The Spiritual Letters

OF

S. FRANCIS DE SALES

BISHOP AND PRINCE OF GENEVA

Translated

BY THE AUTHOR OF "LIFE OF S. FRANCIS DE SALES," "A DOMINICAN ARTIST,"

ETC., ETC.

e veux peu de choses; ce que je veux, je veux fort peu."

RIVINGTONS

London, Oxford, and Cambridge

1871

141. K 444.

LETTER

CONTENTS.

I. To a Novice. On the Right Use of Feelings

II. To a Bishop Elect

III. To the Abbesse du Puits d'Orbe. On Suffering. 10

IV. To the Same. On Devotion

16

20

22

V. To Mme. de Chantal. On the Duties of a Widow

VI. To the Archbishop of Bourges. On Preaching

VII. To President Frémiot. On Preparation for Death

VIII. To the Abbesse du Puits d'Orbe. In Sickness

IX. To the Same. On Meditation and Prayer

X. To Mme. Brulart. On True Devotion

XI. To Mme. de Chantal. On Intellectual Temptation

and Liberty of Spirit.

XII. To the Same. On Temptations of the Will

On Patience under Temptation

43

46

49

50

57

65

71

78

XIII. To the Same.

XIV. To a Lady. On Conformity to God's Will

XV. To Mme. Brulart. On Submission to her Husband 78

XVI. To the Same. On the Sanctification of Married

XVII. To the Abbesse du Puits d'Orbe. On Little

Troubles

XVIII. To Mme. de Chantal. On Abjection.

XIX. To a Young Lady. Concerning her Vocation

XX. To Mme. Brulart

XXI. To Mme. de Chantal.

XXII. To One of the Bishop's Married Sisters

XXIII. To a Curé. On abiding in his Work .

XXIV. To a Lady at Court

XXV. To Mme. de Chantal.

8 88བའ

80

XXVI. To the Same. On Spiritual Hunger

LETTER

XXVII. To the Same.

XXVIII. To a Lady. On Interior Peace

XXIX. To Mme. Brulart

XXX. To a Lady, in Sickness

XXXI. To Mme. de Chantal

XXXII. To Mme. de Miendry. Against a troubled

Mind

114

XXXIII. To a Married Lady. On Quietness of Mind 116

XXXIV. To a Lady, in Sickness

XXXV. To his Sister, Mme. de Cornillon. On the

Death of their youngest Sister, Jeanne de

XXXVI. To a Lady. On the Distractions of a busy

118

119

120

XXXVII. To Mme. de Chantal. On the Presence of God 123

XXXVIII. To Mme. de Chantal. On his Mother's Death 125

XXXIX. To a Lady, involved in Legal Affairs

XL. To a Gentleman, going to the Court

XLI. To a Married Lady

XLII. To a Married Lady

XLIII. To Mme. de Chantal, when absent

family Business

on

128

130

. 136

137

138

. 139

XLIV. To a Lady. On Withheld Communion

XLV. To Mme. de Chantal. On Spiritual Dryness. 140

XLVI. To a Young Lady, who wished to join the

Order of the Visitation

XLVII. To a Lady under Trial

XLVIII. To a Lady living in the World

XLIX. To a Lady. On the Death of her Child

L. To a Lady

LI. To M. de Rochefort: On the Death of his Son 150

LII. To Mme. de Chantal. On Simplicity

LETTER

LVII. To the Mère de Chastel

PAGE

. 160

LVIII. To a Religious of the Visitation.

. 162

LIX. To One of the Bishop's Spiritual Children. 163

LX. To a Married Niece

. 164

LXI. To a Religious of the Visitation.

. 167

LXII. To the Mère Favre, Superior of the Visita-

LXVI. To Mme. de Chantal. On the Death of

M. de Sainte Catherine.

LXVII. To a Superior of the Visitation. On Spi-

ritual Dryness

175

. 177

. 180

LXIX. To a Lady, who had praised the Bishop

LXXIII. To Mme. de Chantal. On Self-renunciation 188

LXXIV. To a Lady, who had lost her only Son

LXXV. To a Young Lady

LXXVI. To a Religious.

190

. 191

. 192

LXXVII. To the Abbesse Angélique Arnaud, of Port

Royal

LXXVIII. To a Superior of the Visitation. On her

LXXIX. To a Lady. On the Death of her New-born

196

LXXXIII. To a Superior of the Visitation. On Unwise

Abstinence

203

204