will like one dead.' Then I experience a sensation at my heart which I cannot express, but so secretly, that I can hardly feel it. To God be all the glory." Again, on the 12th of March, 1721, she writes:"I live contented in the midst of troubles. Oh, how sweet and precious it is to live for the love of God! Although my Mamma is hidden, I know she assists me; and I bless her for such great charity. If it were not for her, woe to me! I receive every blessing from her, and your reverence knows that it has always been so. It is very surprising. If you only knew, my father, the way in which the most holy Mary treats my soul, you would be beside yourself with delight. I ask her for graces, and she immediately enfolds me in the Will of God. I am sure to receive some grace, not that which I ask for, but that which God pleases to send me. So I have good reason for praying, and I feel that the Blessed Virgin stirs me up to do so. She does all for me in God's way, and I agree with her."

In the last of these letters, the powerful protection vouchsafed to Veronica by Mary is specially apparent. But perhaps another anecdote may be useful to excite others to a similar devotion. Besides showering such abundant supplies from every side on the convent, while our Saint was abbess, the Queen of heaven not seldom condescended to assist her in those laborious occupations which she still continued. One day when she was employed with others of the community in washing their clothes, it was observed that she accomplished her work in an incredibly short time, and with wonderful perfection; and they several times heard her exclaim: "Most holy Virgin, art thou going to do everything thyself and leave

nothing for me?" Then they were no longer surprised at her amazing progress, but were struck with admiration at the condescension of Mary, and at the merit which Veronica must have acquired to receive so high an honour.

Many years after she had received the stigmata, Mgr. Codebò, the new bishop, directed her to draw out in writing full and precise details of the event. Veronica was a good deal perplexed, for she did not thoroughly recollect all the circumstances, and she was afraid either of failing in obedience, or of deceiving her superior by any incorrectness in the narrative. But in the midst of her difficulties our Blessed Lady appeared, and related the whole distinctly to her.

In connection with the present subject, and with her writings, is the following beautiful incident, which Sister Florida Ceoli witnessed with her own eyes. About seven years before her death, Veronica was ordered by her confessor to write down in a fresh book an account of the state of her soul. She obeyed, but as the things which she had to relate were for the most part such as were likely to do her honour, she expressed herself as laconically as possible. In the evening Sister Florida saw that she had nearly finished her task, and the next morning, on entering the chamber of her holy abbess, she found her in tears and deeply afflicted. She inquired the reason, and, as Veronica had great confidence in her, arising from their similarity of spirit, she replied that during the night she had had a vision of her guardian angel and most holy Mary, who, having received from the angel the book she had been writing, looked it over, and reproached Veronica with disobedience in not giving a much fuller account. Our

Blessed Lady then desired the angel to cancel all that she had written, and told Veronica that she must write the whole of it again better. As soon as our Saint returned to herself, she took up her book, and found it perfectly white, as though no one had ever written on it; in which state she showed it to Sister Florida, who had seen it on the previous evening almost covered with writing. Nor was this the only rebuke which Veronica received from the Mother of God, who, wishing to raise her to a still higher degree of perfection, frequently reprimanded her for her faults, informing her how she might obtain the full approval of her divine Son. These reproofs were the best tokens which our Lady could give of the great love which she bore Veronica, as well as of her special protection and care for her.

A still more striking instance of this maternal affection was related in the process by Father Tassinari, who was acquainted with all the secrets of our Saint. According to his testimony, which is above all suspicion, the Blessed Virgin would frequently place her divine Infant in the hands of Veronica, particularly during the feasts of Christmas. On several occasions she communicated our Saint with her own hand, taking the Sacred Host from the altar, or from the tabernacle. Frequently in her visions our Blessed Lady seemed to play with the heart of Veronica, drawing it from her bosom, showing it to her with those mysterious marks which have been already described, and then replacing it near her own or that of her divine Son, exclaiming, "Heart of my heart!" Then, again, she would make an exchange, putting into the bosom of Veronica her own and that of Jesus. Such exchanges are well known to be no more

than sensible symbols of the invisible operations of grace in the heart of Veronica, but as such clearly they demonstrate the resemblance of her heart to those of Jesus and Mary, as well as that conformity of will and affection which existed between the three, and which is the most sure sign and fruit of that solid and tender devotion which Veronica cherished towards the Queen of heaven and her divine Son.

Before closing this chapter, the reader must permit us to say something of her devotion to her guardian angel and her patron saints. There is no room for details of the novenas and other works of piety which she daily offered up in honour of these inhabitants of heaven. Her visions proved how acceptable they were. She frequently beheld her guardian angel presenting her at the Throne of the august Trinity, or making intercession on her behalf at the tribunal of the divine Judge, or before the bright throne of the Queen of heaven. Many times she saw S. Joseph, the great spouse of Mary, S. John the precursor of our Lord, the great apostle S. Paul, her own patriarch S. Francis of Assisi, and her mother S. Clare, SS. Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Jesus, Rose of Lima, Dominic, Francis Xavier, Pellegrino Laziosi, Aloysius Gonzaga, and others; a certain sign that she had merited these rare favours by her devotion to them. We cannot conclude without remarking how much those persons err, who seek to gain a vulgar reputation for wit among the irreligious by ridiculing the devout practices which the Church sanctions in honour of the saints. In the lives of all the heroes of our holy religion from the very earliest ages, we find examples of similar homage to those immortal warriors, who, having completed their earthly career,

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have attained crowns of eternal glory. Such examples should make us smile at our modern reformers, while we follow the footsteps of those who have preceded us in the faith, and are now enjoying the rich harvest of glory in heaven, and on earth the honour of being raised on the altars of the Church.

CHAPTER IX.

HER GIFTS OF PROPHECY AND MIRACLES

DURING LIFE.

IT is natural that a soul enriched with such heroic virtue and such extraordinary privileges, should be likewise adorned with every other ornament with which God is pleased to decorate His saints before the eyes of the world. To begin with prophecy, which is a gift that has been vouchsafed to nearly all the saints. Veronica possessed it to such an extent that it was commonly said in the monastery that nearly all her words were so many prophecies, for they invariably came to pass. The reader may recollect how she predicted her own death. Sister Mary Magdalen Boscaini relates of herself, that having applied for admission into the convent of S. Clare in the time of Mgr. Codebò, the bishop was just then unwilling to admit any one. Her parents and an uncle, who was a priest, were opposed to her wish, and called her mad for wanting to be a Capuchin nun, particularly as her constitution had been injured by a serious illness. She was extremely distressed at this opposition, and despaired of attaining the desired