NARRATIVE OF A TOUR

TO THE

GRANDE CHARTREUSE,

&c.

TO •

THE REVEREND MOTHER ANGELICA, OF ST. JOHN ARNAULD, ABBESS OF PORT ROYAL DES CHAMPS.

Alet, Christmas Eve, 1667.

MY REVEREND MOTHER,

I LOOK upon it as a most pecu

liar blessing of God, that after calling me out of the world by his grace, his kind providence placed me in so close a connexion with your honored house. The Lord bestow upon me a grateful heart to appreciate such mercies! May he bestow that preparation by which it may not only

receive the seed of the word, but like good ground, retain it! May it by the fulness of his grace, bring forth fruit an hundredfold to his glory! And may he grant the understanding heart, that I may discern the mercies of his providence; as well as the awakened eye, to behold the wonders of his law.

It is the earnest wish of my heart, that every one of my dear friends at Port Royal, should become partakers of all the Lord's benefits to me. I can indeed teach nothing new, to my dear and honored fathers and mothers in Christ. A relation of my little tour, may perhaps, however, interest you, and beguile some tedious hours of your long and cruel captivity.

We left Paris on the sixth of August, 1667. We passed through Auxerre, Vezelay, and the celebrated Clugny. We also went to Lyons, where we visited the church of the great Irenæus,

We afterwards proceeded to Annecy, where we had the favour to see the mortal

1

remains of the great St. Francis de Sales,

They remain in their natural position, and are placed in a shrine by the grand altar; very near to the tomb of the celebrated Baroness de Chantal. Thus has God in his providence ordered, that these two blessed saints, so united in spirit during life, should, like Saul and Jonathan, not be separated after death. Both their bodies sleep in the same church, whilst both their redeemed spirits rejoice together, before the throne of the same Savior.

I forgot to mention, that whilst at Lyons we went to see the monastery of Bellecourt, where St. Francis spent his last hours.

We visited the room where he died; and poured out our souls in prayer close to the very bed, from which the soul of this eminent saint departed from earth, to behold the glory of his Lord. This place might indeed be termed a garret, rather than any thing else. It is now a sort of lumber-room, in the roof of the gardener's lodge, who still occupies the lower apartments, and talked, with tears, of the blessed St. Francis, often repeating his last words, "O! my

God, my desire is to thee. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God! Yes, mine eyes shall behold thee, and not another; my heart and my flesh rejoice before the living God! I shall enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! I will sing the mercies of the Lord for ever and ever. O, when shall I appear before my God in Zion. He, Jesus, is a faithful God, and a Savior! He was the Lamb slain for the sins of the whole world. He shall wash out my sins, and blot out my transgressions!"

Whilst contemplating his earthly remains, a little incident concerning this truly venerable father in Israel, occurred to my remembrance. Perhaps you may not have heard it, though it relates to your father M. Arnauld d'Andilly. Whilst M. d'Andilly had an office at court, he was in the King's suite at Lyons. St. Francis had been sent to Paris on an embassy, by the Duke of Savoy; and it so happened that just at this period, he passed through

Lyons, on his way back. He celebrated mass before the King, and M. d'Andilly communicated at his hand, with the rest of the court. It is needless to remind you of the deep humility and devotion always expressed in your father's manner on this solemn ordinance. M. Robert Arnauld having been formerly acquainted with St. Francis, on his first visit to Paris, M. d'Andilly thought himself sufficiently authorized to call upon him. Accordingly he waited on the Bishop after dinner.

As soon as M. d'Andilly entered the room, before he was announced, St. Francis rose to meet him, and addressed him in these remarkable words, "My son, for such I knew you to be in the breaking of bread." The venerable Bishop then lifted up his hands to heaven, and gave him a most solemn and affecting blessing. St. Francis three days after entered into the joy of his Lord. So that your father was favored with the dying benediction of this truly eminent and blessed saint.

This circumstance has often put me in