
and if he did not preach better than ,i 
did4  ,ah1 he replied1 this is a chance 
for attacking his reputation6 ,but1 no1 
he does not preach so badly1 only the   
worst of it is that they tell me you    
imitate him so badly that his style is  
not recognisable3 that you have spoiled 

the ,bishop of ,belley yet have not at  
all succeeded in reproducing the ,bishop
 of ,geneva4 ,you had better1 like the  
artist who was forced to put the name of
 his subject under every portrait he    
painted1 give out that you are only     
copying me4 ,well1 be it so1 ,i replied1
 in good time you will see that little  
by little from being a pupil ,i have    
become a master1 and in the end my      
copies will be taken for originals4     
,jesting apart1 he continued1 you are   
spoiling yourself1 ruining your         
preaching1 and pulling down a splendid  
building to re-fashion it into one which
 sins against the rules of nature and   
art4 ,you must remember1 too1 that if at
 your age1 like a piece of cloth1 you   
have taken a wrong fold1 it will not be 
easy to smooth it out4  ,ah6 if manners 
could be changed1 what would ,i not give
 for such as yours8 ,i do what ,i can to
 stir myself up1 ,i do not spare the    
spur1 but the more ,i urge myself on1   
the less ,i advance4 ,i have difficulty 

in getting my words out1 and still more 
in pronouncing them4 ,i am heavier than 
a block1 ,i can neither excite my own   
emotions1 nor those of others4 ,you have
 more fire in the tip of your fingers   
than ,i have in my whole body4 ,where   
you fly like a bird1 ,i crawl like a    
tortoise4 ,and now they tell me that    
you1 who are naturally so rapid1 so     
lively1 so powerful in your preaching1  
are weighing your words1 counting your  
periods1 drooping your wings1 dragging  
yourself on1 and making your audience as
 tired as yourself4 ,is this the        
beautiful ,noemi of bygone days8 the    
city of perfect loveliness1 the joy of  
the whole earth8  ,why should ,i dwell  
more on his reproof8 ,sufficient to say 
that he cured me of my error1 and ,i    
returned to my former style of          
preaching1 ,god grant that it may be for
 ,his glory6   ,,upon ,,short ,,sermons4
  ,he highly approved of brevity in     
preaching1 and used to say that the     
chief fault of the preachers of the day 

was lengthiness4  ,i ventured to ask how
 that could be a fault1 and how he could
 speak of abundance as if it were       
famine8  ,he answered3 ,when the vine is
 thick in leaves it always bears less   
fruit1 multiplicity of words does not   
produce great results4 ,you will find   
that a powerful and spirited horse will 
always start off promptly1 and as       
promptly pull up4 ,a poor post hack1 on 
the contrary1 will go on several paces  
after his rider has reined him in4 ,why 
is that8 ,because he is weak4 ,so it is 
with the mind and intellect4 ,he who is 
strong leaves off speaking when he      
pleases1 because he has great control   
over himself1 and readiness of judgment4
 ,a weak-minded man speaks much1 but    
loses himself in his own thoughts1 nor  
thinks of finishing what he has to say4 
,look at all the homilies and sermons of
 the ancient ,fathers and observe how   
short they were1 yet how much more      
efficacious than our lengthy ones6 ,wise
 ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi1 in his ,rule1

 prescribes that the preachers of his   
,order shall preach the ,gospel with    
brevity1 and gives an excellent reason3 
',remembering1' he says1 'that3 a short 
word shall the ,lord make upon the      
earth4'#a ,the more you say1 the less   
your hearers will retain4 ,the less you 
say1 the more they will profit4 ,believe
 me in this1 for ,i speak from          
experience4 ,by overloading the memory  
of a hearer we destroy it1 just as lamps
 are put out when they are filled too   
full of oil1 and plants are spoilt by   
being too abundantly watered4 ,when a   
discourse is too long1 by the time the  
end is reached1 the middle is forgotten1
 and by the time the middle is reached  
the beginning has been lost4 ,moderately
 good preachers are accepted1 provided  
they are brief1 and the best become     
tiresome when they are too lengthy4     
,there is no more disagreeable quality  
in a preacher than prolixity4  ,our     
,blessed ,father sometimes surprised me 
by saying that we ought to be pleased   

if1 when going up into the pulpit to    
preach1 we saw before us a small and    
scattered audience4 ,thirty years of    
experience1 he said1 have made me speak 
thus3 ,i have always seen greater       
results from the sermons which ,i have  
preached to small congregations than    
from those which ,i have delivered in   
crowded churches4 ,an occurrence which  
,i am going to relate will justify what 
,i say4  ,when ,i was ,provost1 or      
rather ,dean1 of my church1 my          
predecessor in this diocese1 sent me1 in
 company with some other ,priests1 to   
instruct in the ,faith the inhabitants  
of the three bailiwicks of the          
,chablais1 namely1 ,thonon1 ,ternier1   
and ,gaillard4 ,the towns being full at 
that time of ,huguenots1 we had no      
access to them1 and could only say ,mass
 and give instruction in some scattered 
and rather distant chapels4  ,one       
,sunday1 when the weather was very bad1 
there were only seven persons at my     
,mass1 and these few suggested to some  

one to tell me that ,i ought not to take
 the trouble of preaching after ,mass1  
as it was the custom then to do1 the    
number of hearers being so small4 ,i    
replied that neither did a large        
audience encourage me1 nor a scanty one 
discourage me2 provided only that ,i    
could edify one single person1 that     
would be enough for me4  ,i went up2    
therefore1 into the pulpit1 and ,i      
remember that the subject of my sermon  
was praying to the ,saints1 ,i treated  
it very simply and catechetically1 not  
at all controversially1 as you know that
 is neither my style nor is the doing so
 to my taste4 ,i said nothing pathetic1 
and put nothing very forcibly1 yet one  
of my small audience began to weep      
bitterly1 sobbing and giving vent to    
audible sighs4 ,i thought that he was   
ill1 and begged him not to put any      
constraint upon himself1 as ,i was quite
 ready to break off my sermon1 and to   
give him any help he needed4 ,he replied
 that he was perfectly well in body1 and

 he begged me to go on speaking boldly1 
for so ,i should be administering the   
needful healing to the wound4  ,the     
sermon1 which was very short1 being     
ended1 he hurried up to me1 and throwing
 himself at my feet cried out3          
',reverend sir1 you have given me life1 
you have saved my soul to-day4 ,oh1     
blessed the hour in which ,i came here  
and listened to your words6 ,this hour  
will be worth a whole eternity to me4'  
,and then1 being asked to do so1 he     
related openly before the little        
congregation1 that1 having conferred    
with some ministers on this very same   
subject of praying to the ,saints1 which
 they made out to be sheer idolatry1 he 
had decided on the following ,thursday  
to return to their ranks 7he was a      
recent convert to ,catholicism71 and to 
abjure the ,catholic religion4 ,but1 he 
added1 that the sermon which he had just
 heard had instructed him so well1 and  
had so fully dispersed all his doubts1  
that he took back with his whole heart  

the promise he had given them1 and vowed
 new obedience to the ,roman ,church4   
,i cannot tell you what an impression   
this great example1 taking place in so  
small a congregation1 made throughout   
the country1 or how docile and          
responsive to the words of life and of  
truth it made all hearts4 ,i could      
allege other similar instances1 some    
even more remarkable4  ,for myself ,i   
now prefer small congregations1 and am  
never so well pleased as when ,i see    
only a little group of people listening 
to my preaching4 ,seneca once said to   
his friend ,lucillus that they          
themselves formed a theatre wide enough 
for the communication of their          
philosophy1 and1 speaking of those who  
came to hear his teaching1 he says3     
,satis sunt pauci1 satis est alter1     
satis est unus4 ,a few are enough--two  
are enough--nay1 one is enough4 ,why    
should not a ,christian ,philosopher be 
content with what was enough for this   
,stoic8  ,footnote #a3 ,rom4 ix4 #bh4   

,,upon ,,preaching ,,and ,,preachers4   
,on the subject of preaching1 ,blessed  
,francis had very definite and weighty  
thoughts4 ,he considered that it was not
 sufficient for a preacher to teach the 
ways of ,god to the unrighteous1 and by 
converting the wicked1 to build up by   
his words the walls of ,jerusalem1 that 
is1 of holy ,church1 while making known 
to ,god's people the ways of divine     
providence4 ,he wanted more than this1  
and said that every sermon ought to have
 some special plan1 with always for its 
end the giving glory to ,god and the    
converting and instructing of those who 
were to hear it4 ,sometimes this would  
be the setting forth of a mystery1      
sometimes the clearing up of some point 
of faith1 sometimes the denouncing of a 
particular vice1 sometimes the          
endeavouring to plant some virtue in the
 hearts of the hearers4  ,no one1 he    
said1 can sufficiently lay to heart the 
importance of having a definite aim in  
preaching2 for want of it many carefully

 studied sermons are without fruit4     
,some preachers are content to explain  
their text with all the painstaking and 
mental effort that they can bring to    
bear upon the subject4 ,others give     
themselves up to elaborate and          
exhaustive research and excite the      
admiration of their hearers1 either by  
their scientific reasonings1 their      
eloquence1 the studied grace of their   
gestures1 or by their perfect diction4  
,others add to all this beautiful and   
useful teaching1 but so that it only    
slips in here and there1 as it were1 by 
chance1 and is not expressly dwelt upon4
 ,but when we have only one aim1 and    
when all our reasonings and all our     
movements tend towards it and gather    
round it1 as the radii of a circle round
 the unity of its centre1 then the      
impression made is infinitely more      
powerful4 ,such speaking has the force  
of a mighty river which leaves its mark 
upon the hardest of the stones it flows 
over4  ,drones visit every flower1 yet  

gather no honey from any4 ,the working  
bee does otherwise3 it settles down upon
 each flower just as long as is         
necessary for it to suck in enough      
sweetness to make its one honeycomb4 ,so
 those who follow my method will preach 
profitable sermons1 and will deserve to 
be accounted faithful dispensers of the 
divine mysteries2 prudent administrators
 of the word of life and of eternal     
life4  ,when our ,blessed ,father heard 
a certain preacher praised up to the    
skies1 he asked in what virtues he      
excelled2 whether in humility1          
mortification1 gentleness1 courage1     
devotion or what8 ,when told that he was
 said to preach very well1 he replied3  
,that is speaking1 not acting3 the      
former is far easier than the latter4   
,there are many who speak and yet act   
not1 and who destroy by their bad       
example what they build up with their   
tongue4 ,a man whose tongue is longer   
than his arm1 is he not a monstrosity8  
,on one occasion1 of some one who had   

delighted all his hearers by a sermon he
 had preached1 it was said3 ,to-day he  
literally did wonders4 ,the ,saint      
replied3 ,if he did that he must be one 
of those absolutely blameless men of    
whom ,scripture says 'they have not     
sought after gold1 nor hoped for        
treasures of gold and silver4' ,another 
time he was told that this same preacher
 had on a particular day surpassed      
himself4 ,ah6 he said1 what new act of  
self-renunciation has he made8 ,what    
injury has he borne8 ,for it is only    
after overcoming ourselves in this way  
that we surpass ourselves4  ,do you wish
 to know1 he continued1 how ,i test the 
excellence and value of a preacher8 ,it 
is by assuring myself that those who    
have been listening to him come away    
striking their breasts and saying3 ',i  
will1 do better'2 not by their saying3  
',oh how well he spoke1 what beautiful  
things he said6' ,for to say beautiful  
things in fluent and well-chosen words  
shows indeed the learning and eloquence 

of a man2 but the conversion of sinners 
and their departing from their evil ways
 is the sure sign that ,god has spoken  
by the mouth of the preacher1 that he   
possesses the true power of speech1     
which is inspired by the science of the 
,saints1 and that he proclaims worthily 
in the name of ,almighty ,god that      
perfect law which is the salvation of   
souls4  ,the true fruit of preaching is 
the destruction of sin and the          
establishment of the kingdom of justice 
upon earth4#a ,by this justice1 of which
 the prophet speaks1 is meant           
justification and sanctification4 ,for  
this1 ,god sends his preachers1 as      
,jesus ,christ sent ,his ,apostles1 that
 they may bring forth fruit1 and that   
this fruit may remain1#b and by         
consequence that they may labour for a  
meat which perishes not1 but which      
endures unto life everlasting4#c  ,when 
,i was in residence in my diocese ,i    
never failed to preach on every possible
 day in ,advent and ,lent1 besides doing

 so on all ,sundays and holidays4 ,some 
good people who set themselves up as    
judges in such matters1 full of worldly 
prudence said that ,i was making myself 
too common1 and bringing the holy       
function of preaching into contempt4    
,this came to the ears of our ,blessed  
,father1 and he1 despising such poor    
earthly wisdom1 observed1 that to blame 
a husbandman or vinedresser for         
cultivating his land too well was really
 to praise him4 ,speaking to me on the  
subject1 and fearing that all that had  
been said might discourage me1 he       
related to me what follows3 ,i had1 he  
said1 the best father in the world1 but 
as he had spent a great part of his life
 at court and in the camp1 he knew the  
maxims that hold in those conditions of 
life far better than he did the         
principles of holy living4  ,while ,i   
was ,provost1 he continued1 ,i preached 
on all possible occasions1 whether in   
the ,chablais1 where ,i was busy for    
many years uprooting heresy1 or1 on my  

return1 in the ,cathedral1 in parish    
churches1 and even in the chapels of the
 most obscure ,confraternities4 ,while  
at ,annecy ,i never refused any         
invitation whencesoever it came to      
preach4 ,one day my good father took me 
aside and said to me3 ',provost1 you    
preach too often4 ,even on week days ,i 
am always hearing the bell ringing for  
sermons1 and when ,i ask who is         
preaching ,i invariably get the same    
answer3 ,the ,provost1 the ,provost4 ,in
 my time1 it was not so2 sermons were   
rare1 but then they were sermons6 ,they 
were learned and well studied1 more     
,greek and ,latin was quoted in one of  
them than in ten of yours2 people were  
delighted and edified1 they crowded to  
hear them1 just as they would have      
crowded to gather up manna4 ,now1 you   
make preaching so common that no one    
thinks much of it1 and you yourself are 
held in far less esteem4'  ,you see my  
good father spoke according to his      
lights and quite sincerely4 ,you may be 

sure he was not wishing me ill1 but he  
was guided by the maxims of the world in
 which he had been brought up4  ,yet    
what folly in the sight of ,god are all 
the principles of human wisdom6 ,if we  
pleased men we should not be the        
servants of ,jesus ,christ1 ,he         
,himself1 the model of all preachers1   
did not use all this circumspection1    
neither did the ,apostles who followed  
in ,his footsteps4 ,preach the word3 be 
instant in season out of season4#d      
,believe me1 we can never preach enough1
 especially in this border-land of      
heresy1 heresy which is only kept alive 
by sermons1 and which will never be     
destroyed except by that very breath of 
,god which is holy preaching4  ,if you  
will take my advice1 therefore1 you will
 shut your eyes against the counsels of 
your worldly-wise monitors and listen   
rather to ,st4 ,paul1 who says to you3  
,but be thou vigilant1 labour in all    
things1 do the work of an evangelist1   
fulfil thy ministry4#e  ,moreover1 when 

the ,apostle continues1 ,be sober1 he   
refers to temperance in eating and      
drinking1 not to sobriety or restraint  
in the discharge of pastoral duties4    
,blessed is the pastor who shall be     
found watching and feeding his flock6 ,i
 tell you that the divine ,master will  
set him over all his goods4 ,and when   
the ,prince of ,pastors shall come he   
will receive from ,his hand a crown of  
glory which can never fade4  ,footnote  
#a3 ,dan4 ix #bd4 ,footnote #b3 ,john   
xv4 #af4 ,footnote #c3 ,id4 vi4 #bg4    
,footnote #d3 #b ,tim4 iv4 #b1 #c4      
,footnote #e3 #b ,tim4 iv4 #e4          
,,blessed ,,francis ,,and ,,the ,,bishop
 ,,of ,,belley',s ,,sermon4  ,one day ,i
 was to preach at the ,visitation       
,convent at ,annecy1 the first          
established convent of the ,order1 and  
,i knew that our ,blessed ,father1 as   
well as a great congregation1 would be  
present4 ,i had1 to tell the truth1     
taken extra pains in the consideration  
of my subject1 and intended to do my    

very best4 ,i had chosen for text a     
passage in the ,canticle of ,canticles1 
and this ,i turned and twisted into     
every possible form1 applying it to the 
,visitation vocation which ,i extolled  
far too extravagantly to please the good
 ,bishop4  ,when he and ,i were alone   
together afterwards1 he told me that1   
though my hearers had been delighted    
with me1 and could not say enough in    
praise of my sermon1 there was one      
solitary exception1 one individual who  
was not pleased with it4 ,on my         
expressing surprise and much curiosity  
to know whom ,i could have hurt or      
distressed by my words1 he answered     
quietly that ,i saw the person now      
before me4 ,i looked around--there was  
no one present but himself4 ,alas6 ,i   
cried1 this is indeed a wet blanket     
thrown upon my success4 ,i had rather   
have had your approbation than that of a
 whole province6 ,however1 ,god be      
praised6 ,i have fallen into the hands  
of a surgeon who wounds only to heal4   

,what more have you to say1 for ,i know 
you do not intend to spare me8  ,i love 
you too much1 he replied1 either to     
spare or to flatter you1 and had you    
loved our ,sisters in the same way1 you 
would not have wasted words in puffing  
them up in place of edifying them1 and  
in praising their vocation1 of which    
they have already quite a sufficiently  
high opinion4  ,you would have dealt out
 to them more salutary doctrine1 in     
proportion as it would have been more   
humiliating4 ,always remember that the  
whole object of preaching is to root out
 sin1 and to plant justice in its stead4
  ,on my replying to this that those    
whom ,i addressed were already delivered
 from the hands of their enemies1 the   
world1 the flesh1 and the devil1 and    
were serving ,god securely in holiness  
and justice1 ,then1 he said1 since they 
are standing1 you should teach them to  
take heed lest they fall1 and to work   
out their salvation with fear and       
trembling4  ,it is right1 indeed1 for   

you to encourage them to persevere in   
their holy undertaking1 but you must do 
so without exposing them to the danger  
of presumption and vanity4 ,enough said2
 ,i know that for the future you will be
 careful in this matter4  ,the next day 
he sent me to preach in a convent of    
,poor ,clares1 an ,order renowned for   
the exemplary life of its members and   
for their extraordinary austerities4 ,i 
took good care to avoid the rock on     
which ,i had struck the day before1 and 
against which he had warned me4 ,there  
was as large a congregation as before1  
but ,i confined myself to plain and     
simple language1 without a thought of   
studied rhetoric4  ,i did not praise the
 austerities of the good nuns1 nor did  
,i labour to please any of my hearers1  
their edification was my sole object4   
,on our return to the house1 our        
,blessed ,father said1 embracing me     
tenderly1 that though most of those     
present were dissatisfied1 and compared 
my sermon most unfavourably with that of

 the preceding day1 yet1 that he1 on the
 contrary1 who had then found fault with
 me1 was now perfectly contented and    
pleased1 and that he believed that ,god 
was pleased also4 ,as for your past     
faults1 he continued1 ,i give you a     
plenary indulgence for them all4  ,if   
you continue to preach as you have just 
done1 whatever the world may say1 you   
will be doing much service for the      
,master of the ,vineyard1 and will      
become a fitting servant of ,his        
,testament4  ,one day ,i was preaching  
before him at ,annecy in the church     
which he used as his cathedral4 ,he was 
surrounded by all his canons1 who1 with 
the whole ,chapter1 attended him to the 
bench where he was in the habit of      
sitting to hear sermons4  ,this         
particular one of mine pleased him as   
regarded its matter and delivery1 but ,i
 suffered an allusion to escape me      
referring to his own name of ,sales1 and
 implying1 or rather affirming1 that he 
was the salt 7,sal es7 with which the   

whole mass of the people was seasoned4  
,this praise was so distasteful to him  
that1 on our return from the church1 he 
took me to task for it1 in a tone and   
with a manner as severe as was possible 
to his gentle nature4 ,you were going on
 so well1 he said4 ,what could have     
induced you to play these pranks8 ,do   
you know that you spoilt your sermon by 
them8 ,truly1 ,i am a fine sort of salt1
 fit only to be thrown into the street  
and trampled under foot by the people4  
,for certainly you must have said what  
you did say in order to put me to       
shame--you have found out the right way 
to do that--but1 at least1 spare your   
own friends4  ,i tried to excuse myself1
 alleging that what the ,bishop of      
,saluces once said to him had suddenly  
come into my heads and that1 quite      
without premeditation1 the very same    
words escaped my lips1 ,but1 he replied1
 in the pulpit such things must not     
escape our lips4 ,i am quite aware that 
this time they really did escape you1   

but you must not allow it to happen     
again4  ,i may here explain1 for your   
benefit1 what ,i meant by this reference
 to a saying of the ,bishop of ,saluces4
 ,that holy prelate1 who died in the    
odour of sanctity1 and who was a        
disciple of ,sr4 ,philip ,neri1 was an  
intimate friend of our ,blessed         
,father's4  ,on one occasion1 when the  
latter was passing through ,saluces on  
his way to the shrine of ,our ,lady of  
,montdeay1 the good ,bishop received him
 with every mark of respect1 and begged 
him to preach in his cathedral4 ,after  
the sermon1 he said to him1 ,my ,lord1  
truly tu ,sal es2 at ego1 neque sal1    
neque lux4 ,that is to say1 ,you are a  
true salt 7,sal es71 and ,i am neither  
salt nor light1 alluding to the word    
,saluces 7,sal lux71 his diocese4#a     
,footnote #a3 ,,note4--,another version 
says that it was ,st4 ,francis who      
answered3 ,on the contrary1 tu sal et   
lux4 ,see ,vies de ,s4 ,f4 de ,sales4 by
 his nephew1 ,charles ,auguste de ,sales

 and ,hamon4 ,also the life of ,blessed 
,juvenal ,ancina1 the said ,bishop of   
,saluces4 ,ed4   ,,upon ,,controversy4  
,the gentleness of his disposition made 
,blessed ,francis averse to disputing1  
either in private or public1 in matters 
of religion4 ,rather1 he loved to hold  
informal and kindly conferences with any
 who had wandered from the right way2   
and by this means he brought back       
countless souls into the ,catholic      
,church4 ,his usual method of proceeding
 was this4 ,he first of all listened    
readily to all that his opponents had to
 say about their religion1 not showing  
any sign of weariness or contempt1      
however tired he might be of the        
subject4 ,by this means he sought to    
incline them to give him in his turn    
some little attention4 ,when1 if only   
out of mere civility1 he was given in   
his turn an opportunity of speaking1 he 
did not lose a moment of the precious   
time1 but at once took up the subject   
treated by the heretic1 or perhaps      

another which he considered more useful1
 and deduced from it briefly1 clearly1  
and very simply the truth of the        
,catholic belief1 and this without any  
air of contending1 without a word which 
breathed of controversy1 but neither    
more nor less than as if dealing in a   
catechetical instruction with an        
,article of the ,faith4  ,if interrupted
 by outcries and contemptuous           
expressions1 he bore the annoyance with 
incredible patience1 and1 without       
showing himself disturbed in the least1 
continued his discourse as soon as ever 
an opportunity was given to him4  ,you  
would never believe1 he said1 how       
beautiful the truths of our holy ,faith 
appear to those who consider them       
calmly4 ,we smother them when we try to 
dress them up1 and we hide them when we 
aim at rendering them too conspicuous4  
,faith is an infused1 not a natural1    
knowledge2 it is not a human science1   
but a divine light1 by means of which we
 see things which1 in the natural order1

 art invisible to us4 ,if we try to     
teach it as human sciences are taught1  
by ocular demonstrations and by natural 
evidence1 we deceive ourselves2 ,faith  
is not to be found where human reason   
tries only to support itself by the     
experience of the senses4  ,all the     
external proofs which can be brought to 
bear upon our opponents are weak1 unless
 the ,holy ,spirit is at work in their  
soul's1 teaching them to recognise the  
ways of ,god4 ,all that has to be done  
is to propose to them simply the truths 
of our ,faith4 ,to propose these truths 
is to compel men to accept them1 unless1
 indeed1 they resist the ,holy ,spirit1 
either through dullness of              
understanding1 or through uncircumcision
 of the heart4 ,the attaching over much 
importance to the light of natural      
reason is a quenching of the ,spirit of 
,god4 ,faith is not an acquired1 but an 
infused virtue2 it must be treated with 
accordingly1 and in instructing heretics
 we must beware of taking to ourselves  

any part of the glory which belongs to  
,god alone4  ,one of the greatest       
misfortunes of heretics is that their   
ministers in their discourses travesty  
our ,faith1 representing it as something
 quite different from what it really is4
 ,for example1 they pretend that we have
 no regard for ,holy ,scripture2 that we
 worship the ,pope as ,god2 that we     
regard the ,saints as divinities2 that  
we hold the ,blessed ,virgin as being   
more than ,jesus ,christ2 that we pay   
divine worship to images and pictures2  
that we believe souls in ,purgatory to  
be suffering the selfsame agony and     
despair as those in ,hell2 that we      
deprive the laity of participation in   
the ,blood of ,jesus ,christ2 that we   
adore bread in the ,eucharist2 that we  
despise the merits of ,jesus ,christ1   
attributing our salvation solely to the 
merit of our good works2 that auricular 
confession is mental torture2 and so on1
 endeavouring by calumnies of this sort 
to discredit our religion and to render 

the very thought of it odious to those  
who are so thoroughly misinformed as to 
its nature4 ,when1 on the contrary1 they
 are made acquainted with our real      
belief on any of these points1 the      
scales fall from their eyes1 and they   
see that the fascination and cajolery of
 their preachers has hidden from them   
the truth as to ,god's goodness and the 
beauty of ,god's truth1 and has put     
darkness before them in the place of    
light4  ,it is true that at first they  
may shrug their shoulders1 and laugh us 
to scorn2 but when they have left us1   
and1 being alone1 reflect a little on   
what we have told them1 you will see    
them flutter back like decoyed birds1   
saying to us1 ',we should like to hear  
you speak again about those things which
 you brought before us the other day4'  
,then they fall1 some on the right hand1
 others on the left1 and ,truth1        
victorious on all sides1 brings them by 
different paths to know it as it really 
is4  ,he gave me many instances of      

conversions he had himself made in this 
manner during his five years' mission in
 the ,chablais4  ,he gave them to show  
how useful this mode of proceeding was1 
and how far more helpful to souls than  
mere controversy can be4   ,,the ,,same 
,,subject ,,continued4  ,blessed        
,francis did not approve of             
controversial sermons1#a ,the ,christian
 pulpit1 he used to say1 is a place for 
improving of morals1 not for wrangling  
about them1 for instructing the faithful
 in the truth of their belief1 rather   
than for convincing of their error those
 who have separated themselves from the 
,church4 ,an experience of thirty years 
in the work of evangelising makes me    
speak thus4 ,we made some trial of the  
controversial method1 when ,god through 
us led back the ,chablais to the        
,catholic ,faith1 but when ,i attempted 
to throw my treating of controversial   
subjects in the pulpit into the form of 
a discussion1 it was never successful4  
,in place of reclaiming our separated   

brethren1 this method scares them away2 
when they see that we are of set purpose
 attacking them1 they instantly put     
themselves on their guard2 when we bring
 the lamp too close to their eyes1 they 
start back from the light4 ,nor have ,i 
ever observed that any of my fellow     
labourers in this work of the ,lord were
 more successful in following out this  
plan1 of fencing1 as ,i may more justly 
call it1 even though they engaged in it 
with the utmost enthusiasm1 and in a    
place where the congregation all sang   
hymns together1 and each one in his turn
 acted the preacher1 each saying exactly
 what he liked1 and no one taking any   
kind of official lead among them4  ,but1
 in truth1 this fencing was what ,st4   
,paul calls beating the air4#b ,i do not
 mean that we must not prove ,catholic  
truths1 and refute the contrary errors2 
for the weapons of the spiritual armoury
 and of the ,word of ,god are powerful  
to destroy all false teaching which     
rears itself up against the truth1 and  

to condemn disobedience to ,god2 but we 
must not slash with our words as        
desperate fencers do1 but rather manage 
them dexterously1 as does a surgeon when
 using his lancet--he probes skilfully1 
so as to wound the patient as little as 
possible4  ,and1 indeed1 ,blessed       
,francis' way of dealing with this      
branch of theology1 bristling with      
thorns as it does at every point1 was so
 sweet and pleasant as to make it1 as it
 were1 blossom into roses4 ,i could     
relate many instances of the success of 
his preaching1 without employing        
controversy1 in bringing back wanderers 
from the fold1 equally with other       
sinners1 into the ,church4  ,he         
accomplished this by simply stating     
great truths1 and bringing them home to 
his hearers4 ,one of the most remarkable
 instances1 perhaps1 is that of the     
,protestant lady1 who hearing him preach
 on the ,last ,judgment at ,paris in the
 year #afai1 having been attracted more 
by curiosity than by any good motive to 

listen to the sermon1 there received    
that first flash of light which         
afterwards guided her into the bosom of 
the true ,church1 into which later she  
was followed by all the members of her  
noble family1 one that has since given  
us many celebrated divines and          
preachers4 ,this incident1 however1 with
 many more of the same kind1 is fully   
related in the life of our ,blessed     
,father4 ,so successful was he with     
,protestants that ,cardinal du ,perron  
used to say that if it were only a      
question of confounding the heretics1 he
 thought he had found out the secret1   
but to convert them he felt obliged to  
send for the ,bishop of ,geneva4        
,footnote #a3 ,note4--,it is more       
correct to say that ,st4 ,francis       
preferred moral sermons to controversy4 
,footnote #b3 #a ,cor4 ix4 #bf4   ,,upon
 ,,reason ,,and ,,reasoning4  ,he used  
to say that reason never deceives1 but  
reasoning often does4 ,when a person    
went to him with some complaint1 or     

about some troublesome business1 he     
would always listen most patiently and  
attentively to any reasons which were   
put before him1 and1 being full of      
prudence and good judgment1 he could    
always discern between what had any     
bearing on the matter and what was      
foreign to it4 ,when1 therefore1 people 
began obstinately to defend their       
opinions by reasons1 which1 plausible   
though they might appear1 really carried
 no weight sufficient to secure a       
judgment1 he would sometimes say very   
gently1 ,yes1 ,i know quite well that   
these are your reasons1 but do you know 
that all reasons are not reasonable8    
,someone on one occasion having retorted
 that he might as well assert that heat 
was not warm1 he replied seriously1     
,reason and reasoning are two different 
things3 reasoning is only the path      
leading to reason4 ,thus he would       
endeavour to bring the person who had   
strayed away from truth back to it4     
,truth and reason can never be          

separated1 because they are one and the 
same thing4   ,,upon ,,quoting ,,holy   
,,scripture4  ,st4 ,charles ,borromeo   
never read the ,scriptures except on his
 knees1 just as if he were listening to 
,god speaking on ,mount ,sinai in       
thunder and lightning4  ,blessed        
,francis also would not allow the ,bible
 to be treated with anything but the    
most extreme reverence1 whether in      
public speaking1 in writing1 or in      
private reading4  ,he was especially    
averse to that habit which some         
preachers have of plunging into the     
mystical meaning of a passage1 whether  
allegorical or figurative1 before they  
have explained its literal sense4 ,to do
 this1 he said1 is to build the roof of 
a house before laying the foundation4   
,holy ,scripture must be treated with   
more reverence and more consistency--it 
is not material to be cut according to  
our fancy1 and made into ornamental     
garments such as fashion suggests4      
,,upon ,,political ,,diplomacy4  ,on one

 occasion ,i expressed my surprise to   
our ,blessed ,father that his ,serene   
,highness ,charles ,emanuel1 ,duke of   
,savoy1 who was one of the most         
excellent ,princes and foremost         
politicians of his age1 should never    
have employed him in his affairs1       
especially in those which regarded      
,france1 where they did not prosper4    
,as may be supposed1 ,i explained the   
reason of my surprise1 insisting that   
his gentleness1 patience1 skill1 and    
probity were certain to bring about the 
desired result4  ,he listened in        
silence1 and then answered with a       
seriousness and earnestness which put me
 to shame1 ,you say too much1 you       
exaggerate3 you imagine that others     
esteem me as you do1 you who are always 
looking at me through a magnifying      
glass4 ,however1 let us put that aside4 
,as regards our ,prince1 my feeling is  
very different from yours1 for in this  
very matter ,i consider that he shows   
the excellence of his judgment4  ,i will

 tell you why ,i speak and think this4  
,in the first place1 ,i have not all    
that skill and prudence in the          
management of affairs with which you    
credit me4 ,is it likely ,i should have8
 ,the mere words1 human prudence1       
business1 politics1 terrify me4 ,that is
 not all4 ,to speak frankly1 ,i know    
nothing of the art of lying1            
dissimulating1 or pretence1 which latter
 is the chief instrument and the        
mainspring of political manoeuvring2 the
 art of arts in all matters of human    
prudence and of civil administration4   
,not for all the provinces of ,savoy1 of
 ,france1 nay1 not for the whole empire1
 would ,i connive at deceit4 ,i deal    
with others frankly1 in good faith1 and 
very simply2 the words of my lips are   
the outcome of the thoughts of my heart4
 ,i cannot carry two faces under one    
hood2 ,i hate duplicity with a mortal   
hatred1 knowing that ,god holds the     
deceitful man in abomination4 ,there are
 very few who1 knowing me1 do not at    

least discern this much of my character4
 ,they therefore judge very wisely that 
,i am by no means fit for an office in  
which you have to speak peace to your   
neighbour whilst you are plotting       
mischief against him in your heart4     
,moreover1 ,i have always followed1 as a
 heavenly1 supreme1 and divine maxim1   
those great words of the ,apostle3 ,no  
man being a soldier to ,god entangleth  
himself with secular business that he   
may please ,him to whom he hath engaged 
himself4#a  ,footnote #a3 ,tim4 ii1 #d4 
,,upon ,,ambition4  ,st4 ,francis was   
truly like ,aaron called to the pastoral
 charge by ,god alone1 without his      
having used artifices or other means to 
procure himself such honour4 ,this      
plainly appears from his life written by
 so many worthy persons4  ,his          
,bishopric was1 indeed1 no sinecure1    
being a most onerous burden4 ,he says of
 it himself in one of his letters3  ,the
 affairs of this diocese are not        
streams1 they are torrents which cannot 

be forded4 ,alluding to the words of the
 prophet3 ,and1 it was a torrent which  
,i could not pass over4#a  ,towards the 
close of his life1 when ,madame         
,christina of ,france1 the ,king's      
sister1#b married ,his ,serene ,highness
 the ,prince of ,piedmont1 heir to the  
,duke of ,savoy1 she wished to have     
,blessed ,francis in some official      
position close to her person1 and1 to   
effect this1 proposed to make him her   
,grand ,almoner4 ,certain prelates who  
had been themselves hoping to obtain    
this office1 seeing their design thus   
frustrated1 murmured bitterly1 bursting 
forth into angry invectives against the 
,saint1 as if by cabals1 and intrigue1  
according to the custom of the world1 he
 had succeeded in gaining the post for  
himself4 ,st4 ,francis1 however1 was    
merely amused by what he called the     
buzzing of flies1 and wrote to one in   
whom he could confide3  ,her ,highness  
and the ,prince of ,piedmont wish me to 
become the ,princess's ,grand ,almoner1 

but you will believe me readily enough1 
,i am sure1 when ,i tell you that ,i    
neither1 directly nor indirectly1 have  
shown any wish to obtain this office4   
,no1 truly1 my dearest ,mother1 ,i have 
no ambition save that of being able to  
employ the remainder of my days usefully
 in the service and to the honour of our
 ,lord4 ,indeed1 ,i hold courts in      
sovereign contempt1 because they are    
centres of the power of this world1     
which ,i abhor each day more and        
more--itself1 its spirit1 its maxims1   
and all its follies4  ,footnote #a3     
,ezech4 xlvii4 #e4 ,footnote #b3 ,louis 
,,xiii4   ,,upon ,,courts ,,and         
,,courtiers4  ,blessed ,francis did not 
hold the opinion of many that the courts
 of ,princes are places the very        
atmosphere of which is so tainted as to 
infect all who frequent them1 and to be 
invariably prejudicial to the health and
 holiness of the soul4  ,those who      
describe a court in terms of this sort  
are usually very ignorant on the        

subject4 ,they speak of what they have  
never seen nor heard about from         
competent witnesses4 ,a soul which has  
received the grace of ,god1 and         
preserves it1 can work out its salvation
 anywhere1 nor is there any harmful     
intercourse so disease-laden that it    
cannot be overcome by this heavenly     
antidote1 ,david1 and after him ,st4    
,louis1 says our ,holy ,bishop1 in the  
press of the perils1 toils1 and travails
 which they endured1 as well in peace as
 in war1 did not cease to sing in truth3
 ',what have ,i in ,heaven1 and1 besides
 ,thee1 what do ,i desire upon earth8'#a
  ,st4 ,bernard lost none of the ground 
which he desired to gain in this holy   
love by passing much time in the courts 
and armies of great ,princes where he   
laboured to guide matters of state to   
the advancement of ,god's glory4 ,he    
changed his habitation1 but he changed  
not his heart1 nor did his heart change 
its love1 nor his love its object2 in   
fine1 to speak his own language1 changes

 were made round about him1 but not in  
him4  ,his employments were different1  
yet he was indifferent to all           
employment1 and different from them all1
 his soul not taking its colour from his
 affairs and conversations1 as the      
chameleon does from the places where it 
is1 but remaining ever wholly united to 
,god1 ever white in purity1 ever red    
with charity1 and ever full of humility4
  ,i am not ignorant1 ,theotimus1 of    
that wise man's counsel1    ,he ever    
flies the ,court and legal strife   ,who
 seeks to sow the seeds of holy life3   
,rarely do camps effect the soul's      
increase1   ,virtue and faith are       
daughters unto peace4  ,and the         
,israelites had good reason to excuse   
themselves to the ,babylonians1 who     
urged them to sing the sacred ,canticles
 of ,sion3 ,how shall we sing the song  
of the ,lord in a strange land8#b ,but  
do not forget that those poor people    
were not only among the ,babylonians1   
but were also their captives1 and       

whoever is intent only on winning the   
favours of princes1 dignities1 military 
honours1 alas6 he is lost1 he cannot    
sing the hymn of heavenly love4 ,but he 
who is at ,court1 in the army1 at the   
bar1 only because it is his duty1 ,god  
helps him1 and heavenly sweetness is an 
,epithem on his heart1 to preserve him  
from the plague which rages round about 
him4  ,there are some kinds of fish1    
such as salmon1 and the like1 which1    
instead of losing their flavour1 become 
better and more agreeable to the taste  
when they forsake the salt water of the 
sea for the sweet water of rivers4      
,roses smell sweeter when planted near  
garlic1 and in like manner there are    
souls which grow more fervent in places 
where libertinism and irreligion seem to
 drag all virtue at their chariot       
wheels4#c  ,our ,blessed ,father's piety
 was of this sort1 for1 knowing that he 
who is consecrated to ,god should not   
entangle himself in the intrigues of the
 world4#d he speaks thus to one in whom 

he confided3 ,i must confess that1 as   
regards business1 especially that of a  
worldly nature1 ,i feel myself more than
 ever to be nothing but a poor priest1  
having1 thank ,god1 learnt at court to  
be more simple and less worldly4        
,truly1 we may say here with the wise   
man3 ,who is he and we will praise him8 
for he hath done wonderful things in his
 life4#e  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm lxxii4   
#be4 ,footnote #b3 ,psalm cxxxvi4 #d4   
,footnote #c3 ,love of ,god4 ,book xii4 
c4 #d4 ,footnote #d3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #d4   
,footnote #e3 ,eccles4 xxxi4 #i4        
,,upon ,,the ,,carnival4  ,his sad time 
each year was the ,carnival1 those days 
of disorder and licence which1 like a   
torrent1 carry away into excesses of one
 sort or another even the staunchest and
 most fervent in their piety4 ,he felt1 
indeed1 like ,job of old1 who offered   
sacrifices and prayers1 and afflicted   
both body and soul with fasts and       
mortifications1 while his children were 
passing their time in revellings and    

banquetings4  ,as our ,blessed ,father  
was all things to all men1 and weak with
 the weak1 so he also burned with the   
scandalised2 and who would not be       
scandalised to see the ,pagan festival  
of the ,bacchanalia celebrated among    
,christians8 ,for this very reason1 as  
we know1 the name of ,god is blasphemed 
by many1 and the ,catholic religion     
unjustly blamed1 as if it permitted what
 it cannot prevent1 as if it commanded  
what it tolerates with reluctance1 as if
 it ordered what it detests and declaims
 against by the mouth of its preachers4 
,perhaps you would like to hear the     
words in which our ,blessed ,father     
pours forth his lamentations over this  
period of the year1 so full of disorder 
and confusion4  ,i must tell you1 he    
says1 that now ,i have come to my       
sorrowful time4 ,from the ,epiphany even
 to ,lent my heart is full of strange   
sensations4 ,miserable and detestable as
 ,i am1 ,i am weighed down with grief to
 see the loss of so much devotion1 ,i   

mean the falling off of so many souls4  
,these two last ,sundays ,i have found  
our communions diminished by one-half4  
,that has grieved me very much1 for even
 if those who made them do not give way 
to sin1 why1 and for what1 do they now  
omit them8 ,for nothing at all--out of  
mere vanity1 it is that which grieves   
me4   ,,an ,,instance ,,of ,,his        
,,compassion ,,for ,,animals4  ,the     
,church inculcates on the ,clergy       
perfect gentleness and kindness4 ,this  
is why they may never take any part in  
anything involving bloodshed4 ,his      
having shed the blood of a fellow man1  
even when required by the interests of  
justice1 is considered a canonical      
irregularity1 and deprives a ,priest of 
the right to celebrate ,holy ,mass4     
,blessed ,francis was remarkable for his
 gentleness and tender-heartedness      
towards all creatures4 ,i will give you 
a little instance of this4  ,one day he 
was at my house1 when a nobleman of     
distinction called upon us4 ,this       

gentleman was at the head of a hunting  
party1 and seeing in my orchard a       
roebuck which had been given to me and  
which was peacefully feeding1 he        
proposed1 as he said1 to amuse our      
,blessed ,father by setting his dogs    
upon the poor animal1 and to confine the
 hunt to my orchard4  ,the good         
,bishop's remonstrances were in vain4   
,but though he refused to go to the     
orchard1 he could not avoid being a     
witness1 however unwillingly1 of what   
took place1 as his room overlooked the  
ground4 ,great numbers of people came to
 enjoy the spectacle2 the horns were    
blown1 the dogs barked1 while the poor  
roebuck1 as if it knew who would fain   
have been its deliverer1 bounding       
towards the window near which the       
,bishop was seated1 seemed1 like a      
suppliant1 to be imploring his help4    
,blessed ,francis drew back1 and begged 
as earnestly that the hunt might be     
given up as if he had been asking pardon
 for a criminal4  ,he did not see the   

end1 for the animal was at once brought 
to bay and despatched4 ,they wanted him 
to see it when dead1 but he did not     
deign so much as to look at it1 and when
 the venison was served at table1 he    
most unwillingly partook of the dish4   
,alas1 he exclaimed1 what hellish       
pleasure6 ,this is just how infuriated  
demons pursue poor souls by temptations 
to sin1 so as to precipitate them into  
the abyss of everlasting death1 yet of  
that no one thinks4   ,,upon ,,hunting4 
,blessed ,francis was sometimes taxed   
with over much good nature and          
gentleness1 and was told that this was  
the cause of many disorders which would 
not have occurred had he been more      
wholesomely severe4 ,he1 however1       
answered calmly and sweetly that he had 
always in his mind the words of the     
great ,st4 ,anselm1 the glory of our    
,alps1 among which he was born4 ,that   
,saint1 he observed1 was in the habit of
 saying that if he had to be punished   
either for being too indulgent or being 

over-rigorous1 he would far rather it   
should be for the former4 ,he gave as   
his reason that judgment with mercy     
would be meted out to the merciful1 and 
that ,god would always have more pity on
 the pitiful than on the rigorous4 ,he  
went on to recall that most sound maxim3
 ,sovereign right is only sovereign     
injustice1 and remarked that in ,holy   
,scripture those pastors who were       
over-severe were invariably blamed4     
,our ,saint used always to say that     
sugar never yet spoilt any sauce1 but   
that too much salt or vinegar often did4
  ,his speaking of ,st4 ,anselm's       
gentleness reminds me of the story told 
of the same ,saint by ,blessed ,francis 
in his ,philothea4 ,one day1 he says1 as
 he1 ,st4 ,anselm1 was travelling1 a    
hare1 being closely run by the hounds   
which pursued it1 took refuge between   
his horse's feet1 and the dogs remained 
yelping around unable to molest their   
prey in this its strange sanctuary4 ,his
 followers were highly entertained at so

 novel a spectacle1 but ,saint ,anselm  
groaned and wept4 ',even thus1' said he1
 'do the enemies of the soul pursue it  
and drive it into all manner of sins1   
until at the last they can kill and     
devour it1 and whilst the terrified soul
 seeks for some refuge and help1 its    
enemies mock and laugh if it finds      
none4'#a  ,our ,blessed ,father1        
following the example of the holy       
,archbishop1 was invariably kind and    
gentle1 even with the brute creation4   
,he not only himself never did them     
harm1 but he prevented1 as far as he    
could1 any being done to them by others1
 for he believed that those who thus    
inflict pain on innocent creatures      
often1 even at the risk of their own    
lives1 display a cruel and malevolent   
kind of courage4 ,he went so far as to  
regard it as a venial sin to injure     
creatures for the sole pleasure of      
harming them where no advantage of any  
sort would accrue to ourselves2 his     
reason being that we in this way deprive

 them of the joy to be found in mere    
existence bestowed upon them by ,god4   
,what1 then1 he was asked1 do you say to
 the chase1 and to the killing of       
animals for the food of man8 ,as regards
 the food of man1 he replied1 the very  
words you use justify the act1 and it is
 that end which justifies the chase4    
,from this we may conclude that the mere
 pleasure of the chase was not          
sufficient1 in his opinion1 to render   
lawful the indulging in it4  ,although  
he blamed the superstition of the       
,turks1 who think that they acquire     
merit in the sight of ,god by lavishing 
kindness on senseless brutes1 even the  
most savage and cruel1 such as wolves   
and lions1 still he used to say that    
this pity had a good natural source1 and
 that those who were so compassionate to
 animals were likely to be no otherwise 
to men1 nature teaching us not to       
despise our own flesh4 ,in spite of     
these feelings1 he was very far from    
falling into those mistakes which       

casuists enumerate as the result of     
excess in gentleness and kindness4  ,the
 various writers of the life of ,blessed
 ,francis tell us how it was commonly   
remarked that all animals by natural    
instinct seemed to recognise his tender1
 compassionate feelings for them1 and   
that when hunted and pursued1 they at   
once took refuge with him1 witness the  
pigeons1 which at different times when  
he was saying the ,divine ,office1 flew 
for safety and shelter into his very    
hands4  ,footnote #a3 ,devout ,life4    
,part ,,ii4 c4 #ac4   ,,upon ,,the      
,,fear ,,of ,,ghosts4  ,fear is a       
natural passion1 which1 like all the    
others1 is in itself neither bad nor    
good1 but bad when it is excessive and  
disquieting1 good when it is subordinate
 to reason4 ,there are some who1 because
 naturally timid and apprehensive1 would
 never dare to speak in public4 ,others 
are so afraid of thunder and lightning  
that they faint in a storm4 ,others are 
afraid of noises at night1 and have a   

horror of darkness and solitude4        
,others1 again1 have so great a fear of 
ghosts and apparitions that they dare   
not sleep alone in a room4  ,i have been
 told1 on good authority1 that one of   
our ,bravest and most distinguished     
,generals1 who went to battle as gaily  
and confidently as he would go to a     
marriage1 declared that he could never  
suffer his valet1 after settling him for
 the night1 to leave his sleeping       
apartment1 it being quite impossible for
 him to sleep when left alone at night4 
,our ,blessed ,father writes in the     
following consoling manner to a pious   
person who suffered from the weakness of
 being afraid of ghosts3  ,i am told1 he
 says1 that you are afraid of spirits4  
,the ,sovereign ,spirit of our ,god is  
everywhere1 and without ,his ,will or   
permission no other spirit dare stir4   
,those who fear this ,divine ,spirit    
ought not to fear any other4 ,you are   
beneath ,his wings1 like a little       
chicken under those of its mother2 what 

do you fear8 ,in my youth ,i1 too1 was a
 prey to these imaginations1 and in     
order to get the better of them ,i      
forced myself when quite a child to go  
alone into places which my fancy had    
peopled with fantastic terrors4 ,i went 
alone1 ,i say1 but my heart was armed   
with confidence in ,god4 ,now ,i am     
grown so strong in this confidence that 
darkness and the solitude of the night  
are delightful to me1 since in solitude 
,i realise better the all-embracing     
,presence of ,god4 ,the good angels are 
there round about us like a company of  
soldiers on guard4 ,the truth of ,god1  
says the ,psalmist1 shall compass thee  
with a shield2 thou shall not be afraid 
of the terror of night4#a  ,this feeling
 of safety you will acquire little by   
little1 in proportion as the grace of   
,god grows in you3 for grace engenders  
confidence1 and confidence is never     
confounded4  ,see how1 with this timid1 
fearful soul1 he makes himself weak and 
infirm4 ,if ,i may be permitted to add  

to this great example my own poor and   
worthless experience1 ,i would say that 
when ,i was young ,i was greatly        
afflicted with this weakness4 ,it was   
indeed1 perhaps1 the chief impediment to
 my entering the ,order of ,st4 ,bruno1 
which is1 in my opinion1 the holiest1 as
 it certainly is the most retired and   
the most steadfast of all the religious 
orders4 ,i1 however1 lost this infirmity
 as soon as ,i had received the         
imposition of hands from the ,blessed   
,francis de ,sales1 and ,i may add that 
,almighty ,god permitted me to succeed1 
in the episcopal chair1 three ,saints of
 that order which ,i revered so much1   
namely1 ,saints ,artauld1 ,audace1 and  
,anthelme4#b  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm xi4  
#e4 ,footnote #b3 ,six ,carthusians     
occupied the ,see of ,belley3 ,ponce de 
,balmay1 ,st4 ,anthelme1 ,raynauld1 ,st4
 ,arthaut1 ,bernard1 and ,bd4 ,boniface 
of ,savoy4 7,trsor de ,chronologie1     
,chez ,palm1 ,paris1 #ahhj74 ,audace1   
first ,bp4 of ,belley1 was not          

canonised1 nor was he a ,carthusian4    
,,his ,,portrait4  ,i have known great  
servants of ,god who would not on any   
account allow their portraits to be     
painted1 imagining that their doing so  
must involve some degree of vanity and  
dangerous self-complacency4 ,our        
,blessed ,father was not of this        
opinion1 but1 making himself all things 
to all men that he might win all to     
,jesus ,christ1 he made no objection to 
having his portrait taken when asked to 
do so4 ,he gave as his reason that since
 we are obliged by the law of holy      
charity to communicate to our neighbour 
the representation of our mind1         
imparting to him without dissimulation  
or jealousy what we have learnt         
concerning the science of salvation1 so 
we ought to be still less niggardly in  
pleasing our friends by placing before  
their eyes the picture of our outward   
self which they so earnestly desire to  
have4  ,if we see1 not only without     
annoyance1 but even with pleasure1 our  

books1 which are the portraits of our   
minds1 in the hands of our fellow men1  
why grudge them the picture of our      
countenance1 if it contribute anything  
to their satisfaction4 ,on this subject 
he expresses himself as follows in one  
of his letters3 ,here1 then1 is the     
picture of the earthly man1 for ,i am   
unwilling to refuse you anything which  
you desire4  ,i am told that my portrait
 has never been really well painted4    
,that1 ,i think1 matters very little1   
surely man passeth as an image4 ,yea1   
and he is disquieted in vain4#a  ,i     
borrowed it in order to send it to you1 
for ,i have not myself got my own       
portrait4 ,ah6 if the image of my       
,creator were imprinted in all its      
splendour on my soul1 how gladly would  
,i let you see it6    ,o ,jesu1 tuo     
lumine1 luo redemptos sanguine1   sana1 
refove1 perfice1 tibi conformes1 effice4
 ,amen4  ,thus did he turn every subject
 into an occasion of elevating the soul 
to ,god4  ,footnote #a3 ,psalm xxxviii4 

#g   ,,upon ,,blessed ,,francis' ,,true 
,,charity4  ,since charity was the      
animating motive of all that our ,holy  
,bishop thought1 said1 or did1 and since
 it was in truth his very spirit1 we    
cannot better close these reminiscences 
of that saintly spirit than by quoting  
the words of the ,prince of the         
,apostles3 ,before all things have a    
constant charity among yourselves1 for  
charity covers a multitude of sins4 ,let
 every one behave himself according to  
the dispensation of grace4 ,if any man  
speak1 let him speak as the words of    
,god4 ,if any man minister1 let him do  
it as of the power which ,god           
administers1 that in all things ,god may
 be honoured through ,jesus ,christ1 to 
whom is glory and empire for ever and   
ever4 ,amen4#a  ,footnote #a3 #a ,peter 
iv4 #h1 #aj1 #aa4   ,,the ,,end4