ing stone Jesus Christ. All that he came into the world to establish is effected by the destruction of the very things he designs to build. He established his Church in a way that seemed to destroy it. What a strange way is it of establishing a law, and giving it a sanction when the legislator is, by the chief teach ers and powers of the world, condemned as an infam ous malefactor, to a reproachful and cruel death! Oh were it but enough known how opposite to the designs of God self-righteousness is, it would be an endless subject of humiliation, a distrust of all that is rested on as our only support.

This being premised, it will be less difficult for you to conceive the designs of God in the favours he has conferred on the most miserable of creatures, favours of which I had rendered myself very unworthy. From the supreme love of his own power, and a just jealousy of the honours which men pay to other men, on account of the good which he places in them, it has pleased him to take the most unworthy object that ever existed, to make known that his graces are the effects of his will, not the fruit of our merits; that it is the property of his wisdom to destroy what is proudly built, and to build what is destroyed, to make use of weak things to confound the mighty, and to employ in his service such as appear vile and contemptible.

This he does in a manner so astonishing, as to render them the objects of the scorn and contempt of all creatures. It is not to procure them the approbation of men, that he makes use of them for the salvation of those same men; but to render them the objects of their dislike, and the butt of their insults; as you will see in the narrative of the life which you have ordered me to write.

CHAPTER IF

I was born, as I have been told, on Easter Eve, the 13th of April 1648.* My parents made a high profession of piety, especially my father, who inherited it from his ancestors; for in his family they reckoned almost as many saints as persons who composed it. I had no sooner received life than I had like to have lost it, and to die without baptism.+ I was carried to a nurse: When there, my father re

ceived the news that I was dead; at which he was much afflicted: but soon after a messenger arrived, informing him that I had given some signs of life. He then took a Priest, and brought him to me himself; but on his arrival he was told that the sign of life I had given was only an expiring sigh, and that I was absolutely dead. The Priest returned, and my father also, in the utmost distress.

This held so long, that, should I tell it, it would appear incredible. Oh my God, it seems to me as if thou permitted a conduct so singular toward me, in order that I should become the more sensible of the greatness of thy providence over me, and of my being indebted to thee alone for my salvation, and not to the efforts of any creature. Had I died then, I had perhaps never known or loved thee; and this heart, created for thee alone, might have been sepa

* She was born at Montargis, a town in the province of Orleanois, fifty miles south from Paris. Her name was JEANE MARIE BOUVIERS DE LA MOTHE GUION, taken from several of her family, to preserve their memory, according to the custom of people of quality in that country.

+ Owing to her feeble state, she was not baptised till the 24th of May..

rated from thee, without ever having been united to thee. Oh thou who art the sovereign felicity! That there now remains to me the consolation of having known thee, of having loved, sought, and followed thee, of having sacrificed myself in the strength of pure love to thee, with every thing in any wise appertaining to me: that I have, with a heart fulk of gratitude, sought thy honour, glory, interests, and not my own: that I have loved all the chastisements. which thy justice directed, and hand inflicted, or ever shall inflict on me, so as to join on the side of that justice against myself; all this is owing to thy free grace and goodness.

These alternatives of death and life were signal omens of what was to befal me; one while dying by sin, another while living by grace. Death and life had a combat; but life proved victorious. Oh might I but hope that, in the conclusion, life will forever be victorious over death! Doubtless it will be so, if thou alone live in me, oh my God, who art at present my only life and my only love.*

At the and a half I was, of two years age for a short space, placed with the Ursulines. After my return home, my mother, who was not very fond of girls, neglected me too much, leaving me to the care of women, still more negligent. In the mean time God protected, me, else I had perished: for through my extreme vivacity, I was frequently falling into one

accident or other.

* Her constitution was all along so tender and delicate; her poor body pained and weakened with distempers so frequent, various and violenti; so often reduced to the last extremity that it appears a miracle, from the hand of God, that her life, through all the desperate attacks on it, was prolonged to its seventieth year.

I was four years of age when the Dutchess of Montbason came to the Benedictines.* As there was a great friendship between her and my father, she entreated him to place me there, because I greatly diverted her. Here I saw none but good examples : and as I was naturally disposed to goodness, I followed it when I found nobody to turn me from it. Young as I was, I loved to hear of God, to be at church, and drest in the habit of a little nun.

One day imagining the frightful notions, which had been given me of Hell, were only designed to intimidate me, because I was active and sprightly; I saw that night, in a dream, so frightful an image of Hell, that though but a mere child, I never forgot it. It appeared to me a place of horrible darkness, where souls were tormented: my place was shewn me there; which made me weep bitterly, and cry out, "Oh! my God, if thou would, in mercy, only grant me some days of life, never more would I offend thee." Thou granted me them, and withal a courage to serve thee which surpassed my age. I wanted to go to confess, without saying any thing of it to any body but being so little, the mistress of the boarders went with me. She was surprised to hear me begin with accusing myself of having entertained thoughts contrary to the faith. The Confessor, smiling, asked me "What they were ?" I told him. that "I had doubted of Hell; but that I now doubted no longer of it.".

* Ursulines, Benedictines, Dominicans, &c. are among Roman Catholics, religious orders, so called in honour of St. Ursula, Benedict, Dominic, &c. The house of the Ursulines was a Nunnery, and beside that, a Seminary, for the tuition or education of young maids;. in which office some of the Nuns were employed.

After my confession I felt in myself an inexpressible fervour, to that degree that I even wished to en-dure martyrdom. Those good girls, to divert them-selves, and to see how far this rising fervency woulds carry me, bade me prepare myself for it. I prayed. to thee, my God, with ardour; which being both new and delightful, was an assurance of thy love: it gave me courage, and made me more eagerly desire that martyrdom might be granted me, that thereby I might go to see my God. The girls had no sooner set me on my knees, on a cloth that was spread, but, seeing a great cutlass lifted up behind me, I cried out, "I was not at liberty to die without my father's consent." They said then, "I should be no martyr 5 and that I only made that excuse to free myself from it." And indeed it was true. However, I was after it much afflicted. My consolation left me; and something reproached me that I wanted courage to go immediately to Heaven.

From this house I was soon after removed on ac-count of my great and frequent indispositions. Being now returned home, my mother, little regarding me, left me to the care of domestics. From them I could learn nothing but evil, and contract a familiarity with it for such was my disposition that good or evil examples attracted me. When I saw good done I did it, and thought not once about any thing contrary : but when I saw evil done I was too prone to imitation, and to forget the good. My brother being the great darling of my mother, nothing in me could she see but faults, and yet omitted the proper care to reform them. Being too much left to myself, I was exposed to a multitude of dangers. What defects or wrong habits I had, were such as would easily have been re