others will no doubt come to hand later, God willing. You must not put
off your departure beyond the date you mention. I do wish you were here,
for it certainly does delay me not to have you. Your presence here is
needed, and as the affairs of dear Mme. de Dalet are hopeless you had
better come away as soon as ever you can. The house of Montferrand ought
to finance your journey from the place whence you came to them, and the
house of Lyons should do likewise; but your coming here is hardly more
than your going to Nessy.[A] I shall write to the Lyons Sisters in
reference to this.
We are, thank God, poor here, yet, God be praised, nothing is wanting to
us. A widow of good family, discreet and genial, wants to live with us
as a benefactress. She proposes giving her furniture and 2,000 crowns,
besides defraying all her own expenses.
We have received two good children, and find no lack of aspirants for
our life, but the important thing is to be careful in our choice. In my
opinion you will be pleased with those you will find here. Yesterday we
went with Mgr. de Langres[B] to look for a house. It is not easy to find
a suitable one, but Our Lord will help us. We are advised to bide our
time and to put up with the house that adjoins this, which is
sufficiently commodious for a beginning. Moreover, to the money the good
lady (the benefactress) intends giving us she will add sufficient to
enable us to be housed here. Then upon our leaving this house, which
will be at the end of three or four years, if not sooner, she will give
us the 2,000 crowns. Everybody agrees in thinking this a most
advantageous offer. The worst of it is that the garden is very small:
the courts are quite suitable. Dijon is very much shut in, and it is
difficult to find a house to rent that will accommodate us. That in
which we now are is small and has no garden or courtyard except one
hardly bigger than a table. Even as I write it makes me laugh to think
of it; and I must tell you besides that if we want to get a little fresh
air we have to climb on the roof. Nevertheless, we are, thank God, as
merry and as contented as we can be. Be on your guard, my _great
daughter_,[C] against that dislike which you have of coming here.
Overcome it, I beg of you, for everybody who knows that you are coming
is delighted at the idea, and as for me, I simply cannot tell you how I
am looking forward to it. Oh! what a joy to see you once more for a
little while. It will do me a world of good. Who are those timorous
people who say that they must not use terms of affection to me? I don't
agree with them at all, neither should you. Our hearts could not stand
that.
The Archbishop of Lyons is in trouble as to who will take you back. They
have made a great fuss about Sister ----. If our _Cadette_ is removed I
am afraid that house will fail. She has never been elected: see to this
if you can at your deposition, and don't stop longer than just to
arrange about it. Let me have news of you again before you start. What
will Mme. de Chazeron's plan come to? I most affectionately salute your
_successor_. It has always been a source of regret to me that I have not
seen your community: none the less do I love it, and I send my warm
greetings to it and to all its good friends.
With all my heart, your affectionate,
P.S.--Ask the Sisters, I beseech you, to pray hard and continually for
my poor son till he is won back to Our Lord.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] A popular name for Annecy.
[B] Monseigneur Sebastian Zamet, Bishop of Langres, in which diocese
Dijon was situated.
[C] A title given to Mother Favre by St. Francis.
XLIX. _To M. de Neuchèze._
Vive [+] Jésus!
DIJON,
_June 8, 1622._
So engrossing is Paris, my dear nephew, that if I do not refresh your
memory about your old aunt she runs the chance of your forgetting all
about her. Yet for all that I do not think you would forget me. I have
received too many proofs of your good nature for that. But, tell me,
what are you doing in that great Paris amidst so many honours and such
worldly luxuries? Oh! I beseech of you, dear child, guard yourself
vigilantly on every side, lest an undue affection for these things take
hold of you. My God! how I hate them all. And am I not right, dearest
nephew, since they leave no time for reflection, and no desire for
eternal goods? All is sacrificed to perishable enjoyments. For the love
of God beware of them. I would have you protect your dear soul with a
very watchful care, so that however abundantly you possess temporal
things they may never take possession of you. Rise quickly and holily
above them all. This advice goes to you direct from my heart, and as
coming thence I know you will receive it. Now and always I am most
affectionately desirous of obtaining for you through the divine
Goodness an abundance of blessings, all that it is in my power to
procure, that you may enjoy God's grace in this life and in the next His
glory. These, dearest nephew, are the wishes of her who remains always,
Your very humble aunt and servant.
P.S.--Allow me very affectionately to salute good M. Robert Dapantor[A]
and all your household. Dear Sister Parise[B] took the habit on St.
Claud's Day. Mgr. de Langres gave it to her and performed the whole
ceremony. She sends you affectionate messages, as does likewise the
deceased[C] Mother of Bourges and all that little family of nine
daughters. If they dared they would all beg of you respectfully to
salute on their part his Grace the Archbishop.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] Former tutor of the young Baron de Chantal.
[B] Sister Marie Claire Parise was the foundress of the Visitation
Monastery at Dijon--a humble and fervent soul. While still a secular she
asked God never to permit her to be without suffering of some kind for
His love. He heard her prayer, and her life was a continual interior
martyrdom, nevertheless joy and tranquility of soul never abandoned her.
Having with the utmost solicitude and care established the monastery of
Dijon, she was sent to Beaune, on its foundation in 1632, and there died
in the odour of sanctity.
[C] A nickname given by the Saint to Sister Anne Marie Rosset when she
was deposed from the Superiorship of Bourges.
L. _To Mother Anne Catherine de Beaumont, Superior of the First
Monastery of Paris._
Vive [+] Jésus!
DIJON,
_30th June, 1622._
I cannot but believe, my dearest daughter, that there is more artifice
than martyrdom about our N., and I assure you I find it very difficult
to think otherwise. If she were reproved, or passed over, I expect it
would cure her. There will be nothing but trouble if God does not put
His hand to the work. May His divine Goodness apply the remedy. I
enclose her letter, and my reply. What a strange thing is this spirit of
the world! You must remain patient and firm under its hard criticism. As
you will see by my answers all your letters have reached me.
It certainly is a rare thing, my child, in a large community not to find
someone who is a trial, but that so many are good is a great subject of
consolation. For the love of God, I pray you don't imagine that it is
through your fault that others do not advance. That is not so, thank
God. They will be very happy, my dearest daughter, if they follow your
advice, and do as you do. In a word I am of opinion that in this (the
support of feeble souls) consists in great part the cross of poor
Superiors. The strength of mind God gives you to reprimand will be of
great service to them. Persevere in allowing nothing contrary to
perfection. For zeal combined with gentleness is of great force in
animating hearts, and the like of us women need to be perpetually egged
on and kept up to the mark.
I feel I must just simply tell you the truth. All you say about yourself
gives me great cause to praise God. It is all excellent. Go always, as
you now do, to God alone. I had much consolation in reading your letter
and above all in seeing what courage God has given you. Verily, my dear
Sister, he who loves not, he who trusts not, he who rests not wholly in
the arms of divine Providence must be hard as flint and altogether
insensible. In these arms, then, at His mercy, let us dwell so that He
may do as He pleases with us.
I cannot tell you how grateful I feel to God for the graces that I see
and know you to have received, and it seems to me that for this I am
under a great obligation of gratitude to Him.
Instruct, and speak continually to your daughters of the sweet, sure,
abundant mercy of God towards those souls who hand themselves over to
Him, trusting Him out and out. I am very glad about little de B. I think
she will be a good child if she can bear mortification, but the
gentleness which is practised with us will make it easy for her.
Goodbye, my dearest daughter; I am truly overwhelmed here with visits
and writing. I salute all my friends and above all our poor Sisters of
Villeneuve.
Show these letters to the Rev. Father. It only needs a little time to
get the postulant away. We must do this, and say nothing, except that as
the Chapter has not received her she cannot be kept, and we must bear
the consequences patiently. God will direct all and you will draw profit
from it. The good Father who brings you these letters is a great friend
of our Institute, and we are under many obligations to him.
LI. _To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Dijon._
Vive [+] Jésus!
LYONS,
_8th December, 1622._
MY OWN DEAREST DAUGHTER,
Here we are returned from our dear little Montferrand where I certainly
found excellent souls, full of desire to advance in the perfect
observance. The poor Superior[A] was almost broken by the dread of her
charge; this she told me you already knew from herself; I have left her
greatly encouraged. She truly gives me pleasure, for her judgement is
good, her aspirations are good, and she possesses an exceedingly good
appearance and manner (several illegible lines). My daughter, perform
the Office, I beg of you, as it is marked. These fancies pass. His
Lordship wishes us to keep up a tone not too high, but moderate, and to
sing clearly, distinctly, and evenly: as for other faults I do not know
of any, unless some defect in pronunciation. I very much desire that we
should observe the same manner of singing the Office in all the houses;
changes I find slip in. But for the future his Lordship will mark how it
is to be carried out, and then we have only to keep to what is settled.
At St. Etienne they drag shockingly. By the way there is an excellent
Superior there who carries out her charge with great discretion.[B] You
know how exact she is, she fits into her office admirably. I tell her
that she is in her element. Certainly all goes well in that house, and I
am delighted with it.... Monseigneur is here,[C] and we see a little of
him. He does not wish us to leave yet; this I think is out of
consideration for the Archbishop of Bourges. Sister Marie de Valence is
also here. She is undoubtedly a most humble and simple soul, without any
constrained or peculiar ways, and her little daughter is the same.
I pray you, my child, manage if you can to get the letters from Madame
de Puy-d'Orbe; I wish you could help her, for she greatly needs it.
His Lordship wants us seriously to contemplate a means of keeping the
houses united. He intends to consult the great Jesuit Fathers about it,
and he wishes us always to have recourse to them, for he says no one
comes up to them. I am very glad the Father Rector likes you so much; he
has always done so. Salute him very affectionately for me, also the good
Father Gentil, I have the highest respect for them both. But above all
do I honour with a singular reverence and affection Mgr. de Langres.
Assure him of it, my child. When he goes to Dijon and when I know he is
there I shall write to him.
M. Gariot is here: he will worry you with his suggestions, but it is not
necessary, I think, to do all he wants, at least I don't: above all in
the parlour, where I cut him short; nevertheless, my Love, have his
affairs recommended to Councillor Berbisey. This is urgent, for he
wishes to start. My good cousin, I must tell you, is in admiration of
you (three lines illegible). He has a good heart; be quite open with
him, and with the good Sister de Vigney, who is also very fond of you,
as indeed are all the others.
Adieu, my child, my truly amiable and dearest daughter. God be
blessed--Our Lady's Day--have prayers said for our affairs. Salute on my
behalf all our relatives, our friends, and whoever else you wish.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] Mother Marie Jacqueline Compain.
[B] The foundation of St. Etienne had but just been made, and Mother
Françoise Jéronyme de Vilette named Superior.
[C] "On December 8th, 1622, while King Louis XIII. was making his state
entry into Lyons amidst a great display of pomp on the part of the two
courts of France and Savoy, St. Francis de Sales, wishing, like a true
father, to enjoy the society of his daughters, sent off all his retinue
to see the fête and came by himself to the Convent parlour. There in the
course of conversation with us he drew a contrast between the feast
which the Church that day celebrated, and the political feast the town
was keeping in honour of the King's entry.
"Our worthy Mother de Chantal, who was present, was overjoyed to meet
again the father of her soul, but this meeting was not to give her the
consolation for which she had hoped. The town was crowded with persons
of distinction, all of whom flocked to the Visitation, there to meet
'the Sun of Prelates,' as they called St. Francis de Sales. One day the
Archbishop of Bourges and his nephew, the Abbé de Neuchèze, the devout
Sister Marie de Valence, and Père Cotton, S. J., all met in our parlour,
so that it was said our house was the meeting-place of all the holiest
people, and had become, so to say, a court of Heaven, while the court of
the Royal Princess was being held in the town.
"Upon a certain day St. Francis, having some hours free, came to the
parlour to confer with the Venerable Foundress; but much as she wished
to speak to him of her interior state, he would not permit her to do so,
deferring all that until their return to Annecy, desiring her to visit
the Monasteries of Valence, Grenoble, and Belley before returning to
Savoy. St. Jane Frances at once set out, never dreaming that she had
seen her blessed Father for the last time on earth." (Taken from the
"History of the Foundation of Lyons.") St. Francis died on the 28th of
that same month.
LII. _To Mother Anne Catherine de Beaumont, Superior of the First
Monastery of Paris._
Vive [+] Jésus!
ANNECY, 1623.
MY VERY DEAR SISTER,
It is indeed true that the privation of the presence of my beloved
Father is the greatest sorrow I could have: for it was my priceless
privilege and my sole joy in this life. But since it has pleased God to
deprive me of it I acquiesce in His good pleasure with all my heart,
consoling myself in that I can now say with truth: "He is my supreme and
only consolation." Alas! my dearest Sister, ought not this to be enough
and even all-satisfying? Truly that heart is too avaricious for which
God is not enough: and miserable is the heart which is satisfied with
anything less than God. I owe it to you, and it is my wish to tell both
you and Sister Hélène-Angélique (L'huillier), since by the goodness of
God you are so perfectly united, that this most holy soul, who in life
gave us so many perfumes of virtue, gives us still the manifestation of
them.[A] The greater part of the sisters here perceived numberless
times and in divers places odours so sweet and extraordinary that we can
but think it is our Blessed Father who visits us and makes us understand
by these celestial perfumes that he is praying for us. How this
penetrates me, dearest Sister! On Sunday I was quite overcome, for three
distinct times I was conscious of them.
It would take too long to tell you how God is manifesting His most
humble Servant. In a word there is much for which to thank and glorify
Him. Do so then, my daughter, whom my soul loves, and let your gratitude
be shown by faithful observance to all we have learnt. Oh! what honour
and happiness is comparable to that of serving in humble and absolute
submission the holy will of our good God! Let us only think of, only
seek this glorious eternity, for there is our Sovereign Good, with whom
we shall eternally rejoice. May He be blessed!
Yours, etc.
FOOTNOTE:
[A] We read in the history of the foundation of Annecy: "As soon as the
blessed body (of St. Francis de Sales) had been carried into the first
Monastery, celestial perfumes were perceived throughout the entire
house, on account of which our worthy Mother forbade the Sacristan, who
alone had in her keeping pastilles and perfumes, to use any of them, and
a like obedience she gave to all the Sisters, forbidding them to handle
or put any scented thing anywhere in the house. But all these
precautions only served the better to make known the favour Our Lord had
granted, for the cloisters, corridors, choir, oratories, and other
places of the Monastery were perfumed with a most fragrant odour, which,
like a heavenly unction, spread many interior graces upon the
Community."
LIII. _To Mother Marie Hélène de Chastellux, Superior at Moulins._
Vive [+] Jésus!
ANNECY, 1623.
Glory be to God, dearest Daughter, that this disagreement between you
and our Sisters of Nevers has come to an end. I have known of it for a
long time. Henceforth, I conjure you, live together in perfect and sweet
union, for such was the desire of our Blessed Father.
I shall write to our Sister the Superior of Paris, and if she can leave
you the dowry of Sister M. Marguerite I am sure she will do so, for she
is no lover of money, but justice must be maintained.
For God's sake keep far from you all desire of being well off. Love
poverty and God will make you abound in true riches: this is the spirit
of our Blessed Father. He could not tolerate any eagerness in us for
temporal goods, or that we should be solicitous at all about them. It
consoled him to see souls love and esteem poverty. Surely it is but
reasonable that we who are vowed to it should no longer hold dear the
riches we have renounced. And it is with the great Master that this
contract has been made. Oh! my daughter, be not angry with me for
speaking thus. I do not accuse you of this evil, but I speak because I
have an extreme desire to see holy poverty honoured and cherished
amongst us, and my heart's wish is that every soul in the Institute
should love it.
O Jesu! never burden yourself, daughter dearest, with girls who have no
religious vocation, nor fitting dispositions for our manner of life.
After having exercised charity for some months towards this girl, if God
does not truly touch her heart and if she does not genuinely desire to
be a Religious, you ought in all humility to ask these gentlemen, her
relations, to take her away: for how does it look, I pray you, to keep
girls in the convent who are simply boarders and _must_ have their meals
apart? Certainly, daughter, this must not be done, and I feel confident
that Sister Marie Aimée (de Morville) is too good-hearted not to help
this girl to overcome herself, and send her to eat with the community
while she is with you. My God, how we must guard ourselves against this
miserable world, and take every precaution, lest its spirit enter into
our monasteries. May God in His mercy preserve us from it!
I have the greatest aversion to this title _Mère ancienne_, because it
is against the Rule and therefore against the spirit of our Blessed
Father. You will see a little reference to it in the last conference he
gave at Lyons. I should like to see our Sisters hold in such reverence
his memory, and the Rule, that in comparison to them they could give no
thought at all to their own silly fancies and inclinations, and I am
sure Sister Jeanne Charlotte (de Bréchard) would agree with me, as she
ought to in this. Alack! what honour is there in such things? Rather is
honour to be found in perfect observance. I am very sorry for poor
Sister M. Catherine (Chariel), but she ought to be faithful to the
exercises, in as much, at least, as depends on herself, by the exterior
observance of them, and she should refuse to consent to those evil
reflections, resisting them with the sword of the spirit. This much God
has put in our power, and never can we fall except by our own will. If
she is faithful to this, God will be satisfied, but she must submit
herself absolutely. I will write to her.
Be most careful to let no coolness exist between you and the Jesuit
Fathers, and give them no excuse for keeping away from you. Our Blessed
Father would not have approved of it. Soon, please God, you will see in
the Directory what he said to me at Lyons on this point. Recall them
gently, daughter, and give them your former confidence. Although the
good Father you mention did not take the matter rightly the Jesuits are
too wise and too good to keep up a grudge against us.
I think I know Père de Géney, if it is the same; he is a very good
Religious in whom you can confide. Converse in a trustful spirit with
them all, but above all with the Jesuits and their Rector. He spoke the
truth to you in saying that the Sisters are satisfied and feel the
improvement. Keep your courage ever higher, my most dear daughter, and
always, I beseech you, govern in a spirit of extreme gentleness. Look
sometimes at the advice I give to Superiors, and although I am worthless
Our Lord has allowed Himself to speak through me in this. May He be
blessed for ever!
If Sister M. Charlotte (de Feu) is eighteen or twenty let her in the
name of God follow the community, and if on that account she suffers
somewhat she will be very happy. At least do not let her be the judge of
her own needs, and she should submit herself to you. Give her plenty to
do, and then be at her side to help her. You ought not to have sent out
that letter that you did not understand, though it is true when written
to one of ourselves there is less danger.
Bear with the old woman, I beg of you, and you will gain her to God. I
rather prefer your writing during recreation than in the evening. I do
this, and in the midst of our Sisters. Get Sister Jeanne Charlotte or
someone else to help you in this, and write little except to our
monasteries; but you should read a good quarter of an hour every evening
after _Matins_, for this will be useful to you. We should wear ourselves
out in the service of our neighbour, and doing so we shall be happy.
Certainly, daughter, the dormitory ought not to be made into an
infirmary: if doing otherwise gives a little more trouble to the sisters
they will have all the more merit. Alas! my God, the poor have far more
than this to put up with. Our Blessed Father's maxim was to refuse no
inconvenience, and to ask for no relief, yet if relief was given him he
accepted it. Oh, daughter, great courage is needed to seek God alone,
bearing all for love of Him.
I am a little surprised to have no news of Sister Jeanne Charlotte, and
Sister Marie Aimée. Had I time I would send them a note to waken them
up, and assure them that I belong to them, but for this time give them
my message and tell them that I wrote to them when I was at Moulins the
last time, at least to the elder sister. May God in His goodness hold
you in His holy hand. I am devoted to you more than I could ever put
into words. God be Blessed!
I salute all our sisters, especially Sister Assistant, for whom I have a
great affection, but I wish she would write to me once more, then I
would answer her fully. It is because I have not had time that I have
not done so. God be Blessed!
P.S.--It has occurred to me that I ought to send you the first sheet of
the Directory--all that is yet out--in which is set down how the Office
ought to be performed on the great feasts of our Lord. His Lordship will
be satisfied at its being performed in this manner. The change must be
effected quietly and imperceptibly. Our Sisters are very much pleased
with it.
LIV. _To Sister Marie Marguerite Milletot at Dijon._
Vive [+] Jésus!
ANNECY, 1623.
MY VERY DEAR DAUGHTER,
Do not be astonished at seeing yourself surrounded by spiritual enemies;
only guard your heart so that they may not enter. But I know you would
die a thousand times over rather than let them do so. Remain then in
peace and patience, awaiting your deliverance by our good Saviour, and
He will free you sooner than you think. This trial is, dearest daughter,
hard to bear, but believe me if you had any other you would find it
equally so. This life is only given us to combat. Every one has his own
cross. Oh God! how heavy is the burden to me of my own extreme misery
and of my own infidelities! May the good God deliver me from myself! Be
brave, daughter dearest, he who does not conquer shall never be crowned.
I beseech the divine Goodness to strengthen you in this combat. Pray to
the good God for
Your humble and unworthy Mother.