A BETTER LIFE.
You may have seen an old print of Titus's Arch, in the foreground of
which is an Italian lady of quality, with hoop, lappets, and fan,
sailing to church, attended by her gentleman-usher. A stately
man-servant in advance clears the way, two ladies-in-waiting follow
their mistress at a respectful distance, and two or three more menials
close the procession.
Something in this style did Giulia go to the cathedral. As she was
returning from it one evening, accompanied by Valdés, her heart was
full, and, after one or two ineffectual beginnings she said--[15]
[15] Vide "Alfabeto Christiano."
"I have so much confidence in our friendship, Signor Valdés, that I
feel as if I could speak to you on some subjects even more freely than
to a confessor. If you are not pre-engaged, therefore, I would gladly
tell you what is on my mind. Do I importune you?"
"On the contrary, Signora," said Valdés, "I am honoured by your
commands, and you well know there is no one I love better to serve."
"A truce, then, with compliments of every kind. I want to open to you my
whole heart, for I am sure you will pity me. I am a prey to such
constant dissatisfaction with myself and with everything around me, as
cannot be described. I neither know what I wish, nor with what I should
be contented. Hence, I cannot conceive anything that could be offered me
capable of appeasing this inquietude and removing my confusion of mind.
Many years have I felt thus: and of late you have given me reason to
hope that if I would give ear to the preaching of Ochino I should be
tranquillised. Alas, I find it quite otherwise! And though I admit that
the fault may be mine rather than his, yet the disappointment is so
bitter, that tears frequently come into my eyes through not knowing what
to do with myself, nor what to lean upon."
Saying which, her tone was so sad, and she looked so troubled, that the
humane Valdés was filled with compassion.
"Say freely, Signora," said he, "whatever you wish to ask of me; and be
assured that I will always expend in your service all that I know and am
able to do."
"Tell me, then," said Giulia, "from what cause you believe this state of
mind to spring, and how, if possible, it can be remedied, or whether it
must be borne."
"You must first make me one promise," said Valdés.
"What can that be?" inquired the Duchess.
"If I show you the way by which you may be relieved from your
disquietude, you must promise to walk in it."
"Of course. Gladly!"
"Be very attentive, then, Signora, to what I am about to say. You know
it is written that man is made 'in the image and likeness of God.' And
you will also remember that St. Paul counsels the Corinthians to put off
the old man with his deeds, that is, the sinful nature we have all
inherited since the fall, and be clothed with the new man, who is
created 'in the image and likeness of God.' From this it appears, that
in such a degree as man retains in himself the image and likeness of
God, in the same degree he apprehends and appreciates spiritual things
in a spiritual life and conversation. Recognise this, and you will all
at once perceive whence your disorder and disquietude of mind arise;
because you will see that your soul is striving for restitution to the
image of God, of which at present it is deprived. The remedy is in your
own hands."
"In my hands?"
"Yes! Because as soon as you determine to renew and restore within
yourself the image and likeness of God, you will find peace, quiet, and
repose."
Giulia drew a deep breath, and then said--
"How must I do this?"
"By withdrawing your affections from vain and transitory things, and
fixing them on those which are spiritual and eternal. Your spirit thus
finding its proper aliment, will always be content and cheerful, and
here in this present life will begin to taste of that felicity which it
expects to enjoy for ever in the life eternal. To this happiness only
the real Christian can attain."
"As for that," said the Duchess, "I know many persons who have as much,
and perhaps more, cancelled the image of God than I have, who are yet
perfectly content and happy."
"Such persons," returned Valdés, "have low and vulgar minds, and can
therefore suffice themselves with mean and frivolous objects that could
never satisfy a refined and generous nature like yours.... I am not at
all sorry that you should be troubled in the way you have described,
because it shows that the preaching of the Gospel is producing its first
effect on you.... There is nothing in this world that could give me so
much pleasure as to see you walking in the path of life, for I hold it
for certain that, once in complete union with God, you would outstrip
many who are now saints in heaven."
"I desire to do so," said she, softly.
"Then why don't you do what you desire?" rejoined Valdés.
"Because I don't know how."
"Force, force, Signora! force is the one thing wanting. 'The kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.'"
"Lead me by the hand, then," said she, "instructing me in those
footsteps by which I believe you have walked."
"You want me," said Valdés, "to show you some royal and ladylike road by
which you may get to God without turning away from the world. But, lady,
no such compromise can be made. Have you ever crossed a running stream?"
"Yes, many times."
"Do you not remember how your head swam if you looked at the flowing
water, but how steady it was if you fixed your eyes on the opposite
shore? Thus, with God and the world, endeavour to keep the view of your
soul fixed and nailed with Christ on the cross. And if at any time,
through want of care, your eyes are diverted to the things of this
world, return, return, Signora, as quickly as possible, to fix them on
Christ crucified; and all will be well. You know the human heart is
naturally inclined to love. It must either love God and all things for
God, or it must love itself and all things for itself. He who loves God,
performs everything he does for Him. And thus, if he loves anything
besides God, he loves it for the sake of God, and because God wills it
so. And then his good works please and are acceptable to God, because
they spring from love. Agreeable to this is what St. Augustine
says--'Good works follow in them who are already justified, and do not
go before in him who has to be justified.' You know how you yourself
estimate what a person does in your affairs when you know you owe not
his good services to the affection he bears you, but to some other
motive."
This dialogue, which had been begun in the open air, was now being
carried on in the Duchess's parlour. She sat in a high-backed, richly
carved chair, looking out through the balconied window, on the bay of
Naples, with streaks of summer lightning now and then illumining the
sky, and the lurid fires of Vesuvius glowing in the distance. Valdés sat
on a stool a little apart.
"Since you wish me," said she, after a pause, "to make the love of God
my prime motive, and, next to it, the love of my neighbour,--well then,
I will do so!--but mention, if it please you, some rule by which I may
know and understand what it is I ought to do; because I wish to give
myself up to the love of God, even so much so as to deprive myself of
your favour, and that of a hundred others like you."
"No, Signora, no! you can never do that!" said Valdés, fervently: and he
then sketched out for her the outline of a Christian life, not
circumscribed within slavish bounds, but capable of adaptation to time
and place, sex and degree, based only on the immutable principle of
loving God above and in all things, and one's neighbour even as one's
self. It was a memorable evening for Giulia. Her cheeks were wet with
tears, but they were the sweetest she had ever shed. They took no note
of time, but prolonged the interview till night.
When they parted, she said to him:
"I shall never forget this conversation!"
"And I," said he, deeply moved, "shall remember it always."
"Oh, that I could preserve every word you have spoken! Do you think you
could commit the substance to writing?"
"Undoubtedly, if you wish it."
"I do wish it, most earnestly. And pray for me, pray for me, dear
friend, that your words may not only sink into my heart, but take root
in it, and bring forth fruit abundantly."
"I will, indeed, Signora; but, above all, fail not to pray for yourself,
that the love of God may abound in you yet more and more."
"Never knew I till now what that love was! I have heard tell a thousand
times of this going out of a person's self to enter into God, but never,
in all I have heard, was it made comprehensible."
"You are so much the more under obligation to love God, since He has
preserved you so long in this world as to come to know this which till
now you have not understood."
"You are right. May it please God that I know how to profit by it."
She gave him her hand. He kissed it with the utmost reverence: then,
raising his eyes heavenwards, uttered a short, fervent prayer for her
confirmation in the knowledge and love of God.
When he was gone, she covered her eyes with her hand, and tears slowly
trickled down her cheeks. Almost unconsciously, she sank on her knees
and murmured----
"O, my God! teach me to be what Thou wouldst have me to be, and then
enable me to do what Thou wouldst have me to do! Form in me Thine own
image and likeness, for Christ's sake!"
A strange calm and sweet peace took possession of her soul.
When Valdés presented himself to her, a few days afterwards, he brought
her his manuscript version of the substance of their dialogue, written
in his native Spanish, which was nearly as familiar to her as Italian,
seeing that it was continually spoken by Vittoria Colonna and others of
her familiar acquaintance. The faithfulness with which he had recalled
the vivacity of her rejoinders showed how deeply they had interested
him, and if his own speeches were less closely reported, it was chiefly
because he had taken the opportunity of extending them even at the
price of weakening their spirit.
"Here," said he, "you have what you required of me; and I have called it
the Christian Alphabet, because, in fact, it contains but the A B C of
Christian doctrine. Believe in nothing I have here set down that you
cannot bring to the test of Scripture. And do not content yourself with
this Alphabet, or with any mere writings of men, but drink of the pure
water of life at its source. May Christ become the peaceful possessor of
your heart, in such a manner as that He may absolutely and without
contradiction rule and regulate all your purposes. When this is the
case, you will not feel the want of anything whatsoever in this life to
give you contentment and repose."
She took the book with solemnity, and promised compliance with his
wishes. This singular little work, of which, till lately, it was not
known that there was a copy extant, does not profess to be more than
what Valdés called it, and confines itself to inculcating the formation
of the Divine image in the soul, if haply it might find Him, without
attempting to attack the prevailing corruptions of the Church. In fact,
this remarkable layman, who set so many Reformers forward on the path of
martyrdom, did so by inculcating a few great truths, rather than by
pulling down strongholds of error; and a certain class of his disciples
eventually brought discredit on him by veiling Reformed opinions under
the punctilious observance of Romish practices. But not of these
temporising spirits were Carnesecchi, Flaminio, or Vergerio; all of whom
were of the school of Valdés.