On Making the Visitation of Nunneries

The Visitation of the Nunneries

1. Humility.—2. Temporals.—3. The visitor must be firm.—4. Danger of slight relaxations.—5. Time brings laxity.—6. Humility.—7. The visitor must be strict.—8. And remove unfit prioresses.—9. Of the endowed houses.—10. The houses unendowed.—11. Handiwork of the nuns not to be passed over.—12. Extravagance.—13. The monasteries not to be large houses.—14. Of the interior arrangements.—15. The inquisition to be strict.—16. Of the interior discipline of the house.—17. The nuns may not go from one house to another to please themselves.—18. Particular friendships.—19. Of nuns who find fault.—20. Importance of keeping the Constitutions.—21. The visitor to be told everything.—22. Sincerity in the visited.—23. Innovations strictly forbidden.—24. The admission of novices.—25. Profession.—26. Lay Sisters.—27. The number of nuns.—28. Indiscreet devotions.—29. Of the singing in choir.—30. Precautions against negligence.—31. All faults to be manifested.—32. The visitor to keep the secret.—33. Especially from the prioress.—34. Poverty to be strictly observed.—35. Necessity of exactness in the visitor.—36. The obligations of nuns under the visitation.—37. Of the confessor.—38. Economy.—39. Of the dress.—40. And language.—41. Lawsuits to be avoided.—42. The admission of novices.—43. The visitor to be cautious in his conduct.—44. And diligent in his visit.—45. Entertainment of the visitor.—46. Fray Jerome of the Mother of God.—47. The visitor must not be too friendly with the prioress.—48. Self-deceit.—49. Difficult to overcome.—Letter to Father Jerome Gratian.

1. First of all, I confess my imperfection when I began this work, in the matter of obedience, for, while desirous of the possession of that virtue above all others, my mortification has been very great and my reluctance strong.

May it please our Lord that I may say something to the purpose, for my only trust is in His compassion, and in the humility of him who has ordered me to write; for the sake of which, God, being all-mighty, will do the work without regard unto me.

2. Though it may be considered unseemly to begin with the temporal, I think it of the utmost consequence, in order that the spiritual may always make greater progress, though it does not seem so in monasteries founded in poverty: besides, order is necessary everywhere, and the government and arrangement of everything must be considered.

3. I take it for granted, in the first place, that it is in the highest degree necessary for a superior to carry himself towards his subjects in this way—he should be gentle with them on the one hand, and show them affection; and on the other hand he should make them feel that he will be strict in essential matters, and never yield to their caprice. I do not believe that anything in the world does so much harm to a superior as the not being feared, and that his subjects should think they can deal with him as with an equal, especially when women are concerned; for if they once see such softness in their superior as makes him overlook their shortcomings, and change his mind lest they should be made uneasy, the government of them will be a very difficult matter.

4. It is very necessary they should feel that there is one above them without mercy for anything that weakens the observances of religion, and that the judge should be so upright in judgment as to convince them he will never swerve from that which tends to the advancement of the service of God, and to greater perfection, even if the world were to come to an end. He should be gentle and affectionate with them, but only so long as he discerns no falling away; for as it is necessary for him to show himself gentle and like a loving father—which helps much to console them and to keep them from being estranged from him—it is necessary also to be strict, as I have just said. If he fails in either of these two conditions, it is beyond comparison better he should fail in gentleness rather than in strictness; for, as the visitation, in order to correct affectionately and root out imperfections gradually, is made but once a year, unless the nuns understand that their faults will be redressed and punished at the year’s end, one year after another may pass away, and religious observances may be so relaxed as to make it impossible to restore them at will; for, even if the fault be in the prioress, the nuns themselves have become accustomed to relaxation, and thus, by degrees and by little things, irreparable wrong may be done to religion. But the superior who shall not redress it in time will have a fearful account to give unto God.

5. I think that in speaking of such things I am doing a wrong to the monasteries of the Virgin our Lady, when, by the goodness of our Lord, they are so far from need-ing this severity; but I am driven to say it by the fear I am in that time, as usual, will bring laxity into the monasteries through a disregard of these principles, and also because I see the monasteries, by the goodness of God, grow more and more daily, in some of which, perhaps, some flaw might be found if the prelates were not to see that observed of which I am speaking, namely, a severe correction of small faults, and the removal of prioresses found to be unfit for their places.

6. It is necessary in this matter, above all things, to be without pity, for there are many nuns who are great saints, but yet unfit for the place of the prioress: that must be seen to at once; for in an order wherein there is so much mortification, and wherein the exercise of humility is so constant, no nun will consider it a wrong done to her: should she do so, she will thereby show plainly that she was not fit for the office, for the government of souls aiming at a perfection so high is not for her who is so imperfect herself as to wish to be a prioress.

7. The visitor must have the fear of God continually before him, and also the graces bestowed on these houses, that they may not be lessened through him, and he must cast aside certain feelings of tenderness which, for the most part, the devil stirs up for some great evil. Not to do so is the greatest cruelty towards his subjects.

8. It is not possible that every one whom the nuns may choose for prioress should be possessed of the gifts which the office requires, and if it should be found to be so a year must not pass by on any account before she is removed: she may not do much harm in one year but in three she may ruin the monastery by allowing imperfections to grow into a custom. It is so extremely important that this be done, and though the visitor be distressed at it because he thinks her a saint, and that she has no bad intentions, he must do violence to himself, and not allow her to remain in office. I entreat him to do so by the love of our Lord, and if he shall see that those who have to elect a prioress are under the influence of any prejudice or passion—which God forbid—he must quash the election, and name a prioress from other monasteries of ours whom the nuns are to elect; for an election made that way can never come to any good.

9. I do not know whether what I am speaking about is temporal or spiritual. What I wished to speak about at first was this—the visitor must look closely and carefully into the accounts of the house, and he must not pass them lightly. It is very necessary, especially in the endowed houses, that the outgoings be according to the incomings, let the nuns live as they may, for, God be praised! all of them are so well endowed that they can live very well if they are at all careful: otherwise, if they begin to run into debt they will be ruined by little and little, for if they should be in great want the superiors will think it cruel not to let them have the fruit of the work of their own hands, or not to let their kindred provide for them, or something of that sort not hitherto allowed among us; for I would much rather see the monastery broken up than see it come to such a pass. This is why I said that great harm is wont to come to the spiritual from the temporal, and in that sense it is a most important matter.

10. In the monasteries founded in poverty they must look to it, and take care that they make no debts; for if they have faith and please God He will not abandon them if they are not wasteful. In these houses, as well as in the others, the visitor must make most minute inquiries concerning the food of the sisters, and the treatment they receive; concerning the sick also, and he must see that they are sufficiently supplied with whatever is necessary for them, which our Lord never fails to furnish if the prioress is courageous and attentive; and experience has already shown it to be so.

11. To notice the work done in the monasteries of both foundations, and further to take into account what the nuns have made by the labour of their hands, serves two good purposes; one is, that the nuns who have done much are encouraged and rewarded; the other is, that in those monasteries where so much attention is not given to handiwork, because the necessities are not so great, the nuns may be told of what nuns elsewhere have gained for themselves; for this attention paid to their work, setting aside the temporal advantage, profits greatly in every way. Besides, it is a comfort to the nuns when at work to know that the superior will see it; for, though that is not of any importance, still that comfort should be given to women so strictly enclosed, and whose whole pleasure consists in pleasing their superior, coming down at times to the level of our weakness.

12. The visitor must inquire if any costly presents have been made. Such an inquiry is more especially necessary in the endowed houses, for they are able to do more in that way, and monasteries usually come to ruin through that which seems to be of slight importance. Prioresses, if wasteful, may leave their nuns without food that they may have something to give away, as may be seen in some places: hence the necessity of considering what the community may do out of its income, and what it may give in alms, and of having everything done within the bounds of discretion.

13. The visitor must not allow the houses to be excessively large, and they must not get into debt adorning them or by adding to them except under a pressing necessity: to secure this, it will be necessary to command that no work shall be done without first giving notice to the superior, with an account of the means for doing it, in order that he, according to circumstances, may give or withhold his sanction. This is not to be understood of little matters, which can do no great harm; but it is better to bear the inconvenience of being in a house that is not a very good one than to go about dis-quieting themselves, become a scandal because of their debts, or be without food to eat.

14. It is of great consequence always to examine the house thoroughly, in order to see that enclosure is observed, because it is well to take away all opportunities of evil, and not to trust the goodness that is visible, how great soever it may be, for no one can tell what it will be in times to come; and hence it becomes necessary to think of all the evil that may arise, for the purpose of removing, as I have just said, all opportunities for it. The parlours must be looked into particularly, of which the grating should be double, an inner grating and an outer one, through neither of which should it be possible for anybody to thrust his hand. This is of great importance; and the visitor must look into the confessionals, and see that the curtains thereof are nailed, and the little window for communion small. As to the outer door, he must see that it has two bolts, and there are two keys to the door of the cloisters, as the chapter acts prescribe, one of which shall be kept by the portress, the other by the prioress. It is so at present, I know, but I set it down here that it may never be forgotten—for these are all matters which it is necessary to look into always—and that the nuns may see it will be looked into, that no negligence may creep in.

15. The visitor must make inquiries about the chaplain and the confessor, and see that there is not too frequent a communication between them and the nuns, but only that which is necessary; and on this point he must make very special inquiries of the nuns, and about the observance of enclosure in the house. If a sister becomes infatuated he must hear her patiently, for though very often she will think things to be other than they are, and fall into exaggerations, yet he may receive hints from her which will enable him to find out the truth from the others, laying his commands upon them to speak it; and afterwards he shall chastise the fault with severity, that they may be afraid to repeat it.

16. If any sisters, when the prioress is not in fault, shall dwell on trifles, or make much of little things in their story, severity is necessary in dealing with them, and they must be made to see their own blindness, that they may not live on in their restlessness; for when they shall see that they gain nothing by it, and that they are found out, they will become quiet. When the things complained of are not of grave importance, the visitor must always take the part of the prioress, though he does correct what is amiss, because the simplicity of perfect obedience tends greatly to the peace of the subjects; for the devil may be tempting some of them to think that they understand the matter better than the prioress, and to continue always on the watch for trifles, whereby great harm may ensue. The superior, in his discretion, will apply himself to this, so that when he departs he may leave them in a better state: if, however, they be given to melancholy, he will have enough to do. He must not be gentle with melancholy nuns, because they will never be at rest, nor will they cease from being troublesome if they think they can have their own way in anything; on the contrary, they should be made to feel always that they are to be corrected, and for that end the Visitor must take the part of the prioress.

17. If a sister chance to make any attempts to get herself removed to another monastery, she must be answered in such a way that both herself and every one else shall for ever feel it to be impossible. Nobody, indeed, unless it be one who has seen it, can know the very grave inconveniences that arise, and what a door is opened for the devil to tempt them, when they think they can leave the house for the weighty reasons which, for that purpose, they are sure to urge. And, though it might be that they are to be removed, they must not be allowed to know it or to feel that it is done because they wished it, but it must be brought about by some other means; for a nun of this kind will never be settled anywhere, and great harm will be done to the others if they are not made to see that the nun who wishes to leave her house is one whom the superior will never trust in anything; and even if he had meant to remove her—I mean for some necessary work or for another foundation—he should never do so for that very reason. And, moreover, it is right thus to act, for these temptations never attack any but nuns given to melancholy, or nuns who are naturally useless for any great work. Perhaps it would be as well, before a nun speaks of her wish to be removed, for the visitor to make a discourse on the subject, showing how wrong it is, and how ill he thinks of any one caught in the toils of this temptation, and to explain the reasons, and to say how impossible it is now for any one to leave the house she is in, none of them being any longer necessary anywhere out of their houses.

18. The visitor must inquire whether the prioress has a special friend among the nuns for whom she does more than for the rest, for unless she does so there is no reason for adverting to it, if the friendship be not excessive—the prioresses being always under the necessity of conversing more with the wiser and discreeter nuns. But, as we naturally do not see ourselves as we really are, we all of us think ourselves as good as anybody else, and accordingly the devil may tempt some of them in this way; for in the absence of serious troubles from without Satan stirs up trifles within, that we may be always at war and gain merit by resisting his assaults, whence it comes that a sister may think that this sister or those sisters rule the prioress. If the friendship be in excess it should be checked, because it is a great temptation to the weak, but not wholly forbidden, because those who are the objects of it may be, as I have just said, such as may make it necessary; but it is always well to insist upon the absence of any special familiarity with any one. The nature of it will soon be known.

19. There are some who in their own opinion are so excessively perfect that they consider everything they see to be a fault, being always themselves the very persons who have the most faults, but, seeing none of them, they lay the whole blame on the poor prioress or on the others, and so may make the superior foolishly torment himself in searching for a remedy for that which is right. It is therefore necessary, in order to be safe in correcting, not to trust the testimony of one nun by herself, as I said before, but to make inquiries of the others; for in a community where so much austerity is practised it would be insufferable if every superior, or the same superior at every visitation, were to make new decrees; and therefore, except in grave matters—and, as I said before, after inquiries made of the prioress herself and of the others concerning that which is to be corrected, and why and how—the visitor must not make decrees, for he may make so many that the nuns, unable to endure them, may fail to keep the substance of the rule itself.

20. What the superior has to insist on is the keeping of the constitutions: and wherever there shall be a prioress who for trifling reasons shall take so great a liberty as to break the constitutions, or shall habitually do so, thinking the observance of them on this point and on that to be a matter of little moment, let it be clearly understood she is doing the community a grievous wrong, and time will show it, though it may not seem so at present. This is the reason why monasteries, and even orders are so fallen in some places; slight things are slightly regarded, and hence the most grievous falls.

21. The visitor must publicly warn them that they are to tell him of every fault of this kind in the monastery, and if he find any of which nothing is said let her who has not told him of it receive a most severe correction. This will make the prioresses afraid and cautious. He must never compromise matters with the prioresses, whether they are distressed or not, but they must be made to understand that so matters must always be, and that the chief reason why they are in office is that they are to see that the rules and constitutions are kept; not to take away from them nor to add to them of their own head; and that there must be one to see to this, and to tell the superior of it.

22. I consider it to be impossible for that prioress to have discharged the duties of her office aright who has done anything which she shall be sorry for if it comes to the knowledge of the visitor, for that is a sign that the service of God has not been carried on aright, if anything therein has been done which I do not wish him to hear of who stands in His place. The visitor, then, must consider whether what is told him is told him simply and truly: if not, he must rebuke with severity, and contrive to have the truth told him through the prioress or the officers, or in some other way; for, though the nuns may not have told him what is untrue, they may yet have hidden some things from him; nor is it reasonable that he should not know everything who is the head, and under whose direction they are bound to live, for the body can hardly do anything that is good without the head, and that is what the nuns are doing when they hide from the visitor that which he ought to correct. I end with this: everything will go on well provided the constitutions are kept; and if great care be not taken herein, and in the keeping of the rule, visitations will be of little use—for that is the meaning of them—unless the prioress be changed and even the nuns too, if that be the custom of the house, which God forbid, and other nuns be brought in who shall perfectly keep the rule—which is nothing less than making a new foundation in the house—and the community be dispersed among other monasteries, for one or two of them can do little harm in a community that is well governed.

23. It is to be observed that there may be prioresses who will ask leave to be at liberty to do certain things contrary to the constitutions, and who probably will give what they perhaps think sufficient reasons to justify them, because they know no better, or because they wish to make the superior understand it to be necessary. And, though what they ask may not be contrary to the constitutions, still it may be such as will work mischief if allowed, for as the visitor is not present on the spot, he does not know what evil results may follow, and we all of us overrate what we wish to have. The best course therefore is, not to open the door to anything unless it be in accordance with the present discipline, seeing that everything is going on well, as experience also tells us: that which is certain is better than that which is doubtful. In these cases the visitor must be firm, and he must not mind saying ‘No,’ but rather maintain that freedom and holy authority of which I spoke in the beginning, regardless of any pain or pleasure he may give either prioresses or nuns, about anything which in the course of time may lead to inconvenience; and it is enough that it is a novelty not to make a beginning.

24. As to permission to admit nuns, it is very important the superior should not grant it before he receives a minute account of them, and if he should be in a place where he can make inquiries himself he ought to do so: for there may be prioresses so fond of admitting nuns as to be very easily satisfied, and when the prioress wills a thing, and says that she has made inquiries, her subjects almost always yield to her wishes; and it may be that she is led by friendship for one, or by kinship, or by some other considerations, thinking she is doing right, while at the same time she is doing wrong.

25. Mistakes in admitting novices may be more easily corrected; but the very greatest care is necessary in receiving their profession, and the superior, during his visitation, ought to ascertain if there be any novices, and how they behave themselves, that he may know, when the time is come for sanctioning their profession, whether it should be made or not. It is possible that the prioress may be fond of a novice, or have an interest in her, and that the nuns her subjects dare not say what they think of her, but yet would tell the visitor; it would be better, therefore, to delay the profession, if about to be made, till the superior makes his visitation, and for him, besides, if he should think it right, to bid them give their votes secretly, as at an election. So important is it that there shall be nothing in the house which shall be a lifelong vexation and trouble, and every care taken to guard against it is well bestowed.

26. Great carefulness is necessary in admitting lay sisters: almost all prioresses are very fond of having many lay sisters, burdening the houses with them, and sometimes with such as are able to do little or no work. It is, therefore, very necessary not to yield at once herein, unless he should see that there is a great want of them; he must also make inquiries concerning those who are already in the house, for great harm may come if great caution be not had, because there is no limit to the number of lay sisters.

27. In every house care must be taken not to fill up the number of the nuns; but to leave room for more, for a nun may offer herself whom to receive would be good for the house, and that at a time when it cannot be done: the superior must never consent to allow the number to be exceeded on any account whatever, for that is to open the door to, and means nothing less than, the ruin of the monasteries. It is better, therefore, to hinder the gain of one than to do harm to all the others. A nun may be removed from her own house into a monastery that is not full, to make room for another; and if she brought a dower with her, or any alms had been received with her, let it be given back to her, for she is going away for ever, and thus the difficulty will be met.

But, if this cannot be done, let the house lose what it may, but do not let us begin a practice so hurtful to everybody. It is necessary the superior should be told, when he is asked to allow a nun to be received, how many there are in the house, that he may judge of the fitness of doing so, for it is not reasonable to trust a matter of such importance to the prioresses.

28. It is necessary to ascertain whether the prioresses add to the obligations of the nuns, either in the matter of prayers or in their penances. It may happen that each prioress may add something at her own pleasure, of so special a nature, and be so severe in exacting it, that the nuns, overburdened, may lose their health, and be made thereby unable to discharge their real obligations. This is not meant as a prohibition of all additions, if on any particular day some special need should be felt; some prioresses, however, may be so unwise as to make almost a habit of it, as it often happens, and the nuns dare not speak out, thinking, if they were to do so, that it would show them to have but little devotion: nor is it right they should speak to any one but the superiors.

29. The visitor must see to the office in choir, both the singing and the saying: he must inquire if the pauses be observed, and if the chanting be in a low tone, and edifying, as our profession requires—there being two inconveniences in singing in a high tone; one is, that it does not sound well, as we do not sing in harmony; the other is, that it destroys the modesty and spirit of our way of life. If this be not insisted on there will be of necessity disorder, and devotion will be ruined in those who listen: the singing should be that of persons given to mortification, rather than that of those who would be thought to sing well by people who hear them: that is now almost universal, and seemingly beyond redress, having become a custom: it is necessary, therefore, to insist strongly upon this.

30. It will be a great help if the visitor were to order one of the nuns in office, in the presence of the prioress, in virtue of obedience, to write to him whenever the latter fails in any of the important matters he may have charged her to observe; and the prioress should be made to understand that the nun must not fail to do so. This will have the effect of the presence of the visitor in some degree, and the prioress will be more watchful and cautious about giving way on any point.

31. It will be well, before entering on the visitations, to explain very distinctly how wrong it is for prioresses to entertain a dislike for those sisters who tell the visitor of the faults they may observe: though the faults may not really be what they think they are, they are bound in conscience to speak of them; and, in a house where life is one of mortification, the doing of this should be pleasing to a prioress, because it enables her the better to discharge her office and to serve God; but if it causes her to be vexed with the nuns it is a certain sign that she is not fit to govern them, for they will not dare to speak another time, seeing that the visitor goes away while they remain in their trouble themselves, and all the discipline of the house will be weakened. He must not trust the sanctity of the prioress, whatever it may be, as a reason for omitting to warn the sisters of this, for we are naturally inclined to evil, and the enemy, when he has nothing else to lay hold of, will lay his hands upon us here, and perhaps gain what he may be losing in other ways.

32. It is necessary that the visitor should keep all he hears profoundly secret, and that the prioress should not know who has given him his information; because, as I have said before, they are still in this world, and, if secrecy does nothing else, it removes certain temptations; much more, then, is it necessary when such knowledge can do great harm.

33. If the things told of the prioress be unimportant, she may be cautioned about them indirectly, without letting her feel that the nuns have spoken of them; the more she can be made to think that they had nothing to say, the better. But if the things are important it is of more consequence to redress them than to please her.

34. The visitor must ascertain if any money is received by the prioress of which the keepers of the keys have no knowledge. This is a matter of great consequence, for a prioress may keep it without thinking of it, and she may possess nothing at any time otherwise than as the constitutions direct. This must be looked to also in the houses founded in poverty. I think I have spoken of this before, and there may be other things said in the same place to the same effect; but, as it was some time ago, I have forgotten it, and I cannot go back to read what I have written.

35. It is a heavy burden for the visitor to attend to all these little things, but he will have a heavier burden to bear when he shall see the state of the nuns if it be not done; for, as I said before, let the prioress be ever so saintly, it must be done. What is necessary above all things in the government of women, as I said in the beginning, is that they must feel they have one who is above them—one who will not be moved by any consideration whatever, but who himself keeps, and compels others to keep, all religious observances, punishes those who do not, and sees that it is done with special carefulness in every house—one who not only must visit them every year, but who must also know what they are doing each day. If this be done the nuns will grow in perfection more and more, and will not go back, for women in general are reverent and timid. All this will have a great effect in keeping them from becoming careless; and now and then, whenever necessary, not only is this to be told them, but also acted upon, for they will all take warning if one be punished. If at first, when faults are few, the visitor should, out of tenderness or on some other ground, act otherwise, he will be forced later on to proceed with greater severity, and his tenderness will become the most grievous cruelty, and the account he will have to give to God our Lord will be very heavy.

36. There are nuns whose simplicity is so great that they think it very wrong to tell the faults of the prioress in matters which should be corrected: though they may regard that telling as something mean, they must be reminded of their duty, and they must also humbly warn the prioress beforehand if they see her about to fail in the observance of the constitutions or in any important matter, for it may be that she is not aware of it. These very nuns, although they may have told the prioress she might do what she is doing amiss, will accuse her of that at a later time when discontented with her. There prevails great ignorance as to that which ought to be done during a visitation, and therefore is it necessary that the visitor should continue to advise and teach them with discretion.

37. It is highly necessary that the visitor should make inquiries about the confessor, not of one nun nor of two, but of all, and about his influence in the house; for, as he is not and ought not to be the vicar, and as the office of vicar is withheld from him that he may not govern the nuns, it is necessary that all communication with him should be under great restraints, and the less it is the better. Great caution must be observed in making presents and giving entertainments to him, unless very slight, though now and then something of the kind becomes unavoidable. Let them pay him more than the salary of the chaplaincy rather than be subject to anxiety, for there are many inconveniences herein.

38. It is also necessary to warn the prioresses not to be prodigal and wasteful; they must remember that they are bound to watch over the expenditure of the house, for they are no more than stewards: they must spend nothing as if it were their own, and they must be reasonable and cautious, and be careful that there is nothing wasted; for, setting aside the obligation they are under not to give scandal, they are also bound to this in conscience, and to watch over the temporals of their house, and to have nothing of their own more than any of the rest, unless it be the key of a drawer or a writing-desk for keeping papers in—I mean by that letters, and especially instructions given by the superior, it being but reasonable that these things, or others of the kind, should not be seen by everybody.

39. The visitor must see whether the habit and the headgear are worn according to the constitutions; and if there should be anything at any time—which God forbid—that seems fine or not quite edifying, he must have it burnt in his presence; for an act of this sort makes them afraid, they correct themselves at once, and remember it for the good of those who are to come after them.

40. He must also regard their way of talking, which should be simple, plain, and religious, like that of hermits, and of persons who have left the world without using novel expressions—niceties of speech, I think they call them—as is done in the world, where there is always some novelty. Let them prefer common expressions to those which are more refined.

41. The sisters must avoid lawsuits as much as possible, and go to law only when they cannot help it; for our Lord will give them in another way what they may lose by yielding. The visitor must lead them to do that which is the most perfect, and command them to be neither plaintiffs nor defendants without the knowledge of the superior, and without a special order from him.

42. And, as to the novices to be admitted, the visitor is to persevere in reminding the prioresses that they must look more to their gifts than to any dowry they may bring with them, and accept none for any consideration whatsoever otherwise than as the constitutions direct, and that more especially if they have any faults of character.

43. It is necessary to carry on what is now done by the superior whom our Lord has given us—I speak to those who shall come after him—from whom I have learned much of what I have said by observing his visitations, especially on this point; he must not be more intimate with one sister than with another, nor be alone with nor write to any one, but, as a true father, show the same affection for all; for the day when in any monastery he shall show a particular affection for a sister, though it be like that of S. Jerome and S. Paula, he shall not escape detraction any more than they did; and he will wrong not only that house, but every house of the order, for Satan will at once publish it abroad that he may gain something by it, and the world, because of our sins, is so lost to shame in this matter that many inconveniences will ensue, as we see at this time. The visitor on that account is less respected, and that general affection, if he is what he ought to be, which all should bear him always, and which they bear him now, is lost, for the nuns will think that he gives all his affection to one only; and it is a great advantage to be very much loved by them all. This is not meant of that showing of affection which may be occasionally necessary, but of an affection which is notorious and excessive.

44. When the visitor enters the house—I mean the monasteries—he must look to the observance of enclosure; this he must always do, and carefully inspect the whole house, as I said before: he must go through it, having his companion always by his side, with the prioress and some of the other nuns; and he must not on any account whatever, even if he be there early, remain for dinner within the monastery, though the nuns might press him to do so; let him regard that for which he has come, and then depart forthwith. If he has anything to say, he had better say it at the grating; for, though that may be done in all honesty and simplicity, yet is it a preparing the way for some one perhaps, at a future time, to whom no such liberty ought to be given, and who may take more. May it please our Lord never to suffer it, and that all things tending to edification and everything else be ever done as they are done now. Amen! Amen!

45. The visitor must not allow any excess in the food they provide him on the days he is making the visitation, accepting nothing but that which is fitting; and if he sees anything wrong he must rebuke them severely for it, because it is unbecoming the profession of the superiors, which is poverty, and that of the nuns as well: there is no good whatever in it, for they eat only what is sufficient for them, and it does not minister that edification which becometh nuns.

46. For the present nothing can be done, I believe, because the superior we have, even if there be any excess, does not observe whether what they give him is much or little, good or bad, and I do not know that he could observe it unless he were to give special heed to the matter. He regards it as of the most serious import that he who makes the inquiry should be alone—without his companion—because he will not have him know the faults of the nuns, if faults there be: it is an admirable plan to keep the follies of nuns from being known, and if they do fall into any—at present, to God be the glory, they will not do much harm, for the visitor regards them with the eyes of a father, and as a father keeps it secret, and, because he is standing in the place of God, God reveals to him the degree of gravity of the faults. Any other than such as he is will perhaps think that to be serious which is but a trifle, and, as it does not concern him personally, he will not care to be silent about it, and the monastery loses its good name without cause. May our Lord grant our superiors the grace always to consider this, and always to act in the same way.

47. It is not right in the visitor to show that he has a great affection for the prioress, or that he has a good understanding with her, at least in the presence of the community, for that will cow the nuns, and they will not dare to tell him of her faults. He must also keep well in mind that it is necessary they should feel that he will make no excuses for her, but correct whatever there may be in need of correction. But no discouragement can reach the soul which has a zeal for God and for the order: when such a soul is distressed at the sight of the order falling away, and is waiting for a superior who shall come to its succour, and yet sees matters continue in the same way, it turns towards God, and resolves to be silent for the future—seeing how little good has been done by speaking—even though everything should fall to ruin. The poor nuns are listened to but once, when summoned by the visitor; and the prioresses have time enough to make excuses for, and give explanations of, their shortcomings, and of lessening the number of them, and perhaps of creating some suspicion that the nun who has made the complaint was moved by passion; for, though they are not told who she was, they almost always find her out, and the visitor cannot be a witness of what is going on, and the explanations are given in such a way as to make him think it impossible to reject them, and thus everything remains as before, for if he could be an eye-witness within the house for many days he would ascertain the truth: the prioresses never imagine that they are not telling it, but such is our self-love that we very rarely accept the blame or know ourselves.

48. This has often happened to me, and with prioresses who were very great servants of God, in whom I had such trust that it seemed to me impossible for things to be otherwise than as they represented them. But when I remained some days in the house I was amazed to see everything so different from the account they gave me, and that in a matter of some importance. I have been told that the complaints were the effect of temper, and almost half the community agreed in that, and yet it was the prioress who did not know herself, as she afterwards came to understand. I believe, myself, that Satan, not having many opportunities of tempting the sisters, tempts the prioress in some things to think differently from the rest; and it is a cause of thanksgiving to our Lord to see the way they bear it all. Accordingly, I have made up my mind never to trust any one before I have made inquiries enough, that I may make her who is thus deceived feel that she is deceived; for if that be not done what is wrong can hardly be set right.

49. All this does not take place in grave matters, but out of them great evils may arise if we do not proceed with caution. I am amazed when I consider the cunning of Satan—how he makes every one think she is telling the greatest truth in the world: that is why I said that the prioress is not to be altogether trusted, nor any one of the nuns either, but inquiries should be made of many, if the matter be of importance, in order that a certain remedy might be provided. May our Lord send us always a visitor who is wise and holy, such an one His Majesty will enlighten, so that he shall understand us and make no mistakes, for so shall every monastery be governed in the best way, and souls grow in perfection, to the honour and glory of God.

I entreat you, my father, in return for the mortification which the writing of this has been to me, to mortify yourself by writing certain instructions for the visitors. If in this anything has been done as it ought to have been done, it may be put into better order, and will be of service; for I shall now begin the end of the Foundations, and it may have a place there, for it will be very useful. I am afraid, however, that there never will be another so humble as he by whose commandment I write, who will be willing to make use of it. However, it is God’s will, and I could do no less, for if these houses are visited in the way usual in the order very little good will come of it, and it may be that the harm will be greater than the good. Inquiries still more minute must be made, of which I have not spoken, because I do not understand it all, and because now I cannot remember; but the greatest care will be necessary only at the beginning, for if the nuns see that the visitation is to be thus exact there will be no great trouble in the government of the house. May you, my father, do what you can to carry into execution these instructions, as you are doing at present in your visitations; for our Lord will supply the rest in His compassion, and through the merits of the sisters, seeing that their object throughout is to render Him true service, and for that end to be instructed.