ders the others agreeable to God, and opens the gates of heaven. Therefore the demon holds his bow bent, and aims his poisoned arrows against the root of brotherly charity, and does his best to destroy it. He insinuates rash judgments and detractions ; during the visitation, he fills us with suspicions; lastly, he sows cockle in the hearts of others, and destroys our zeal for the honour of our order, that our tongue may take occasion to say and report things which it should

not.

Alas! alas! how much good is lost by souls whom their own malice blinds! how many labours are rendered unfruitful! what disquiet of conscience springs from it! These poor religious are so troubled, that they scarcely know what is right. If they engage in prayer, they have no longer any taste for it, and they are incapable of spiritual joy; and it is the tongue which has produced this evil. Silence then, silence about things with which we have no concern. A prophet has said that he refrained even from saying what was good. Behold, my son, the rule you should follow, as your mother has done; from it she has derived an interior peace, which can scarcely be expressed in words, but which I pray that you also may enjoy.

This religious whose secrets I disclose to you had received from God many graces and spiritual gifts; and her divine Spouse took pleasure in giving her daily proofs of His love and benevolence. Nevertheless, in the midst of this abundance, there remained one desire, for the accomplishment of which she ceased not to beseech God; it was the desire of loving her enemies with sincere love, and even with love superior to that she felt for her benefactors. "O my God," she would often exclaim in her devout prayers, “O my most cle

ment Lord! if Thou didst reveal to me the most hidden secrets of Thy Divine Heart; if Thou didst manifest to me daily the angelic hierarchies; if Thou didst grant me the power of raising the dead at will, this would not be enough to convince me that Thou lovest me with an indefectible love. But that I may have this assurance, Thou must grant me the grace of a sincere heart, that I may love those who hate me, that I may speak well of those who speak ill of me, and that I may praise, without requiring to do violence to myself, those who persecute and unjustly calumniate me. Then, O eternal and most merciful Father, I shall possess an infallible sign of Thy love for me; then I shall no longer doubt I am indeed Thy daughter. Then I can comfort myself by the example of Thy beloved Son Jesus, the only good of my soul, Who in dying on the cross obtained grace for His murderers."

Thanks to the goodness of God, this soul reaped the fruit of her prayer; for when any one did her an injury or spoke against her, she felt in her heart no sentiment of aversion from them as others do; and yet she had often to suffer much in this way. I do not tell you how; but it is known to God and her persecutors. It is only their sins which afflict her; and she prays to God with her whole heart that He may pardon them. To say or do anything that may gratify them is one of her greatest pleasures. She often says a Pater and Ave for them. I wish you to do the same, my son, that you may tread in the steps of your mother, who loves you so much that she writes these things for your edification.

I have confidence in God and your prudence that you will profit by the counsels I give you. Never

divide into two years that which can be done in one. Walk, run, fly in the path of God. The just walk, the wise run, the loving fly towards the enjoyment of the divine Majesty. You will be wrong to walk if you can run, and to run if you can fly; because time is short. You ought always to advance in the paths of holiness, and never to fall back. If we do not add wood to the fire, it will soon go out. The same thing happens to the soul if it does not grow in virtue. It begins by "I believe in God," and will end by "The resurrection of the body," that is, the cares of this world. I pray God to preserve you and every Christian soul from going along a road like this. If, however, you wish to make great progress, fear God, and love your enemies. It is this which I try to instil into you in this letter. How few there are who ardently desire to attain this evangelical perfection which our divine Saviour preached so touchingly by His example, as well as by His words; few who arrive at that true perfection, which consists in loving their enemies.

I finish here, my reverend father and beloved son, these salutary warnings, which, I trust, you will make use of with the same charity which has dictated them. I have wished to console you by making known to you the spiritual life of your mother; nor has this been difficult to me, because I am convinced that the examples and lessons it contains will contribute to your advantage and consolation. You will find no special advice on your principal obligations, such as poverty, obedience, and chastity, and that for two reasons:1st. Because if you follow the counsels contained in what I have written, it is impossible you can be otherwise than obedient, poor, and chaste. 2nd. Because I know you are already so well disposed towards these

virtues, that all exhortations on these subjects seem to me unnecessary. I will add only these few words to confirm your good-will. You cannot offer to God a more agreeable sacrifice than to submit your will to holy obedience; for it is He Who has said, "I desire obedience more than sacrifice." As to poverty, I would that you possessed nothing but Jesus crucified, in whom you will find all true riches. Oh! how poor is he who seeks aught else but God! How rich is he who has nought but God! As to chastity, it is because God has ornamented your body with this precious pearl, and embellished it with this angelic splendour, that I have confided to you your handmaid's secrets, that they may be laid up and preserved in you. As to prayer, I will add but this one word. When you cannot reap, take with violence; that is, pray at least with your lips, when you cannot with your heart.

CHAPTER III.

HER VIRTUE IS TRIED BY THE GOOD AND EVIL FORTUNE OF HER FAMILY.-SHE ESTABLISHES A MONASTERY AT FERMO, AND RETURNS TO CAMERINO, WHERE SHE IS RAISED TO THE DIGNITY OF ABBESS.

THREE years had scarcely elapsed since she addressed the foregoing instruction to her disciple, when dreadful misfortunes befell her family, which furnished her. with occasions of exercising heroic charity towards her enemies. Her father, Julius Cæsar Varani, after having governed Camerino during fifty years, was deprived of his power, and in the year 1502 died a tragical death,

of which Leander Albert gives the following account in his description of Italy:-"When the inhabitants of Camerino made themselves over of their own accord to Pope Alexander VI., Cæsar Borgia, Duke of Valencia, imprisoned Julius in the citadel of Pergola with his sons Venantius, Peter, and Hannibal, and put them all to death most cruelly. John Mary, the youngest of the children of Julius, alone escaped, his father having sent him to Venice with his treasures at the beginning of the war." This good fortune was probably due to the merits and prayers of his sister Battista. Alexander VI. dying in the following year, it was easy for John Mary with a troop of Venetian soldiers to reconquer the town; and, accompanied by Muzio Colonna, Toparch of Matelica, he entered Camerino amidst the acclamations of the inhabitants. We may believe his return gave pleasure to his holy sister; but her consolation was soon followed by a new affliction; for in 1508 she lost her mother, Joanna Malatesta, who had become, some time before this, a religious of the third-order of S. Francis.

In the interval which elapsed between the return of her brother and the death of her pious mother, Battista was chosen by Pope Julius II. to establish a monastery of her order at Fermo. After a year's absence she returned to Camerino, where, under her brother's protection, she succeeded in making her monastery one of the largest and most illustrious of the country. The mother abbess being dead, her sisters elected her to that office. This is proved by the signature of a letter addressed by her to a monk of S. Francis named John of Fano :-"Your unworthy daughter, Battista Varani, abbess and useless servant of the monastery of Jesus Christ."