JOHN M.

KELLY LIBRARY

Donated by
The Redemptorists of
the Toronto Province
from the Library Collection of
Holy RedeemerCollege, Windsor

University of
St. Michael's College, Toronto
JC
(Dnttmimt JCibesof the
SECOND SERIES.

1. IT is proposedto publisha SecondSeriesof the Lives

of the Modern Saints, translated from foreign languages,
and to bring out two or more volumes in the year.
2. The works translated from will be in most cases the

Lives drawn up for or from the processesof canonization

or beatification, as being more full, more authentic, and
more replete with anecdote,thus enabling the reader to
becomebetter acquainted with the Saint's disposition and
spirit; while the simple matter-of-fact style of the narra-
tive is, from its unobtrusive character, more adapted for
spiritual readingthan the views,and generalizations,
and
apologetic extenuations of more recent biographers.
3. The objects are those stated at the commencement
of the First Series,viz.: 1. To supply English Catholics
with a cabinet-libraryof interesting as well as edifying
reading, especiallyfor families, schools,and religious
refectories,which would for many reasonsbe particu-
larly adapted for these times, and would, with God's
blessing, act as a counter influence to the necessarily
deadening and chilling effects which the neighbour-
hood of heresy and the consequentprevalence of
earthly principles and low views of grace may have on
the temper and habits of mind even of the faithful ;
2. To presentto our other countrymena number of sam-
ples of the fruit which the system,doctrine, and moral
discipline established by the holy and blessed Council of
Trent haveproduced,and whichwill be,to inquirers really
in earnest about their souls, an argument more cogent
than any that mere controversy can allege; and 3. To
spreadthe honour and love of the ever-blessedQueenof
Saints, by showing how greatly an intense devotion to
her aidedin forming thoseprodigiesof heroicvirtue with
which the Holy Ghost has been pleased to adorn the
Church since the schism of Luther, more than in almost
any previous times ; while the same motive will prevent
the Series being confined to modern saints exclusively.
4. The work is published with the permission and ap-
proval of superiors. Every volume containing the Life
of a person not yet canonized or beatified by the Church
will be prefaced by a protest in conformity with the de-
cree of Urban VIII., and in all Lives which introduce
questions of mystical theology great care will be taken to
publish nothing which has not had adequate sanction, or
without the reader being informed of the nature and
amount of the sanction.

Post 8vo., with Portrait, price 5s. each.

1. The Life of S. Bernardine of Siena,
MINOR OBSEEVANTINE.Now ready.

2. The Life of S. Philip Benizi,

FIFTHGENERAL
OPTHESEBVITES.
Nowready.

3. The Life of S. Veronica Giuliani, Capuchin

Nun, and of the BlessedBattista Varani,
of 4he Order of S. Clare. NOWread,,.
 MODERN SAINTS

AND

SERVANTS OF GOD.
,'v. U'ti. ,. j\TLt\i-nos!' "' R<7L\ London.
 faints ;tn& .Scrlmnts of (500.
SECOND SERIES.

THE LIVES
OF

S. VERONICA GIULIANI,
CAPUCHIN NUN;

AND OF THE

BLESSED BATTISTA YARANI,

OF THE ORDER OF S. CLARE.

"Gaude Maria Virgo, cunrtas hxreses solainteremisti iu

universe mundo."-Autiph.

LONDON:

K. WASHBOUKNE, 18 PATERNOSTER ROW.

1874.
 hil obstxt.

T. F. KNOX, Congr. Orat.

CensorDeputatus.

imprimaittr.
HENRICUS E., Archiff. Westmonast.
 TO

THE NUNS OF ENGLAND,

WHO SHIELD THEIR COUNTRYBY THEIR PRAYERS,
AND BY THEIR MEEK AUSTERITIES MAKE

REPARATION]
FOR ITS SINS;
AND TO

THE SISTERS OF MERCY,

WHOSE CHARITY IS THEIR INCLOSURE,

WHILE FOR THE LOVE OF THEIR HEAVENLY SPOUSE

IN HIS POOR AND SUFFERING MEMBERS

THEY DENY THEMSELVES

THE PEACE AND PROTECTION OF THE CLOISTER.

Daughters of Mary! in retreats obscure,

Lost to man's thought and eye, amid the trees
And unfrequented fields, on bended kneea
Sueing for England's pardon, lives so pure
Mingle in heaven and God's approval share
With that unoloistered love, whose willing feet
Are borne through jeering crowd and gazing street
To scenes of lonely want and pining care.
For you the holy past is now unfurled,
That with its bright examples you may feed
The spirit of devotion. While the world
Honours your goodness with its hatred, you,
Still to your high and calm vocation true,
May win fresh light and strength from what you read.
F. W. FABEB.

S. WILFRID'S,
Feast of our Lady of Redemption,
MDCCCXLVH.
 PREFACE.

THK following Life of S. Veronica Giuliani was

written by theAbate Filippo Maria Salvatori,and
published in Rome in the year 1839. It was
compiled from three lives of the Saint of earlier
date, and from the processesof her canonization.
The translation of the Spiritual Life of the
Blessed Battista Varani has been made from the

French version published at Clermont-Ferrand

in 1840. It is founded upon the collection of her
revelations, written in Italian by Father Matthew
Pascucci,and renderedinto Latin by the Bolland-
ists, in the Acta Sanctorum for the 31st of May.
THE OBATOBY,LONDON,
MaySlst, 1874.
 CONTENTS.

S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

BOOK I.

CONTAININGAN ACCOUNTOF HER LIFE IN THE WORLD, AND

OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE FIRST FIFTEEN
YEARS OF HEB RELIGIOUS CAREER, TOGETHERWITH A
BRIEF SKETCH OF THE OFFICES WHICH SHE FILLED'IN THE
CONVENT.

CHAPTEB PAGE

I. The birth of Veronica.-Tokens of her subsequent

sanctity and high privileges apparent even in
infancy - 3
II. She begins at the age of three years to enjoy_^
familiar intercourse with Jesus and Mary - 7
III. The first proofs of extraordinaryvirtue which
made her childhood remarkable - , -££ - 12
IV. Her father removes with Ursula and her sisters to
Piacenza, where at the age of ten she makes her
First Communion.-When twelveyearsold she
begins to practise mental prayer
V. The rich fruit which she gathered from the exer-
cise of meditation.-The first instancesof oppo-
sition to her religious vocation which she had to i
encounter at Piacenza - -" \yg>'_s 28
VI. Ursula is sent back to Mercatello, where she re-
sides in the house of her uncle.-New trials of
her vocation.-At length her father yields to
her influence and repents, ending his life with
certain marks of eternal salvation -_^_35
VII. Having received the desired consent of her father,,
Ursula procures in an extraordinary way her
admission among the Capuchin nuns of Citta di
Castello - - j*-^- 41
Xll CONTENTS.

VIII. Her clothing.-Deceits of the devil during her

noviciate 46
IX. Her solemn profession.-Her virtue is strength-
ened,notwithstandingthe assaultsof the devil,
by specialgraceswhich she receivesfrom God
during the early years of her religious life - 56
X. The offices which she is called to fill in the con-
vent.-The manner in which she discharged her
duties - - - - - - G4>

BOOK II.
CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT op THE EXTRAORDINARY GEACES
BY MEANS OF WHICH SHE WAS RAISED DURING THE LAST
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF HER LIFE TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE
OF SANCTITY,AND RENDERED
THE LITING IMAGE OF JESUS
CRUCIFIED.
I. Mysteriousvision of a chalice,which preparedher
to reproduce in her own person the Passion of
our Redeemer - - go
II. Veronica is made to participate in our Blessed
Saviour's crowning with thorns.-The severe
painswhich this causedher, and her sufferings
from the remedies to which her superiors re-
quired her to submit . 92
III. She is promoted to heavenly espousals.-The man-
ner in which our Lord prepared and conducted
them - - 99
IV. The gifts and favours which Jesus lavished on His
spouse during the two following days.-Her
correspondenceto them - 110
V. In obedienceto a divine commandshebeginsto
fast rigorously on bread and water, and contin-
uesto do so for severalyears.-The opposition
which shehad to encounterfrom her superiors,
as well as from herself,and from the powersof
darkness - 115
VI."; Further instancesof Veronica'sfidelity to her
divine Spouse.-She receivesfrom Him a wound
in the heart.-Four documentswritten by her
with her own blood - 127
VII. Jesus produces in her a still greater resemblance
to Himselfby imprintinguponherHis sacred
stigmata . 139
VIII. The stigmata are repeatedon various occasions,
and attestedby new andsatisfactoryproofs - 152
 CONTENTS. Xlll

CHAPTER PAGE

IX. Veronica participates in all the other Dolours

which constituted the divine Passion.-Wonder-
ful marks imprinted on her heart - 163
X. The extraordinary graces and favours which ac-
companied her last illness and holy death - 178

BOOK III.
OF HEB HEROIC VIRTUES AND OF THE GIFTS WHICH SHE
POSSESSED IN COMMON WITH OTHEE SAINTS.
I. Jesus Christ Himself becomes her visible Instruc-
tor in Christian and perfect life.-Her constant
desire of greater perfection - 195
II. Veronica's heroic perfection in the theological
virtues - " 202
III. Her remarkable zeal and charity towards her
neighbour - 211
IV. Her spirit of poverty and mortification, and her
angelic purity - - 225
V, Her patienceand imperturbablegentleness - 236
VI. Her wonderfulhumility - - 250
VII. Her miraculous obedience - 259
VIII. Her tenderdevotionto the BlessedVirgin, to her
guardianangel,and the other saints - - 267
IX. Her sifts of prophecy and miracles during life - 275
NOTE - - 285

BLESSED BATTISTA VAEANI.

HISTORICAL NOTICE - 289

PROLOGUE - - 295
I. Her vow made in childhood relative to the Passion
of Jesus Christ.-Her progress in this devotion,
and the pious exercises which it suggested to
her - - 298
II. She resists the grace of a religious vocation fjr a
long time, but ends by following it with gene-
rosity - - 304
III. Spiritual favourswhich followed her entire con-
version - - 312
XIV CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PACK

IV. What shehad to sufferduring her noviciate.-Her

return to Camerino, where she received great
favours from Heaven, and, among others, a visit
from S. Clare - - 326
V. Other divine favours accorded to Battista: they
arefollowedby newtribulations 337
VI. Battista addresses
to her spiritual father particu-
lars supplementaryto the history of her life - 349
VII. First pain.-Sorrow for the sufferings of the lost
and the elect - - 364
Second pain.-The sorrows of Christ for the suf-
ferings of His Mother, S. Mary Magdalen, and
His disciples
Third pain.-The sorrows of Christ for the ingra-
titude of the Jewish people, and of all crea-
tures ; His especialsorrow in the Garden

SUPPLEMENT.

I. Her humility - 383

II. Her charity towards her neighbour, manifested in
the warnings she gives her disciple - 394
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- - 404
IV- Friendship of Battista with John of Fano.-Be-
ginning of the congregation of Capuchins.-
Death of Battista and venerationof her body - 40G
 BOOK I.
CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF HER LIFE IN THE
WORLD, AND OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS
IN THE FIRST FIFTEEN YEARS OF HER RELI-
GIOUS CAREER, TOGETHER WITH A BRIEF
SKETCH OF THE OFFICES WHICH SHE FILLED
IN THE CONVENT.
 THE LIFE OF

S. VERONICA GIULIANI

CHAPTER I.

THE BIKTH OF VERONICA. -TOKENS OF HER SUBSE-

QUENT SANCTITY AND HIGH PRIVILEGES APPARENT

EVEN IN HER INFANCY.

THE district of Mercatello, which is one of consider-

ableimportancein the PontificalStates,being in the
diocese of Urbania, part of the Duchy of Urbiuo,
was the favoured birth-place of S. Veronica, whose
wonderful life we are about to relate. Her father
was Francesco Giuliani, and her mother Benedetta
Mancini of S. Angelo in Vado, a dioceseunited
to Urbania; both were of honourableand wealthy
families. Their union in holy matrimony was blessed
with no male issue,but they had no less than seven
daughters,the youngestof whomwasour Saint. Even
before the birth of this her last child, the mother had
reason to foreseethat her infant would prove an extra-
ordinary one; for whereason all previous occasions
she had been afflicted with severe sufferings and ex-
1
4 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

tremeinternalweakness,
sothat shehadbeencompelled
to abstainin consequence
from holy Communion,now
on the contraryshe enjoyedsuchgoodhealthand
exemptionfrom the trials usually experiencedin her
condition, that she was able to perform all her
devotions and domestic duties with easeand alacrity,
and she declared with astonishment that she had never
before spent such calm and joyful days.
At length the day arrivedwhich wasto be marked
by the nativity of her favoured offspring. It was the
27th of December, which is dedicated to the memory
of S. John, the beloveddiscipleof JesusChrist; and
perhapsit was the specialprovidenceof God which
appointed this feast for the birthday of S. Veronica,
who even in her earliest infancy clearly proved herself
to be one of those happy souls on whom God has be-
stowed the choicest prerogatives of His love. On the
following day, being the Feast of the Holy Innocents,
1660, shewasregeneratedat the baptismal font, in the
collegiate church of S. Peter and S. Paul, D. Giovan
Antonio Borgheseofficiating as parish priest. She re-
ceivedthe nameof Ursula, a presagethat shewould
not only bea virgin Saint,but likewisethe guideand
mistressof other holy virgins.
The anticipations formed respecting her were
quickly realised. Two of her sisters have deposed
upon oath that she never uttered a cry nor shed a
tear,but wasalwaysquiet, serene,and cheerful,with-
out manifestingthe least antipathytowardsany one,
permitting herself to be handled without complaint,
and to be nursed at whatever time her mother
pleased On three daysin the week,Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday,she displayedan aversionfrom
her food,somuchsothat shewould only take a few
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 5

dropsmorningand evening;and nothingcouldin-

duce her to take more on these days. Thus, like
S. Nicholas of Bari and other saints, this child
early commenced
her fastsby way of preludeto those
strict ones which she observed afterwards. Many
things concurto showthat this abstinencewaspro-
duced by a higher than natural influence ; in the first
place,shegaveno signof sufferingor discomfort,but
was bright and calm as usual : secondly, by her
mother being compelled on these days to take to her
breast somechildren of the poor,whom she accord-
ingly nursed in the presence of her little daughter,
who never showedany symptom of envy or jealousy,
as young children so situated are apt to do; on the
contrary, it was observedthat she seemedto be par-
ticularly gratified by the sight of the poor little
ones partaking of her own nourishment. Lastly,
it is evident, from the above-mentioneddays being
dedicated in the Christian world to the honour of the
Passion of Jesus Christ and to the memory of His
most holy Mother, that she was attracted towards
both even from her cradle by a peculiar and won-
derful devotion. This we shall see confirmed here-
after by those touching communicationswhich were
exchangedbetweenJesusand Mary on the one hand,
and our virgin Saint on the other, throughout the
entire course of her life.

But something still more astonishing remains to be

related. The little Ursula was hardly five months
old, when on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity,
which in the year 1GG1fell on the 12th of June,
she-was in the arms of her mother, who had re-
leasedher from her swaddling clothes, and perceiving
a picture whereon that august mystery was repre-
6 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

sented,shedescended
of her own accordto the floor,
and alonewithout any assistance advancedwith a
firm steptowardsthe sacred
tablet, beforewhichshe
mademany signsof reverence, and then pausedas
thoughenchanted.We caneasilyconceivethe amaze-
mentof her mother and of every onepresent. Her
prudentparent,comprehendingthat it wastheworkof
the Almighty,attemptedno interference,
but left the
childto herself;andhenceforward shewaswrapped
in no swathingbands,but was able to walk alone
without meetingwith anyaccident.Anothermiracle
which occurredwhenshewas-a year and a half old,
is relatedin the processof her canonization. A ser-
vant of the family, called Alexandra,carried her in
her armswhenshewent to purchasesomeoil at a shop;
the man who soldit endeavoured to put her off with
short measure,when the little Ursula astoundedthem
all by speakingfor the first time, and pronouncing
in a distinct voice these words-" Do justice, for
God seesyou !" A successionof these extraordinary
occurrencesinduced her pious parents to regard her,
not only with partiality, but even with devotion, for
they had good reason to look forward to the super-
natural privileges that were destined for their child.
They guarded her as the apple of their eye, and her
elder sisters took pains not to annoy her, but on
the otherhandto fosterher natural disposition. The
servantsfollowedtheir example,treatingher asthough
she had been the mistressof the house,as she herself,
after she had grown up and becomea religious,de-
clared with sentiments of humility and confusion,
being herself amazedthereat, for she had the very
poorest opinion of herself.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

CHAPTER II.

SHE BEGINS AT THE AGE OF THREE YEARS TO ENJOY

FAMILIAR INTERCOURSE WITH JESUS AND MARY,

WHENUrsula had completedher third year, those

seedsof devotion which had been implanted in her by
heaven began to develop themselvesday by day.
Evenat that tenderage,the sportsof childhoodhadno
charms for her. Instead of childish toys she choseto
entertainherselfwith a beautiful pictureof theBlessed
Virgin in the act of nursing her Divine Son, which
hung on a wall in the house. Before it she raised a
sort of little altar, and all her thoughts and cares
were concentrated on the adornment of this her ora-

tory. She would often invite her sisters to assist

in her pious work. From what follows it is evident
that this was not with her, as is the case with some
children, a matter of mere pastime and diversion.
The ribbons and corals with which her mother and
sistersattemptedto decoratethe person of Ursula,
together with any other ornaments she might re-
ceive, were one and all devoted to the furnishing of
this cherishedspot; for in her holy simplicityshewas
wont to regardthat sacredpicture asour BlessedLord
Himself. Hence she would conversefamiliarly with
the Queen of Saints and with the Infant Jesus, as
thoughthey werereally presentbeforeher,andjust as
if she were addressingher own mother and sisters.
She would often deposit her food on this little
altar, inviting the Divine Infant to partake thereof;
and then she would conceal herself behind the ta-
pestry,and watch to seeif the objectof her devotion
8 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Averedescendingto fulfil her request;andwhenher

"wishwasnot gratified,shewouldexclaimin herdis-
appointment: "If You will not eat, then neither
will I." At other times she would entreat Mary to
1give her the Divine Infant to caress;and perceiving
that her prayerwas not heard, shewould place one
chair upon anotherin order to mount and take her
treasureby force; morethan onceshe had in conse-
quencea fall by which her headwasseverelybruised.
On rising shewould reproachthe BlessedVirgin for
havingrefusedherpetition,andclaimto haveher mis-
hap remedied,which shehad no soonerdonethan she
found herself cured.

This simplicity was so pleasing to Mary and her

Divine Son, that on sevei-aloccasionsthe picture took
the form of living persons, and Ursula beheld the
Holy Virgin place within her arms the sacred Babe,
permitting her to lavish caresseson Him. At other
times the Infant Saviour.camedown from His place
in the picture, and partook on the altar of the food
sheoffered, presenting her with a portion of the same,
that shemight shareit with Him. It must have been
a wonderfulsight to beholdthe little girl soinnocently
imploring the favour of Mary, bestowingher small
gifts on Jesus,beseechingHim to descend from the
picture and to accompany her wherever she went;
and then to see the condescension
of Mary, and the
sacred Hand of her Son stretched forth towards
Ursulain tokenof acceptance,
andafterwards
rejoic-
ing the heart of His beloved child by the most
affecting endearments.
Such interchange of love increasedthe tender
homageof our youngSaint towardsthe two great
objectsof her devotion,and she was even per-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 9

mitted to hearthe voiceof Mary addressingher from

this picture in accentsof love, and giving her fre-
quent and useful directions. Ono day when she
was there in preparation for prayer, the Blessed
Virgin said to her : " Daughter, this my Son loves
thee exceedingly-preparethyself,for He will be thy
Spouse!" At these Avordsan extraordinary fire of
love was kindled in her soul, and she earnestly
longed to give herself entirely to Jesus. Whatever
she had that was fair and good, she offered Him
on her little altar. One day the Divine Infant vouch-
safed to acknowledge her generosity by saying to
her: "I love thee very much ! Take care to expend
thy affections on no other than Myself alone." To
which Ursula immediately replied: "Dearest Jesus,
I love Thee most ardently ! teach me what Thou
wouldst have me do." The Infant Saviour then
turned to His holy Mother and said : " It is My Will
that this our beloved child should be guided by thee."
On another occasionwhen she was gathering flowers
in the garden for her altar, the Infant Jesusappeared
before her, saying : " I am the Flower of the field;"
and after thesewords the vision disappeared. Ursula
accordingly ran into the house, thinking that the
object of her love had taken refuge there, and full
.of grief presentedherself before her favourite pic-
ture, exclaiming : " Thou hast made me run, whilst
Thou didst return into the arms of Mary, and I have
not been able to overtake Thee," and then sheburst
into tears. Her loving Lord, Who could not endure
to seeher thus afflicted, deigned to leave the picture
and embrace her, which restored her serenity in a
moment.

These facts are taken in part from the deposition of

10 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

her sisters,who werecarefulneverto losesight of

her, asalsofrom the testimonyof her first confessor,
the CanonAmbroni of Mercatello,and in part also
from the account which she wrote of herself after
she becamea religious,in obedienceto her directors
-her perfect sanctityrenderingall idea of deception
inadmissible. From these sources we also learn that
at the sameage,namely,in her third or fourth year,
on the return of her mother or her aunt from church,
shewould know by the perceptionof a certain celes-
tial fragrance when they had been to holy Commu-
nion, and would exclaim, " How sweet the perfume !
oh, how sweet!" nor would she leave them for a con-
siderable time. Very frequently when taken into a
church, although so young, she beheld the Sacred'
Host all dazzling and glorious; and sometimesthe
living form of the Holy Child Jesus was visible to
her eyes. We must not omit a remarkable incident
which occurred when she was about four years old.
Her mother was taken so dangerously ill that the
holy Viaticum was conveyedto her. At the moment
of the entrance of the Blessed Sacrament, Ursula
beheldIt resplendentwith such heavenlylight that
she implored the priest to communicateher also. In
order to satisfyher, shewastold that he had brought
with him only one particle of the Blessed Eucharist,
to which the child, doubtlessenlightenedfrom above,
promptly replied that he might break off for her a
fragment of that one, for- that "as in the case of a
mirror, whenit is broken into a multitude of pieces,
eachfragmentwill still reflectthe entire objectwhich
the whole originally represented, so each,portion of
that Sacred Host divided between her mother and
herselfwould contain Jesusas entirely as the whole
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. II

had done before It was broken." All present were

filled with astonishment. As soon as her mother had
received holy Communion, the little Ursula exclaimed
-" Oh, how lovely is that which you have received!' .
and springing on the bed and drawing near to her
mother's lips, she went on : " Oh, how sweet-how
very sweet!" nor could all the scolding addressedto
her induce her to tear herself away.
The pious lady had already lost two of her daughters.
Beingnow on the vergeof the grave,shecalledaround
her the five who still survived, and after bestowing
on them all the precious legacy of a parent's dying
counsel,she concluded by consigning eachof her chil-
dren to one of the sacred wounds of Jesus Crucified.
For Ursula sheselectedthe Sidepierced with the spear,
which was already the object of that dear child's tender
love, besidesbeing the perennial fountain whence
throughout her whole life shewas accustomedto draw
abundanceof graces. After this, our Saint's excellent
motherbreathedher last. The young Ursula, over-
whelmed with affliction, could not be persuaded to
quit her body night or day ; but there she remained,
in that chamberof death, giving vent to her deep
affection. There were no means of inducing her to
go to bed, for her mother was net there. At last the
servantshit on the expedientof placingon her bed
an imageof the BlessedVirgin with her Divine In-
fant ; the child then gaveway, and calmly composed
herself to sleep. From that time she kept up the
practice of making that sacredimage her companion;
and it often seemed to her that the Babe of Bethlehem
lookedgraciouslyon her and smiled.
12 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

CHAPTER III.

THE FIRST PROOFS OF EXTRAORDINARY VIRTUE WHICH

MADE HER CHILDHOOD REMARKABLE.

THE -wonderfulthings which we have related serve

rather asillustrationsof the peculiarfavour of heaven
towards the little Ursula than as proofs of that super-
naturalvirtue whichwasso conspicuous even in her
earliest years,and to the considerationof which we
shall devote the present chapter. Ursula began at
a most tenderageto manifest an extraordinarycom-
passion towards the poor. She would always re-
serve a portion of her breakfast, dinner, collation,
and supper to bestow on them by way of alms; and
this shewould present to them with remarkable affec-
tion, when she saw them pass along the street. If
it happened that she had nothing to give them, she
would betake herself to her parents with engaging
importunity. On many occasionsshe impoverished
herself to relieve the distressed. Once she saw
a little boy almost destitute of clothing, and ac-
cordingly took off her apron to cover him with it.
At another time she was standing at the window
when a pilgrim asked her for a little charitable
assistance; having nothing else.that she could think
of to give him, with holy simplicity shetook off one of
her new slippers,which shehad put on for the first time
that day, and gave it him. The poor man said, as he
acceptedthe gift, that one would be of no use to him
without the other, which he immediately received
from the hand of the generouschild. Every one
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 13

knowshowvain childrenare apt to be of sucharticles

of dress,and how fond they are of displayingthem;
it may thereforebe easilyconceivedhow self-denying
was this act of charity on the part of Ursula. Our
Lord was pleasedto signify His approbationby a
twofold miracle. In throwing it over to him the
second slipper caught on the arch of the door, but
the height of the pilgrim increasedto sucha degree
that he was able to reach it with his hands ; pre-
sently the most Holy Virgin appeared to Ursula,
holding in her hand the gifts which had been be-
stowed on the pilgrim, now enriched with costly
jewels; and the Mother of God explained to Ursula
that she had just received them from her in the
person of that poor traveller, and that it was her
Divine Son who had adorned them with gems.
Another time when Ursula had given a piece of
rather black bread to a poor man, becauseshe had no
better to bestow, she beheld it change in his hands
into bread whiter than snow, which the beggar in
his wonder showed to every one he met in the
street.

This favoured child not only excelled thus early

in the grace of charity, but was likewise remark-
able for an extraordinary desire of suffering, which
was enkindled in the following way. On one occasion
while performing her devout exercisesbefore the
picture of which we have spoken in the previous
chapter, she heard these words from her Infant
Saviour " My Spouse,
: the Crossawaits thee." The
young Saint in her inexperienceconceivedthat she
was thus warned to preservethe sacredsign of our re-
demptionfrom every act of irreverence;and therefore
 14 S. VERONICAGIULIANI.,

wheneversheperceivedin the houseor gardenpieces

"of straw or thread accidentallylaid in the form of a
¬ross,she picked them up with reverence,and put
themawayin a box,lestanyoneshouldinadvertently
tread on them. But when she heard the lives of the
saintsread (for her piousmotherwas accustomed
to make that holy study servefor one of the recrea-
tions of her daughters),shevery quicklyapprehended,
by meansof the light vouchsafedher from above,
the true meaningof those mysteriouswords, and
resolved to obey the injunction they conveyed. She
was not more than three years old when, moved by
the sufferingsof the saints,and especiallyby those
of the martyrs who had encounteredflamesfor the
sake of Jesus Christ, her heart burned with such an
ardentlongingto imitate themthat sheran and thrust
her hands into a vessel of live coals, nor would she
withdraw them till the smell summoned the in-
matesof the houseto her side. In after-life, shethus
"wrote under obedience of her sensations at the time:
" I do not perfectly remember,but it strikes me that
at the momentI did not feel the pain of burning; I
stood there in a state of temporary abstraction, well
pleasedto be as I was; afterwards I felt pain
in my fingers, which were shrunk up. Everybody
wept, but I am not consciousof having shed a
tear."

In her fourth year, hearing that S. Eose of Lima

wasin the constanthabit of taking the discipline,and
not knowing exactlyhow to do the same,she made
a great manyknots in her apron-strings,hid herself
behind a door, untied her apron, and struck herself
with them. Shewasoneday detectedby her mother
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 15

when thus employed,and sorely was the poor child

mortified, because she was aware that her saintly
model was wont to hide such practices from the obser-
vation of all. Having also heard that S. Eose once
by way of mortification crushedher finger beneath the
lid of a box, and then, though the pain which ensued
was severe,would not consent to have it medically
treated, in order that she might suffer the more,
Ursula would fain have followed her example, but
her heart failed her. Our Lord, however, per-
mitted the occurrence of the following incident.
Her hand was accidentally squeezed between the
wall and a door which her sister was closing.
The innocent cause of the disaster no sooner per-
ceived this than in a paroxysm of self-reproach
she cried out that she had killed Ursula, who,
on the contrary, without the slightest agitation,
implored her to calm herself, for that the hurt
was nothing, although it was bleeding copiously;
but as she added in her own account of it, "My sister
seeing such a quantity of blood uttered still louder
exclamations,while I believe that for my part I felt
a certain delight in sharing the suffering of S. Eose.
But to my grief they insisted on dressing my wound,
although I would have much rather endured it with-
out having recourseto any remedies, according to the
example of that blessedsaint." On another occasion,
the scissors with which her mother was cutting
a nail of the poor child's foot by some accident
inflicted a severe cut. Instead of giving way to
tears, Ursula in the most cheerful manner con-
soled her distressed parent by making light of
the injury received; and in this case she sue-
1C S. VERONICA GIULIAM.

ceededin imitating S. Kose by dispensingwith

all remedies. The same good motive led her to
commit another act of childlike indiscretion, namely,
to pile up .1 numberof stoneson the top of a
little wall, and then give them a push with her
head, which brought them tumbling down on her
hands which she held stretched out on the ground,
thereby occasioningherself considerablepain. At
length, having observedthat her sisters were in
the habit of using certain instrumentsof penance,
she placed herself on the watch, in order to get
hold of them; but it was all in vain, for they
were kept under lock and key. No one can fail
to be struck by such instances of heroism, at an
age when the smallest suffering generally draws
tears.

The very defectsof her childhood were signs of

her extraordinary virtue. An evil intention can
change an action, in itself good or at least indif-
ferent, into a sin, while either inculpable inadver-
tence or invincible ignorance excuses from sin.
Thus many actions reprehensible in themselves,
if done from a good motive, and accompanied
by the above-mentionedignorance or inadvertence,
may under certain circumstances become even vir-
tuous, not from their own nature, but from the
principle which produces them. Let the reader
bear in mind that the actions related of Ursula
from her third to her seventh year cannot fail
to be marked by much imperfection,because,al-
though she seemedprematurely to anticipate the
use of reason,she could not possibly possessat that
tender age the light and instruction necessaryfor
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 17

observingthe exactlimits which separateright from

wrong, especiallyin those cases where one may
be easily confoundedwith the other. What may
be termed the defects of her childhood are not pro-
posed as matters for imitation, for they are not of
a nature to serve as precedents, but simply to il-
lustrate the strength of her virtues, the excess of
which, through inculpable ignorance and want of re-
flection on her part, was wont to carry her to such
extremes.

Her father had one day caused two dishes of

sweetmeatsto be prepared for a relation of his who
had arrived at Mercatello. Ursula saw them, and
thinking it a great pity that such good things should
be wasted on a person who had already a super-
fluity of comforts, whereas the same provisions would
satisfy the hunger of a starving fellow-creature, con-
trived to break them in pieces,and so obtained leave
to dispose of them in alms. It was a laudable prac-
tice of hers at the age of five years, when she usedto
distribute her bounties, to make the objects of her
charity begin by reciting some devout prayer or the
principal points of Christian doctrine. One day, how-
ever, she met with a poor boy who manifested re-
luctance to repeat his Ave Maria. Her zeal waxed
so warm on the occasion that she gave him a push
which threw him down the steps, though he was
not seriously injured. Certainly it is a virtue to
be zealous for the glory of God and the salvation of
our neighbour; but for this very reason there is
danger of its transgressing due bounds and becom-
ing a fault, unlessit be regulatedwith a degreeof
prudence that cannot be expected from a young
child. She was so excessivelyfond of adorning the
18 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

sacred
pictureof JesusandMary,that sheseemed
to
havea holy passionfor performing
devoutfestivi-
ties there and for decoratingthe altar which she
had placedbeforeit. Shewasanxiousthat her
sistersshould do the same,and if they occasionally
appearedunwilling,shewould beat time on a box
until they complied.One day they were so busy
with their bobbinsfor making lacethat they paid no
attention whatever to her summons. Ursula felt that
it wasan affrontto Almighty God to prefer their lace-
work to assistingin a pious action; soshewent and
upsettheir whole apparatuson the floor.
Having heardthat a certainpotter of the adjacent
country led a wicked life, and being aware that trials
will sometimes
bring backthe wandererinto the right
path, perceiving, moreover, as she was passing by his
shop, a good many of his newly made vesselsexposed
to the air to harden, shewith her small fingers bored
holes in a good many of them. It pleased God to
overrule this well-meant severity on the part of the
child, and to make it instrumental to the conversion
of the wretched man.
In her seventhyear shenoticedthat a youngman,
her cousin,was much attachedto the things of the
world, so she invited him to play at fencing with
her, and for the purposeof rescuinghim from the
perils to which he was exposedabroad,she gave
him a slight wound in the side, which forced him to
confine himself to the house for some little time.
Oneday,being disedifiedby a certain action of a
domesticof the family, her indignation on accountof
the offencethus committedagainstGod carriedher so
far asto give the womana box on the ear; shemore-
over requestedher father to dismiss the servant from
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. ID

his establishment;and her petition beinggranted,it

appearedto her that shehad done a very right thing.
Such were the faults of our Saint's childhood,
which, however objectionablein themselves,demon-
strate the existence in her heart of a large fund of
charity, religion, and zeal; and although when we
bear in mind her extreme youth, they may attract
our admiration as taking their rise in extraordi-
nary virtue, we must not attempt to imitate them.
She herself viewed them with far different eyeswhen
she had becomea religious, and had attained to
maturity in knowledge,and to far greater perfection
in virtue ; then she was wont to mention them with
deepregretand confusion,thoughin speakingof them
to her directors she could not deny that the motives
which had promptedthem weregood. Still later in
life, on the morning of the first Sundayin Advent,
which fell on the 2nd of December, in the year
1702,our Lord permittedfor her purificationthat she
should see the defects of her early childhood under
the symbol of a heart of steel; and so painfully was
shethen madeconscious of havingfailedto correspond
with the high favoursbestowedon her at that tender
age, that in the agony of her self-reproach,she
would fain have hidden herself from that harrow-
ing spectaclein the lowest depths of hell. We
learn this incident from an entry in the diary of
Father UbaldoAntonio Cappelletti,oneof her princi-
pal directors. After shehad refinedher heart in the
crucible of intense contrition, it was shown to her
again in a stateof silver whiteness,and at length as
possessingthe quality of pure gold, and this was
emblematic of her progressive
fidelityto grace. The
All-Holy seesthingsfar otherwisethan shortsighted
20 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

man! Still it is our duty to blessthat Divine liberality

which sowedsuch plenteousseedin the soul of His
servantduring the spring-timeof her life, and assisted
her in realising suchrich harvestsof virtue asthose
we have been contemplating.

CHAPTER IV.

HER FATHER REMOVES WITH URSULA AND HER

SISTERS TO PIACENZA, WHERE AT THE AGE OF

TEN SHE MAKES HER FIRST COMMUNION.-WHEN

TWELVE YEARS OLD SHE BEGINS TO PRACTISE

MENTAL PRAYER.

AFTER the death of Ursula's mother, which was re-

lated in our second chapter, when the subject of our
history was between four and five years old, her father
formed the intention of transferring his residence to
Piacenza. Ursulina, as she was familiarly called,re-
mained for a time in her native place with her sisters
underthe careof one of her uncles. At the age of
sevenher soul wasfortified by receivingthe sacrament
of Confirmationfrom the handsof MonsignorOnorati,
Bishop of the diocese,within the walls of the same
church\vhereshehadbeenbaptised.On this occasion,
accordingto the attestationof SisterFlorida Ceoli,in
the processof S.Veronica's canonization,the sistersand
directorsof the little girl asserted
that her godmother
sawher guardianangelvisibly standingat her side.
About this time shehad otherimportantvisions,
aswelearnfromherownwritings." I remember," she
says, " that at the ageof sevenor eight years,Jesus
appeared
to meon twodifferentoccasions
in Holy
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 21

Weekall coveredwith wounds, and told me that I

shouldbe devotedto His mostsacredPassion,having
saidwhich, He vanishedfrom my sight. I wept ex-
cessively,and whenever I heard any mention made of
the sufferings of our Lord, I felt in my heart some-
thing which I cannot express; and whatever I did
I offered up with the intention of honouring His
Passion. I was desirousof asking my confessorto
give me somepenanceto perform; but whenI found
myselfwith him, my lips were closedon the subject.
Out of my own headI managed,however,to practise
mortifications without permission from any one (a
thing not to be imitated)-such as the use of the dis-
cipline, walking on bare knees, pricking myself with
pins, kissing some revolting object, or chastising my-
self with nettles. When I knew of other persons
doingpenance,
I went straightwaybeforethepictureof
my Saviour, and said to Him, ' Lord, if I had but the
instruments which others have, I would do as they do,
but as I have not got them, I offer Thee at least this
my desire.' Our Lord also permits me to recall such
loving communications as the following, which He
often condescended to bestow on me at the time of
whichI am speaking. I had intendedto engagein a
certain pastime or amusement at a particular hour,
and I did not perceivethat the time fixed had already
arrived. So our BlessedLord said to me interiorly ;
' I am thy true pleasure. What dost thou seek?
What dost thou desire'? To which I answered,' Lord,
for Thy love I wishto deprivemyselfof that promised
amusement.' These words Averespoken to me, but
how I know not. At other times when I looked at the
crucifix, it spoke thus to me interiorly : ' I will be thy
Guide and thy Spouse;' and then I would open wide
22 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

my armsandsay:' I amdetermined
to beThySpouse,
0 Lord, and no oneshallmovemefrom this purpose.
I declareit frommy heart. Oh let meneverbe sepa-
rated from Thee.'"

Shehadnot quite completed

her eighthyearwhen
her father,who had obtainedthe lucrativeandhonour-
able post of superintendent
of financeat Piacenza,
summoned hiswholefamilyto join himthere. Ursula
andher sisterscontinuedto pursuetheir devoutoccu-
pations; and the former gave proofsof suchuncom-
mon virtue, that in her tenth year shewas considered
fit to make her first Communion. She had previously
manifestedthe most ardent desire to do so; nor in-
deed could it be otherwise, considering the rare pri-
vilegeswhich she had already enjoyedin connection
with this Divine Sacrament. We can easily conceive
the fervourwith which sheapproached
the sacredban-
quet for the first time, on the Feast of the Purifica-
tion of the BlessedVirgin in the year 1670. She felt
on this occasiona sensible flame burning within her,
which continued even after she had returned home,
but imagining that this wasone of the ordinary effects
of holy Communion, she asked her sisters with holy
simplicityhow long the warm glow would last. Per-
ceiving their surprise at the question, she inferred
that her well-belovedLord had granted to her a
peculiar favour, and accordinglysaid no more, but
took careto obtain permissionto communicateas often
aspossible,receivingthe Breadof Heavenwith great
jubilation and profit.
Her communications with God became likewise
more frequent. One day she heard a voice from the
picture of our Divine Saviour pronouncethese words,
" To war ! to war !" Ursulabeingonly ten yearsold,
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 23

concludedin all simplicity that she was herebyin-

vited literally to take up arms, for at that time the
wars in the neighbourhood formed the principal
topic of conversation at Piacenza. So she requested
one of her cousins who was then staying at the
house to teach her the art of fencing. But when
she commenced this exercise, the Infant Jesus ap-
peared to her, and reproved her for having so
utterly misinterpreted His words; since no other
speciesof warfare had been meant than that which
travellers through this life are called upon to wage
with the devil, the world, and the flesh. The good
damsel turned pale at hearing this rebuke, and re-
solved to be henceforth on her guard against these
foes; nor did she ever shrink from marching cou-
rageously to the fight, whence she was wont to re-
turn victorious, conquering her deadly enemies in
many a mortal encounter, as we shall hereafter
see.

As soon as she heard that prayer and meditation

were the best arms to have recourse to in such a con-

flict, she was anxious to avail herself of them. We

learn how she commencedthe latter of these holy
practices, and what fruit she derived from it, in a
document which she wrote under obedience to her

directors. " When I was about twelve years old," she

says, "I remember that I often wished to engage
in mental prayer,but I was not acquaintedwith the
proper method. I spoke to my confessorabout it, but
he knew well the naughtinessof my disposition,and
consideredthat so devout an exercisewas only fit for
good people, who were thoroughly grounded in
virtue. In me he saw nothing but inconstancy
and fickleness. It is true that I had paid some
24 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

attentionto dressingmy little altars, andwhile so

doinghadfelt somesort of devotion. WhenI had
finishedarrangingthem,I usedto fall on my knees,
andcontinuein that positionfor a longspaceof time,
but howI employed myselfontheseoccasions,I know
not. I seemedto be in a kind of ecstasy,and I en-
joyed so greatdelight,that I caredneitherfor my
food nor anything else. I usedto be filled with
a desire that all creaturesshould praise and glo-
rify God. I would then earnestlyentreatmy sisters
to comeand sing with me, and when they did so I
experiencedthe 'greatest consolation. When my
father returned home, I called him also, and per-
suadedhim to join in our devotions.
"' When Christmas arrived, I could not contain myself
for joy, and often whenI contemplatedthe Babe in
the stable of the Nativity, I seemedto behold Him
surrounded with splendour; and He attracted me to
Himself in an indescribable union. I was not in the

habit of mentioning these occurrencesto any one,

nor did I turn them to the account which I

ought to have done, but relapsed into my childish

ways. On the days when I went to holy Com-
munion, I found my sole delight in my little ora-
tory, and although I had learned nothing of the
science of mental prayer, niy whole mind used to
be recollected in God. I seemed to feel our Lord
within my heart in a peculiar manner, and thus
I got somewhat into the habit of meditation. The
longer I was thus engaged,the sweeter I found
it. An interior light representedto me the fleeting-
natureof earthly things,[andthis mademe desirousto
leaveall. I felt that nonewasgoodbut God alone. So
muchthe morewasmy intention confirmedof becom-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 25

ing a religious. A desirefor sufferingsappearsto have

possessedme from infancy as well as in riper years ;
but strangeto say,I profited nothing by all this, for
no soonerhad I left the spot than I was sure to do
something which displeasedothers."
It is striking to observe, in this her own account,
the combinationof humility and ingenuitywhich led
her to exaggerateher faults; but still more worthy
of our attention and admiration are the various pro-
cessesby which Almighty God drew her soul by
degreesunto Himself, separating
her with equalpower
and sweetness from every obstacle that corrupt
naturemight opposeto the desiredunion. It will be
interesting to refer once more to our Saint's own
narrative, which contains a brief outline of the
remainder of her life in the world. ''Although,"
she resumes, " I attempted to recreate my mind
with worldly trifles, it was absorbed nevertheless
in God alone. As far as I can remember, it was
the Passion of Christ which especially moved me,
and from time to time excited me to tears. The
more I exercisedmyself in mental prayer, the greater
became my aversion from the things of the world.
Sometimes I was enlightened in the way of self-
knowledge, but of this I said nothing to my confessor.
Lights like these caused me to press forward in the
path of prayer, and in order to secureleisure for this
without being observed,I desired the maid to wake
me very early. When she did so I rose promptly,
and went on meditating for many hours, but I can-
not describe the method which I pursued. I know,
however, that when it was over, I experienced a
certain fervour, which made me willing to per-
form all the laborious work of the house; I was not,
26 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

however,allowedto undertakethis. It was seldom

that I withdrew from meditation without our Lord
havingtold me interiorily that I wasto be His spouse.
This strengthenedmy resolution of becominga nun,
and made me more and more desirous of accomplish-
ing my purpose. Whenever any particular feast
occurred,I felt as it were a flamewithin my heart,
which gavenewlife to my whole being. I couldnot
rest, but ran continually about the house like one
deranged,so that I sometimesmade those who saw
me smile. I found my chief delight in dressing little
altars; and though I could not do this so conveniently
in my uncle's house,I did not altogether lay aside ths
practice. For work I had no great genius; notwith-
standing which, I managed to get through as much
in an hour as another person in a day. I did not
regret the circumstanceof being taught nothing,
for whatever I saw others do, I had courageto
attempt myself. I was a perfect cross to every
one; and yet I know not how it cameto pass,they
were all fond of me, and showedgreat partiality
for me. Sometimes I reflected on this treatment,
which caused me extreme surprise. No one scolded
me, although my delinquencies were numberless. I
was by nature passionate; every trifle excited me to
irritation, and if it was a seriousannoyancewhich
befell me, I stampedon the ground like a horse; all
which, believe me, was downright naughtiness,for
I had never any sufficientground for provocation.
FrequentlyI took it into my headto wish earnestly
for a thing, being desirous that matters should turn
out accordingto my fancy. I felt interiorily warned
to mortify myself, but, alas ! I did not listen to this
voice. It jseemedto me that when I set myselfto-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 27

meditate, our Lord taught me what was His "Will

concerning me; but I thought this might be merely
my imagination; however, I continued to feel what
I have described. Much good aroseout of this ; I
began to accustom myself to silence, which I found
conducive to recollection ; and whereas I had pre-
viously paid little attention to mortification, I was
now led to practiseit habitually. Thus by degrees
my thirst after sufferingsincreasedyet more and
more. I often rose in the night and made a little
meditation. My attention was fixed to a certain de-
gree, but I did not think myself thoroughly recollected.
In this mannerpassedthe two last yearswhich I
spent in the world; they were the fourteenth and
fifteenth of my age. I was subject at that period
to many vain things, and they often afforded me a
certain sort of satisfaction; but at the very moment
of so yielding I felt the reproving whisper of conscience*
which left me no peace until I had commencedthe
task of getting rid of my follies."
Such were the first beginningsof those high gifts of
prayer and contemplation to which, as we shall see,
shesubsequentlyattained in religion. But let it not
be supposedthat such exerciseswere always pleasing
and delightful entertainmentsto her soul. " God only
knows what I have endured," shesays, while describ-
ing the cruel temptations and difficulties, besides
the darknessof mind and dryness of affectionswhich
she had often to encounter, but which she at length
vanquished, triumphing over every obstacle by the
force of holy perseverance.
28 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

CHAPTER V.

THE RICH FRUIT WHICH SHE GATHERED FROM THE

EXERCISE OF MEDITATION.-THE FIRST INSTANCES
OF OPPOSITION TO HER RELIGIOUS VOCATION WHICH
SHE HAD TO ENCOUNTER AT PIACEXZA.

WE havealreadyseenin the accountwhich shegives

us of herself some of the advantageswhich our
Saint derived from the practice of mental prayer,
but still greater oneswill be relatedin the present
chapter. First, we may remark her increasedde-
sire for sufferings,a disposition which constitutes
the surest foundation for true virtue ; and with
this was combined still greater fervour at her com-
munions. " The more I persevered in meditation "
(it is thus she writes of herself at the age of
fourteen) " the greater became my wish to sutler;
and as my confessor would not grant me pen-
ances, I knew not what to do. However, I renewed
my entreaties, and he yielded to my importunity,
permitting me to use hair-cloth and the discipline
three times a week. This I accordinglydid, but
it appearedto me a mere nothing. On my commu-
nion-daysI could not contain myself for joy; it
seemed to me that I then heard an interior voice,
which said, ' Behold, here I am with thee/ I felt
that thesewerethe wordsof our Lord, for they caused
me to pass as it were from a state of death to one of
life, and enkindled such a fire within me that I was
sometimes asked what was the matter with me. Still
I took painsto concealwhat passedwithin me."
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 29

But the most satisfactoryevidenceof her graces

is afforded by the uncommon strength of mind by
\vhich she was enabled to repel and subdue the
attacks of her spiritual enemies on many occasions
which were fraught with danger to her innocence.
It must be observed that the arrangements of the
house were very different during her mother's life-
time, and after her death. Her mother had been
to the last so desirous of giving her young daugh-
ters a good and careful education, that she always
kept them in a kind of monastic seclusion. Their
days were passed in retirement, amid industrious
occupations and devout exercises. But after her
death, though the father of our Ursulina, then in
her fifth year, was also pious, the same strict super-
vision was no longer exercisedover the establishment.
And unfortunately, when the family removed to
Piacenza, the smiles of fortune and the pomp of
wealth which his new position enabled him to
enjoy in that illustrious city, induced him to desire
that his daughters should share in his elevation. It
is beautiful to observe the candid and yet humble
manner in which Ursula speaks of this event. " As
soon as we arrived there," she says, speaking of Pia-
"
cenza, my father gave orders that we should be
dressed in a style suitable to his rank: he provided
us also with men-servants and maid-servants. You
canimaginemy astonishmentat the sight of somuch
splendour,for we had been accustomedto live in a
plain way, and had never been treated like great
ladies before. Still it was necessaryto acquiescein
this change,and in fact I found it pleasantto do so."
The evil one, however, who is ever on the watch
to let no occasion slip of doing us harm, one day
"30 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

laid a snarefor Ursula. The young ladies having

beenleft in the chargeof thoughtlessand mercenary
attendants,a maid suggestedto our Saint, who was
now about fourteen years old, that she should go
into a gardencloseat hand, in order to gather
certain herbs for the kitchen. Ursula objected
strongly,becausethere was a narrowlaneleadingto
this placethrough which she did not like to walk
alone. But, as the indiscreetdomesticcontinuedto
pressthe matter,promisingto keepher eyeon her
young mistressfrom the window, Ursula at length
madethe sign of the cross,and invoking her guar-
dian angel as she was in the habit of doing, left
the house. She had scarcely set foot out of doors,
when she beheld a profligate youth behaving im-
properly to a girl no less ill-conductedthan him-
self. The innocent Ursula was shocked, and re-
buked them sharply; but they only laughed at her,
calling her " a scrupulous fool," and threatening to
beat her. She went on, however, to the garden,
whence she returned some time after with the
herbs, when she saw the same scene being enacted
in the same spot; she therefore hurried home, and,
as she stood on the threshold, said to herself,
"It must surely be the devil." Looking back into
the lane, she could see no one, neither had the
maid seenany one from the window. Some years
after, she was informed by God in a vision, that
the wretchesshe had seenwere two demons,who
wished,by meansof wicked example,to destroyher
virtue, which would have failed if her heart had not
beenarmedby the practiceof meditationand by
specialprotectionfrom above.
She had to sustain a still severertrial at the hands
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 31

of her father, Avho,through a fond but mistaken affec-

tion, had set his heart on seeingher married. He
accordingly took all manner of pains to divert her
thoughts from the religious life to which she had so
often manifested her attachment, wishing to engage
her instead in some honourable alliance, her ex-
treme beauty having already caused her to receive
proposalsfrom several of the nobility. He took care
to supply her with every sort of amusement, and
invited to his house young gentlemen of attractive
qualities, whose fascinating conversation might instil
into her mind desires for the world, and assist
in realising his ill-conceived plan. The heart of
Ursula had to encounter many violent assaults, but
she shielded herself against them by prayer, as we
shall seemore clearly from her own account. " Our
father desired," she writes, " that I should be more
richly adorned than the others, and was in the habit
of presenting me with various articles of fashion-
able attire. He was so fond of me that, whenever
he was at home, he invariably wished to have me
at his side. I was gratified by all this, but I
presently began to perceive that it was no wish
of his that I should be a nun " he told me that
I ought to be married, and that as long as he
lived, he wished me never to leave him. I was
deeply grieved at this discovery, as my desire to
becomea religious was ever on the increase. I told
him this, but I could get no one to believe me
or take my part, least of all my father, who even
wept, and absolutely declared that he would not suffer
me to do as I proposed; and, in order to divert me from
the thought of it, he would frequentlybring home
with him other gentlemen,and summonme to join
 32 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

them. In their presencehe would promiseme every

sort of excursion and pleasure,and our visitors
would unite their voices with his. They painted
worldly enjoymentsin glowing colours,hoping to
make me long for them. But the effect produced
was the very opposite of what they wished; I
conceiveda perfect nauseafor the things of the
world, and could not bear to hear them spoken of;
several times I told them as much, recommending
them to spare me such descriptions,becausethe more
I heard of such matters, the less I liked them. It
wasof no use,however,and I had to go throughthe
same ordeal every day. For a long time I bore it
patiently; but at last I declaredin the presenceof
them all, that such conversation was odious to me,
and that I could endure it no longer, expressing in
conclusion my compassionfor the miseries of poor
worldlings. I was as quiet as I could, because I
knew that my father was delighted to hear me talk :
and though I did everything I could against his
wishes, it all went for nothing; for he continued
to be very fond of me. Sometimes he would come
to me and say: ' I wish to pleaseyou in every-
thing ; only do not becomea nun.' At these words
he would shed tears of tender affection. I used
to reply -. ' If you wish to please me, I ask no
other favour but that you place me in a convent.
All my desires will then be gratified. Grant me
this satisfaction: it will fill me with joy, and you
will see that it will turn out to be a consolation to
yourself also.'"
Herfather,continuingasaversefromthis arrange-
ment as ever, and perceiving that all his artifices
and caresses
had no powerto changethe mind of his
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 33

daughter, thought it time to have recourse to more

efficaciousmeasures. He got several devout persons
to speak to her, and wean her if possible from the
object of her holy desires. But the more they said
to her on the subject, the stronger she felt her voca-
tion to be. On retiring to her room to pray before
a picture of our Divine Saviour, she seemedto hear
sensibly the assurancethat she should be His Spouse;
and this imparted such vigour to her determination
that, laying aside all timidity, she thus courageously
replied to their persuasions: "Whatever you may
do, I shall really be a nun : it is impossible that iny
resolution should change; on the contrary, I feel
that it gains strength every day." Her father, see-
ing that this device had failed, conceived the in-
genious design of touching a more tender chord. He
was aware of the strong mutual affection subsisting
between Ursula and her sisters; indeed she seemed
to him incapable of living without them. So oneday
he reminded her that if she entered a cloister, she
would not be able to take her sisters with her. But she
was not at all alarmed at this suggestion,and frankly
replied that to leave father, sisters,and every prospect
of temporal advantage, was nothing in her eyes. She
then returned to the sacred picture which we have
already mentioned, and thus addressedour Saviour :
"My Lord, I wish to be entirely Thine; do not for-
sakeme." Again sheenjoyeda freshconvictionthat
she was to be His Spouse; and at that moment a
beautyso new and lovely appearedon the adorable
countenance representedby the picture,that it could
no longer be recognisedas the same: Ursula,there-
fore, always carried it with her, even into the con-
3
34 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

vent, althoughshewasnot permittedto keepit in

her cell.
Her father,however, would not yet yield the vic-
tory, but thoughtto subdue
her constancy by another
method. He droppedthe subjectof marriage,and
did not openlycontradicther expressed desire of
entering religion; but he contrived artfully to insin-
uate that he wished to keep her with him aslong as
he lived, and to appoint her mistressof his house.
He began accordinglyto teach her the mysteries
of housekeeping,previously to entrusting her with the
chargeof his establishment. He suggested
from time
to time that after all he was her parent, and that a
daughter could not refuse the only consolation which
he required of IHT. To these touching entreaties
she replied respectfully, but with supernatural firm-
ness : " What must I do if I feel that it is our Lord's
Will that I should be His Spouse1 God is surely my
Father in the highest sense. I must obey Him, and
you also. It is necessaryfor you, therefore, to be
resigned to His Will. He wishes to receive this offer-
ing at your hands. Will not you present Him with
that which wasHis own gift? In fact, I am no longer
yours-I am the property of my Lord alone." Her
father wasboth amazedand softenedby this reply.
"You are perfectly right," he said; "I consent that
you shouldfollow our Lord. I wish to pleaseyou,
and will evenlet you be a nun." The holy maiden
was rejoiced,believing that the desiredvictory was
now completely gained.
Shementionsin her writings a still greatertempta-
tion which she had to endure after this at Piacenza.
There was a young kinsman of hers whom her father
insistedon keepingin closeattendanceupon her. In
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 35

order to excuseher father, Ursula with great hu-

mility lays all the blame on her own weakness. This
youth, whether prompted by mischievous motives of
his own, or at the instigation of our Saint'sfather,
gave her no respite from worldly conversation, and
would represent himself as the ambassadorof one
suitor after another, who aspired to the honour
of her hand. But Ursula, faithful to her resolution,
manifested a total indifference to these repeated
addresses. One day, however, her holy indignation
rose so high, that she replied to him with decision:-
" Have the goodnessto be silent, or I must leave the
room. You ought not to bring me such messagesas
these. I know nothing of any of these persons, nor
do I wish to be acquainted with one of them. Jesus
is my Spouse-the Object of my desires-He is mine !"
On another occasionthe same young man presumed
to bring her a bouquet of flowers as an offering
from her lovers; but she would not even touch
them, and obliged him to throw them out of the
window. " All these things," concludesUrsula, " in-
structed me in the deceits of Satan."

CHAPTER VI.

URSULA IS SENT BACK TO MERCATELLO, WHERE SHE

RESIDES IN THE HOUSE OF HER UNCLE. NEW

TRIALS OF HER VOCATION. AT LENGTH HER

FATHER YIELDS TO HER INFLUENCE AND REPENTS,

ENDING HIS LIFE WITH CERTAIN MARKS OF ETER-

NAL SALVATION.

THEY had now lived at Piacenzafor three years, and

all the allurements which had been tried by ' her
3-2
36 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

friends at home, by the servants,and, aboveall, by

her father, having failedto alter the firm determina-
tion of the holy maiden,it was resolved that she
and her sisters shouldbe placed under the roof of
one of her uncles at Mercatello. The hope was not
altogether abandonedof subduingher constancyby
fresh contrivancesat a future day. Her father des-
patched the necessaryinstructions to his brother,
which either by inspiration, or some other means,
cameto the knowledge of Ursula, for she mentions
them in her writings. It was requested that the
whole family should take pains to anticipate all
her wishes, and endeavour to please her in all
tilings. It was expressly directed that no one
should speak in her presence of nuns or convents;
all which injunctions were carefully attended to.
Meanwhile two of her elder sisters entered the
convent of S. Clare at Mercatello, "which circum-
stance,"she writes, " inflamedmy longings,so that I
had no peace. It was not so much that I bewailed
their departure,but that I fearedthere wasno prospect
of my following their example. I recommendedmy
caseto our Lord; but as yet the door seemed more
than ever closed against my desire. I was deeply
afflicted, and becameso sad that I expectedsome
great sicknessto befallme, asreally cameto pass."
Shewastaken ill of a maladyso strangethat the
physicianswere unable to understandit, nor could
they discoverany efficientremedy. This might well
be the case, for it was a complaint more of the
mind than of the body. Someservants of the esta-
blishment,guessinghow things were,beganoneday to
talk to her about nuns, at which her spirits imme-
diately rose. She presentlyrelapsedinto her usual
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 37

languid state,and wasagain revived by meansof the

sameconversation. This happened several times, so
that her father came to be informed of it. He, in
order to gain time, compromisedthe matter by consent-
ing that application for her admission should be made
at two different religious houses,the namesof which are
not specifiedin the processof her canonization. This
permission was no sooner obtained, and made known
to the holy maiden, the choice between the two con-
ventsbeingleft to her own selection,than sherallied
as it were from the brink of the grave, rose from her
bed, and immediately recoveredperfect health.
After this every thought of tormenting her on the
subjectought to have been laid aside for ever. Never-
theless one of her two sisters who were about to be
clothed in the above-mentioned convent at Mercatello,
was instigated by her father to persuade Ursula, if
possible, to contemplate marriage. But the latter,
with an air of extreme displeasure, reproved her in
the following severe words :-" I warn you to say no
more on the matter. If you insist on pursuing the
subject you will see me no more. And you as a
religious should be ashamed to choose such a theme
for conversation,
and onesocontraryto the sentiments
of S. Clare, who exhorted her sister to enter religion,
not to engage in the vanities of the world." When
her father heard this, he seemedat length fully con-
vinced,and againgrantedhis daughterthe permission
for which she sighed.
In justice to the characterof this gentleman,who
certainlytransgressedlegitimateboundsin thus trying
the vocation of his child, we may be permitted to
make a brief digressionfor the purposeof mentioning
his subsequentcontrition for the course he took,
38 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

which repentancehe sealedby a truly Christian death.

Our doing so will make our narrative more clear,
and be peculiarly acceptableto our Saint, for she
was careful to hand down to us the record of it in
her writings. It will be seenfrom the accountwhich
is here subjoined that this change in his views must
be attributed to the zeal and prayers of his saintly
daughter. She had observedthe worldlinessof his
life, and was particularly pained by his disedifying
conduct at Piacenza with regard to his daughters.
Often she felt moved to venture on some remon-
strance, but was restrained by filial respect, so that
she never dropped more than a few gentle hints.
One day, however, when he was entreating her
to give up the idea of being a nun during his
lifetime, she felt moved by an extraordinary impulse
to reply: " If I becomea religious now, you at the
moment of death will be spared the thought of
having refused me. Since we have time now, let us
not count upon it then. The affairs of this life pass like
the wind, and at the hour of your departurehence
you will enjoy greatpeaceif your soul hasbeenduly
provided for, but that is a matter in which my pre-
sencecould not help you. Now that you have time,
consider what is the duty of a faithful Christian,
namely, to make a good confession." At these words
his countenance changed, and he asked : " Why do
you speak to me thus ?" Ursula answered: " Be-
causeI feelinspiredto do so." In fact it wasa long-
time since her father had been to confession. Not
long after this conversation he approachedthe sacred
tribunal, and whenever his daughter suggested some
holy maxim to his mind, he wasevidently touchedby
a feelingof compunction.On her return to Mercatello
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 39

shereproachedherself severelyfor not having spoken

more plainly than she had done, and shewrote him
a letter, in which she declares that she did her best
accordingto her knowledge of his spiritual neces-
sities. Not long afterwards, when shehad entered re-
ligion, he camefrom Piacenza to Citta di Castello to
visit her, and declared that her words had excited
him to lead a Christian life, concluding by thus
appealing to her : " Dear child, to you I commit the
care of my soul; let it be your endeavourto assistme
in life and after death !" She gave him the required
promise, which she faithfully and fervently fulfilled.
A few years after this interview, Almighty God
showed her in a dream by night her father dangerously
ill, and this so alarmed the holy daughter that she
arose and earnestly recommendedhim to our Lord.
The following night she beheld him in his last
agony, shortly after which he expired. When
she related these circumstances to the nuns, they
advised her to consider it all as a work of the

imagination ; and she was partly disposed to coin-

cide with their opinion, because she had very
lately received letters from him. Still she could not
throw off the impression of Avhat she had.seen, and
from time to time shewept bitterly, feeling, as she
truly expressedit, that her heart was bursting with
.grief; and her visions proved correct, for ere long
'the news arrived, »and it was known that her
father had died after a short illness at the pre-
cise moment that she had witnessed his decease in her
slumbers. She began without delay to offer many
.prayersfor the reposeof his soul, and our Lord
vouchsafed to hear her. She was first permitted to
behold him in a place so dark and fearful that she
40 S. ATSRONICA GIULIANI.

doubted whether it were not hell itself; but thinking

that this ideawassuggested
by the devil,sheprayed
for him the more. Then he turned to look at her from
the midst of his torments, and seemedto pronounce
thesewords," It rests with thee to obtain mercy for
me !" As may be conceived, she did not spareherself.
After performinga numberof penances and prayers,
she beheldhim again, and now his sufferingswore
greatly alleviated. Thepiousdaughtercontinuingher
suffrageson his behalf,our Lord one daywas pleased
to say to her, " Take comfort, for on the feast of S.
('l;iro I will deliver thy father's soul from its present
abode of pain, but if thou wouldst have it to be so,
thou on thy part must suffer much." She willingly
offered herself to endure all, and severely did she
penanceherself to procure him solace. On the feast
of S. Clare, she saw that he was still in purgatory,
but no longer in the same place of extreme suf-
fering. Her perseverance in prayer at length in-
duced our Lord to assure her that her father

should be liberated altogether on the coming fes-

tival of the Nativity. It is thus that she relates
the event. " On Christmas night I saw him in
purgatory, and in a moment an angel seemed to
take him thence by the hand; and I beheld my
father in the same form and appearancethat he had
possessedin life, and clothed in white. He ac-
costed me, and thanked me for all the charity I had
shoAvnhim. Suddenly he appeared to become en-
veloped in radiance, and his human figure could
be distinguished no more. In company with the
angel he vanished, and I understood that the most
holy Virgin had obtained this favour for me on
this sacred night. I was confirmedin this idea
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 41

the following morning; for after Communion,the

soul of my father appearedto me again, all beauti-
ful and resplendent,and informed me that many
others had been also releasedfrom the pains of pur-
gatory ; indeed these newly ransomed prisoners Avere
visible to me in great numbers,and I think that
on two or three occasions,1 enjoyed a renewal of this
blessedassurance.My pen is incapableof express-
ing the consolation which was thereby conveyed to
me."

Behold how Avonderful are the privileges which

fathers may expect to receive from the hands of holy
children ! Such instances as these should excite all
parents to conduct their families in the Avays of
God. If Francesco Giuliani had not possessedso
saintly a daughter, he would perhaps have been
lost for ever; or at all events, the extent of his
sufferings in purgatory might have surpassedall con-
ception.

CHAPTER VII.

HAVING RECEIVED THE DESIRED CONSENT OF HER

FATHER, URSULA PROCURES IN AN EXTRAORDI-

NARY WAY HER ADMISSION AMONG THE CAPUCHIN

NUNS OF CITTA. DI CASTELLO.

To resume the thread of our narrative. As soon

as Ursula had obtained the permission to become
a nun, Avhichsheso muchlongedfor, shefelt readyto
go into any conventwhich her friends might desire
for her; still she Avasexcessivelyanxious that it
42 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

should be one of the stricter order of religious.

Having heardmuchpraiseof the monasteryof Capu-
chin nuns at Citta di Castello, she informed her
family that she wished to make it her choice,al-
though in the houseof S. Clarein the city of Mer-
catello,her birth-place,she had already three sisters
in religion, namely Sister Mary Kose, Sister Anna
Maria, and Sister Louisa, of whom she was ex-
tremely fond. Having written to her father on the
subject, she received for answer that in this also
sheshouldbe gratified. Her uncle accordinglytook
her to Citta di Castello,that she might ask admis-
sion into the above-mentioned convent from its eccle-

siastical superior the bishop, who was no other than

Monsignor GiuseppeSebastiani,a man of such dis-
tinguished sanctity, that to this day his name is never
mentioned in the diocese without the title of Vener-
able being prefixed to it.
When Ursula and her uncle had been presentedto
his lordship, and when the wishes of the former
had been expressed,the bishop informed them that
there was no vacancyin that particular convent,the
last having been just filled by the admissionof a
young woman of the city, who was afterwards called
in religion Sister Clare Felix. Poor Ursula was dis-
consolateat this reply, and having no other alterna-
tive to propose,she took her departure. But while
they were descendingthe stepsof the palace, she
felt movedby someinfluencefrom aboveto request
her uncle to return with her to the bishop's pre-
sence. Being again admitted to an audience, the
young girl threw herself on her knees before his
lordship, andwith the mosthumble,yet fervent en-
treaties conjured him to grant her the consolation she
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 43

implored; and this she did so effectually that the

good bishop was persuaded to make an exception
in her favour by conceding the boon she asked.
He then put several questions to her, inquiring
among other things if she could read Latin. Her
uncle replied that she could not, but Ursula, in-
cited by some extraordinary impulse, and by a
lively confidence in God, took a breviary out of
his lordship's hand, and read aloud from it with
masterly easeand precision, in a manner which showed
that she understood the meaning perfectly. Her
uncle exclaimed in astonishment-" This is certainly
a miracle !" And such it really was, for she had
never learned Latin. The miracle was moreover a

permanent one, for from that time she was always

able to read the language fluently, and to quote
it with intelligence and accuracy. The good prelate
being struck by this occurrence,and still more by the
rare innocence and virtue apparent in her replies,
promised to obtain what she desired, from
the nuns; and then dismissed the grateful Ursula.
He presently went to the convent, and by his repre-
sentations of the valuable acquisition which this
new postulant would prove to the community, the
religious were all induced to accept her, although
by so doing they would exceed their p rescribed
number.

As soonas the day arrivedwhen the questionof

her admission was to be formally proposedin chapter,
our Saint repaired to their church to await the re-
sult. The young personwe have alreadymentioned
as having obtained the vacancya few days before,
was likewise there, as the ballot was to decide
her lot alsoon the presentoccasion. From her state-
44 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

ment we learn the following particulars:-Ursula

havingprostratedherselfin prayer,most earnestly
supplicatedher heavenlySpouseto accomplishher
ardentdesires. Ere long thenewsarrivedthat they
wereboth accepted, and soonthe father confessor
came to the altar and invested Ursula with the sacred
cord,after the customof the house. We will refer
to the testimony which her companiondeposedon
oath in the processof canonizationin order to form
an ideaof the excessof joy and rapture into which
the Saint was thrown on this occasion. " After
we had received notice of our acceptance," she de-
clares, "and when the father confessorhad given us
the cord, we two remained alone in the church to
thank our Lord for the grace He had thus bestowed
on us; but as I knew that the mother abbess and
the religiouswere waiting for us at the communion
grate, I was just going to invite the SignoraUrsula to
accompany me, when I beheld her ravished in an
ecstasy,so that she was utterly unconsciousof my
presence; and although I attempted severaltimes to
shake her, and used force to draw her away, she did
not feel it at all. So I fell on my kneesat her side,
and let her alone." The religious,knowing nothing
of this, and beingunableto conceivethe reasonfor so
long a delay, sent one of the lay sisters who serve
outside to inform the postulants thcit the mother
abbesswas waiting for them at the grate. Then
Ursula came to herself and went with her com-
panion to answer the summons: " and the said
Signora,"continuesthe deposition," manifestedsuch
extremedelight at being now acceptedas a religious,
that it was evidenther heart wasin a stateof jubila-
tion." This happenedon the 17th of July, in the
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 45

year 1677, before she had completed her seventeenth

year.
The devil being envious of such happinessas hers
lost no time in troubling her peace; and God
permitted that it should be so for the purpose ot
testing the fidelity of His servant, and refining her
virtue. At one time the arch-fiend would draw a
picture before her eyesof the religious state, which he
painted in the blackest colours, representing it as a
life of despair ; at another time he would recall to her
mind the numerousyoung gentlemen who had desired
her in marriage, and the advantageousoffers which
shehad rejected: and then again, he would embitter
her delight in prayer by infusing into her soul
feelings of insupportable weariness. In short, it
seemed,accordingto her own expression,as though
all the powers of hell had been let loose upon
her ; " but," she continues, " I would yield to none
of them. Sometimes when I felt more harassed than
usual, I retired to my chamber alone, and relieved
myselffor awhilewith our Lord by laying the matter
before Him. I prayed to Him, asked His grace, and
implored Him never to leave me. I said to Him in
all confidence, ' Lord, Thou knowest that I am Thy
Spouse; grant that I may never be separatedfrom
Thee. I resign myself now and for ever into Thy
hands : behold I am.ready for all that it is Thy Will
to appoint. I am Thine-I am Thine-and that is
enoughfor me!'" Almighty God, Who permitted
these trials for her greater merit, deigned frequently
to encourage
her by meansof an interior voicewhich
said to her : " Be comforted, for thou art Mine. It
is My Will that thou shouldst suffer and struggle,
but fear not." And thus strengthened by the power
46 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

of divinegrace,theholymaiden
resisted
theattacks
of the tempter.

CHAPTER VIII-

HER CLOTHING. DECEITS OF THE DEVIL DURING

HER NOVICIATE.

AT lengththe\vished-for
clayarrivedwhenthissaintly
virgin was permitted to display her contempt for
the world, by enclosing herself in the garden of
her heavenly Spouse. It Avas on the liSth of
October, the feast of the holy apostlesS. Simon and
S. Jude, three months after the ceremony of her
formal admission. The bishop, Monsignor Sebas-
tiani, gave her the religious habit, and delivered
an interesting and devoutaddress. Throughoutthe
whole of this sacred function the young candidate
for the veil appeared absorbed in God; and her
entire deportment was characterised by cheerful-
ness and devotion, together with such an air of
heavenly modesty as Avell became the true spouse of
Christ. Every one present was deeply touched ; and
when the bishop commendedher to the abbess,Sister
Mary GertrudeAlbizzini, he pronouncedthis prophecy
in an undertone: "I particularly recommendto you
this new daughter,for she will one day becomea
greatsaiut." It wason this occasion
that, according
to custom,
herbaptismalnamewasexchanged for that
of Veronica, by which appellation we shall hencefor-
warddistinguish
her: it seemed
to be a presage
of
that tender and especialdevotion by which she was
hereafterto be attachedto the Passionof Jesus. She
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 47

spent the whole day in an ecstasyof joy, to which she

gave utterance by repeating the words, " Now I am
happy, now I am happy !"
Sister Teresa Ristori, who Avasdescended from a
noble Florentine family, was at that time mistress"of
the novices; she afterwards becameabbess,and was a
religious of great virtue. It was under her direction
that Veronica commenced her noviciate. This nun had
already three of her own sistersas companionsin reli-
gion-one of whom was the Sister Clare Felix men-
tioned above, the second was called Sister Diomira,
and the third was a lay sister, Giacinta. Our
Saint gave herself up from the first to the most
scrupulouspractice of perfection, and it was remarked
that evenon thefirst night, althoughshewasdispensed
from attending choir, scarcely had she heard the
first stroke of the bell than she sprang out of bed, and
repaired with the others to matins. There was no-
danger that shewould ever require more than the
first signal for obedience. She was punctual at all
the exercises of the noviciate, voluntarily under-
taking all the works of the convent, full of the
highestdevotionand mortification,strict in observing
silence,gentle in conversation,humble and pleasant
towards all, without being in the least irritated or
ruffled by any occurrence,howeveruntoward. And
thus the religious beganvery shortly to agreewith
the high opinionwhich the bishop entertainedasto
her future sanctity.
Amongall the virtues practisedby the holy novice,
that which was peculiarly worthy of admiration
at this early stage of her career, as being a sure
foundation for religious perfection, was her entire
submission to her spiritual directors. This was a
 43 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

point on which shehad beendefectiveasa secular;

for, as sheherself admitted, she had never saidone
word to her confessor,
beyondtheavowalof her faults,
howeverslight they may havebeen,and had madeno
mentionwhateverof the supernaturalgifts which she
so frequentlyenjoyed,nor of those spiritual troubles
with which the devil had done his best to agitate her
mind, for she had felt satisfied with the testimony of
a goodconscience.But she had no soonerentered
religionthan her soulwasilluminated by clearerlight,
and she becameconsciousof the various dangers
whichbesetthe path of perfectionfor thosewho guide
themselves therein by their own judgment. Hence
she was in the habit of holding long conferenceswith
her directors, in which she disclosed to them with
the most scrupulousaccuracyand minutenessevery-
thing which took place in her interior, whether for
good or evil; for she stood as much on her guard
against celestial communications and visions as she
did against manifest temptations, until she had sub-
mitted them to the scrutiny of her spiritual guides.
This practice was particularly displeasingto the
evil one, as he perceived that all hope was thus
excludedof his being able to influenceher by means
of deceptiveillusions. He accordinglycontrived a
plan for striking at the root of all. He took ad-
vantageof an opportunity which occurred,and as-
sumedthe form and appearance of the mistressof the
novices,for the purposeof gaining his object. Ve-
ronicawasalonein her cellwhenshehearda tap at
thedoor. Thinkingthatit wastheaccustomedsignal
of her mistress's
visit, shesaidimmediately,"Come
in." As soonasthe supposed
nun hadentered,
our
Saintbeganto feelextremely
uncomfortable,
somuch
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 49

so that shehardly knew how to endure the conversa-

tion which followed, finding it wearisomebeyond
expression, whereas on all former occasions when she
had seen and discoursed with the real mistress of the
novices,she had felt marvellously refreshed, whatever
fatigue she might have been previouslyundergoing.
She was struck by this extraordinarydifference,but
took care to avoid any expression of what she felt.
The artful tempter then addressedher as follows:
" There is one thing I wish to say to you, but it is on
condition that your amendmentbe shown in practice,
not in words. You must promise me that you will
not mention what I am going to say to you, either
to our extraordinary confessorwho is here at pre-
sent, or to our ordinary director, or, in fact, to any
other creature whatever. I shall speak to you very
freely, chiefly becauseI am anxious for the salvation
of your soul, as also for your welfare and that
of your confessor, who would not at all like to
suffer through you. I shall speak to you therefore
with great candour. I had foreseen that remarks
would be madeaboutboth of you,and this had given
me, as it still does,cause for much anxiety. I have
thought again and again how to remedy the evil,
and have done all I could to defend you by de-
claringthat nothingwasthe matter. But only think,
the affair is now so public that to-morrow we ex-
pect to hear that our ordinary confessoris to come
here no more, and all this on your account." At
these words Veronica felt deeply pained, but assum-
ing an air of perfectindifference,shereplied: " Ouly
tell me what the reports are concerning our con-
fessorand myself. I do not meanto allow my peace
of mind to be disturbed, becauseif these chargesare
4
50 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

true. I will endeavour to correct my conduct, and if

they are false,truth will assertits rights. As for me,
let them saywhat they will, it cannotalter the con-
fidence I have in him. Our Lord has given me grace
to declare to him whatever passeswithin me, and
this practice I intend to continue for the future."
A better reply Veronicacould not have given, nor
can we imagine one more calculated to confound
the devil: in fact the pretended mistress of the
novices was evidently perplexed. But as he did
not despairof victory in the end, he told her that
shemust never go to her confessor,not even for the
Sacramentof Penance,except in caseof necessity,such
as when there was anything on her mind which would
hinder her from communicating;but that asreligious
had seldom anything very grave to confess,Veronica
might avail herself of the permission which was now
given her oncefor all, to go to holy Communionwith-
out approaching the sacredtribunal.
Thus did Satanprolong his discourse,to the extreme
distressof the holy novice,to whosemind suchsubjects
were altogether foreign; however she restrained her-
self,andwaitedfor further explanations.The tempter
resumedwith a confidentialair :-" I must tell you
that yesterdayeveningyou were the solesubject of
conversation in the infirmary; all the sisters are
greatly scandalised;they would never have thought
of such a thing. I really am ashamedto mention it
to you, but it is said that betweenyou and your con-
fessortherehasgrownup soclosea friendshipthat
fromintimacyon spiritualmattersyouhavegoneso
far asto touchthe vergeof sin. It is said,moreover,
that the caseis soflagrant that it maypleaseGodto
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 51

causeyou both to be put under severe penance. But

as this would be] a very great dishonour to religion,
I have tried to hush up the matter by saying that I
would settle it all with you; and the best remedy
that I can think of is that you should have no more
interviews : and as to the state of your soul, strive
to conduct yourself like ordinary persons,and keep
things to yourself. Take care not to mention one
word of what I have told you, either to your ordinary
or your extraordinary director. I also put you under
obedience never again to recur to the subject even
with me, for I feel it to be an extremelyharassing
and disagreeablebusiness. I thereforestrictly enjoin
you to abstain from any allusions to it in your future
intercourse with myself; and if you comply with this
request,I shall feel sure that you will obey me in not
breathing one syllable of what has passedto your
confessor."
" I will saynothing to any one else," repliedVe-
ronica ; " I will only send for his lordship, and inform
him of all that has passed between my confessorand
myself. He shallbe the judge of what I oughtto do,
and I will repeat to him everything that you have told
me. I am certainly scandalisedthat the sistersshould
be capableof conceivingsuchabsurdsuspicions
against
so gooda servant of God (meaningher confessor) :
let them say what they pleaseof me, I more than
deservethis trial." The pretended novice-mistressbe-
camevery angry at this answer,and indignantly ex-
claimed-"I havetold you already,andI tell you again
that you are to mentionthe affair to no one. To the
bishop indeed! Godforbid that it shouldreachhis
ears ! Do as I have told you, and live in peace.
4-2
52 P. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Do not go to him, donot conversewith him (thecon-

fessor)andall will beright." Having saidthis with
an air of displeasure,
the speaker
departed.
At that moment the bell rang for Compline.
Veronicaproceeded
without delayto the choir, and
seeino-
O the real mistress of the novices on the stair-

case,she wonderedhow she could have thus got

before her : however she did not dare to ask, but
felt strongly impelled to go to her extraordinary
confessor and relate the occurrence to him. At'ti.-r
a long strugglewith herself she resolvedto do so.
When he had heard her account, he thought it over
for a time, and suspecting how things were, com-
manded Veronica to apply to her mistress, and in-
quire who were the sisterswho had made such re-
marks on herself and her ordinary director. The
novice excused herself by reminding him that in
the above-mentioned conversation her mistress had
forbidden her ever to recur to the subject. But
the prudent confessor,in order to fathom the truth,
desired Veronica to go to her as usual, and lead
the conversationindirectly to the chargesin question.
The mistress of the novices no sooner heard the first
wordson the subjectthan shepromptly and seriously
replied-"Put all such ideas out of your head; it
is impossible that any of the sisters can have said
such things. Do not trouble yourself, for I have
never heardthem say anything of the sort !" Ve-
ronica was overjoyed, and returned to her confessor
with this intelligence,which convincedhim of the
diabolicalfraud which had beenpractisedon her;
and he enjoined her to make known to her directors
without fail everythingthat shouldpassin her mind.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 53

Her mistressgave her a similar injunction, as soon

as she had heard the whole story; and all this
strengthened the holy resolution of our Saint to con-
cealnothing from her spiritual guides.
The prince of darkness was dismayedat this mor-
tifying overthrow of his machinations,which had now
recoiled upon himself. As he despaired of being able
to take away the dutiful sincerity with which Ve-
ronica treated her confessors,he resolved to sow the
seeds of discord betwixt herself and her mistress, in
whosepowerit lay to renderher very valuableassist-
ance in the interior life. He therefore had recourse
to a stratagemworthy of himself. ' Under the guise of
our young novice he entered the cell of a religious,
and with a confidential air poured forth many invec-
tives against the excellent novice-mistress,of whom
he said all the evil that he possibly could. The re-
ligious was astonished,and considered it her duty to
inform the calumniated person of what had happened,
as well for her own direction as for that of the de-
tractor. The novice-mistress,who had no suspicion
of the deceptionpractisedupon her, was sincerely
grieved, probably not so much for her own sake as for
that of the novice herself, of whom she had conceived
a very different opinion. While she was deliberat-
ing as to the courseto be pursued,shemaintained
a distant air towards the supposedoffender,rarely
even speaking to her; and this state of things went
on for three or four days. Veronica being sur-
prised at this change,and not knowing to what
causeto attribute it, adopted the best expedient
in similar cases. She went to her mistress when
the latter was alone in her cell, and in the most
humble manner, with a daughter's confidencere-
54 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

quested her to tell her sincerely what were the

groundsof her displeasure,
for that it was her great
desire to be made aware of her faults, in order that
she might correctthem. The goodnovice-mistress
then told her frankly what had beenmentionedto her.
Veronicawas both astonished andgrieved,for shehad
not only the highestesteembut the mosttender affec-
tion for this goodmother; and shesolemnlydeclared
that such calumnies had never entered her mind, and
that shehad never setfoot in the cell of any one of the,
religious. Shebeggedto be informedof the day and
the hour when so slanderousa speechwas supposedto
have been delivered -by her. On comparing notes they
both discoveredthat at the time in question our Saint
had beenin her mistress'sroom, conversingabout some
of her scruples. They were now convinced that the
whole affair was neither more nor less than a Satanic
deceit; the reputation of the novice was perfectly
cleared,and the best understanding once more pre-
vailed between herself and her excellent mistress.
The two events above related are taken from her
own writings and related very nearly in her own
words.

The evil one was dismayed at finding himself thus

for the second time overthrown by a simple novice,
but he beganto attackher againwith a multitude of
temptations. He took advantage one day of her
physical weakness and of the severe labours which
her mistressimposeduponher by way of exercise,to
suggestto her that all this was more than she could
bear,andthat shehad better declareasmuchopenlyor
put an end to her life and toils at once. It happened
that at this moment she was summoned to draw water
for the infirmary;-"I went there verycheerfully,"she
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 55

writes, " and thought asI went of the Passionof our

Kedeemer; feeling that all thesehard works, sofar
from hindering the application of my soul to God,
assistedme on the contrary to rise towards Him.
SoI waswell pleasedto undergothis smallsuffering
for the love of God.
"But when I wasjust at the head of the stairs, I felt
myself pushed so roughly that I fell from the top to
the bottom, with two pitchers in my hands. I was a
good deal hurt, but my pitchers were not broken. I
only laughed at these wiles of the devil, who was so
anxious that I should not tire myself; and I derived
fresh couragefrom each specimenof his foolish cun-
ning. I even entreatedour mother the mistressof the
novices that, whenever she had any fatiguing work
to be done, she would impose it on me for the love
of God, becausesuch employments Svere good for
me."

But Avhile the devil was doing his utmost to dis-

courageher in her noble career,our Lord was pleased
to comfort her by meansof a celestial vision. Her
mistress, in order to gratify her desires, commis-
sioned her on another occasion to provide water
for the infirmary. The place whence she had to
procure it was in a lower story. Veronica, whose
fervour knew no limits, had carried as many as
thirty pitchers full, when at length she paused
from exhaustion and pain; for the labour of going
up and down stairs so many times and with such
heavy burdens had causedblood to start from her
heels. As she stood in this condition on the landing
place,our Divine Eedeemerappearedto her, bearing
the cross on His shoulder, and thus lovingly ad-
dressedher: " Behold the crosswhich I am carrying-"
56 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.'

it is far heavierthanthine!" Thissightsorevivedher

spiritsandstrengththat shefelt nothingof the
wearinesswhich she had experienced
up to that
moment.

CHAPTER IX.

HER SOLEMN PROFESSION.-HER VIRTUE IS STRENGTH-

ENED, NOTWITHSTANDING THE ASSAULTS OF THE

DEVIL, BV SPECIAL GRACES WHICH SHE RECEIVES
FROM GOD DURING THE EARLY YEARS OF HER

RELIGIOUS LIFE.

THROUGHOUT the entire year of her noviciate Ve-

ronica had given proofs of such exalted virtue, and
the promise of such surpassing excellence, that the
religious did not for a moment hesitate to admit her
to her solemnprofession. Shewas accordinglypro-
fessedon the feast of All Saints,in the year 1678,
four days after the completion of her twelve months'
noviciate. Although, in the processof her canonization,
we find no expressmention made of the fervour with
which she performed this sacred function, whereby
she consummated
in the most perfect and acceptable
manner the sacrificeof her whole being to God, we
can easilyinfer what washer holy ardouron the oc-
casion, not only from the earnest desires which she
had cherishedfrom the earliest age to consecrate
herself unreservedlytc her heavenly Spouse,but
also from the saintly dispositionswith which she
had preparedherselffor this great event throughout
the entire year of her noviciate,and lastly from the
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 57

-extraordinarydevotion with which shewas accustomed

during eachsucceeding year of her life to commemo-
rate the two days of her clothing and profession.
For this latter ceremony she endeavoured to pre-
pare herself by prolonging her praj'ers, and practising
severer penancesand humiliations, which indeed she
carried so far as to appear before the abbess even on
the day on which she had made her vows, without the
black veil on her head, as though she had been still a
novice ; for she wished to be treated as the last and
least in the convent.
We may learn from her own written recollec-
tions what profit she derived from this exercise.
On the day of which we speak, she was recalling to
mind the readiness with which Jesus Christ in the
garden accepted from the hands of His Divine
Father the bitter chalice of His Passion, notwith-
standing the repugnance felt by His Sacred Hu-
manity. " Herein," she declares,'" I found a lesson
so striking, that at that moment I too seemed to
becomefirmly united to the Will of God, and gathered
from the mystery sufficient instruction to last the
whole of my life From time to time it ap-
peared to me that Jesus turned His eyes on me
with love, and said, ' Come to Me, come to Me,'
implying that He desired to enrich my soul with
iill His divine graces. It is impossible to describe
the feelings and lights which were granted me on
that day. I spent twenty-four hours without know-
ing whether I was in heavenor on earth." Especially
at the time of holy Communion, for which she had
taken more than usual pains to prepare herself, a rich
supply of graces was conferred upon her ; and she re-
58 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

ceived
lightandstrength wherewithto advancestill
higherin religiousperfection.Shewritesthusof
an anniversaryof her profession
:-" In holy Com-
munionI found my sensesenraptured,and myself
absorbed in the sea of divine love." Speaking of
another of these anniversaries, she says :-'( After
holy Communionit suddenly appearedto me that
from a state of recollection I passed to one of
rapture. In one moment the soul thus favoured
becomes united to God in mutual love. It seems as
though God deified the soul ; I know not how
otherwise to express it. I believe that my soul was
separatedfrom my body. I am not sure that what I
say is intelligible. I do not know if I am talking
nonsense; for it is impossible to describe what I
then felt. I believe that in that hour my soul was
truly espousedto God."
In order that the reader may not suspect any
delusion or excitement of the imagination in these
accounts, he shall hear how Veronica conducted her-
self when she was thus exalted in spirit. She
writes about the anniversary of her profession in
the year 1701 :-"This morning, shortly after com-
municating, I was suddenly in rapture, and beheld
a vision of our Lord risen from the dead. It
seems to me that I despised it as an invention
of the devil, and was firmly resolved to give him no.
such advantageover me, but rather to die than offend
God, desiringnothing but the accomplishment
of His
holy Will. I prayed to Him to deliver me from such
devicesof the enemy; protesting at the sametime
that I did not seek visions or consolations, but
only to do the Will of God, and to avoid offend
ing Him. But the vision only presented itself
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 59'

more clearly, producingwithin me a senseof com-

punction for my sins against God, throwing fresh
light on my faults, and convincingme that it was
not the work of Satan, but that of the Almighty,
Who was thus pleasedto give me new instructions
in the path of virtue. I understood in one moment
by this communication in what manner each virtue
should be practised, how each should be accom-
panied by detachment from ourselves, by faith and
hope in God, by the exerciseof the presenceof God,
by perfect love and purely for God, by holy resigna-
tion to the Divine Will, by such entire mortifica-
tion that the soul enjoys nothing but God alone, by
constant diligence, by endeavoursto avoid the notice
of creaturesso as to be known by none but God, by
voluntarily embracing all occasionsof being treated
contemptuously by others, and by going readily where
we are likely to be humbled. Whenever we prac-
tise any virtue, it should be accompanied by all
these things, especially by the grace of holy humi-
lity which renders all our actions acceptable to
God."
The visions and ecstasies of Veronica were invari-
ably followedby the holy fruits of contrition, horror
for sin, love and hope in God, entire resignation to the
divine Will, desirefor suffering,and a willing en-
duranceof every description of humiliation. It would
be absurd to supposethat such admirable dispositions
could have beenproducedby a heatedfancy, or by
him who is the deadly enemy of all virtue.
But to return to her profession. This event was not
with Veronica, as it sometimes is with lukewarm
characters,the commencementof a courseof relaxation
00 S. VERONICA. GIULIANI.

andindulgence; on thecontraryshefelt herselfbound,

as indeedshewas,to a stricterobservance of the rule
than ever,in orderthatbythe mostperfectruleof life,
the union between herself and her heavenly Spouse
might be the morestronglycemented.In order to
effect this, she not only submitted cheerfully to the
customof the convent,which required her to spend
two more years under the direction of the mistress
of the novices,in as completeobedienceas though
she had been a novice of merely a fi-w days' standing,
but she would fain have continued in that position
all her life if her superiors would have permitted
her to do so. All the witnesses who were^examined
in the preliminary as well as in the apostolic process
of her canonization (and they had been for the
most part her companionsin the cloister), have unani-
mously deposedas follows; namely, that even from
the earliestperiod of her religiouscareer,shewasre-
markable for her practice of every kind of virtue,
especially for mortification, humility, obedience,and
charity, in all which she attained to the heroic degree.
One proof of this was the vehement zeal with which
she ceased not to thirst for the conversion of sinners,
so much that she desired by means of her prayers and
sufferings to constitute herself an intercessorbetween
sinners and their God, in order that sin might be
destroyedin the world. This was so displeasingto
the devil that on these occasions he manifested his
specialresentmentby striking her heavily.
Two instances are mentioned in the account drawn
up by her for her directors, which occurred in the
early years of her religious life. " I was one
day in prayer," shewrites," beforethe mostholy Sac-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. GI

rament, pleading for certain sinners, when I felt my

heart bursting with grief, on account of the transgres-
sions which they committed against God. In my
anguishI prayedfor the salvationof their souls,and
presenting myself as an intercessorbetween them and
their Creator, I asked that I might suffer on their
behalf. All at once I felt myself struck severely and
thrown violently to the ground. I presumeit was the
devil who did this, as at the same moment I was
tempted to cease from offering myself in the capa-
city of intercessorbetween God and sinners. But with
the divine assistanceI took courage,prolonged my
prayer, and usedthe discipline for a considerablespace
of time. I believe the arch-fiendfelt himself defeated,
for he made a great disturbance in the church. It
seemedas though hell itself had been transferred to
where I was; but so far from being afraid, I despised
his ridiculous and foolish devices. The blow which
I had received on the face left behind it a bruise which
did not passoff for several days. I saw nothing, but
I heard the clankingO of chains and a noise resembling
O
the hissing of serpents.
" On another occasion,when I was at work in my
cell, I became sensibly consciousof the presence of
God, and I think at the same time God made me
aware of the precious nature of suffering. I prayed
that He would gratify me with a share in so great a
privilege ; and I also entreated Him to be pleased to
bestow the samelight on every soul, to the end that
all might be wholly united to Himself through
suffering. I particularly recommended all sinners
to the Divine Majesty. Suddenly I was made to
feel that a heavy bloAVwas aimed at my shoulder,.
'62 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

and this was accompanied

by so loud a noisein
my cell that the sisterscame knocking at the door,
to desireme to be quiet. However,I only smiled
at these insane attacks of the evil one. The pain in
my shoulderlasted a good while, so that I could
scarcelyget through my work ; but I cheerfully
offeredup this little sufferingto my God."
While the enemywas thus maddenedat behold-
ing this fervent religious making such progressin
the path of sanctity, Almighty God failed not to
bestow on her most liberally rare proofs of His
peculiar favour; He began to communicate Him-
self to her, and that frequently, by means of an
extraordinary elevation of soul, which she called re-
collection. She was one day at work in the kitchen
with three other sisters; they were singing a devout
hymn together,whenVeronica unexpectedly exclaimed,
" My Jesus! my Jesus!" and then fell as one dead on
Sister Clare Felix, having lost the use of her senses,
and being not only unable to move, but unconsciousof
the attempts of others to rouse her, and deaf to all
their cries. Her countenance meanwhile was fairer
than usual and shonelike the sun. At length she
came to herself and said with a smile, " I have had a
little sleepwhich has affectedmy heart." Theseap-
parent fainting fits wererepeatedseveral times, and at
first the nunsset them down to epilepsy,and werein
great fear lest oneof them shouldprove fatal to her.
Shewasseizedin this way oneeveningin therefectory,
so they carried her in their arms into her cell, and
having placed her on her bed, called in her con-
fessor Father Cavamazza,of the order of S. Domi-
nic. At first he had his doubtson the subject,and
thought proper to wait till she should revive. He
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. G3

then questionedher with great prudence, and became

at length fully convinced that these were really super-
natural visitations of the Divine Spirit. He accord-
ingly directed the nuns never to disturb her on such
occasions.

We learn what took place between God and this

favoured soul from her own written account of the
first which occurred to her. Her words are as fol-
lows : "The first time that I enjoyed one of these
raptures, accompaniedby a vision, it seemed to me
that all at once I beheld our Lord, bearing a heavy
cross, and that He invited me to share in that in-
valuable treasure. This was signified to me rather by
someinternal communicationthan through the medium
of words. At the same moment I felt an extreme de-
sire for sufferings. Our Lord then transferred that
same crossto my heart, and made me aware of the
great worth of sufferings.It wasthus that He taught
me: every kind of suffering was presented to my
view, and at the same instant the whole was
transformed into most precious jewels, which were
all set in the shape of a cross. Meanwhile I was
given to understand that our Lord desired from
me pure suffering; after which He immediately
vanished]from my sight. On recovering my senses,
I felt a great pain at my heart, which has never left
me since; and I retained moreover so ardent a de-
sire of suffering, that I would undergo every con-
ceivable pain and torment. Ever since that time I
have been saying to myself that crossesand trials are
to be esteemed
aspreciousstonesand countedashigh
privileges."
Veronica adds that it was on this occasion that
JesusChrist engravedon her heart the impressionof
64 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

His cross,in a visible manner,as was seenby many

witnessesin the investigationwhich was made after
her death. The first fruits of this divine favour
may be traced in her advancestowards perfection;
inasmuchas from this early stage of her religious
careerthe soleobjectof her aspiration was suffering,
pure suffering,and the only treasure,the only de-
light which she prized in this world, was a share
iu the cross and Passion of Christ.

CHAPTER X.

THE OFFICES WHICH SHE IS CALLED TO FILL IX THE

CONVENT. - THE MANNER IN WHICH SHE DIS-

CHARGED HER DUTIES.

WHEN Veronica had passed through her noviciate,

she was employed in the various offices of the com-
munity, from the lowest to the highest. We shall
now give the reader someidea of these, although we
shall in so doing anticipate the narrative in this our
first hook, in order not to break the thread of the
more important matters which follow. At different
timesof herlife shehad chargeof the kitchen, dispen-
sary, linen-room, infirmary, turn, pantry, sacristy, and
noviciate; last of all shewasappointedabbess. She
performed these functions with the most perfect
equanimity,and consideredherselfthroughoutas the
servant of all. Hence she manifested the most scru-
pulous diligence and exactness in the fulfilment of
every duty which shewas called upon to discharge.
Although her constitution was a peculiarlydelicate
one,and her appetiteliable to be easilyaffected,she
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. C5

set herself to conquerthe repugnanceof her nature by

heroic actions. One day when she could not help
feeling disgusted by the offensiveodour of somefish
which she was washing, she took one of them to her
room and kept it there till it became quite putrid,
in which state she would often apply it to her nose
and mouth, so that it becamequite a treat to her to
have fresh fish or what was merely a little stale to
dress. In the sameway shewished to overcomethe
repugnance she felt in her service of the infirmary.
Her mistress, who was suffering from an ulcer in the
mouth, had to keep cotton in it, and Veronica, taking
an opportunity of changing this, and conveying what
had been usedto her cell when no one saw her, pro-
ceededdeliberately to chew it.
We can understand how displeasing these actions
were to the devil. He accordingly inflicted on her all
the annoyancesand mortifications that he could; for
instance, he would often pour the contents of the
vesselsin the kitchen, over which department she
presided at the time, either into the fire or over the
floor; and he would do this on occasionswhen Vero-
nica's companion in office, Sister Frances,knew that
they were so firmly placed that they could not have
been upset by natural means. However, Almighty
God did not fail to counterbalancethese trials by the
bestowal of undoubted marks of His favour. Among
others, provisions were frequently multiplied under
her hands. The same Sister Frances bears witness to
the three following O facts, which occurred duringO the
time when she assisted the Saint in the office of dis-

pensing the stores. One day Veronica was employing

herself in inspectingand cleaningcertain mouldsof
cheese,which were kept in a large jar of earthenware,
5
66 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

rathermorethanhalf filling it. As soonas shehad

completed herwork,shesaidto her companion with
a smile : " Eeplace
this cheese in its vesselandpack
it well in." In doing so,the lay sisterfound that
there wasnow not only enoughto fill the originaljar,
but that asmanyastwelve mouldsremainedoverand
above; theseshe put awayin a basket,and whenshe
returnedpresentlyto the sameroom, shediscovered
that they had increasedto the numberof eighteen.
On several occasions,after being accurately counted,
the eggswere found multiplied in a similar way to
the number of thirty-three, forty, or even a hundred,
accordingto the necessitiesof the community. A bene-
factor having sent them somefish which would barely
serve them all at the rate of two apiece, Veronica
contrived to supply the table for several days,
giving them each two or three. The companionto
whose joint custody they were consigned was sur-
prisedat this, and said to her one day, " How do you
contrive,mother,to make these fish last so long2"
"Eat away, eat away, and never mind," was the
reply. When it was discoveredthat she possessed
this power, those who superintended the stores and
kitchen would have recourse to her as often as their
stock was accidentally or otherwise diminished. When
thus applied to shewould only answer," Haveconfi-
dencein God,"andall deficiencies,
whetherin quantity
or quality,werefoundto be immediatelyrepaired.
But howevergreatmighthavebeenher diligence
in the fulfilmentof her previousduties,it wassur-
passed
by thatwhichsheexhibited
whenoccupying
the important post of mistressof the novices. The
momentous responsibility of this station must be
recognised
by all, as it lies with the personso
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 07

appointed to supply the community with good

subjects, who are to constitute its future welfare.
For this reason persons of mature age and consum-
mate virtue are generally selected. But such was
the conduct of Veronica in her youth that she was
chosenfor this weighty chargewhen she was only
thirty-four yearsof age,not more than seventeenof
which had been passedin religion. In order to form
a correct idea of her successin this charge,it is enough
to remark that it was prolonged for twenty-two conse-
cutive years, in fact until she was made abbess.
Even then, though it wasa thing without precedent,
the nuns desired that she should continue to act as
mistress of the novices; and to satisfy them she was
obliged to do so during the eleven years of her supe-
riorship to the closeof her life. It can therefore be
no matter of astonishment that under a government
"soexcellent, and of thirty-three years' duration, her
convent should have attained to so illustrious a degree
of sanctity that it became celebrated through the
whole of Italy, we might almost say of Europe. It
will be worth while to point out the method she
pursued, in order that others may be instructed as to
what coursethey should adopt in similar difficulties.
She consideredthe young spousesof Christ as her
own daughters, and acted towards them on all occa-
sionsas a loving mother. She was anxious that they
shouldbe deprivedof nothing which the rule allowed
them, and would subject herself to privations in
orderthat her novicesmight havelessto suffer. One
of them having arrivedin the middle of summer,and
the rule requiring that every one should sleepnot
merely dressedbut covered with a woollen quilt
under which even the hands were to be laid, Vero-
5-2
68 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

nica did what she could to alleviate the trial of her

child by changingcoverletswith her, taking the
newonefor herself,andgiving her insteadher own
old one,which was comparativelylight; but as soon
as the winter cameshe gave her back the warm
counterpane.If oneof the novicesfell ill, our Saint
alwayslaid herself out to assist and comforther by
payingher all the servicesof charity. Shewould
fain havetransferredthemaladyto herself,that by so
doing shemight relieveher daughter. Onceher wish
was miraculouslygratified. It is related by Sister
Mary ConstanceSpanaciari, in whosecaseit occurred,
duringthe time whenshewasa novice. Shehadbeen
attacked by a violent fever, accompaniedby erysipelas
in oneof her legs. Shereceiveda visit from her holy
mistress,who manifested towards her feelings of the
most tender compassion,and signed her with a relic
of the true Cross. This had no sooner been done
than her illness left her, and she arose from her bed
perfectly cured. But wonderful to relate, Veronica
was at the same time seizedby that disorder, and it
was ascertained by Father Tassinari, her confessor,
that she had asked this as a boon from God.
In like manner when the cells of the novices and
indeedthoseof the wholecommunitybecameinfested
with foul anddisgustinginsectsto the grievousannoy-
ance of those servantsof God, the saintly mother
prayed to our Lord that all the noisome creatures
might be congregated together in her cell. Her
petition was granted, and her bed, walls, and furniture
teemedwith them,whereasin all the otherapartments
there wasnot oneto be found. Shewasso delighted
at having obtained her request, that she dancedwith
joy at the relief whichwas thusaffordedto her dauqh-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 69

ters and sisters. To reward this heroism,it pleased

God,a few days afterwards,to causethe entire pest
to disappear from her cell, nor was one of them ever
after seen in any part of the monastery. If one
of the novicesappearedpensiveor distressed,Veronica
would inquire the cause without delay, and apply the
needful remedies. Her cell was open to them at all
hours. She always welcomed them with cheerful
looks, and dismissed them with kind words. At their
recreations in common,she endeavouredto keep them
happy in God, taking her share in all they did, and
even joining with them in hunting grasshoppersand
other mischievous insects from the shrubs in the gar-
den. This was one of the amusementsof the novices,
and she continuedto take part in it during the last
years of her life, when she was not only novice mis-
tress but abbess,though her age was advanced,and
her sufferingsfrom dropsy considerable.
Having gained the hearts of the novicesby these
"affectionateways, she set herself to regulate and
direct their minds, this being the principal duty of
her office. Let no one, however,imagine that she
attempted to carry her youthful children with her
in her own flight towards perfection. She began
by grounding them well in the holy fear of God and
in the exact observance of the divine commandments.
For this purpose she took pains to make them
thoroughly learn and comprehend all that is
contained in Christian doctrine. From this she
went on to explain the religious rule, teaching
them to appreciate its spirit, and doing her best at
the same time to render them familiar with the.labours
and duties of the community. She knew how
to put up with such defects and imperfections as
 70 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

proceeded,
not from maliceor ill-will, but from that
weakness
which arisesfrom a personbeing as yet a
beginnerin the ways of God. Nevertheless she
took advantageof everygoodopportunityto inspire
them with that spirit of mortification and total
abnegation
of self,whichis the genuinecharacteristic
of the religious life.
She would often repeat these words-"Whoever
wishesto belongto God must first die to herself."
Henceshewasparticularly carefulto try them on this
point. Oneday SisterUrsula Ceoli was complaining
of the great heat of the clog-days,upon which her holy
mistress reminded her how much more violent was the
fire of purgatory, and how easy it was to incur its
penalties. She also insisted that by way of penance
for her murmurs, and as a trial of her obedience and
mortification, she should put two additional veils on
her head and a cloak on her shoulders, and thus
equippedgo down into the garden and remain exposed
to the burning rays of the sun. The novice obeyed,
althoughshe believedthat shewasgoing to encounter
death. Her wise mistress,however, who was satisfied
by this act of self-denial, obtained from our Lord the
following miracle: a refreshingbreezelifted the veils
into the air, and kept them abovethe novice'sheadin
the form of an umbrella, causingher thus to enjoy
the coolnessof spring, until she was ordered back
from the garden. But our Saint was more severe
with anothernovice,who grew impatient under the
rather peculiartemper of an elderly companion
in
office, and went so far on one occasion as to call her
a whimsicalwoman. Veronicareprovedher very
seriously,and obliged her to make five crosseson
the groundwith her tongue; she alsorequiredher
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 71

to askpardonon her kneesof the injured sister,and

to accuseherselfof her fault in the public refectory.
But becausethe acts of evangelicalmortification
which are most difficult and most pleasing to God,
are those whereby we humble ourselves,she dwelt on
this virtue with singularemphasisin her instructions.
Our Lord JesusChrist Himself had inspired her to do
so by meansof a beautiful vision. On Christmas Day
she had seenher Saviour, under the form of an Infant,
Who recommended her above all other virtues, to train
her novices in the path of holy humility : to which
Veronicareplied, " 0 my Jesus,how canI do this?-for
I do not know what humilit}' is." The Divine Infant
gave her this answer : " I am the Master of humility ;
do not fear therefore, but trust in Me." Now Vero-
nica well knew that the most effective method of in-
culcating any virtue is to set an example of it. As
this rule applies especiallyto humility, she took par-
ticular pains to render her conduct suchas might serve
for a model to her novices. Not only was she imper-
turbable and cheerful in the midst of those severe
mortifications which she had to endure from others,
as we shall see hereafter, but she would frequently
humble herself spontaneously before the novices,
evenin her old age. Sometimes
she assembled
them
together in the chapel and, prostrating herself at
their feet on the floor, implored their pardon for
the faults she had committed in the execution of her
charge,as also for the disedificationwhich she had
caused them. Sometimes she would make to them a
sort of general confession,
exaggeratingeven the de-
fectsof her childhood, and requestingand obliging them
underobedience,to set their feet upon her lips and
to trample upon her asa being unworthyof taking
72 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

her placeamongthe servants

of God. In sodoing,
everyoneof courseendeavoured to step on her as
lightly aspossible,
andonlyfor appearance'
sake: but
Sister Florida Ceoli asserts that she oncefelt herself
forcedby someinvisible handto tread sohard on the
mouth of her holy mistress,that oneof the lips con-
tinued dreadfullyswollenandinjured for severaldays;
this was either a pieceof revengeon the part of the
devil, whocouldnot bearto witnesssuchextraordinary
proofsof humility, or it was a favour grantedby God
to satisfy the lowly desires of His handmaiden.
She was in the habit of concluding all her instruc-
tions with an exhortation to avoid tepidity, which she
declared to be the true plague of souls. She was
desirousthat her daughtersshould consecrate
all the
actions of the day to God, and thereby maintain a per-
petual exerciseof love. In order to keep them to this
holy practice, she introduced into the noviciate the
custom of thus mutually questioning eachother when
they met: " Sister So and So, what are you doin- '"
to which the reply was : " I am loving God !" at least,
if the sister addressedcould say this with truth. It
happened one morning that a novice, meeting her holy
mistress and being asked the usual question, failed to
give the accustomed answer through fear of saying
what was not true. Hereupon Veronica turned pale,
as she was in the habit of doing when she suffered
great pain, and remonstrated with the novice in so
impressivea mannerasto draw tearsfrom her eyes,to
the great advantage of her soul. Our Saint was more
severe to another novice who came out of choir after
None,declaringin a laughing way that shehad been
somewhatdistractedduring the recital of office. On
this, the zealof her mistressM7asenkindled,and she
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 73

exclaimedin a tone of high displeasure

: "What can
you be thinking of. to saywith a smile,' I havesinned]'"
She then placed herself at table with an air of extreme
distress, seemingly unconsciousof all around her, and
eating nothing. The lukewarm novice observedthis,
and asked her what was the matter, and if she had
been the cause of her loss of appetite. " Well,"
said Veronica, " do you wonder at my displeasure,
when you have told me with a smile on your face,that
you have sinned 1" Then shewent on to point out to
her in the most striking way the true nature of an
offenceagainst God, even though the matter be ever
so small, so that the novice was touched to the heart,
and burst into tears.

It was thus that she constantly endeavoured to

"exerciseher novices in divine love, by using the
greatest diligence to preserve them from the least
fault whereby they jnight displease their Beloved.
Although she had beenherself led by Almighty God
fllong the sublime path of heavenly communications,
raptures, and supernaturalfavours, to a greater extent
than we find to have been the case in the lives of
other saints, as the sequel will abundantly prove,
Veronica did not attempt to make her disciples follow
the samecourse. On the contrary, she made it her
practice to forbid them the study of mystical
works, and to keep them to more simple books, such
as the " Lives of the Saints," the " Christian Per-
fection," by F. Rodriguez, and similar treatises. She
would tell them that the love of God consists in never
offendingHim by the smallestdeliberatefault, and in
doing,asfar aspossible,whateveris most pleasingin
His sight. To promotethe attainmentof her object,
it pleasedGodto favour her with light from above,
74 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

whereby
shewasenabled
to readthe heartsof her
spiritualdaughters,
sothat whensheconversed with
them,shecouldput her fingeron anythoughtor in-
ordinate affectionwhich might be causingthem un-
easiness,without evenbetrayingher knowledgeof it.
This was attested by Sister Maria Maggi, who had
herself experiencedthe effectsof this gift, and had
observedits influence on the whole community.
Sometimes, when it was requisite for their good,
Veronicawould acknowledgethat she knew all that
going on in their minds. She did so in the case
of Sister Mary Magdalen Boscaini, who, during the
first year of her noviciate, was troubled for several
days by an affliction of spirit, and made no mention
of it to either her confessor or her mistress. The

latter perceived it, and asked her several times if

she were not labouring under some spiritual trial.
The novice always evaded giving a direct reply, so at
last our Saint said to her, " Are you not troubled by
such and such an affliction ?" and she went on to

detail minutely the time and cause of the trouble

she was suffering from, which however was completely
dispelled before the termination of the interview.
There was another novice who cherished certain
feelings of aversion towards a companion ; but
although she was successfulin concealingwhat was
passingin her mind, she was one day summonedby
her saintly mistress, who warned her to watch
herself very carefully, lest a great flame should be
kindled from a small spark. The novice,thus taken
by surprise, inquired the reason of this admonition.
Veronica then explainedto her the antipathy which
had beenfermentingwithin her with suchminuteness,
that sheseemed
to havebeenreadingherinmostsoul;
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 75

and at the sametime that sheexposedthe wound, she

effected its cure.

From what has been already said, it is clear that

Veronica could not possibly have done more than she
did in the fulfilment of the duties entrusted to her.

But how true it is that the judgment of God is ever

peculiarly strict towards those who rule ! We learn
as much from the sixth chapter of Wisdom, which is
very applicable to the superiors and directors of re-
ligious communities, if through any fault on their
part, the standard of spirituality is lowered, or if
abuses are suffered to intrude, or if such as have been
already introduced are permitted to continue. On
the 9th of November, 1707 (that is to say, in the
thirteenth year of her superiorship and the forty-
M'vcnth of her age), we find it mentioned in the
diary of Father Cappelletti, that Veronica, having been
tal«;n extremely ill of a malady which had been pre-
dicted by our Lord on the 22nd of the preceding Oc-
tober, was to all appearancein her last agony at nine
o'clock in the evening. At that hour shehad a vision,
in which she was borne in spirit to the tribunal of
the Divine Judge. She beheld Christ with a severe
aspect, seated on a majestic throne in the midst of a
multitude of angels. The most holy Marjr was on
oneside,and her patron saintson the other. When
her guardianangel presentedher at this dreadjudg-
ment-seat, she expected to receive the sentence of
eternal condemnation, so awful were the wrords of
her Judge,and sodestitute did she feel of all good
works. But so earnest were the intercessions of
Mary and those of her patron saints,that at length
the Divine Countenanceof Christ assumedan expres-
sion of mercy, and, after bestowingon her various-
70 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

"admonitions,
He dismissed
herwith a lovingembrace.
We mayform someideaof the alarmwhichshesuf-
fered,from the circumstanceof her illness being so
muchincreased thereby,that aboutnine o'clockon
the morningof the followingdayFatherCappelletti,
her confessor,
thought it right to administerExtreme
Unction after communicating her.
As it may conduceto the instruction of others, we
will quotefromthe journal whichshewrote in 1717,an
accountshegivesof her visionof the divine tribunal.
"The Divinity Itself," shedeclares, "becomes a Mirror
to the soul, wherein shebeholdsherself exactly as she
is : she seesnot only the state to which she has IK.TU
reduced,but also the causeswhich have brought her
to it. Mirrored, as it were, in the Divinity, she sees
herself covered with defilement, and is horror-stricken
-atthe sight. What would shenot give to be ableto
hide herself in the earth, and flee away from the Eye
of God, which fulminates vengeance! All that she
sees of herself impels her to fly ; but through the
just judgment of God she stands there mute and im-
movable. ... I am unable either by words or illustra-
tions to describethis tremendous judgment, owing to
the fear and terror which my soul then experienced.''
The human mind is incapable of imagining such a
scene; for although we were to conjure up the most
painful and terrific conceptions,we should fall short
of the dreadful reality, with M'hich,however,every
one will oneday be madeacquainted.
We mayinfer the nature of the reprimandswhich
she received during this vision from what we are about
to relate. That samemorning,having somewhatre-
recoveredfrom her illness, she told her confessorthat
she wishedto speakprivately to her novices,for that
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 77

on the preceding day her Divine Judge had made her

awareof the faults of each,and alsoof her own negli-
gencein failing to correct them. F. Cappellettigave
her permission to do so, and added that it should he
done in his presence. So she called them to her one
by one, and whispered in the ear of eachso effectively
that every one of them burst into a flood of tears.
The confessor did not hear what she said to them indi-
vidually about their defects,but he heard the following
words, which she addressedto them all collectively-
" Do not imitate me, for I have been a stone of scan-
dal in my whole life, whether as to my observanceof
the rule or my practice of obedience,love, and charity
-I have been throughout full of pride and destitute
of humility." She concluded by desiring them to-
recommend her to our Lord and the Blessed Virgin,
that so her sins might be forgiven, and she might re-
ceivegraceand mercy. At these wordsthe sighsof
her novicesincreased,and they implored her with sobs
to forgive them for not having followed her holy in-
structions and example. But Veronica replied : "Be-
careful of small things; for before God these things
are reckoned very differently from what we might
imagine." When she had closed her conferencewith
the novices,all the other nuns wereanxious to visit her:
" and to all" (we readin the above-mentioned
diary)
" she spoke very freely, without human respect; and
eachindividual derived great advantage therefrom."
Let us conclude our account of the offices she succes-
sively filled. In March, 171C,in the fifty-sixth year of
her age,shewas obligedunder obedience to acceptthe
dignity of abbess,which sheretained till her death.
Throughoutthis period the rule was moststrictly ob-
served,andthe mostperfectharmonyprevailedamong
78 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

the religious,aswasunanimouslyattestedby themin

theprocessofhercanonization,
sothat"theconventhad
neverbeforebeensowellgoverned anddirected. Nor
had there ever beena superiormore highly esteemed
andvaluedby the religiousthan shewas." Suchis
the statement of Father Tassinari, who was confessor
to the communityfor forty years,during which time
he becamethoroughly acquaintedwith it, and was
moreover one of Veronica's particular directors. The
spotless tenor of her life, her sanctity and zeal for
the observanceof the rule, impressedall the nuns with
reverential fear ; while at the same time her humble
deportment, her love and maternal solicitude for
them, nourished in their minds a feeling of filial con-
fidence towards her, and they had recourse to her
as to an affectionate parent in all their spiritual dis-
tresses, certain of being kindly listened to at any
hour, and of being .succouredas occasionrequired. If
one of them was so constrained by human respect or
by temptation from the devil as to attempt to conceal
her state, Veronica, being enlightened from above,
would go to her assistanceof her own accord. Thus
it happenedoneday that a nun, Avhowas labouring
under heavy temptations, and had consequentlyfallen
into a conditionof profound sadness,
shut herselfup
so that her door could not be opened from without:
Veronica, whom no one had informed of this, cameto
see her, and having obtainedadmissionafter a good
deal of knocking, made the religious understand
in a very gentle way the deceptionwhich Satan had
beenpractisingon her,andalsothe dangerof falling,
to whichshehadexposed harselfby failingto mention
the trial she was undergoing.
SisterMaryEoseGotoloniwasill of a very serious
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 79

fever, and being unable to eat in consequenceof the

nauseawhich causedher to loathe every kind of food,.
she felt herself becomingfaint without strength to
help herself or power to call for assistance.While
shewas commendingherself to God,she beheld her
saintly abbessentering the room with somesweetmeats
in her hand. " It seemsto me," said the latter, " that
you need refreshment; eat." Accordingly she ate
with considerableappetite, found her strength return,
was entirely free from all feeling of sickness,and in a
short time completely restored to health.
Veronica was particularly careful to maintain the
strict observanceof community life, which constitutes
the very soul of religious perfection. She would never
permit any differenceto be made in the treatment of
individuals, except in the case of illness. For this
purpose she set them an example in her own person;
for although she was abbess,she would suffer no dis-
tinction to be made in her cell, or clothing, or food,
but would join the others in performing the
meanestoffices,such as washing dishesin the kitchen,
&c. Henceher subjectswereashamedof beingmore
fastidious than their abbess, and submitted with a
good graceto the punctual fulfilment of community
duties.

Experience teaches us that it is in vain for a su-

perior to be zealous for regular observanceunless,in
additionto thegoodexampleof whichwe havespoken,
sheis carefulto guard againsta scarcityof provisions
or other necessariesallowed by the institute, which
might result from her indolence or negligence. Our
excellentabbess
was well awareof this, and beingnot
only instigated by a spirit of charity, but likewise im-
pelled by prudenceand well-regulatedenergy, took
80 S. VERONICA GIULIAM.

greatpainsto haveher community

well providedwith
whateverthe rule of their professionpermitted,in the
way of diet, clothes, and medicine. The convent
buildingsbeingon an extremelysmall scale,it was
oneof herfirst plans,assoonasshewasmadeabbess,
to enlargethe edifice;accordingly
shecontrived,in
the first years of her superiorship,to add to it, by
meansof voluntary contributions,a long dormitory
which may be seen to this day, namely the one
on the right hand side of the chapel dedicated
to our Blessed Lady of the Rosary. Thus was
veil lied a prediction which had been made twelve
years before she became superior by F. Ubaldo
Antonio (Jappelletti, a worthy Oratorian, at that
time confessor to the community. He had caused
thr above-mentioned chapel to be built with Sister
Florida Ceoli's dower; and when it was finished,
there is a tradition amongthe nuns that he said:
" Would that I were as certain that the gates
of Paradise will be opened for me as that here"
(and he marked the spot to the right of the chapel)
"a door will be opened,and a long dormitory be
constructed." Veronica proved him to be a true
prophet.
The way in which sheprocureda supplyof water
was by no means less remarkable, nay perhaps even
more so. Every one knows how much the want
of this commodityis felt in a community,especially
in one of nuns. Before Veronica was abbess,all the
water used in the establishment had to be drawn and
carriedroundby handfor the kitchen,the infirmary,
the garden,&c., to the great inconvenienceof the
goodreligious. But whenshewasraisedto this dig-
nity, sheobtainedfrom the honourable
family of Vitelli
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 81

a considerablequantity of the water which supplied

in abundancethe magnificent mansion of that family;
and having conveyedit to the convent premises,she
made a large fish-pond in the garden to receive it, so
that it could be easily used to water the plants and
herbs. She likewise furnished the kitchen, the infir-
mary, and in fact every part of her monastery with
this essential element,by meansof leadenpipes,which
were presented out of devotion by CosmoIII., Grand
Duke of Tuscany, so that the appointments of this
convent were inferior to those of no other religious
house.

It is not surprising to find that an authority at once

so wise and holy was profitable and acceptableto all,
that the religious, having experienced the blessing
of being governedby her, did all they could to prolong
the term of her power, arid that she continued to be
their abbess until death took her from them.
 BOOK II.

CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE EXTRAORDI-

NARY GRACES BY MEANS OF WHICH SHE WAS
RAISED DURING THE LAST THIRTY-FIVE YEARS
OF HER LIFE TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF
SANCTITY, AND RENDERED THE LIVING IMAGE
OF JESUS CRUCIFIED.

C-2
 CHAPTER I.

MYSTERIOUSVISION OF A CHALICE,WHICH PREPARED

HER TO REPRODUCE IN HER OWN PERSON THE
PASSION OF OUR REDEEMER.

WE were able in the last book to catch no more than

slight glimpsesof the great sanctityof this glorious
and heroic soul, for we were only consideringthe
secular portion of her life, and the first fifteen years
which she spent in religion, and merelyglancedat
the latter portion of her mortal careerin our men-
tion of the variousofficeswhich she successively ful-
filled for the community. We now proceedto the last
thirty-five years which she passedon earth: which
indeed presentto our contemplationa new kind of
life, which the apostlemight have termed the life of
Veronica hidden in Christ, or the life of Christ in Vero-
nica: for we shallseethat shegloriedin nothing save
the crossof Christ, and that with Him shewas fastened
to that cross in the truest and most real manner that
is attainableby a human being, whereby she was
fashionedafter the likeness of Christ, and as it were,
transformedinto Christ. In describingthis new life,
we shall haveto describea long seriesof supernatural
gifts of the most extraordinary nature; and if the
narration of these should awaken in the mind of the
readerany suspicionof exaggerationsor fanciful de-
lusions,we would entreathim to weigh well the won-
86 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

derful effectsof heroic virtue, which in her casepro-

ducedvisionsand marvellous gifts, suchascouldnot
haveoriginatedin anyotherthana divineandsuper-
natural source.

Downto the year1G93,whichwasthe thirty-third

of Veronica's
age,the eventsof herlife progressed
in
the manneralreadydescribedin our first book. It
was now the Will of Almighty Godto draw her into
a more intimate union with Himself, and to raise her
to a moresublimedegreeof sanctity. He accordingly
beganto bestowon her the rarest graces,in orderto
mould her into a closer likeness of His only-begotten
Son, Who is the Model of all the predestinate, and
especiallyof the saints. At the timeto whichwehave
just referred, Veronica was favoured with a vision,
wherein she beheld a mysterious chalice, which she
recognisedas a presageof the divine Passionthat
was to be re-enacted, so to speak, in her own person.
This vision was repeated several times in successive
years, with various modifications. At one time this
chalice was presented to her view on a bright cloud,
surrounded with splendour, at another time unaccom-
panied by any ornament; sometimes the liquid it
containedseemedto be bubbling up within it; at
other times it would boil over to a considerable ex-
tent, and occasionally it would fall drop by drop.
The spirit of our Saint wasalwaysready to drain the
chalice to the dregs,but her lower nature shrunk
with horror at the sight, asdid our divine Redeemer
in the gardenof Gethsemane.Accordinglysheset
herselfto subduetheresistanceof the fleshby means
of severepenance,asweshallpresentlyexplain. At
lengthher natureceased to feel repugnance,but she
wroteasfollows:-" I donot trust it, for I knowthat it
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 87

is not asyet dead.I havealways^found

my soulready,
and even anxiouslydesirous,to sharein that bitter
draught, in order to accomplishthe Will of God.
Sometimes,"she continues,"I felt suchlongingsthat
I exclaimed,' Oh whenwill the hour[come,my God,iii
which Thou wilt grant meto drink of Thy chalice?
I resignmyself entirely to Thy "Will, but Thou alone
seest my thirst. Sitio-I thirst-not for consolation,
but for sufferingsand afflictions.' I seemedincapable
of enduring further delay. One night when I was
rapt in prayer, our Lord appeared to me with the
chalice in His hand, and said to me, ' This is for thee,
and I give it thee in order that thou mayest taste of
it as much as I have, but not now. Prepare thyself,
for in due seasonthou shalt partake of it.' Imme-
diately after these words He vanished, leaving the
chalice so vividly imprinted on my mind that from
that hour to this it has never left me."
It was on this occasionthat our Lord signified to
her the dreadful sufferingswhich she would have to
undergo in mind and body, not only from the insults
and temptations which demoniacalmalice had in store
for her, but likewise from the false accusations,attacks,
and contempt of her fellow-creatures,and lastly, from
God Himself in the extreme desolation and dryness
of spirit which was appointedher. To all this the
generousvirgin offered herself a willing sacrifice.
Our most BlessedLady, the Queen of Dolours, to-
gether with other saints, assistedin inspiring her with
courageto accepther cup of bitterness. During the
night of the solemnfeastof her Assumption,the Holy
Virgin and her divine Son appeared to Veronica.
Our Saviour, "Who was seatedon a majestic throne,
in His radiant glory, presentedto His Mother a
88 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

chalicefull to overflowing.Mary receivedit, and,

turning to our Saint,said, "My daughter,I make
thee this presentin the Nameof my Son!" At the
sametime the two saintedvirgins, Catherineof Siena
and Rose of Lima, who attendedin the train of the
Queenof Heaven,madesignsto Veronicato acceptit.
Afterwards,on the night of the 28th of August,the
feast of S. Augustine,she again beheld JesusChrist
on His throne of glory; and that holy Doctor of the
Church,who wastherewith manyotherblessedspirits
attending our Lord, turned to Veronica,with a chalice
in his hand. "This," he said, "is indeed a precious
gift, for it is presentedto thee by God Himself." At
that moment the contents of the chalice began to boil
over on every side, and being received by angels into
vesselsof gold, were presented at the throne of our
Lord. Then Veronica asked for an explanation of the
vision, and was informed that the rich liquid signified
the sufferings to be endured by her for the love of
God,and that thegoldenvesselsweremeantto denote
the preciousnatureof thosesufferings.
But the following vision, which shall be relatedin
her own words, was more touching and efficacious
than those we have alreadymentioned:-" Finding
myselfoverwhelmedwith anguish,"shesays," so that
I felt hardly ableto stand,I went to the church,and
prostrating myself before the Most Holy, I offered
myselfoncemoreunreservedly to Him. SuddenlyI
felt somewhat
recollected,
that is, rapt out of myself,
and our Lord presentedHimself to me. I cannot
explainhowthis cameto pass. I only knowthat He
saidto me,' Takecourage,
andfear not; I amhereto
assistthee; behold Me.' With these words He caused
me to seethe conditionof His SacredHumanity
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 89

during the scourgingat the pillar. He stood before

me all streamingwith bloodandcoveredwith wounds.
The chalice was in His Hand, and He said, ' Look at
me, My beloved; behold these Wounds, which are, as
it were, so many voices inviting thee to drink of this
bitter chalice; I give it to thee,and wish thee to par-
take of it.' Having saidthis, He disappeared, leaving
me the chalice." Now let us observe the result of all
this. " I felt," she continues, " refreshed in spirit,
and even recruited in body. I found myself in pos-
sessionof interior peace,and ardently desirous of ac-
complishing the Will of God, and of pleasing Him in
all things."
We shall now describe one by one the bitter suffer-
ings which correspondedwith what was shown her in
these visions. In the first place, her human nature
recoiled from this chalice,which was constantly before
the eyes of her mind; she was daily attacked by
violent fever, which kept her at first for about eight
days from eating or drinking anything. Sometimes
the contents of that mysterious chalice seemedto be
poured over her, and then she felt herself consumed
with so fiery a heat that the more shedrank the more
raging did her thirst become. At other times she
beheldthe sameliquid droppingon her food,to which
it imparted a most bitter taste, whereby her palate
waspoisonedfor alongtime. Then againthis draught
of sorrow would fall in drops, which were presently
changedinto somanyswords,spears,andarrows,which
seemedto wound her body, and transfix her heart.
But still morepainful werethe remediesto which she
was called to submit. Her health and strength having
sufferedthe most serious injury in consequenceof the
trials we have alreadydescribed,the superiorwished
00 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

to putherinto thehandsof^physicians.Shepromptly
obeyed,not beingwilling to sayanythingaboutthe
supernaturalcauseof her maladies. Three different
kinds of medicine were administered to her, but they
all occasionedher the most dreadful torment, and she
had no sooner swallowed one than she was forced to
reject it. She writes as follows:-" Every day that
thesethree remedieswere tried, seemed likely to be the
last of my life ... sogreat was the violencewhichI
had to usetowardsmyselfin order to take them,that
I felt ready to burst asunder." And yet she never
manifestedthe leastrepugnance;on the contrary,she
went on repeating to our Lord from her heart the
words: "Silio, I thirst, I thirst:" and her desire was
gratified, for her medical attendant happening to enter
the room just as she had been forcibly compelled to
reject one of these doses, he wished her to take
another immediately, which she accordingly did, and
it producedthe sameeffect as the preceding one.
The demons meanwhile took care to fulfil the part
which Veronica had been warned in the vision to
expect. One night they placed her in a bath of icy
coldness,and kept her there for two hours. When it
was over she was senseless and motionless. The in-
nrmarianshavingfound her in this state,endeavoured
during no less than four hours to restore her by means
of fire and heated clothes, as well as by restoratives,
but this only addedto her sufferings. At other times
the devils would attack her innocence,by assum-
ing the forms of young men, or would attempt to
terrify her by appearingasterrific spectres,or would
suggestthe most wicked misrepresentations of the
religious state, which they portrayed as a sort of
hell, accusing the sacred habit she wore as the cause
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 91

of her eternal condemnation. They went so far as to

bind her with chains;they struckher frequently,and
expressed their desire to drag her away with them,
calling out with infernal merriment, " Thou art ours,
thou art ours !" Though so grievously afflicted, this
generoussoul was invincible; she even invited them
to torment her further, and to try her to the very
utmost permitted them by God. " Come then," she
said, " behold, I am ready to suffer all; and if you are
endeavouring to rival eachother in inflicting torments
upon me, here I am prepared to contend with you.
See how you can torture me, and seehow I can bear
it. Come then; the more you harassme, the better
shall I be pleased. Blessed, blessed be the cross!
Blessed be suffering!" And then, with more fury
than ever, her foes rushed upon her like so many
rabid dogs,while she contentedly drank her chalice of
bitterness.
But her most severe trial and most bitter chalice
was what came to her from God Himself. For the
purpose of proving the fortitude and fidelity of her
soul, He was pleasedto withdraw Himself from her, at
least in appearance,for in reality He was nearerto her
than ever with His grace,and the eyeof His mercy
was no less constantlyupon her, regardingher with
increasedsatisfaction. She expressesherself on this
subjectto the following effect: "All my other trials
were nothing, comparedwith that which I suffered
interiorly-forsaken, abandoned, and environed with
thick darkness; placed moreoverat so great a distance
from God, that I felt incapable of breathing forth a
single aspiration to the Lord. Oh, what intolerable
anguish is this to a soul, to find herself deprived of
every support,and banishedfrom her highestgood!
92 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Shesighs,
but is not heard;shecallsto herHeavenly
Spouse, but He comesnot; sheseeksHim, but He
fliesfromher; shepraysto Him,but Hewill not hear
her. . . . Thus wasmy spirit troubled; it seemsto me
that the agonyof deathcannotbe worsethan what
I then endured." Let us here remark the proofs
which Almighty God gaveof His especialpresence :
" The only refreshmentI had," shecontinues," was
to behold the chalicedrawing constantlynearerto
me. ... I seemed to be filled with abhorrence for
everythingthat the tempter setbeforeme; I despised
his artifices, and repeatedly taxed him with his false-
hoods; I declared to him that I was misled by none
of them; I professedmyself contentin accomplishing
the Will of God, Who is my absolute Master. . . .
Blessedbe God ! Everything seemslittle that is en-
dured for His love. Blessed be the simple cross.
Blessed be pure suffering ! Behold, I am ready to
bear all, in order to pleasemy dear Lord, and to pro-
mote the fulfilment of His divine Will."

CHAPTER II.

VERONICA IS MADE TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR BLESSED

SAVIOUR'S CROWNING WITH THORNS.-THE SEVERE.
PAINS WHICH THIS CAUSED HER, AND HER SUF-
FERINGS FROM THE REMEDIES TO WHICH HER SU-
PERIORS REQUIRED HER TO SUBMIT.

WHEN Veronicahad been preparedby frequent

visions of this bitter chalice to drink it with unre-
servedgenerosity,our Lord beganto bestowon her a
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 93

share in the greater sufferings of His most dolorous

Passion; a privilege so rare, that it is reservedfor the
noblest and dearest of the children of God. AVe find
from the memorialsin our possession, that it wason
the 4th of April in the year 1G94,that Jesusappeared
to her with the insignia of His Passion,and presented
her with His crown of thorns. The following is her
own account, written under obedience :-
" On the night of the 4th of April, while I was in
prayer, I becamerapt in recollection,and beheldan
intellectual vision, in which our Lord appearedto me
with a large crown of thorns on His Head. Immedi-
ately I began to say to Him : ' My divine Spouse, give
me those thorns: they are fit for me, and not for Thee,
Who art my highest good.' Meanwhile, I felt that our
Lord answered me thus: ' I am come to crown thee
now, My beloved;' and, in an instant, He took off His
crown,and placedit on my head. The pain which
it causedwas so severe, that I am not consciousof
having ever felt anything equalto it. At the same
time I was made aware that this my coronation was a
sign that I wasto be the spouseof Christ, and that,
in token of this, He desiredthat, by participatingin
His sufferings,I shouldacquirethe title of the Spouse
of God Crucified; therefore I was myself to be crucified
with my divine Spouse. Every puncture on my head
seemedto invite me to this. On the same day our
Lord promisedmethat the graceI had just received
should be repeatedon different occasions.But the
satisfaction which I derived from my sufferings was
such that I seemedliterally to pine after torments."
Surelythis wasa proof of the truth of thesupernatural
favour she had received.
Shethen goeson to relatethe sequelof her vision.
94 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

" As soonasI cameto myself,"shewrites," I found

that my headwassAVollen andrackedwith suchex-
cessivepain,thatI couldhardlystand. Feelingutterly
incapableof encountering anyfatigue,I addressed
our
Lord thus with the greatestconfidence-'I implore
this boonof Thee,my God; if it be Thy Will, grant
me sufficientstrength to go through all my labours
and duties, and permit thesegraceswhich Thou hast
just bestowed on me to be kept secret for ever.' Im-
mediatelyI felt my strength return, and I couldhave
doneanything. But the agonyinflicted by the thorns
continued, and wheneverI bowed my head the torture
wassoacute that I seemedreadyto expire. Let me
bearall for the love of God : everything seemslittle
or nothing that is enduredfor His love."
Her prayer and its immediateeffectcorroborateour
remarks as to the reality of her gifts. In another
part of her journal she writes as follows of the repeti-
tions of that painful coronation :-
" Several times when I was engagedin prayer, with
some desire for suffering, I suddenly felt the thorns
piercingmeso violently that I fell to the groundwith
pain, remainingthere for a considerable spaceof time
unconscious and as if dead. By what I suffered I
was enabledto conceivethe overwhelmingtorments
of our Redeemer when He was crowned with thorns.
The thought of this made me still more anxious to
suffer, and again I felt as it were an invisible hand
pressing the crown upon me. On another occasion,
during a sort of ecstasy,the value of sufferingwas
made known to me; and whilst I felt the renewed
pressureof the thorns,everywoundthey inflicted
seemed to call aloud for fresh torments. Our Lord
was frequently pleasedto assure me in visions of the
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 95

understanding that I was His beloved : and it seemed

to me that He would fit the crown on my brow, and
for my greater satisfaction, press it vehemently into
my flesh. Then ecstasywould be added to recollec-
tion, and I received such intimate revelations asto the
preciousnature of suffering,that I am unableto ex-
pressthem adequately. All this causedmeto long so
much for sufferings that when my sensesreturned I
gavemyselfup to the useof the disciplineandvarious
descriptions of penance,scarcely consciousof what I
did. The utmost pain that I inflicted on myself
seemed little or nothing: everything inflamed my
desire for suffering. Each cross seemedto invite me
to bear another. The Passionof my Eedeemerwas so
deeplyengravenon my heart that I frequentlyfainted
away for anguish."
The zealwith which,in the midst of her sufferings,
she burned for the glory of God and for the conver-
sion of sinners, furnishes us with an additional proot
that the wonders we have beencontemplating were the
work of God, It is thus that she continues: "The an-
guishwhichI enduredcausedmeto feel suchcompassion
for all sinners, that I offered to the Eternal Father for
their conversionall the sufferingsof Jesus,together
with all His meritsandthoseof the mostholy Virgin;
earnestlypraying that I might suffer more,declaring
to the Lord that I desired to act as mediatrix between
Himself and sinners, and conjuring Him to add to my
pains. That very momentI felt a renewalof agony
from my crown of thorns, not only round my head, as
I had been accustomedto do, but likewise all through
it: and thus for severalhours I went on rejoicing amid
a, thousand torments. A few days have elapsedsince
this occurred to me : but at the time of which I have
 96 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

spoken,I receivednoticethat the wholeof this Lent

wasto bepassed bymein perpetualsuffering.Praise
be to God; all is too little to bear for His love.
Meanwhile I unceasingly
repeat-Blessed bethe Cross!
Blessedbe suffering! I wishfor nothing but theWill
of God; I am satisfiedwith what is His divine plea-
sure; behold,I am preparedfor everything."
It appearsfrom her own accountsand from those
of her companionsthat shecontinuedto enjoythese
favours, for such they must indeed be termed, during
the entire remainder of her life, that is to say, for
thirty-four or thirty-five consecutiveyears. We may
infer from what she wrote twelve years after her first
coronation, that the pain and the punctures*then in-
flicted were permanent,and were felt by her more
or less acutely. She was accustomed to feel them
especially on all Fridays, as well as during the seasons
of the carnival and Lent, but still more particularly
during Holy Week. And wonderful to relate, not-
withstanding the faintness,which renderedher scarcely
able to support herself on her feet, she was endowed
with such supernatural strength that shewas able to
transact all her business and to fulfil all her duties,
while her desire for fresh torments was so intense
that she repeatedagain and again-"My Lord, if it
is Thou Who thus afflictestme,let Thy Handfall still
more heavily upon me, to the end that I may feel
more pain."
When her directors were informed of what she had
undergone,they commissionedSisterFlorida Ceoli to
examineherhead,andto seeif therewereanyvisible
marks to indicate the crownof thorns; and the
followingstatement
wasmadeupon oathby that
religious in the processof our Saint's canonization.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 97

"I went to seeher, and perceivedthat her brow was

encircledwith a colour approachingto red. Some-
times I observed thereon certain pimples like little
buttons, of the size of large pins' heads. On other
occasionsher forehead was covered with purple marks
like thorns, which reacheddown to her eyes. Then
again I saw that one of these apparent thorns came
downunderher right eye,causingit to shedtears,and
they were tears of blood, as I saw from the veil with
which she wiped them away. I have witnessed this
and similar occurrences, and have mentioned tlum
repeatedlyto the confessorswho directed me to observe
her." Her companions made depositions to the same
effect.

Notwithstanding all this, the bishop,Monsignor

Luc' Antonio Eustachj, was so anxious to proceedwith
caution, that he wished our Saint to put herself into
the hands of medical practitioners, in order that it
might be ascertainedbeyond all doubt whether these
things proceeded from a supernatural cause or from
any physicalindisposition. This was ordained by God,,
that His beloved might acquire fresh merit, and that
the reality of her gifts might be rendered more than
ever unquestionable. Accordingly they began to
anoint her with a particular kind of oil, which caused
her head to feel a burning pain. At the same time
that she felt this external heat, the centre of her brain
seemedto be cold as ice, on which accountthe doctors-
agreedto apply a hot iron to her head and to oneof
herlegs. All presentwereastonished at the invincible
firmnesswhich she displayed during this painful
operation. Not oneof the religioushad the heart to.
hold her : she, however, assured the surgeon that he
might begin without fear of anymovementon her
98 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

part,andin truth sheremainedasstill as if shehad

beeninsensible;sothat afterwards
Massani, hermedi-
cal attendant,observedthat he seemedto havebeen
operating on a statue. Within a few daysit became
necessary to closethe issuein her head,because
it only
servedto increaseher pain to sucha degreethat she
was unableto speak,or to rest her swollen head on
her pillow. Anotherhot iron wasappliedto her neck
instead, but as it caused such violent irritation of the
nerves as to preclude the possibility of repose either
by night or day, the surgeons were obliged to close
that wound also.

The physician then thought it expedient to try the

effect of a seton in her neck. This was an operati'm
frequently resorted to in the medical practice of those
times, and consisted in perforating the skin with a
good-sizedneedle or some other instrument of steel
heated red-hot, by means of which a knot of cotton
was introduced and permitted to remain there in
order to keep up a species of running wound. One
may easily conceivehow extremely painful such a pro-
cessmust be. The nuns were sotimid that they could
not bring themselvesto render the least assistance,or
evento handthe heatedneedleto the surgeon,sothe
patient performedthat officeherself,althoughshewas
well aware that this operation would cost her far more
pain than the hot irons had done. She endured it
with her usual courageand calmness,and declared
whenit was over that the only fault she could find
Avith it was its speedy termination. After a short
time, the knot havingbroken,two similar setonswere
applied to her ears. But as the cold which she felt
internally continuedundiminshed,and as nothing
seemed to relievethe painof her wounded
head,they
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 99

changedtheir plans and cauterized her arm. But as

this only aggravatedher sufferingsby occasioning
violent convulsionsand swellingsboth in her arm and
leg, it wasnecessaryto permit the fleshto heal. The
medical professorswould not, however, acknowledge
themselvesdefeated; and twice more they tormented
her by applying setonsto her ears. But discovering
at last that no remedy was of any avail, but that their
efforts to benefit her had only made matters worse,
they protested that their sciencehad no power to cure
diseasesof that nature. Thereforethe bishop and the
confessors of Veronica were convinced that it was the

Hand of God which had wrought thus on His highly-

favoured servant, and they committed her to the
powerof her Lord, WhoseAVill it was by meansof
theseprivilegesto causeher to resembleHimself.

CHAPTER III.

SHE IS PROMOTED TO HEAVENLY ESPOUSALS.-THE

MANNER IN WHICH OUR LORD PREPARED AND

CONDUCTED THEM.

THAT most intimate union,the result of perfectlove,

which takesplacebetweenthe soul and her God,is
describedin the pagesof Holy Writ by the title of
Espousals. Throughout the book of Canticles,the
divine Spirit representsto us by the mouth of Solo-
mon that burning intercourseof love which is ex-
changedbetweena holy soul and her Lord, who are
introducedto our contemplationunder the figureof a
devotedbridegroomand bride. JesusChrist Him-
self, moreover,in the Gospel of S. Matthew, sets
7-2
102 «. VERONICA GIULIANI.

feet. In that of His sacredSideI behelda mostlovely

jewel,on whichHe seemed to lookwith pleasure.I
felt extremelyanxiousto know who hadpresented
Him with sochoicea gift. Heturnedtowardsmeand
inquiredif I recognized it. To whichI replied,' I
do not know, but I think a loving soul must have
offeredTheesomeparticularsuffering,for I perceive
that it comesfromthetreasuryof sufferings.'I thought
that our Lord answeredmejoyfully, ' Know then,My
beloved, that thou hast afforded Me this gratification
by thy sufferingsof the last two days. Everytime
that thou didst repeatthe declarationthat thou hadst
no other will but Mine, and every time that thine act
of resignation was renewed, thou didst give beauty to
My holy Wounds ; and of all thy sufferingstogether I
haveformedthis jewel,which 1 keepin My Side,and
onwhichI look with the greatestpleasure.Nevershall
I ceaseto beholdit, and with loving eyesI shall see
it grow constantly more and more beautiful. Now
thou mayestindeed comprehendhow dear to Me is
thy suffering!' By thesewordsHe enkindled within
me a burning desirefor everykind of suffering,and I
appearedto answerHim thus-'I am ready, 0 my God,
to be sacrificed as a victim on the altar of Thy cross.
I wish to be crucifiedwith Thee. Causeme to undergo
all that Thou hast endured for me, but in this, as in
everything else, I commit myself to Thy holy Will.'
Hereupon our Lord seemedto bend down and embrace
my soul,bestowingone divine kiss, which raisedme
to a stateof rapture. This occupiedonly a brief space
of time, but it sufficed to unite my soul to God
in a mannerwhichI haveneverbeforeexperienced.
The communications then vouchsafed to me were
the principal was a solemn contract of
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 103

betrothal. I cannot describe what I felt. . . . When

we return to ourselves after such communications as

these,we are enabledto form a lively idea of the

untold treasures which lie concealed beneath crosses,
mortifications, humiliations, and the contempt of our
fellow-creatures. Such are the lessons which one
learns in the school of divine love."
We should not omit to mention that two days
before the vision narrated above, on the feast of
our Lady's Annunciation, the gracious Virgin was
pleased to honour Veronica with her presence, to
give her notice of her approachingespousals,and
to prepare her for that high dignity. It was by
meansof an intellectual vision, as our Saint terms it,
that she beheld the Queenof Angels on a magnificent
throne, attended on one side by S. Catherine of
Siena, and on the other by S. Rose of Lima. These
two saints were imploring Mary to obtain for her
servantthe earnestlydesiredfavour of beingespoused
to her divine Son. To this the Blessed Virgin
graciouslyansweredthat their petition would shortly
be granted. At the same time Veronicaperceived
that the Mother of God held in her hand a most
beautiful ring, sayingthat it was shortly to be hers,
and thereforethat she must prepareherself for the
celestial union which awaited her.
" And then," adds Veronica, " she turned towards
the two saints,and told me that I was to imitate
them in the practice of the most heroic virtues,
especially
in humility,charity,andknowledge
of self.
And while she thus addressed me, she seemedto
bestow on me interiorly thosevery virtues, and the
pricelesstreasure which is hidden in them. . . .
Sincethat dayI havelivedasit wereout of myself,
10-i S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

and havealwayshadan intimate senseof the presence

of God."

So time passedon till the tenth of April, which

happenedthat year to be Holy Saturday. During the
whole of Lent she had exercised herself in the most
cruel austerities,whichwe shall not relatein this place
for fear of interrupting the thread of our narrative.
On the morningof Holy Saturdayour divine Saviour
once more appearedto her in all His glory. He in-
vited her to His heavenly nuptials on the following
morning, and at the same time showed her the mar-
j-iiigi' ring. Slavic well the following proofs of the
truth of this vision-"I was likewise informed," she
writes, " that it was necessaryfor me to pass through
a processof complete renewal. A new rule of life was
given me; I was to inflict on myself greater auste-
rities ; I was to be more silent; I was to work with
morefervour and love, to do everythingwith a pure
intention, to honour Jesus by denying every natural
inclination, to embraceall that is opposed to nature,
to fly from the praise of man, to cherish contempt and
mortification, to be a lover of the crossin everything,
to hold it constantly in my hand as a powerful shield,
to be crucified to all things, and to attend to all that
constitutes the height of perfection."
Veronicafollowedthe exampleof the wisevirginsin
the gospel,and in expectationlike theirs she passed
the whole night which precededEaster Sundayin
prayer,imploring her future divine Spouseto inspire
her to do everythingwhichsheoughtby wayof pre-
paration for the solemnity. "I felt," she declares,
"from time to time such loving invitations bestowed
on me that they seemedto take me out of myself.
Thesewereno other than the summonswhichmy
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 105

ilivine Spouseaddressedto my heart, saying,' Come

to Me, My beloved.' This single sentencehad such
power to unite my soul to God that I ceasedto feel the
encumbrance of this material frame; but this passed
quickly, though my heart continued to burn. At other
times I had a vivid sense of the presenceof Jesus
within my heart, and it seemedas if He cast from
thence whatever was not suitable to a heart of which
He was about to take entire possession. He cast out
'everything that was earthly, or defiled with self-love,
as well as everything that was foul, such as human
respect; besides all the imperfections which might
impede my progress. Our Lord during this process
of clearing my heart spoke to me thus : ' My spouse,
dost thou seeall these things from which I am deli-
vering thy heart? Do thy bestto prevent their return.
I am come here now to prepare it, and to garnish it
for Myself. Endeavour to preserve it free from all
these things. I wish to occupy it all alone. Behold,
I am.entirely thine.' "
After this vision she had two others the samenight,
in which she saw our Lord Himself in the act of

adorning her heart with rich and costly attire; and she
was informed that thesethings were His divine merits,
bestowed on her as His spouseby way of dowry.
Thus the night passed away, and at length came
the hour of Communion, which was the time fixed for
the expected solemnity. As she drew near to receive
the sacred Host, her ear caught the notes of an
exquisite melody sung by angels; and the words
they sang were, " Veni sponsa Christi ""-" Come,
spouseof Christ." Presentlyshe was rapt from all
objectsof sense,and permittedto beholdtwo magni-
ficent thrones. The one on the right hand was all of
106 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

gold, enrichedwith mostbeautifulgems;and here

our divine Lord wasseatedin His glory, His Wounds
eclipsingin their splendour
the raysof the sun. The
one on His left was made of the purest alabaster,
and likewiseenrichedwith jewels; it was occupiedby
the Mother of Jesus,in a preciousrobe of white.
Our BlessedLady was imploring her Son to hasten
the espousals.An immensemultitudeof the heavenly
court was in attendance. The holy virgins, Catherine
of Siena and Rose of Lima, advanced,and the former
approachingVeronica,instructedher asto her part in.
this august function. She tells us that she was then
slowly conductedby both of them towards the thrones,
and as they proceededon their way they arrayed her
in variousarticlesof gorgeousattire, eachmore pre-
ciousthan the preceding,with whichtheycoveredher
religious habit. Over all was a robe of white, elabo-
rately embroidered. Thus she was brought before
the throne of Jesus Christ. His raiment she declares
herself unable to describe. In the wounds of His
hands and feet the most radiant gems were gleaming.
The wound in His divine Side was open, and poured
forth a flood of splendour more brilliant than the sun.
There it was that she beheld the nuptial ring; and
into that sacredhavenshewould gladly havethrown
herself, to dwell therein for ever. Our Lord raised
His handto blessher, and with a benigncountenance
intoned the words, " Veni sponsaChristi"-" Come,
spouseof Christ;" and the most BlessedVirgin with
all the court of heavencontinuedthe antiphon,
" Accipecoronam, quamtibi Dominusprseparavit
in
seternum"-" Receivethe crown,which the Lord has
preparedfor thee for all eternity." S. Catherinethen
beganto take off herrobes,leavinghersimplyattired
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 107

in her religioushabit. This wasprobablydesigned to

teachher the dignity of that habit, which wasworthy
to be worn evenbeforesoaugustan assemblage.\Ve
may infer asmuch from the effect it producedupon
her. Religiouswould do well to take heed to the
following words, which are her own :-
" On finding myself in the presenceof my divine
Spouse, clothed in this habit, I blushed, for at that
moment I was enlightened as to the true value of the
gift which God confersin calling a personto religion.
This light left my mind filled with an affection for all
that religious have to practise, and with an anxious
desire to fulfil all those observancespunctually. Oh
how grand is the very name of a religious, and how
much does it comprehend! Although it was given
me to conceive the extent of what it includes, I am
incapableof describing it. Even now I have suchcon-
fidence in the mere habit of religion, that to imprint
a kiss on it gives me pleasure."
But to return to the mysterious ceremonies. Vero-
nica waited for a short time in her religious habit,
until our Lord made a sign to His blessedMother that
she should array our Saint in her nuptial attire, which
consistedof a magnificentrobewovenof differenthues,
and coveredwith preciousstones. Mary presentedit
to S. Catherine, who invested Veronica with it, and
then placed her between the two thrones. And as
she felt more than ever wounded with love, she
beheld our Lord draw from His side the nuptial
ring, and lay it in the handof His holy Mother. We
Avillborrow her own descriptionof this :-" The ring
shoneresplendently
; it appeared
to metobe madeof
gold, and enamelledall round, soasto form theName
of our goodJesus.. . . From timeto timeI looked
108 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

up lovinglyat ourLord; I seemed

to speakwith Him,
andto imploreHim to espouse me." Hereuponthe
Queenof heaven directedher to presenther right
hand to S. Catherine,after which our Lord took it in
His own, "and at that moment,"she continues,"I
felt myself more intimately united with Him. To-
getherwith His mostholy Mother, He then placedthe
ring on my ring-finger,and whenHe had doneso He
blessed it."
At the sameinstant Veronica heard a majestic har-
mony of the heavenly choirs ; and when these ceased,
shereceivedfrom her divine Spousefresh rules whereby
to attain to greater perfection, so as to be entirely
obedient, and dead to her own will; to live as though
there existed no other being saveJesus and her own
soul; to practise all virtues, even thosewhich aremost
heroic; to observe strict abstinence; to impose on
herself more rigorous penancesthan ever; in short,
her whole life was to be one of crucifixion. On these
conditions Jesuswould be entirely hers.
Thus ended the mysterious function of her espousal,
in which, as she informs us, her bodily eyes took no
part, but only those of her mind. She adds that the
ring remained on her finger, and that on communion
days shefelt its pressuremore than at other times, and
that on almost every occasionof receivingthe holy
Eucharist, she enjoyed a renewal of her espousals.
This wondrousring was morethan onceseenby her
companionsin religion, and was describedas follows in
the processby SisterMary Spanaciani,who declares
herself to have seenit once"with her own eyesand
with distinctness" when she was a novice. " It en-
circledherabove-mentioned
ring-finger,
exactlyin the
way that ordinary rings do. On the outside there
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

appearedto be a raisedstone,as large asa pea,and

of a red colour,which inspiredme with fearand vene-
ration (asis usualwhenwe seeanything supernatural
or miraculous);severaltimes I was on the point of
asking her what it was, but I never ventured to do
so; and meantime the countenanceof this servant of
God was glowingand radiant, asthoughshe werein
a sort of rapture, and this proved to be the case,for
thoughI askedher various questions,she never an-
swered to the point. It was, however, remarkable,
that a few hours after, thoughI looked at her hand
carefully,there wasno ring nor j'ewelthere; and now
that it had disappeared,she was herself again, and
able to give connectedreplies to my inquiries." Men-
tion is made in the processes
of two differentrings
which were given her by our Lord at her espousals,
and on the occasion of their renewal, one of which she
called the ring of love, and the other the ring of the
cross. Veronica speaks, moreover, in«her journal, of
a third ring which was presentedto her by our Lord
on the renewal of her espousalsat Easter, in the year
1697. This last wasenriched with three gems,on one
of which were engraventwo hearts, so closely united
that they appearedbut one; on the secondstonewas
a cross,and on the third all the instruments of the
Passion. Jesus Himself informed her that the first
stonewasmeantto signifythe unionsubsistingbetween
His heart and hers, and that the second represented
the dowry which was appointedher in token of that
union,while the third wasthe remembrancesheshould
haveof His sufferings. Our Saviourthen askedher
by what sign He might recognizeher asHis spouse,
to
whichshereplied,"By ThineownmostsacredWounds
which Thou hastimprinted on me,unworthyasI am."
 110 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

(it wasin that yearthat shehadreceivedthe stigmata).

"Yes, it is asthou sayest,"rejoinedour Lord, "these
WoundsI leavetheeasa pledge,to put theeconstantly
in mind of Me; rest on My Will, for I am thine."

CHAPTER IV.

THE GIFTS AND FAVOURS WHICH JESUS LAVISHED ON

HIS SPOUSE DURING THE TWO FOLLOWING DAYS.-

HER CORRESPONDENCE TO THEM.

I'm: solemnities connected with these heavenly

espousals wciv not broughtto a closeon EasterSun-
day, whichwas the feastof their celebration,but were
likewise spreadin different ways over the following
Monday and Tuesday. On the former of these days
Jesus introduced Veronica, if I may be allowed the
expression,into His treasury, and gave it into her
possession.At her Communionon that morningHe
appearedto her, and marshalled,as it were, before
her all the precious actions of His mortal life, and the
fearful torments of His Passion,together with His in-
finite merits, telling her to disposeof them all at her
pleasure. Veronica was overwhelmed by such infinite
liberality on the part of her divine Spouse,as well as
by the considerationof her own nothingness. " It
seemed to me," she writes, "that it was an office
ill-suited for me to distribute these treasures. At the
same time I felt such interior faith that I turned to
"our Lord and said, ' My God, my divine Spouse,I
leave all theseinfinite treasuresin Thy hands. I
pray Thee to distribute them; Thou aloneshouldbe
the Dispenserof them. I beseechThee to bestow
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. Ill

them among all, but especially among those who love

Thee from their heart; and grant that by meansof
these gracesthey may correspondto Thy love.' " She
went on to pray particularly for her director, for all
priests, and peculiarly in behalf of confessors,to the
end that they might be illuminated by divine faith and
inflamed with divine love. But more than all, she
prayed for her own convent, saying to Jesus, "By
meansof theseThy treasurescausethat this Thy order
may nourish here in the perfection of observance."
In this place we must be permitted to make a brief
digression, which will serveto show the efficacyof the
prayers of our Saint. When Veronicaenteredthe
convent, it possesseda reputation for superior excel-
lence, and it was on this account that she had made
choiceof it, as we have already explained in the proper
place; but from the time of her entranceit beganto
be considereda community of saints, and in fact more
than one of its inmates passedto another life in the
odour of sanctity. In this category we may place the
choir sisters Mary Teresa Vallemanni, of Fabriano,
Mary Constance
Spanacianiand Mary RoseGotoloni,
both of Tolentino, Gertrude of Pisa, Angela Mary
Moscani, of Castello, Mary Angelica degli Azzi, of
Arezzo, Mary Anne Piazzini, of Florence,Florida Ceoli
and Mary MagdalenBoscaini,both of Pisa; besides
the lay sisters Frances and Giacinta, of Castello,
own sister to the former ; also Mary Felix, of Florence,
and generallyspeakingall the novicesof Veronica,for
they were distinguishedfor their virtue, aswere, in-
deed,nearlyall the restwho lived with her. The new
annals of the Capuchins contain a brief compendium
of the lives of the above-mentionedsisters, each ac-
cordingto the yearand dayof her happydeath. A
112 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

separate
biographyhasbeenalsopublished
of Sisters
Boscaini, Piazzini, and degli Azzi.
The processof Sister Florida Ceoli'scanonization
wascommenced, but afterwardssuspended for want of
pecuniarymeans,thoughit maypossiblybe terminated
at somefuture clay. It wasasserted
by someonewho
confusedher with her aunt, that she was once one of
the ladies of the court of her Serene Highness Vio-
lante, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, but in reality she
never was at court, as we have ascertained from
authentic documents. Through the same meanswe
have learnt that she once clearly predicted to a very
estimable priest well known to us, that he would be-
comean Oratorian, which really cameto pass. There
are likewise other particulars connected with her and
her fellow-religious of that holy community which it
would be irrelevant to mention here. With regard to
the membersof the convent now alive, we are assured
by one who is thoroughly competent to do so, in con-
sequenceof having been their director, that they are
still at all timesactuatedby the spirit of their saintly
sister, and that in due time they will prove to be
faithful copiesof that holy model.
To return to our history : it was on Easter Monday
that Veronica heard a voice within her heart, saying,
"My beloved,I amwaiting for theeto presentMe with
.1jewel." She recognizedthe voice of her heavenly
Spouse,and understoodthat His words signified a
desire to receive some sacrifice of rare mortification at
her hands. As nothing elseoccurredto her that she
coulddo,shetook the brasscaseof an hour-glass,
on
which wasengraventhemostholy Nameof Jesus,and
having heatedit thoroughlyat the fire, she usedit to
imprint on herbreastthe sacredcypherasaperpetual
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 113

token of fidelity and homageto her Well-beloved.

Not satisfied with this, she inflicted on herself other
fearful austerities,until she again heard the same
voice pronounce the words, "This is sufficient for
Me." And here,lest any weakor ill-regulatedminds
shouldpresumeto cavil, or blasphemeGod,asthough
He cruelly delights to behold the torture of human
beings,it maybe aswell to remark that it is not the
torture itself which pleasesGod,but rather the great
benefitwhichaccrues from thenceto ourselves,
and pro-
curing for us by meansof transient pain the enjoyment
of unfading and infinite glory. It is for this that He
has createdus. The rebellion of the tlesh placesitself
in opposition to the accomplishment of this, and
therefore it must be subdued by mortification; and
the more it is tamed by penance,the more easily will
the spirit unite itself with God, and ascend at last
together with the body to enjoy the beatific vision in
heaven. In order that this end may be attained, God
is pleased thai we should suffer, and He, therefore,
both counselsand enjoinsthat we should avail ourselves
of this necessarymeans for procuring true and eternal
bliss; and He encourages us to do soby giving usthe
bright exampleof His only-begottenand divine Son,
Who for our sakesresignedHimself to suchdreadful
tormentsthat He is rightly termedtheMan of Sorrows.
On EasterTuesdayalsoour Lord Jesusdeignedto
bestow new marks of love on His Spouse. She had
no sooner received the Bread of Heaven in holy Com-
munion than she found herself in an ecstasywith her
Well-beloved. " Our Lord approached me in a loving
way," shewrites, " and saidto me, ' I am thy peace:.
I am Who am. Behold Me, tell Me what thou
wouldst have.' ' Nothing but Thyself, my divine
8
114 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Spouse,'I replied. Our Lord mademe understand

that Hewas greatlypleased at this, andseemedto
stretchout His right handand embrace my soul. I
cannotdescribewhat weremy feelingsat that moment.
I canonly tell youthat it wasanaffairof brief duration;
if it had beenotherwise,I do not know how I could
havelived." She then attemptsto give someideaof
the wonderfuldelight and enlargementof heartwhich
sheexperienced in receivingJesusunderthe Eucharis-
tic species. " When I went to holy Communion,"she
says, " it seemed that the door of my heart was
thrown wide open, as if for the purpose of receiving a
friend; and as soon as He had entered, it was closed.
Tims it came to pass that my heart shut itself up
alone with its God. It is out of my power to describe
all the effects and movements and exultations which

His presenceproduced. If I were to give to you as

an illustration every pastime and pleasurewhich our
dearestfriends couldprovidefor us,I shouldsaythey
are nothing in comparison;and if all the joys which
the universe canafford \vereunited,! should pronounce
them nothing when comparedwith what my heart
enjoys with her God, or rather with what God works
in my soul, for it is all His own operation. Love
causesthe heart to danceand leapfor joy, to singand
to be silent accordingasit pleases;love soothesit to
repose,or wakes it to triumphant bliss; love setsit
vigorouslyto work afreshfor its God; love possesses
it, and it yieldsto all; love rulesit, and it rests."
Presentlyshecontinues," If I were to relate all the
effectswhich are wrought in the heart by love at the
time of holy Communionand at other seasons, I should
neverfinish. Sufficeit to saythat the holyEucharist
is the very palaceand sanctuaryof love. The heart
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 115

"becomes
more than ever inflamed whenit seesitself
"thedwelling-place
of themostholyTrinity,andwhen
Jesuscomesto me in the BlessedSacrament, and
I hear the words,'Hail themtempleof the whole
"Trinity!'thenmyheartbecomes
soenlarged
anden-
kindled,that sometimes I seem
to hearsweetmelodies,
andamravishedwith heavenly music. Whenengaged
"inlaboriousduties,I find myselfreadyto doanything.
Sometimes I am impelledby suchmightydesiresto
praiseand blessGodthat my heart would fain be con-
vertedinto tongues, wherewithto invokeandglorify its
soleand highestgood. As far asI am awareI find no
greatersatisfactionin anythingthan in pure suffering.
It is then that I seem to behold flowers of unrivalled
lovelinessencirclingmy cross; and thesecauseme to
wish for fruit besides,
and this fruit is moresuffering."
Here wemayremark that in the midstof her fairest
spiritual delights, she neither esteemednor desired
aughtbut suffering-puresuffering,without onedropof
sweetness-and all this through love for her Beloved.
This is a sureproof of the Spirit of God.

CHAPTER V.

IN OBEDIENCE TO A DIVINE COMMAND SHE BEGINS

TO FAST RIGOROUSLY ON BREAD AND WATER, AND

CONTINUES TO DO SO FOR SEVERAL YEARS.-THE
OPPOSITION WHICH SHE HAD TO ENCOUNTER FROM

HER SUPERIORS, AS WELL AS FROM HERSELF, AND

FROM THE POWERS OF DARKNESS.

AMONGthe injunctionswhichweregivento Veronica

by Jesusher divine Spouse,on the day of her mystic
8-2
116 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

nuptials, was one which directed her to observea

strict abstinence,as we have already mentioned
at the closeof the third chapter. She was already
so mortified in this respectas to be an object of
wonder to the other nuns. But our Lord, Who desired
to separateher more and more from earthly things,
and to unite her more closely to Himself, inspired, or
rather expresslycommanded,her to undertake for
three consecutive years a strict fast upon bread and
water. We find from her own writings that it was on
the 2Gthof March, 1695, that she receivedthis injunc-
tion, just a year after the solemnity of her espousals.
As she was never in the habit of doing anything
without the orders or approval of her confessorsand
superiors, she informed them of this order from our
Lord. But it pleasedGod to test her obedienceto
His ministers; and to instruct us through her example
as to the dependencewhich we ought to place on His
representatives, even in the holiest practices. He
therefore ordained that they should all agree in re-
fusing her the permissionwhich she asked. She
offered no resistance, though to comply with their
will cost her dear; for from that moment, M'hatever
she ate she was forced instantly to reject, except
merely a mouthful of dry bread, which she took in
the courseof the day when she felt on the point of
fainting. Even this slight refreshmentshe gaveup
as soon as it was prohibited. In order to try her
still more severely,Almighty God ceasednot to urge
her to keep the appointed fast, and sometimesHe
reproachedher asthoughshewere responsiblefor not
accomplishingHis divine Will; however,beingen-
lightenedfrom above,shereplied,"Lord, I promise
to do it; but I am certain that Thou desirest that I
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 117

should obey in all things those who stand in Thy

placewith regard to me " do Thou thereforedispose
them whoseduty it is to give me the required per-
mission." And then full of confidenceshe presented
her petition afresh,but wasput off with a still more
obstinaterefusal. But as she was guided by the
"true rules of the spiritual life, she tells us that she
Avas satisfied,becausein this way she was compelled
to suffer much,though shefelt that shehad done all
in her power. Everytime that shesat downto table,
she had to undergoa new martyrdom. Every sort
of food that she saw stimulated her appetite, but no
sooner had shetasted any than it assumedthe flavour
of the bitterest wormwood, or became so nauseous
that she knew of nothing to which she could compare
it. The violence with which she was forced to reject
it occasioned internal bleeding, and for some days
after she abstained from all nourishment. Her direc-
tors and superiors, even the bishop himself, were cog-
nizant of thesefacts,and yet it madeno alterationin
their opinion.
Veronica confesses that her nature was inclined to
revolt under this ; and that she found it a grievance
to be refusedpermissionto eata little dry bread by
itself, as it had beenalreadyascertainedthat it was
the only kind of food which she couldtake with im-
punity. And yet this obedientreligiouswould not
ventureto eat breadby itself, becauseshe had been
told by her superiorsto partake of everything there
was. Her strengthof spirit and resemblance to Jesus
Christ are strikingly illustrated by the sentiments
whichaccompanied
herdocilesubmission." I would
fain have done," shewrites, " what God required of
me; but they would not give me leave to do so.
113 S. VEKOMCA GIULIANI.

While I sat at table, it seemedto me that at ever}-

mouthfulI tookourLord reproached
me. Sometimes.
I heard an interior voice saying to me, ' When art

thougoingto fulfil My injunction,and live entirely

on bread and water?' And my soul was consumed
with sorrow at not being able to do what our Lord
bademe. I offeredHim my obedienceand the suffer-
ing which my food occasionedme: I resignedmyself
afresh to His sacred Will, but persevered in firm
adherence
to the practiceof holy obedience. I endea-
voured to carry out this principle so completely asnot
to transgressit in the least. I was aware of the great
assistancewhich the soul derives from living, as it
were, in a state of death, and following the direction
of the representativesof God. I felt that my desires
for suffering were more than ever on the increase. I
earnestly longed to drink in good earnest of that
bitter chalice which contains ever}rkind of torment;
and it often seemed to me that our Lord made me taste
its contents.. . . The meresight of this chalicesur-
rounded me with pain, but at the sametime imparted
great strength, for it seemedto me that my spirits be-
camethereby moreattuned to suffering and to the love
of the cross." Veronicahad to endurethis agonizing,
conflict between the commands and reproaches of
God on the one hand, and the prohibitions of her
superiors on the other, from the 20th of March to
the 8th of Septemberin the sameyear. Meanwhile
the resistance of nature continued in the manner we
have described,so that she would frequently pass
several days without taking the least refreshment.
At length our Lord, moved with compassionfor
this severetrial of her virtue, was pleasedto bestow
on her a very rare favour, which we do not find to
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

havebeen vouchsafedon any other, exceptthe holy

virgins Lidwine, in Holland, and Gertrude of Oost, in
Belgium,accordingto the testimonyof the Bollandists.
Veronicabeing oneday thoroughlyexhausted,owing
to the causes
mentionedabove,passedinto oneof her
usual raptures, during which our Lord directed her to
sustainher life by taking daily five dropsof a certain
liquid containedin her left breast,but not until ehe
should receive the permission of her confessor, to
whom the whole matter was to be referred. " I
then returned to myself," she writes, " and found
myself like onedistracted,not knowing what to do.
I felt interiorly a profound sorrow on account of my
sins against God : it seemedto me, also, that I was
more enlightened than I had been on the subject of
virtues, especially on that of humility : I was con-
sumed with desire for the salvation of souls: from
time to time I felt my soul so enkindled that it
seemed to consume me; I also appeared to feel the
effects of the fluid within my bosom. I was not
willing to lay any stress on this ;* and I did not
know how I should explain it to my confessor,owing
to the repugnancewhich I feel on all such occasions.
I wasfrequentlyreprovedfor not conqueringmyself,
and receiveda fresh inspirationto manifestthis par-
ticular ; but I could not tell how to set about it. I
went on in this \vayfor aboutthreedays. As I could
not retain the food which I took, my strength was
failing fast, sothat I could hardly stand. I did not
* Let the reader mark the caution with which she dealt
with visions and extraordinary favours, and how reluctant she
was to mention anything which was likely to redoundto her
own glory : these things prove that the spirit which guided
her was good.
120 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

ventureto tastethe liquor in question,

because
I had
not permissionto do so,but I felt that it was in my
breast. Our Lord rebuked me severely; and I was
given to understandthat it wasHis Will that I should
triumph over myself,and mentionmy caseto His re-
presentative. At last I overcamemyself,and related
all thecircumstances.My confessor would not permit
me to tastethe liquid for the present,but desiredme
to continuetaking my ordinaryfood. I did soaccord-
ingly. The next morninghe told meto eat asusual;
but that in casesicknessshould ensue,I was to take
the five drops after a shortinterval. I did this, and
experiencedextraordinary effects. Scarcelyhad I
tastedit whenI felt myself strengthenedand invigo-
rated. . . . This happenedon the 2nd of June. To
God be all the glory. Blessedbe the cross."
The accountwhich Veronica gives tallies exactly
with the deposition made in the process,which may
be found in the summaryof her virtues by Father
Carlo Antonio Tassinari, of the order of Servites,
who was at that time extraordinary confessorto the
convent. He it was who first refused and then gave
our Saint permission to avail herself of that myste-
rious fluid, with the approbation of the bishop, Mgr.
Eustachj, with whom he had taken counsel on the
subject. The liquor in questionwas then examined.
It was similar in appearanceto milk; but soextremely
deliciouswasits odour that whereverit was brought
it filled everyplacewith fragrance; it was in a phial
which Veronicahad beenobligedunder obedienceto
fill with it. When it was conveyedto the sick it
wroughtwonders, aswas attestedin the process
by
SisterFloridaCeoliand SisterMary MagdalenBos-
caini,aswell asby the lay sisterGiacinta. Ourvirgin
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 121

Saint continuedto support herself by meansof this

supernaturalliquid during fiveyearsof rigorousfasting.
Whether it went on till the end of her life we are
neither informedby othersnor by her own writings.
This milk of Veronicawascertainlyout of the courseof
nature, as were the circumstanceswhich accompanied
it: and this miraculousgift of hers, together with
the otherswhich havebeenalreadyrelated or which
remain to be recounted hereafter, was ably defended
in the Congregation
of Rites,in the two last treatises
on her virtues, printed in the years 1786 and 1796 ;
which, by the variety of illustrations that they
present, and the weighty arguments they contain,
may well serve in future to support and defend all
similar cases. It is certain with regard to the caseof
Veronica, that notwithstanding the numerous and
grave objections made by the promoter of the faith,
it received the unanimous approbation of their Emi-
nences, and of the other very reverend cousultors,in
the generalcongregationthat washeld on the 12th of
April, 1796,in the presenceof Pius VI., who issuedhis
decreeof approval on the 24th of the samemonth. The
followingwordstakenfrom it arepeculiarlysuitableto
the last-mentioned incident in the life of our Saint, as
well as to all her various endowments-1%<?
fathers agree
in decidingthat thoseother wonderfulgifts of hersare
dear from all fallacyand machination;neitlierdo they
.containanythingindecorousor inconsistent
with sanctity.
But to resume the thread of our history. It was
on the morningof the 8th of September,
1695, being
the Feast of our Blessed Lady's Nativity, after
Veronica had endured about six months of opposi-
tion, that her confessor saw her, and said to her:
"" This morningyou shall begin to live on breadand
122 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

water. Our prelate (Mgr. Eustachj)has directed

me to cujoiu you to do so." We may easilyinfer
with what delightthis message
would be welcomed
by Veronicaafter all that had passed,and we
may conceivewith what alacrity she commenced
the fast so earnestlydesired; though to flesh and
blood it was of course a sore trial. She herself
relates that she found her whole nature recoil fmm
it. It is, however, true that from this time the
nausea from which she had suffered so much was at
an end. But feeble humanity cannot but shrink at
the idea of taking no other nourishment than bread
and water during whole weeks, and months, and
years. It is pleasant to contemplatethe generosity
with which she brought her mind to bear it, as also.
the magnanimitywhich led her to makelight of, and
even jest at, the matter, as is evident from the
following ingenuous account which she gave her
confessor, beginning from the time of the carnival:.
"Mother abbessdeclared in chapter that, during these
four carnival days,we might each take whateverwe
required for our own needs. Self was delighted, and
immediately cried, ' I, too, will take whatever I
require.' I began to chide Self, and to tell her that,
she shouldnot haveall that sheaskedfor. As might
be expected,shewas wantingto eat and to sleep. All
at once she desired me to give her, at least,a little
breadand water,of which she stood in greatneed.
But I replied,' Be quiet,for I am goingto give you
the food you askfor. Youknowthe threepenances
which I have promisedyou; well, theseare to be
your bread and water.' Soon after, I went to the
dispensary,
andno soonerdid Self find herselfthere,.
than shewantedto havea morselof everything.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 123.

SoI madeherlie with her inouthon the groundfor

a short time, and said to her, 'Eat this dust and
dirt, and be satisfied
for once.' This plananswered,
and shewasquiet again,but I couldnot help smiling
within myself. Thenextmorning,directlysheentered
the dispensary,she began the samecoursethat she
had pursuedthe day before,and said to me, ' It is
Sundaymorning; even the hermits eat somethingto-
day ; and poor I am to have nothing but bread and
water.'-' In the midst of these murmursshebegan
to prepare somemacaroni for the nuns. I laughed at
the quantity she took out, and can assureyou that
sheknows how to be roguish,and hasa mischievous
tongue in her head. I was not able to penance her
then, for my companion was in the room."
She writes asfollowson the 30th of September,
a
twelvemonth of her fast having elapsed: "I can
assuremy father confessorthat I find the matter as
great a privation to my natural appetite as I did the
first day I began to abstain. I find that Self Avishes
to have a share of all the food which I provide for
the nuns, and grumbles as she divides it into portions.
She will have her way, and I cannot accustomher to
keep quiet. I endeavour to passit off with a smile ;
but this year, as I shall still have to regulate my diet
very strictly, I must try to make an impression upon
her by inflicting some new mortification. I have
promised her the following three : first, that if ever
she wishes to eat anything secretly, as temptation,
or rather, private gratification, may suggest, she
* It was the custom in this convent that the religious, even
those who were professed, and held the higher offices iu the
community, should occasionally work in the kitchen and.
dispensary.
124 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

shall walk into the middle of the refectory, and pro-

claim this faulty inclination aloud to all the nuns.
The barethought of such a humiliation puts her on
her guard. Secondly,if she complainsof having
nothing but breadand water, she shall be madeto
passthree dayswithout drinking at all. I find this
threat very effective. Thirdly, asshehasto cookand
carry round the provisionsof the other religious,if
she continues to accompanythis duty with lamenta-
tions, as she is accustomedto do, she shall be forced
to expresswhat is passing in her mind, in an audible
way, to her companion,whoever it may be. For I
will not tolerate these murmurs any longer. This
last mortification will touch her to the quick."
Veronica's confessor suggested to her another
method of conquering her repugnanceto this fast, and
of quelling the incitements of natural appetite. He
recommendedher to hold a raw and decayed fish to
her lips whenever she felt a craving for food. We
will refer again to her own lively narrative. " I
took a fish," she says, " which was already in a
state of decomposition,and put it aside. Well, after
some time had elapsed,you may conceivethe condi-
tion it was in! Every time that I found nature dis-
contented and rebellious in the matter of diet, I said
to myself, ' you know where your food is to be found.'
I really cannot stay to relate all the complaints which
Self wasdisposedto lay at the doorof thepersonwho
had inventedthis penance,and I will only repeatone
thing which she said. It was this : ' The person who
thought of sucha penanceought first to try the ex-
perimenthimself,andseewhetherheis notproposing
an impossibility.. . .' However,
I madeherundergo
this trial, and another too, which she did not at all
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 125'

like. I still keepmy fish at hand; and whenevershe

is inclinedto bewail the methodin which sheis fed,
or anything else,I make her undergothis particular
penance,and very thoroughly,too. Blessingsbe on
the headof him who taught me such a lesson; and
to Godbe all the glory."
Notwithstanding the holy energywith which Ve-
ronicaengagedin the conflict,shestill found it hard
work to struggle with the infirmities of nature. This,
however, must not be taken as an evidence of feeble
virtue in our Saint; on the contrary, she rose from
every combat strong and victorious, with her weapons
in readinessto maintain possessionof the ground she
had gained, and to carry her conquestsfurther. It
was thus that Christ instructed His apostle. When
S. Paul implored deliverance from the " angel of
Satan," our Lord refused his petition, and declared,
" My graceis sufficientfor thee: for power is made
perfect in infirmity." It follows, therefore, that so
heroic a virgin as Veronica became more and more
refined and purified in proportion to the power of the
leagueof the fleshand thedevil againsther. Shegave
written accountsto her confessorof the great and fre-
quent temptationsby meansof whichSatantried hard
to make her relax somewhat from the rigour of her
fast. Sometimeshe would drag her by night into the
refectory,whenshefelt almost famished,and present
her with an array of delicacies. Sometimes
he would
convey these luxuries to her cell. But she was
always firm in her generous refusal to partake of
them, and was in the habit of making the sign of
the cross over all that he set before her, which
causedit immediately to disappear,leaving behind it
so fearful an odour that it occasionedher to faint away.
126 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

The devil, despairingof being able to subdue herr

conceivedthe ideaof blackeningher reputation,and
"of makingher appeara sacrilegioushypocrite,by the
followingstratagem. He frequentlyassumed herform,
and contrivedto becaughtin the act of eatinggreedily
andsurreptitiously,at improperhours,sometimes in the
kitchen, sometimesin the refectory, and sometimesin
the dispensary. The nuns were extremely scandalized
at this, especiallywhen they onceor twice saw Veronica
go to holy Communion after they had witnessedone
of these unlawful repasts. But it pleased God to
undertake the defenceof His servant, by causingthe
infernal plot to be discovered. One morning, about
the time of Communion, some of them found the
supposedVeronica engagedin eating, and accordingly
ran to the choir to inform the abbess,but there they
found their holy sister rapt in prayer.
Amidst all these troubles, she continued her fast on
bread and water during three consecutive years, as
long as she was permitted to do so. Besides this,
during two yearsmore, she lived exclusively on shreds
of altar bread, with a few orange pippins, and some
of that marvellously potent fluid, of which we have
already spoken. Indeed, it may be said that all her
religious life was one perpetual fast.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 127

CHAPTER VI.

FURTHER INSTANCES OF VERONICA'S FIDELITY TO HER

DIVINE SPOUSE. - SHE RECEIVES FROM HIM A
WOUND IN THE HEART.-FOUR DOCUMENTS WRIT-
TEN BY HER WITH HER OWN BLOOD.

IT maybe easilyconceived
how the malice of her in-
fernal enemy increasedwhen he found himself so
utterly scornedby Veronica, and when he beheldher at
the sametime so closely united to her divine Spouse.
There was no art to which he did not resort for the
purpose of rendering her unfaithful. He would pre-
sent to her the most dreadful images of guilt, and in
company with other fiends under the forms of wicked
young men, he would enact scenes,the very thought
of which is abhorrent to nature. The saintly heroine
of whom we write was on several occasions tormented1
by this fierce ordeal, but never had she to encounter
so dire a conflict, or one so protracted, as happenedin
the year 1696, which was the second after her mystic
espousals. But the struggle served only to elicit fresh
proofs of her unimpeachableconstancyto her heavenly
Spouse,as well as new pledges of His love for her.
For particulars we will refer to her own narrative,
written on the 1st of July in the sameyear.
"The demons went on with their horrible deeds.
They assumed at the same time my form, and de-
clared that I was lost for ever, that in that form I had
committed a number of sins,though at presentI did not
recognize them. They said that they reserved them
for the hour of my death,hopingto make me die in
despair. Besidesall this,I had to enduresuchsadness
and mortal agonythat I coulddo nothing for myself.
128 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

It seemedasthoughfor me therewereneitherGod
nor saints. I did my utmostto revive my spirits,
but it was all in vain.* I said to these infernal mon-
sters,'Away with you; I belongentirelyto my Jesus;
I havenothingto do with you; I will not listen to
you; I love God with all my heart, and I desire
always to do His Will. Do whatever you are per-
mitted to do againstme-strike me,afflict me,only
let me fulfil the divine Will, which I embraceand love.
Here I take my stand. Blessed be the pure Will of
my Lord.': It is thus that faithful spousesspeak of
their God.

Veronica was attacked in a similar way in the

October of the same year, and this furnished a new
proof of her fidelity. She wrote as follows on the
17th :-"To my other trials this new one was added.
Whilst I was at prayer t such a crowd of sinful
thoughts rushed into my mind, that it threw me
into a perspiration,after which I becameas cold
as ice, and experiencedwithin so violent a conflict
that I was completely upset by it. I did not mean to
allow myself to be disturbedor agitated by it, but I
couldnot help it. I was tormentedand plungedinto-
thesehorrible ideas, and my mind was so darkened
that I could apply myself to nothing. Satan tempted
me, and I seemedto hear his terrific voice accosting
me thus, ' Of what use is it to pray for sinners 1 All
their transgressionsrecoil upon thee. Do good if

* Let the soulsof the just be comforted when they fall into
similar temptations and desolation ; for these are trials to
which God subjects His most beloved servants. Let such
learn from our Saint how to act -when their turn comes.
t Thereforelet others be comfortedwhen they suffer from
temptations in the hours of devotion.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 129

thou canst.' And then the tempter seemedto be

rejoicing. O my God,what pain this gaveme! As
well as I could, I entreated our Lord for the salva-
tion of souls, and said to Him, 'My Well-beloved,
and Spouseof my soul, I will not offend Thee
voluntarily; I detest and execrate all these evil
thoughts, and with my will I renouncethem for ever.
I would a thousand times rather die than consent to
anything which might displeaseThee.' While I said
this with a great effort,the devil endeavouredto suggest
worse thoughts, and declared that there was no help
for me. I replied, ' Falsefiendthat thou art, I disbe-
lieve thy lies. I will love Jesus, I will serve Jesus,
and Jesus shall be my only good.' This combat lasted
for several hours, with much dryness and desolation.
To God be all glory." Her fidelity towards her
heavenly Spouse was accompanied by such zeal for
His glory that she was never tired of labouringto
promote it by the conversionof thosewho had wan-
dered from the right way.
On the 13th of the following November Veronica
makes mention of another kind of temptation with
whichthe devil assailed her. He endeavoured to in-
spire her with a feeling of internal vexation against
herself, and with sentiments of irritation and con-
tempt towards her companions, inciting her to the
utterance of harsh and cutting expressions. But our
Saint was ever on her guard, and when thus tried she
would say to herself, "Is it possible that there is so
much wickedness in thee ? Bear in mind that our

Lord wishes thee to be all sweetnessan<Jpeace."

Sherelateswith astonishinghumility and minuteness
the feelingswhich rebelliousnature suggested, all of
whichsheattributesto her own pride,self-love,human
9
 130 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

respect,and fictitious charity. Thesesentimentshad

referencemoreparticularlyto her superiorand another
religionswho was connectedwith herself in the office-
of dispenser. She carefully avoided any outward
expressionof what was passingin her mind, and on
the contrarymanifestedthe greatestpossiblesatisfac-
tion. She resolved at length to meet this temptation
by havingmore fervent recourseto her divine Spouse
in the Blessed Sacrament. When prostrate before
Him, she felt, as she informs us, that nature and
sensewere tranquillized; they dared not speak, and
thus her soul resumed its dominion over them. It
was our Lord, she adds, Who produced this calm,
and gaveher strengthto fulfil her duties in the dis-
pensary, and to execute everything that was required
of her.

In the March of 1696 shewent through the spiritual

exercisesof S. Ignatius, in order that her soul might
be more perfectly purified, and strengthened against
the attacks of the devil. She gave the following
succinct account to her confessor on the llth:-"I
am beginning these holy exerciseswith the intention
of leading a new life, and of being a totally different
personto what I havehitherto been. I find nothing
but coldness and ingratitude in myself. As I am
ordered to do so by holy obedience,I will describe
my whole state as well and distinctly as 1 can. But
I am sostupid that I hardly know what to say. If I
must speak, it will be of the cross, becauseI know
that it and I are inseparable; and I trust that I shall
find it serve me as a book during these daysof
retreat."
Her humility is indeedworthy of remark,and we
may reflect with advantageon her constantefforts
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 131

to attain to a higher degreeof perfectionduring this

sacred retreat. We may observe also that a soul
accustomed to the most exalted and intimate commu-
nicationswith God,caresfor nothing but to establish
herself in the most solid virtue.
" With regardto the resolutionsand fruits attribu-
table to these daysof retreat," continuesVeronica, " I
havesummedthem all up underfive heads.-First, re-
signation to the divine Will; secondly,punctual
observance of the rules; thirdly, blind obedience;
fourthly, fraternal charity; and lastly, never to excuse
myself under any contradiction."
Even at this time the enemywas troubling her with a
new temptation. She had begunto makea moreminute
confession than usual, so he suggestedthat she had
better leave oft"telling such long stories to her confes-
sor; but perceiving the delusion, she turned to our
Lord and said, " My God, I resolve to be obedient to
Thy representative, and I will tell him all that passes
in my mind." Then it was that the demons endea-
voured to frighten her by means of horrible appari-
tions. "But I took courage,"she adds, "and began
to invoke the most holy namesof Jesus and Mary,
making the sign of the crossfrom time to time, and
submittingmyself to the entire Will of God concern-
ing me."
She concludesby mentioning various tokens of love
which she received at the hand of her divine Spouse.
"At length," she says, "I was able to be a little
recollected; and whilst I was in prayer, contemplating
the immenselove of God for our souls,I found myself
gently raisedfrom the things of earth,and favoured
to behold a vision of our Lord, whicli was so beautiful
that I cannotdescribeit. He approachedme,and I
9-2
132 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

saw the chaliceand the crossin His Hand. The latter

was adornedwith many gems and precious stones.
He gavemeto understandthat it was I who had
thus adornedit by meansof the confession
I had
begun to make. He informed me also that it was
His Will that I should continue it, and that for the
future I should concealnothing from my confessor,
but should tell him everything, in order that the
wonders of, divine love might be known. I was
likewisemadeto comprehendthat, ignorant and un-
grateful as I had been,the gifts and gracesof our
Lord had been lavished upon me."
She goes on to mention an ecstasy in which her
soul flew, as it were, to the Infant Jesus,and enjoyed
such intimate communications with Him, that she
found herself incapable of describing them. She
thus concludes : " When I came to myself, I rushed

from my cell like one deranged,not knowing what I

did. So,for alongtime, I tookthe disciplineto blood,
and afterwards I went to prime. But my heart could
not contain the joy which it felt. And then your re-
A'erence
came" (herconfessor)"and saidMass,during
which I made a spiritual communion,and committed
myself entirely into the hands of my Jesus. After
this, I continued my confession,and experiencedgreat
relief and benefit."
But the most tender pledge of love bestowedon
her during that year by her divine Spousewas a
woundliterally inflicted on her heart, from which a
stream of blood issuedforth. This took place on
Christmasday. Beforeproceedingto giveany account
of thisremarkable
event,wewill refertowhathappened
previousto that feast,in orderthat we may see with
what fidelity she merited so great a favour. She
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 133

writes as follows, under date of the 15th of Decem-

ber, 1696 :-
" I had beenlabouringall night under my accus-
tomedtrials and agitation,and hadbecomesotired as
to be incapableof supportingmyself. My mind was
envelopedin thick darkness,and I was particularly
afflicted, because I had such a multitude of evil
thoughts; and it even seemedto me that the sins of
the whole world were on my shoulders. God knows
what I suffered. I exclaimed, ' Where art Thou, my
sweet Spouse? Return to me. Thou Imowest that I
can do nothing of myself; but that with Thee I can
do all things. . . .' I could not even think of the
suffering, although it touched me to the quick. And
then camethe additional trial of toothache, and pain
in all my limbs, which lasted for the spaceof an hour.
I offered it all to our Lord in union with His Passion.

Nature began to lament, and to ask for a little re-

pose; but I said to myself, ' There is no-such thing as
rest for thee; I shall take thee into the garden, and
there thou shalt recreate thyself for a little.' My
lower naturebeganto tremblebeforeI got to the gar-
den. When I got there,I found that it had frozen
so hard that I was in danger of falling at every step.
So I said to myself, ' How now, Veronica,are you
satisfied1 On, on !-round and round ! cold and wind
will do for you insteadof rest. Take courage! All
is little for the love of God.' Just then there came
over me a great desireto call uponour Lord, and to
seek Him. So I feared the ice no longer, but began
to run, exclaiming,' I long to invoke Thee, to seek
Thee,and to find Thee,my sole and sovereigngood.
I invited the trees and plants to help me in call-
ing upon our Lord. I kissed them,aswell as the
134 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

groundthey grewupon. I embraced

the trees,and
said, 'You put mein mind of my dearLord's cross.'" i
Shegoeson to relate similartransportsof her love,
which resemblethose of the Spousein the sacred
Canticles. She also mentions the insults which she
had to encounter from two demons,who assumedthe
forms of negroes. But she was not at all dismayed.
" All for Thy love, my God," she cried. " Oh, how
cheerfullydo I welcomepain! Come,oh come,my be-
loved Spouse. Satiate me with crossesand torments,
provided it be Thy Will, for this is what I wish and
desire. Delay no longer, but come,my Jesus." At
last shereturnedto her cell, and spentthe wTho!e
day
in prayer and the severest penance, repeating from
time to time the prayer of the great virgin and martyr
St. Cecilia : " Fiat, Domine, cor meum et corpusmeum
immaculatum, ut 11011 confundar"-" Grant, 0 Lord,
that my heart and my body maybe immaculate,that
I may not be confounded."
Thus passed the days of that sacred novena,
during which Veronica felt herself impelled on several
occasions to write with her own blood a prayer to
the divine Infant. She did so on the night of the
Holy Nativity beforematins; makingwith a penknife
an incision in the form of a cross near her heart.
This documentshe consignedto the careof her con-
fessor. It ran thus :-"
" Prostrateat Thy Feet,my Jesus,I solemnlypro-
test that I desireto be evermoreentirely Thine, and
to haveno otherwishthanThyholyWill. Thouhast
told methat loversof the crosshaveto dwellin Thy
Heart. I declareand subscribe myselfwith my own
blooda loverof the cross. Takefromme,my Lord,
whatevermay be a hindranceto my union with Thee.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 135

Clausethis heart of mine to be the abodeof Thy holy

love; let nothing remain in me but Thy holy Will.
O my God, I pen with my blood this unalterable
covenant,by whichI bind myselfto wish for nothing
but the accomplishment of Thy Will. On TheeI rely
for strength; to TheeI give my heart."
Shehad alreadydrawnup somethingsimilaron the
14th of February, 1696, as follows :-
"J. M. J.

" My Lord, my God,my Spouse,Heartof my heart,

I desire now to commune with Thy love. I implore
on the part of my confessor
a graceaccordingto his
intention; and I also entreat as a favour from Thy
SacredHeart, and Thy holy love, that my confessor
may walk accordingto Thy good pleasure,and that
he may labour and toil for the salvation of souls
accordingto Thy Will. I pray that Thou, O Lord,
wilt keephim in Thy Heart, aswell asall otherswho
have assisted, and who continue to assist, my soul,
in orderthat they may all burn with Thy love, and
live after Thine own Heart. 0 infinite Love, let the
Wound of Thy love speakfor me. Yes, indeed, my
Spouse,I sacrificemyself as a perpetualholocaust,a
victim of love; and I desire to unite this sacrifice
with that which Thou didst make on the altar of the
cross. I seal myself also with the sign of love, to
signify that I wish to be always crucified with Thee,
and that I cravenothing but Thy Will. 0 my Lord,
I pray to Thee for the conversion of sinners, and I
commendto Theein particular thosesoulsfor whom
my confessor wouldwish meto pray. 0 infinite Love,
I addressmyself with love to Thee, Who art my
Spouse,my God, and my All. I on my part am
entirely Thine, and I protest unto Thee at this mo-
136 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

mentthat I wish to be evermoreentirelyThine. I in-

tend to confirm at the presenttime all the protestations
I have madeto Thee with my blood: and I present
myselfanewin the quality of mediatrixbetweenThee
and sinners. Behold,I am readyto give my life and
my bloodfor their conversion,
andfor the advancement
of Thy holy faith.. 0 my God, in union with Thy
Heart and Thy love, I invite them thus, ' 0 souls
redeemedwith the Blood of Jesus,I speak to you. O
sinners, come all of you to the Heart of Jesus,to
the fountain, to the immense ocean of His love ;
come,sinners, every one of you; abandon your sins,
and come to Jesus.' Meanwhile, my beloved Spouse,
let me love Thee with Thine own love, now and for
ever. I ask the samefor my confessor;give him Thy
love, that he mayforget himself,that he may divest
himself of everything, and be united entirely to Thee.
I implore the same grace on behalf of P.G., C., P.,
P.F., and P.F., as also for all those who are of help to
my sou], and in fine for all my sisters.
" Sister VERONICA,
" Capuchiness."
Outside the paper is written in another hand,
probably her confessor's:-"14th of February, 1696,
with the blood of the wound which she received on
Christmas day."
The above,documentis preservedwith duevenera-
tion in the city of Castello,by Father Florido Pier-
leoni, postulator of her cause. There are two others
which we have seen,also written with her blood,as
follows:-
" J. M. J.
" My Lord, in the name of my confessor,I ask
the following gracesof Thee: purity of heart and
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 137

intention, resignation to Thy divine Will, and desire

for suffering; and on his behalf I consignto Thy
SacredHeart, and to Thy holy Wounds,his heart,
together with all his powers, and his whole self.
" Sister VERONICA,
" Unworthy Servant."
The date is given outside in a different hand, 10th
of May, 1G97.
"J. M. J.

" My Jesus, I implore as a grace from Thee on be-

half of Thy servant N., that Thou, 0 Lord, wouldst
take off his thoughts from himself, and from all that
may hinder the advancementand salvation of his soul,
to the end that he may work advantageouslyboth for
his own soul and for all others confided to his care.
Grant, 0 my God, that he may be entirely according
to Thy Heart, and that in all he does,his aim may be
solely the promotion of Thy glory, and the constant
fulfilment of Thy holy Will. My Jesus, I consign
him to Thy Sacred Side: grant that he may never
withdraw himself from Thy Heart; but let him always
live in Thy Wounds. Amen."
This sheet was folded in the shapeof a letter, and
superscribed" A. G. and M."
It would occupytoo much spaceto relate minutely
all the transports of love which she enjoyedthat night.
She frequently repeatedas though in an ecstasy-"My
Spouse,my .Love, burn my heart Avith Thy holy love."
And, thus inebriated as it were with love, shewent to
wake the religious at the hour of matins, exclaiming-
" Sisters,do you not hear the matin-bell ringing? this
is no time for sleep,make haste and rise." She did
the samething also at the hour of prime.
She was often permitted at the above season
138 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

of our Lord's nativity, to behold the divine Infant

radiant with beauty, and coveredwith jewels. He
addressedher as His Spouse,and she reciprocated
that term of love. He offered to fulfil all her desires,
and shereplied : " I wish for Theealone;throughThy
merits, and those of Mary, Thy Mother, I crave the
conversion of sinners; and I commend to Thy care
our holy institute. Cause us to be entirely Thine.
Take from us everythingthat is displeasingto Thee."
But omitting an immense amount of similar matter,
we will proceedto the detailsof the solemnity. The
following is her own account :-
" In the hand of the divine Infant, I beheld as it
were a golden rod, on the top of which was the
appearance of a flameof fire, while the lowerend was
pointed with steellike a small lance. He placedthe
upper end against His heart,and directed the spear
head to my own, so that I seemedto feel it pierce
through and through. All at onceI looked,and now
there was nothing in the hand of the Babe; but all
smiling He invited me to His love, and mademe
understand that I was now united to Him more closely
than ever. Many thingswerecommunicated
to me,but
as I do not remember them all, I will write nothing
about them. When I returned to myself, I was like
one delirious, and knew not what I did. I thought I
couldfeel the woundat my heart open,but I did not
venture to look and see if it were so. I-took a little
cloth, and after applying it, found that it wasstained
with freshblood; I alsofelt greatpain. When your
reverence commanded me to examine whether there
was a real woundthere,I did so,and found that there
wasone,open,but not bleeding. It waslargeenough
to admit the blade of a knife, and the divided flesh
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 139

was visible. Ou the first day of the year 1G97(eight

daysafter this woundhadbeenreceived)it bledagain,
and continued open for a good while. May it all be
to the glory of God."
We must inform the reader that this wound, together
with the blood which proceededfrom it, was shown by
order of her confessorsto several nuns,as is mentioned
in the processes. It was a very special favour, by
Avhichour Lord waspleasedto recompense
the heroic
fidelity of His beloved Spouse.

CHAPTER VII.

JESUS PRODUCES IN HER A STILL GREATER RESEM-

BLANCE TO HIMSELF BY IMPRINTING UPON HER

HIS SACRED STIGMATA.

IT is a well-known proverb that the mutual affection

of two lovers either finds or producesresemblance,as
well in heart as in will and disposition. This is true
in the caseof human love, but much more in that love
which is exchangedbetweenGod and man; somuch
so indeed that the souls which love God most are ren-
dered most like to the divine Majesty by the surpassing
nobility of their virtues, as we seein the hVesof the
saints. But although the resemblancewhich divine
love producesin man, is more properlyfoundin the
soul, yet it has sometimespleasedGod to indicate
by outwardsignswhat is passingwithin. Thus He
has bestowed on a few of His holiest servants an
exterior as well as an interior resemblance to the
divine modelof all sanctity,our Lord JesusChrist,
by imprinting on their personsHis five principal
140 S. VERONICA. GIULIANI.

Wounds. It is universallyknown that this privilege

was vouchsafed
to the great saint and patriarchFran-
cis of Assisi, as also to S. Catherine of Siena, though
in the caseof the latter the stigmatawere invisible.
Severalothersare mentionedby TheophilusEaynaud,
an author worthy of confidence; for instance, the
BlessedLidwine, BlessedIda of Louvain, BlessedGer-
trude of Cost, BlessedChristina, who is mentioned by
Dionysius the Carthusian-Blessed Helena of Hun-
gary, BlessedStephania Soncinate, BlessedOsannaof
Mantua, BlessedLucy of Narni, BlessedJoannaof the
Cross,with others: he addsthat as many as thirty-five
personsof both sexes,who have received the stigmata,
besidesS. Francis, are named by Peter of Alva in his
work entitled,"ProdigiumNaturae,
portentunaGratis"
-" A Prodigy of Nature, a miracle of Grace."
Our Veronica was permitted to share in this high
privilege. She had attained to so lofty^a degree of
love and union with God that she had merited the
favour of beingin a sensiblemannerjoined to Him in
mystic nuptials,and sheafterwardsgavesuch extra-
ordinary proofs of fidelity, as well assuch wonderful
conformity of soul with Him, that she deserved at
lengthto bearHis likenessin her body by theimpres-
sionof the sacredstigmata. We have seenhow her
heart was visibly transfixed by a dart of love from
JesusChrist on the Feast of the Nativity in 1696. In
the following year the wound was repeated,and she
received similar oneson her hands and feet, reflected
from the five most holy Wounds of her crucified Lord.
Before relating the details of this event,we must
remark that although there is sufficientcertainty in
the casesmentionedaboveto satisfy every sensible
person of their authenticity, particularly in the in-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 141

stances of S. Francis and S. Catherine, which are

celebrated by the Church in her massesand offices,
yet of neither have we proofs so convincing to human
criticism as those which relate to Veronica; for besides
the public declaration of all her companions,who, by
order of the superiors, examined her one by one, five
of them gave their personal testimony juridically in
the process (though that was not terminated until
after their death). Four also of her confessorswere
eye-witnessesof the fact, and deposed accordingly;
moreover there was the attestation of the Bishop,Mgr.
Lucantonio Eustachj, on whom the duty devolved
of entering into repeated and most rigid investiga-
tions for the purpose of informing the sacredtribunal
of the Inquisition at Kome. Still, althoughthe case
is as clear as noonday, there are critics sufficiently
unreasonableto doubt the genuinenessof this her gift.
We consider, however, that her own description is the
best proof of the authenticity of what she relates.
When we meet with sentiments of such profound
humility, of such deepcontrition for her imperfections,
of such tender love towards God, of such earnest
desire for suffering, by all of which her narrative is
accompanied, we cannot help recognizing the work
of ¬Fod. The following account is given in her own
words.
She beginsby recountingto her confessorthe pro-
misesby which the exalted favour in question had been
preceded. "The 29th of March, 1697. Praised be
the Lord! To-night, after a great deal of suffering, I
beheld in a state of" recollection a vision of Jesus cruci-
fied. Suddenly He causedme to comprehenda little
of my own nothingnessand"incapacity. I stood
beforethe Lord like one speechless,
unableto sayor
142 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

do anything. I was in pain, but it was the pain of

love. The morehelplessand incapableI felt myself,
the more thoroughly did I learn that in myself I was
nothing; and the increasing light which illuminated
me on this point causedme to see more clearly Jesus
crucified. All at once our Lord assisted and enriched
me; for everything that is good in a soul is His. He
made me understand this, and told me that it was His
desire to renew my wound, and seemedto ask me,
moreover, whether I would have it to be so. 0 in-
finite love of God ! At the same moment He infused
His love into my soul, and gavemeintimate commu-
nications of His greatnessand His power, making me
at the same time consciousof my own nothingness,
which enlightenedmestill morewith respectto Him-
self. He caused my soul to penetrate ever more
into the depthsof His infinite love, and repeatedthe
question, 'Art thou willing that I should wound thee?
I am come to take away from thee everything that
is a hindrance to my love.' I said nothing; I felt
myself as nothing; I had not courage to say, ' Strike
me, 0 Lord,' neither could I answer no. Then our
Lord said, ' Tell Me, what dost thou wish for ? I am
cometo renewthy wound; but what sayestthou ?
dost thou desire it ?' I was hereupon raised into a
state of rapture, and transported as on wings very near
the Lord. Being completelyresignedto His Will, I
said to Him, though without speaking, ' Lord, Thou
knowest that I wish for nothing but the accomplish-
ment of Thy Will. Beholdmepreparedfor whatever
may pleaseThee.' All at onceI behelda great light
leave the Feet of Jesus, and come towards me.
When it had come close to me, it assumed the
appearance
of a small flame. In the middle of it
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 143

was a large nail, which pierced my heart through

and through. God knows what pain I felt. Then
I returned to myself, crying aloud, ' My Jesus!' Im-
mediatelyI was caughtback into my stateof ecstasy.
The samevision was before me of Jesuscrucified, but
in His left Foot there was no nail. He said to me,
' Now thou art Mine ; but I am not yet fully satisfied.'
I replied as I had done before, ' 0 Lord, behold I am
completely Thine: work Thy Will in me, for I can do
nothing.' He informed me that on Good Friday He
would wholly transform me into Himself, and that
He would seal my hands and my feet with the marks
of His holy Wounds, in order that I might be entirely
His. He told me that for the present my wounds
should be hidden, but that it was His Will to crucify
me again and again, to the end that I might be totally
dead to myself and to everything."
Veronica goes on to say that she prayed very fer-
vently for her confessor,for her directors, and parti-
cularly for her own soul, as well as for those of her
sisters,and all her order. With deep humility, which
could not have been the fruit of diabolical illusion,
she continues, " Hereupon our Lord in a special com-
munication made me know and understand that

hitherto I had been a religious only in name, and that

it was now time to be one in reality. He told me also
that in order to comprehend the full meaning of the
word 'religious,'I mustenterthe schoolof His Wounds,
and learn it all there. He communicated light to iny
soul, such as I am unable to describe. He made me
understand that I had never yet abandonedthe little
world whichis myself,and that, therefore,I had been
a religiousonly in name and in habit. He then re-
minded me of our father S. Francis, and our mother
144 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

S. Clare,thefoundersof thisholy institute; andtold me

that I must be denudedof selfand of everything,and
then be crucifiedwith Jesusasthey had been. After
this our Lord said to me, ' Look on Me; dost thou see
how much I havedone for thy salvation 1 I desire thee
to be solely intent on my service. Direct thy whole
mind and all thy thoughts to Me. Commit all thy
works into My hands,and be careful to co-operatewith
what I work in Thee.' Immediately after this He
vanished from my sight. On returning to my natural
state I felt anxious to be divested of self, and earnestly
desirous of corresponding with our Lord's Will; I
wished also to observe our holy rule in deed and in
truth. I desired every sort of suffering, and exclaimed
from my heart: ' My Lord, crucify me with Thyself,
otherwise I shall not be satisfied. I desire to please
Thee, and I know that it pleases Thee when Thy
spousessuffer for Thy love. I long for pains and
crosses,in order to give pleasure to Thee Who art my
highestgood. Praisebe to God!
When our Lord had prepared her by meansof
these saintly affections, which were ever on the in-
crease,for the crucifixion to which she aspired, He
cameto satisfyher desiresaccordingto His promise,
on Good Friday, which fell that year on the 5th of
April. As it is more than ever necessaryto keep to
her own words,the readerwill permit us to give the
passageentire, although it is rather long.
"The 5th of April, 1G97. LausDeo! I havepassed
the greaterpart of the night in recollection. From two
to four o'clock I had a vision of Jesus Risen in com-
pany with the mostBlessedVirgin and all the saints,
as I had seen them on other occasions. Our Lord com-
mandedme to beginmy confession.I did so,but no
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 145

sooner had I said, ' I have offended Thee, and I confess

to Thee, 0 my God,' than I becameoverwhelmed with
contrition, and could say no more. The Lord then
directed my guardian angel to make my confessionfor
me. He did so accordingly, placing his hand on my
head, and beganto accuseme thus : ' 0 eternal and im-
mortal God, I, the guardian of this soul, in obedience
to Thee, the supreme Judge, and for her salvation,
begin now, in her name, to declare everything that she
has ever done to displeaseThee in thought, word, or
deed.' Whilst he spoke, all my transgressionsseemed
to surround me. I beheld the countenance of our
Lord no longer covered,but unveiled; it was full of
mercy and compassion,and He made me understand
that He was going to pardon me. He showed me
His pierced Side, and His wounded Hands. When
the angel accusedme of my gravest sins, my pain and
sorrow increased, but our Lord encouraged me by
saying, ' I forgive thee, and annul by My Blood every
fault of thy life. From this moment I acceptthea for
My beloved.' Again I was enraptured, and my soul
was drawn, it seemedto me, to our Lord, Who by His
words communicated to me a close union. I received
morelight asto my sins,andmy heartwas penetrated
with sorrow on account of them; but as my angel re-
counted them one by one, they disappearedfrom before
me, to my great relief, and my soul remained purified
as God willed. He informed me that this was the
effect and fruit of His sacred Wounds, which He had
impressedon my heart; again He showed me His
Side, His Hands, and His Feet, and said to me, ' I
wish to mark also thy hands and thy feet.' 0 God,
Thou knowest what I experiencedamid these excesses-
of love-it was suchthat I can neither write nor speak
10
14G S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

of it. I can only mention its effects,which were, ex-

treme grief for my sins,a fuller perceptionof their
malice,togetherwith such horror and detestationof
them, that I would gladly have chosento suffer all
that hasever beenor will be enduredby all creatures
until the day of judgment, and all that the holy martyrs
have passedthrough, if I could thereby annul and
undothegrievousevil whichI havecommitted.' 0 my
God,' I cried, ' mercy and pardon !' He replied, ' Yes,
I pardon thee; I remit the whole debt through My
Wounds and My Blood.' Here my angel closed the
confessionby a general accusation of all I had done,
and presentedme to Jesus completely purified. The
Lord then rose and said to me, ' Vade in pace, jam
amplius noli peccare.'-' Go in peace,and sin no more.'
0 God! I experienced wonderful things, but cannot
describethem. The Lord then gave me His blessing,
and the whole disappeared."
Thus concludedthe first vision of that blessednight.
" As soon as I returned to myself," she continues, " I
felt a profound sorrow for all my offences against
God; I would have endured any suffering for His
love. I therefore performed many of my usual
penances. The more I inflicted on myself, the more
did my anxiety to suffer increase,so I said from my
heart, 'Lord, more pains, more crosses.' I took the
crucifix in my hand, and went on making various
acts of resignation,praise, and thanksgiving. I do
not rememberthe words I usedin these acts,but I
recollectoften repeatingthe followingprayer: ' My
divine Spouse,crucify me with Thee. Yes,indeed,
my Well-beloved, I pray Thee to make me feel the
pain and agony of Thy sacredHands and Feet. Do
not delay; nowis thetime; crucifymewith Thyself,
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 147

my beloved Spouse.' I went to those holy Wounds,

and kissed them, and said, ' My crucified Spouse, I
implore Thee to give me those nails of Thine.' Then
I addressed myself to His sacred Side and said,
'" Heart of my heart, when wilt Thou pierce this heart
which is Thine ? I am waiting for thee to do so.
Come, come, my God; here is my heart, and my
whole self.' I uncovered the wound, and said,
' This wound of love, my God, pleads with Thee for
the conversionof sinners, particularly of certain indi-
viduals whom I named.' Then I replacedthe crucifix
"on my little altar, meaning to remain quiet for a little
while, but I could not. I took it in my hand again,
and said many things which just now I cannot recall;
but I know that I said again and again, ' My Spouse,
my Love ! Thou art fastened to this Cross for the
love of us. I. too, wish to be crucified for Thy love.
Do not delay longer; now is the time.' While pro-
nouncing these words my heart beat so violently that it
seemedready to escapefrom my breast. 0 God ! what
pain did I then endure ! I cannot tell how I uttered
all this, for I was, as it were, out of myself. All at
oncea deathlike agonycameover nie, and lastedfor
about an hour, during which time I was totally in-
capableof moving or speaking."
As soon as she recovered from this agony, she
set herself to pray, and during her prayer she
received the impression of the sacred stigmata.
" Whilst I was praying for sinners," she continues,
" I became recollected, and beheld in a vision
Jesus crucified, with the Blessed Virgin of dolours
at the foot of the cross, as she was on Mount
Calvary. The Lord told me that He had come to
transform me entirely into Himself, and to seal me
10-2
148 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

with His Wounds. I turned to the Most Holy Virgin,.

and said to her with the utmost confidence, ' Behold,
I am ready for everything; do thou, Most Holy
Virgin, offer thyself on my behalf, with all thy
merits, togetherwith all the painsand dolourswhich
thou didst suffer beneath the Cross at the time of our
Lord's sacredPassion: ask pardon and mercy for me
from thy Son. I can do nothing; beholdmy incapa-
city, and who I am. Preparemefor this grace.' Our
BlessedLady then presentedherself at the Feet of her
divine Son, and did all I asked in a moment. While
she prayed for me, I was enlightenedas to my own.
nothingness,and madeto perceivethat all I wasnow
passingthroughAvasthe work of God. I wasenabled
to seethe love with which God cherishessouls,espe-
cially ungratefuloneslike mine. I was alsoled to a
moreintimate acquaintance with my ownhelplessness
and ingratitude, and I felt my own nothingness. 0
God! I cannotexplainthis at all; I canonly saythat
the result produced in my soul was firm hope in God,
anddetachment
from myself. God alone!and my soul
alone ! Here it was communicatedto me by the Lord
that it was His Will to regulate for the future my
modeof life and all my actions; and He repeatedthe
words, ' I am come to make thee like to M}7self: I
am going to crucify thee.' I cannot expressthe man-
ner in which this pierced my heart. While our Lord
spokethus, He drew this soul of mine into a loving
union with Himself: and it seemed to me that He
heightenedmy stateof recollectioninto oneof rapture.
At the samemoment there came to me so earnest a
desire to be crucified with our Lord, that I turned to
themostholyVirgin,andsaid,' 0 Motherof mercy
and compassion,
obtainfor methe graceto becrucified
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 149

with my crucifiedSpouse.' Accordinglysheturned to

her divine Son,and said to Him, ' Comequickly, and
crucifythis soul.' OurLord replied,' Sheshallreceive
that grace.' Once more He asked me, ' What dost

thou wish? to which I replied, ' Thou knowest,my

Lord, what it is I wish for.' ' But I would hear from
thyself what thy desireis,' resumedthe Lord. ' My
God,'I replied,'the accomplishmentof Thy holy Will.'
And then our Lord said, ' I have desired thee thus,
and now I will confirm thee in My Will, by transform-
ing thee entirely into Myself! tell me,what dostthou
long for V <0 God,' I answered,' my highest good, do
not delay,I beseech
Thee,but crucifymewith Thyself.'
Meantime I was filled with contrition on account of all
my offences,for which I heartily implored forgiveness.
I offered for it His Precious Blood, His pains and
sufferings,especiallyHis most sacredWounds; and I
did indeedgrievemostprofoundlyfor everytransgres-
sion of my whole life. Our Lord said to me, 'I forgive
thee, but I would have thee be faithful for the future:
I confer on thee grace for this through these my
Wounds; which,asa pledge,I am about to imprint
upon thee.' All at once I beheld five rays of glory
issuing from His most holy Wounds, which ap-
proachedme like little flames. In four of them were
nails, and in the other a lance as it were of gold, but
all on fire : it piercedmy heart through and through,
while the nails transfixedmy handsand feet. I felt
great sufferings,but at the sametime I felt that I was
being altogether transformed into God. As soon as
I had been thus wounded, the flames resumed their
formerappearance
as rays of glory, and lodgedthem
selves in the Hands, Feet, and Side of Jesus Cru-
cified. Our Lord again assuredme that I was His
150 S. VEEOMCA GIULIANI.

Spouse,
commended
anddedicated
meto theperpetual
care of his BlessedMother,consigned me afreshto my
guardianangel,andthen spoketo measfollows,'I am
entirely thine : ask of Me what gracethou wilt, and I
will satisfy thee.' I answered, 'Grant that I may
neverbe separatedfrom Thee.' Then suddenlythe
whole vanishedfrom my sight; I returned to myself,
and found that my arms were outstretchedand
stiffened; moreoverI was consciousof extreme pain
in my hands,feet, and heart. I felt that the latter
woundwas openand bleeding. I was anxiousto in-
spectit, but was unableto do soin consequenceof the
pain in my hands. At length,however,I succeeded,
and foundit wide open,with both blood and water
proceeding from it."
Such is the account of this marvellous favour which
Veronicadrew up for her confessor. It is impossible
after perusingit to set it downasthe productionof a
heated fancy, still less of diabolical illusion. The
Spirit of Godis apparentthroughoutthe entirenarra-
tive, and in the very style in which it is written. As
soon as her confessor had communicated the whole
matter to Mgr. Eustachj,that venerableprelate took
certain prudent precautions, as all superiors ani
spiritual directors are bound to do whenever such ex-
traordinary casescome under their observation, in
order to test their truth and spirit. Investigations of
a far stricter nature were subsequentlymade, when
the sacredtribunal of the Inquisition at Eonie had
been informed of the circumstances. The bishop was
then directed to proceed to severer tests, of Avhich
we shall speak in the third book, which contains the
account of her heroic virtues. It was on the 5th of
April, ashasbeenalready stated,that Veronica received
 K. VERONICA GIULIANI. ' 151

the sacredstigmata. On the 12th of the following

July, we find from her own writings that our Lord
gave her a special invitation to share in His cross,and
warned her of the steps which would be taken con-
cerning her by the venerable tribunal in question.
The first letter which was written on the subjectby
his EminenceCardinal Cybo, secretaryof the con
gregationof the Holy Office,to Bishop Eustachj, is
dated on the 20th of the samemonth; the secondwas
written on the 10th of August,the third on the 14th
of September,and the fourth and last on the 5th of
October. By this time the sacredtribunal was satis-
fied with the replies of the bishop and the examina-
tions he had made, and directed him in the last-men-
tioned letter, "to investigate the matter no further, and
to say nothing more about it, but to keep silenceon the
subject." Such are the preciseterms of the document,
and they are the dictates of prudence; for it was not
only desirable to prevent gossipingon the part of the
public, but also to preclude the possibility of a vain
thought
O arisingO in the mind of the servant of God.

The bishop was furthermore directed " to ask no

more questions of the nuns, and to forward no ad-
ditional particulars to the SacredCongregation,which
had gained sufficient information from his previous
letters." Hence it is clear that the sacred tribunal
took the sameview which the bishop had done in his
various answers,which for brevity's sake are omitted
here, of the supernatural fact above related, as also of
the sanctity of the spirit of Veronica; although for
good reasonsit declined to announceit openly during
her lifetime. However, a sufficiently clear declara-
tion wasmadeindirectly in the year 1716,when the
nunsbeing desirousof electingher abbess,
application
152 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

wasmadeto the sacredtribunalfor permission

to do
so,which was immediatelygranted in a letter from
the secretary,CardinalSpada,datedthe 7th of March.
His Eminenceexpressed himself "persuadedthat the
proposed step would be conducive to the honour of
God,and beneficialto the soulsof the religious."

CHAPTER VIII.

THE STIGMATA ARE REPEATED ON VARIOUS OCCA-

SIONS, AND ATTESTED I'.Y NEW AND SATISFACTORY

PROOFS.

AViiEN Veronica had been sealedwith the precious

marksof our redemption,shederivedgratificationboth
from the pain she felt, and also from the great resem-
blance which now existed between herself and her
CrucifiedSpouse; but her joy wasdampedon receiv-
ing an intimation from the bishop, desiring her to
cut an openingin her dress sothat the woundat her
heart might be seen,for his lordship was anxious to
test the reality of the sacred stigmata in presenceof
competent witnesses. For this purposehe made choice
of four, whowereall distinguishedfor their virtue, and
sufficiently advancedin years, viz., Father M. Antonio
Tassinari, of the Servites; Father Ubaldo Antonio
Capelletti, of the Oratory ; Father Vitale, of Bologna,
of the Reformed Franciscans; and the Father Prior of
the Dominicansof that city, and at the time wrespeak
of extraordinary confessorto the monasterywhere Ve-
ronica lived. Our Saint was obliged to exhibit her
woundsoneby oneto eachof theseindividuals,holding
meantimea lighted candlein her hand. Suchmartyr-
domvvasthusimposedonhermaidenlyreserveanddeep
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 153

humility that, as she afterwards mentioned in confi-

denceto Sister Florida Ceoli,if God had not deadened
her sensesfor the time being,shewould haveexpired
with confusion. His lordshipalsorequiredher to show
her woundsto her companions, and^this wasa fresh
torment to her humble spirit. At last, being able to
endureit no longer,shebeganto imploreour Lord to
allow her to retain all the pain of her wounds,but to
withdraw the external marks from the eyes of others,
as He had done in the cases of His beloved Catherine
of Siena and other souls who were dear to Him.
But the Lord, instead of hearing her prayer, was
pleasedto renew her wounds on the 28th of June in
the same year. The following description of their
appearance is taken from the account which the
bishop despatched to the Holy Office, as also from
the juridical depositions of Sister Florida Ceoli, and
otherswho had frequent opportunitiesof examining
them :-The wounds in her hands and feet were
round, andaboutthe sizeof a farthing above,slightly
diminishing underneaththe palmsof the handsand
the solesof the feet. The punctureswere red, and
pierced quite through when open, and when closedthey
were covered with a thin scar of the same size. The
wound in her side was just abovethe left breast,
occupying the length of four or five fingers, placed
transversely, and as broad in the middle as a finger,
but growing narrower towards the two ends, exactly
"aswould be the casewith the thrust of a spear. This
last was never covered with a scar, but was always
open and red as though it had been recently inflicted;
it bled frequently, and filled the air Avith a sweet
perfume.
It was on the 12th of July that Jesus informed
154 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

her during a rapture of the investigationswhich

would be ordered by the Holy Office at Rome;
and then Veronicaset herself to implore her divine
Spousewith the utmost fervour that He would deign
to avert such public proceedingsby withdrawing
the stigmata. But the Lord, Who desired to make
known the gifts and merits of His beloved spouse,
replied as follows : " The Holy Office shall apply its
tests, and shall declare that it is all My work ; and
soon after that I will take from thee the marks in thy
hands and feet, but be prepared to suffer much. This
is My Will; relate all that haspassedto thy confessor."
Such Avasthe perfect resignation of Veronica that she
simply preparedherself for whateverGod destined
for her.

The Holy Office expresseditself satisfied on the 5th

of the following October, as mentioned above; and
Veronica, mindful of the promise she had received,
began oncemore to-supplicate her divine Spousethat
He would remove the outward tokens of His Passion.

But during a vision, which occurredon the night of the

3rd of January, 1099, our Lord renewedthe pain of her
five wounds, and informed her that she must bear the
visible impression of them until three yearsfrom their
first infliction should have been completed; for that
was the meaning of the words, " soon after that" in
the promise referred to. The stigmata were again re-
newedon the 20th of the following February,accom-
panied with another assurancethat they should b&
withdrawn after the expirationof the threeyears,but.
not before, as it was the Will of our Lord that the
reality of His work shouldbe recognized. At length,
on the 17th of March in the following year, 1700,.
the Lord presentedHimself to her, all over wounds,
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 155-

covered with blood, and crowned with thorns. " At

the samemoment," Veronica writes, "my own crown
of thorns seemedto presson my brow, and causedme
great pain. Our Lord also seemedto touch the wounds
in my hands and feet, and while He did so my suffering
was extreme. He said to me, 'Calm thyself; thou
shalt have the grace thou seekest; in a few daysI will
take away the marks of these wounds, and thou wilt
have them no more.' But I asked, ' Why wilt Thou
not take them from me now1?' To which He replied,
' I wish the three years to be fulfilled, as I have made
thee understand several times.'"

It was not until the completion of this term, viz.,

on the 5th of April, in the year 1700,that Veronica
obtained the favour she so much desired. It is well
to refer to her own account, in order that we may re-
mark the caution which she observed in dealing with
visions, althoughby this time long experiencehad
made her quite used to them, and her soul was now so
much at home with God, if we may be permitted such
an expression,that she could hardly doubt the reality
of such favours.
" On the 5th inst.," shewrites, " I passedthe night
in great pain. From the first hour until it struck
three, I experiencedvarious kinds of bodily suffering,
besidestrials and desolation, and temptations of
every description. Praise be to God. At the third
hour I renewedmy protestations. I felt desirous.
that our Lord wrould impart to me a spirit of true re-
pentance for my sins, and I exclaimed from my heart,
' My God, bestow this grace on me that I may be no
longerungratefulto Thee,but mayin all thingsfaith-
fully correspond
to and accomplish
Thy holy AVill. I
amreadyfor everything.' It seemed
to methat at that
15G S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

momentI wasmadeintimatelyacquaintedwith my true

state. I becameabsorbed in recollection,andbehelda
vision of Jesuscrucified. I wasgreatlyafraid,fearing
lest it might be an illusionof the devil. SoI seemed
to makecertainactsindicativeof contempt. I raised
my whole heart to God,and said,' Do not suffer the
tempter,0 Lord, to do thesethingsto me,for I do not
want visions; what I desireis sorrowfor my sins,and
knowledge of myself.' Again I expressedmy contempt
and abhorrence,
as well as my anxiety to dispel the
vision. . . . But the Crucified One said to me, 'I am
not Satan,as thou conjecturest,but Jesus,thy cruci-
fied Spouse. I am cometo strengthenthee to suffer.'
To whichI replied,'I do not believethat thou art Jesus,
but rather the enemywho wishesto deceiveme; and
thereforeI regardthee not. I desireand longto have
true contrition and a knowledgeof myself,besidesa
true love of God.' He replied, 'All thesethou shalt
have,and the favour which has beenpromisedthee
shall be granted thee now.' SuddenlyI was seized
with suchsorrowfor my sins that I felt asthoughmy
heart would burst with anguish. At the sametime I
seemedto receive intimate communications regarding
the immenselove and charity of God. . . . Then
from His Wounds there proceededrays of splendour
which advanced towards me. Meantime I felt my
heart piercedaswith a sharplance,and my handsand
feet with heavynails. The rays of glory returnedto
the Crucified Lord, and I seemedto behold jets of
blood issuing from His Wounds,and reachingto the
partsin which I felt somuchpain, viz., the heart,the
hands,and the feet. The sufferingI enduredwas so
great that it appearedas thoughthe fleshwas being
torn from my bones."
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 157

These were the preliminaries to the favour she so

much desired, for she continuesher narrative; "Mean-
while I understood that Jesus was granting me
the desired boon by withdrawing the scars which
the stigmata had produced. He confirmed me as
mediatrix between Himself and sinners, and told me
that for somedays I should receive as many gracesas
I should have pains and sufferings. He informed me
also that it was His Will that I should frequently ask
to suffer for the salvation of many souls. He commu-
nicated to me likewise a variety of other things which
I am unable to describe. . . . When I returned to

myself I found that I possessedsomeVknowledgeof

myself, besidescontrition for my sins, and a desirefor
every kind of suffering. I was on my knees,with my
arms extended; and so stiffened through the pain in my
hands and feet that I could not stir. I felt great pain
at the heart, and I thought that my woundithere wa.-:
bleeding ; but I was unable to ascertain[the fact, for
the nerves of my hands and feet were drawn^back in
such pain that I thought I should die. I continued in
this state for a long time. At length I began slowly
to recovermyself. I lighted the lamp, and found that
the scarswhich had covered the wounds in4my hands
and feet were loose and separated. ^IJwas greatly
pleasedat this. The wound at my heart was still
open, and bleeding more than on other occasions; it
causedme such pain that I felt as if I should breathe
my last every moment. All this occurredbetween the
fourth and fifth hours of the night, which was just
the time when I had receivedthat grace (viz., the
stigmata); and thus the three years were completed.
To God be all the glory."
Though the external marks had been so far with-
158 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

drawn,it must not be imaginedthat everyoutward

symptom wasremoved.Severaleye-witnesses
attested
in the processthat where the wounds had been
there still remainedcertain red spotsof the same
shape,sometimes of a deeper,sometimesof a fainter.
colour. Her humility shrank from the idea of even
these being seen; so she found some pretencefor
wearinglittle bandages,which concealedthem, and
she frequently entreated our Lord to cause them to
disappear. But our Lord told her that this must not
be until a short time previous to her death; and the
same witnesses declare that during the last days of
her life these red spotsgrew paler, assuminga purplish
hue, and at length becamewhite, like the rest of her
skin, only somewhat more smooth and transparent.
This was found to be the caseduring the examination
to which her body was subjected after her death.
But although the outward marks of the stigmata
"werewithdrawn, as we have seen, in April, 1700,
suffering from them Avasnot at an end, and they were
even sometimes reneAved. We find from Veronica's
OAVII
writings,that suchwasthe caseonthe 6th of April,
1703. It Avasalso declaredby various Avitnessesthat
the stigmata were severaltimes reneAredtill within a
few days of her death; and on these occasionsblood
usedto flow from them. MoreoverSisterMary Mag-
dalen Boscaini, when she gave her evidence in the
apostolic process,maintained that they Avererenewed
about three hoursbefore the Ave Maria everyFriday
in the year,on all the greater feastsof the year,as
also on the 17th of September,which is the day
on Avhichthe church commemoratesthe stigmata
of S. Francis, on the 4th of October, which is
the feast of that saint, and Avhenever she Avas
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 159

put under obedience to request the favour. As an

instance of this, on Good Friday, which fell on
the 19th of April, 1726, Veronica having mentioned
to her confessor,Father Raniero GiuseppeMaria
Guelfi, that our Lord Jesus had twice made choice of
this day to renew her five wounds,he being anxious
that the fact should be more fully certified, and also
for the greater trial of her obedience,directed her to
pray that our Lord would deign to renew them a
third time. She received this order -with joy and
alacrity, and fell into an ecstasyat the feet of her
confessor. On recovering her sensesshe declared that,
the boon had been granted. He therefore sent her to
the window where holy Communionwas given, in
order that he might inspect her hands; and then to his
amazementhe beheld them woundedand bleeding.
Wishing that this evidenceshould be corroborated by
that of other witnesses, he pretended that he did not
believe her, and said that she must be mortified on
account of her disobedience; accordingly he desired
her to show herself to the Mothers Sister Florida
Ceoli, and Sister Mary Magdalen Boscaini. They both
had a perfect view of her five wounds,which were open
and dropping with blood, as they subsequentlydeposed
in the process.
Although after all that has been said, both in this
and the preceding chapter, it is impossiblethat any
doubt should occur to the mind as to the reality and
supernatural character of the rare gifts which we have
recorded, the matter may be further illustrated by the
followingcircumstances.In thefirst place,it is worthy
of remark, that when the above-mentionedwounds
were open, they emitted so delicious a fragrance
throughout the whole of the convent that it alone
ICO S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

was sufficient to inform the nuns wheneverthe stig-

mata had been renewed: and on several occasions the
religiouswereconvincedby oculardemonstrationthat
they had nofcbeen deceived. When the bandages
which had been appliedto these mysteriouswounds
were put away, they communicatedthe samesweet
perfumeto everything near them. This fact is at-
tested by Sister Florida Ceoli. The secondremark-
able circumstanceis that when by order of the bishop
the medical professors exerted their utmost skill to
cure the wounds of Veronica, so far from bi'ing ablo,
to heal them, their remediesonly caussdinflammation.
But a still more convincing proof than either was her
being able to live and work in the midst of it all. After
her death, when the physician and surgeon examined
the wound, which penetrated from abovethe left breast
to the heart,they both agreedthat it was physically
impossible for a person to live with such a wound,
and that her existence must therefore have been the re-
sult of a miracle. This convictionwas strengthened
when the nuns declared that they had frequently seen
breath proceedingfrom it: and yet Veronica lived in
this condition for about thirty years; and when her
hands and feet were thus pierced, she would walk
with agility whenever her duty required it, and do
whateverher officesor the communitylife required.
At length, when the wounds became closed, it was
more clearthan everthat the whole wassupernatural.
Such was the opinion of Gentili, the surgeon,who
examinedthe case; for in the courseof nature a wound
doesnot heal without becomingcoveredby a scar.
This is a fact of which dailyexperienceassuresus,but
Veronica's
wounds,
on the contrary,
assoonasthey
closed,were coveredwith perfectly smoothskin, on
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 161

which there was not the least rising or prominence to

distinguish it from the rest.
Notwithstanding all this, which is sufficient to con-
vince every competentjudge, the subject of this extra-
ordinary favour had her own doubts on. the matter,
until it pleasedG-odto removethem by the following
vision. Father Antonio Tommasini,of the Society
of Jesus,who had earned the reputation of sanctity
during fifty yearswhich he had spentin the holy and
apostolic ministry of a missioner, was appointed
extraordinary confessor to the convent a short time
before his death. One day Veronica entreated him
to confer with her on the subject of her doubts, and
to tell her if the stigmata were indeed the work
of God. " My daughter," replied the good Father,
"if God in His mercy permits me to reach heaven,
and if He will then allow me to appearto you, I will
visit you, and tell you all. But at presentI can only
desireyou to remainin peace." Soon after this he
died. We find in Veronica's journal, under date of
the 29th of March,1717,that during an ecstasy,in
which she was holding converse with our Blessed
Lady, Father Tommasiniappearedto her, together
with S. Francis Xavier, and other saints. The
Mother of God then desired Father Tommasini to
keepthe promisewhichhe had madeto Veronica: in
obedienceto this direction from the Queenof heaven,
he accordinglyturned to our Saint, and told her
that in the first place she was to indulge no fears
on the score of the stigmata, becausethey had been
imprinted by God: secondly,that she wasto employ
her life in the practice of humility and self-annihila-
tion, and that in all her occupations she was to-
keepherself in the presenceof God, and with Him :
11
162 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

and lastly, that she was to practisethe most exact

obedience,because"a soul that is perfect in this
virtue is liable to no judgment at the hand of God,
for whatever she doesthrough holy obedienceis sure
to be the Will of God." " These three injunctions,"
continues the journal, "penetrated so deep that they
seemed to be engraven on my inmost heart. The
Blessed Virgin confirmed all that the Father had
said." The humility which Veronica evinced when
shereceived this assuranceof the reality of her gifts
after twenty years1of doubt and apprehension,is truly
remarkable. But we must not omit to mention the
grateful testimony which she addsin praise of her
benefactor. " Meanwhile," she writes, " our Blessed
Lady showedme that the soul of Father Tommasini
wore on his breasta most preciousjewel, whichshone
as with the united splendour of a multitude of sunsr
indeed the sun which we see in the firmament is
dark in comparisonwith that brilliant light. ... I
wasgivento understandthe,reasonwhy he worethis
gem. It wasbecauseduring the whole of his life on
earth he had alwayskept his heart fixed on God,in
God, and for God alone; and therefore he wore the
jewel at his heart, to symbolize the interior presence
of that divine love which would fain have drawn the

whole world to God if that had been possible,in order

that every creature might love God Who is Supreme
Love." Surelythis is the eulogiumof a real apostle;
and we leave it to the reader to decide its value,
coming as it doesfrom such a source.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 163

CHAPTER IX.

VERONICA PARTICIPATES IN ALL THE OTHER DOLOURS

WHICH CONSTITUTED THE DIVINE PASSION.- WON-

DERFUL MARKS IMPRINTED ON HER HEART.

THE bitter chaliceand the crown of thorns,together

with His five principal Wounds, were not the only
tokensby which Jesuswaspleasedto showthe special
love which He bore to His spouseVeronica. It was
His Will that she shouldsharein all the sufferingsof
His Passion. In proof of this we have, besides her
own account, the depositions of many eye-witnesses,
which were made in the processes, the deponents
having had the most indisputableevidenceas to the
factsin question. One of the remarkablesymptoms
referred to was a very considerable curvature of the
right shoulder, which bent the very bone just as the
weight of a heavy crossmight have done. When
Gentili, the surgeon,examinedthe bodyafter death,he
declared that the above circumstance was prodigious-
and supernatural;for, ashe subsequently
statedin the
process-"If it had occurredby natural means,it
would have preventedher from moving her arms;
whereas," he continued, "I have myself frequently
seen the Venerable Sister Veronica using her arms
asfreely asother persons,and carrying about heavy
articles of dress when she used to render charitable
assistanceto thosesickreligiouswho weremy patients.
In the sameway,during her lastillness,I sawher move
her right arm without theleastdifficulty, and that too
where the shoulder was particularly depressedj she
was unable to use her left arm, for that had been
incapacitatedby an apoplecticstroke."
11-2
164 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

But, in order not to multiply references,we

confineourselvesto the testimonyof Father Giovan
Maria Crivelli, a celebratedJesuit missionary,asbeing
not only the mostcircumstantial,but also thoroughly
authenticated, as the reader will presently see.
The bishop, Luc'Antonio Eustachj, having heard
from the nuns of the extraordinary trials, contor-
tions, and agoniesto which Yeronica was so fre-
quently liable, and which her medical attendants
were unable to obviate or explain, and having been
also informed by her confessorsthat they were the
results of her experiencingat certain times all the
sufferingsof the Passion of Jesus Christ, which were
conferred on her by an especialprivilege, his lordship
liccamo desirous of being further enlightened as to
the facts, not being certain as to whether it was the
work of God or an illusion of the devil. For this
purpose he summonedthe above-mentioned
Jesuit
Father from Florence in the year 1714, having heard
that he was much skilled in the direction of souls.
Father Crivelli accordinglycamein November,and
the bishop having thoroughly informed him as to the
details of the case, in order that he might be the
better enabledto carry out his plans, appointed him
extraordinary confessorto the convent for the space
of two months, during which time he withdrew their
ordinary director. Father Crivelli causedVeronica to
make a general confession, and disclose to him the
entirestateof her conscience,
aswellasall thegifts she
had received. Comparingwhat he heardfrom her own
lips with whattheothernunshadobserved concerning
her, it occurred
to him, or ratherhe was enlightened
by God, to apply a test, which would at oncediscover
whetherthe spirit which guidedher weregoodor eviJ.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 1G5

This wasthe employmentof purelymentalprecepts,

"whichit is impossible
for the devil to divine,sincethey
can be knownto nonebut God. Onemorninghe sum-
moned Veronica to the confessional,and desiredher to
engagein prayer. He told her to ask God and our
Blessed Lady to make known to her whatever he
shouldenjoin her to do by simple internal actsof the
will. Veronica expressedher ready acquiescence,
and began to pray. Meantime, the good Father con-
ceived in his mind, without either moving his lips or
making the slightest gesture, the five following in-
junctions :-In the first place, that the wound in her
side, which was then closed,as well as those in her
hands and feet, should re-open and bleed ; secondly,
that, when open, it should continue so as long as
he might wish it; thirdly, that it should close up
again as soon as he willed that it should, in his
presence, and in that of others whom he might
appoint; fourthly, that in his presence,and at what-
ever time it might seem good to him, she should
visibly undergo all the sufferingsand torments which
Jesus Christ endured in His Passion; and, lastly,
that, when she had gone through the scene of cruci-
fixion, stretched on her bed as usual, sheshould,in his
presence,and beforewhomsoeverelsehe might appoint,
stand upright on her feet in the air, as he should com-
mand her to do.

Having willed thesefive orders,which, aswe have

already remarked, were merely internal, he left her
a certain interval of time to continue her prayer.
Then he called to her, and asked if the Lord and the
BlessedVirgin had made them known to her. Ve-
ronica replied frankly that they had not. " Eenew
your prayer,then," he said. She did so; and when
 166 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

he called to her again,a short time after, shewas

able to repeatthe five injunctions,word for word,
in the order in which he had conceived them. The
Father was amazed,and immediatelyrecognizedthe
Spirit of God. But, concealinghis astonishment,
he
said : " Between speaking and doing there is a great
difference. But I shallreservemyselffor someother
opportunity of ascertainingwhethermy orderscanbe
literally accomplished." Veronica candidly replied
that she was quite preparedto obeyhim, and, with
the assistanceof God and most holy Mary, to fulfil
everythinghe had commanded, for, shecontinued,"I
confidesimply in the virtue of holy obedience,in the
Will of God, and the aid of most holy Mary."
Somedays after this he returned to the convent,
and desiredher to put in executionthe first of the
five orders which he had previouslygiven her, viz.,
that the wound in her side should re-open and shed
blood. He wished this to occur whilst lie celebrated
the holy sacrificeof the Mass,at which he bade her
assist. As soonas he had offered the divine sacrifice,
and madehis thanksgiving,he summoned Veronicato
the confessional,
and inquiredif her woundwereopen
and bleeding. She humbly replied, " Yes." " That
is not enoughfor me,"rejoinedthe Father,who wished
for moreevidence. " Apply a white handkerchiefto
the place,and then give it me." Veronica obeyed,
andthehandkerchief, whenshegaveit him,wassoaked
throughwith warm blood,which emitteda most deli-
ciousperfume. He then went on to the secondpoint,
that her wound should remain unclosed until he
shoulddirect to the contrary. She promisedsubmis-
sion,and soher trial wasconcludedfor that day.
FatherCrivelli went at onceto the bishop,informed
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 167

his lordship of everything that had occurred,and

showedhim the handkerchiefsteepedin blood,and
all fragrant,so that the prelatewasfilled with amaze-
ment. Just then the Father was obliged
O to go
O to
Florence,to arrangesomebusinesswith the Grand
Duke Cosmo III. He remained absent for about
three weeks. When he returned to the convent, he
askedVeronicaif her wound had continuedopenall
this time. Being assuredthat it had, he repaired
with this information to the bishop,and requested
his lordship to accompany him after dinner to wit-
ness the fact with his own eyes,as also to observe
the accomplishmentof his third order, which was
that the wound should closeup again directly he
signified his will to that effect. They arrived about
four o'clock in the afternoon, and Veronica having
beenorderedto take her placeat the window where
holy Communionwasgiven,the Fatherput a pair of
scissorsin her hand, and commandedher, in virtue of
holy obedience,to cut a hole in her habit just where
the wound was. She immediately obeyed. The
bishop held a lighted candle,and both he and Father
Crivelli saw the open wound, and the warm blood
which issuedfrom it. The latter, being encouraged
at the sight, exclaimed, " It is well. This moment,
I enjoin you, let the wound close." For a very short
interval she remained absorbed in prayer. Then
being asked whether she had obeyed,she answered,
" Yes." The bishop and Father Crivelli looked
through the openingwhichhad beencut in her dress,
and examined the wound with a lighted candle. It
wascompletelyhealed,and coveredwith natural skin
like the rest; the only thing which was left to mark
the spot being a very slight discolouration. They
1G8 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

were both amazed,and left her, scarceable to express

their admiration for this wonderful work of God. It is
worthyof observation
thatthe diaryof FatherTJ-baldo
Antonio Cappellettimakesmentionof a similar direc-
tion, which he had once given her, in obedience to
which her wound had closedup on the 31stof July,
in the year 1705.
Veronica'scapacityfor obeying the fourth order
which the Father had imposedon her still remainedto
be tested. It had relation to the immediate subject
of the present chapter, viz., her participation in all
the sufferingsof our BlessedSaviour. Onemorning,
in the samemonth of November,our Saint presented
herself at the confessional,and informedFather Cri-
velli that she had been instructedby the most holy
Virgin to assurehim that his fourth commandshould
be obeyedon the eveningof the 29th inst., being the
Vigil of S. Andrew; that at the third hour of the
night shewould begin to experience the varioussuffer-
ings of the divine Passionj that he was to be present;
that the propertime for their continuance,includingher
participationin the sevenDoloursof our Lady, would
be twenty-four hours; but that, nevertheless,if he
should command it, the whole would cometo an end
immediately. Father Crivelli replied to this with a
doubtful air, and said that it remainedto be seenwhat
God would permit to take place. He went awayto
inform the bishop,and having obtainedhis sanction,
returnedto his college. Early onthe following morn-
ing a messengerfrom the convent came to summon
him in great haste, declaring that Veronica was
dying. But he, knowingas he did beforehandwhat
was about to occur,was in no hurry whatever,but
begandiscoursingof the event with Father Giulio de'
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Vecchj,the rector of the college. Thesummons being

repeated,he set off for the convent,in companywith
the rector. Having enteredVeronica'scell, he found
her in her religioushabit on her bed, with a coverlet
underneath,and the usual woollencounterpaneover
her, in a stateof extremeexhaustionand gaspingfor
breath. He revivedher by causingher to makeactsof
the theologicalvirtues,and by sacramental confession.
He then spoketo her abouther state,and ascertained
fromher that fromthe third hourof the night until then
shehadbeenenduringour Lord's agonyin the garden,
His seizure,His bonds,besidesall the blows and insults
which He underwentin beingled beforethe tribunals
of Herod and Pilate. Shehad just got to that point
in the divine Passion. Father Crivelli procured a light,
andpointedout to his companionthe deepmarkswhich
had been impressedon both her wrists, as though by
cords; at which sight,we find it statedin the deposi-
tion, they both experiencedthosesensationsof awe and
compunctionwhich aregenerallyproducedby super-
natural and divine operations. The Father then asked
her what mystery was to follow ? She replied that the
scourging was the next. He encouragedher to bear
it generously" after which he repeated the sacramen-
tal absolution, and desired her under obedience to
submit to the cruel torment which was before her, on
the understandingthat it shovddceasethe momenthe
should signify his will to that effect.
This command having been given, it was put into
immediate execution. We cannot do better than refer
to the accountwhich wasgiven by the witnesses
of the
scene. They deposed as follows : " We saw her on
her bed shakenand agitatedto sucha degreethat it
was both fearful and wonderful to behold. Most
1"0 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

violent were the movementsby which her body was

impelled,first oneway andthen another;her head
sometimesstriking the wall with suchforcethat the
very planks of the bed were driven from their places,
and the walls of the cell or infirmary were visibly
shaken,asthough by an earthquake. The noise was
so great that the nuns who were about the house ran
to the spot, in a fright lest the convent should be
falling down. I was obliged to order them to with-
draw, for fear they should becomestill more alarmed.
Father de A'ecchj himself was so excited, partly
through the compassionhe felt for Sister Veronica,
who was enduring such unheard-of torments, and
partly through the fear which he could not but feel at
a scene which was at onceso terrible and amazing,
that he couldbearit nolonger; he wasobligedto leave
the cell, and return to our college, without saying a
Avord. I permitted her to continuein this suffering
for a goodhour, if I rememberright, and then I gave
her an obediencethat the torment should ceaseby
pronouncing the words, ' Enough, let it stop;' and,
"wonderful to behold, she who had previously appeared
rapt from all objects of sense, and absorbed in the
contemplationof the mysterywhich shewas passing
through, and devoidof all strength,returnedto herself
in a moment, all traces of suffering were over, and she
was left in a state of perfect tranquillity."
It appears from the same account that this oc-
curred between the sixteenth and seventeenth hours
(Italian time). FatherCrivelli beinganxiousto say
Mass, and, relying on the obedienceof Veronica,
directed her to rise from her bed, to repair to the
choir without any assistance,and hear Mass on her
knees. She executed this order with alacrity.
 S. VEIiONICA GIULIANI. 171

When the holy Sacrificewas over, he desiredher to

return to her bed, and then in presenceof the Abbess,
SisterMaria Tommasini,and someother religious,he
put her under obedienceto proceedwith the mystery
next in successionto that which he had already wit-
nessed; and he declaresthat he saw on her head the
visible impression of the crown of thorns. She next
seemedto endurethe weight of the crossin carrying
it up to Calvary. Those present inferred this from the
^nature of the extreme suffering which she endured.
" I plainly saw," continued Father Crivelli, " that the
mystery of the crucifixion succeededin all its agony.
It was as clearly depicted as anything could be, short
"of a literal crucifixion on a material cross. As soon as
I had given the word of command, her frame became
"extended,and her arms expandedin the form of a cross.
The nerves of her hands were drawn, and her arms
'Strained exactly as if nailed on a real cross. Her feet
also were affected in a similar manner. Her head was
bowed down, and her breast heaved,as though shewere
passingthrough her death-struggle. The extreme
suffering which she endured was evincedby the cold
perspiration which rose on her brow, by the tears which
rolled down her cheeks,and by all the other external
symptoms which attend the last agony of the dying.
When she had remained in this condition for about half
"an hour, I saw that she was on the point of expiring,
so taking couragefrom the successwhich had followed
my previous injunctions, I commanded her by virtue
of holy obedienceto let all her torments cease. I was
obeyed, and no trace remainedof what she had under-
gone, save the debility of exhaustednature."
Father Crivelli goeson to statethat he recruited her
.spirits by causingher to make actsof the theological
172 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

virtues and by getting her to repeatthe usual protes-

tationsagainstall the worksof thedevil. After this,
he madeher recitein his presence
the divine officefor
the day,with Sister Florida Ceoli. Then calling to
mind that the BlessedVirgin had intimated that Ve-
ronicawason the sameday to experienceher Dolours,
he put her under obedienceto endurethem, telling
her that he wished to observe the motions of her heart.
" And in fact," he continues," sheexperienced
within
her heart each one of the seven Dolours in so sensible
a mannerthat I heard every palpitation asdistinctly
as the strokes of a clock. I knew it to be so, be-
causeI observedthe spot from whenceit proceeded,
and perceived the agitation which it occasionedin her
bosom."
A short time after he gave her an obediencethat
this alsoshouldstop. It did so in amoment,and she
was herselfagain. About midnight, he causedher to
take her supper in his presence,and having blessedit,.
he looked on while sheate it, without the least feeling
of that nauseawhich almost always affected her at
her meals. Filled with amazement at all the wonders-
which he had witnessed,Father Crivelli then returned
to his college.
Thus passedS. Andrew's Feast. On the next day,
the good Father went to acquaint the bishop with all
that hadhappened,and to requestthat his lordship
would do him the favour to accompanyhim someday
to the convent,in order that he might be a spectator
and witnessof the executionof his fifth and last pre-
cept, viz., that she should go through the sceneof
crucifixionin an upright attitude. Theyagreedto
fix on a certain day in December. When it came
round, they repaired to the convent in the afternoon.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 173

Having caused the doors of the church and of the

choir to be closed, Father Crivelli commanded Vero-
nica, who was at the communion window, by virtue
of holy obedienceto be crucified upright in a manner
visible to the bishop and himself. For a brief inter-
val she was rapt in prayer, contemplating the mystery
in question. "All at once," says Father Crivelli,
" she sprang to her feet with her arms extended with
violence in the form of a cross. Her whole person
was powerfully outstretched just as would be the case
on a real cross; and her whole body was so moved
that the choir and its bencheswere shaken, and the
religiousheardthe noise. It soundedasif her bones
were being put out of joint, and the convulsive move-
ment of the nerves in her arms was so apparent that
they produced in our minds both wonder and fear.
As I was desirous of testing the case to the utmost,
and perceived that in the midst of this fearful agita-
tion, sheoccasionallygaverapid starts from the ground,
I said to her from time to time, ' Rise higher-
higher!' Shedid so,her whole framebeing elevated
into the air, so that her feet, for the moment, did not
touch the ground. Soonafter, shefell suddenlyfrom
her upright position flat upon the pavement of the
choir; she remained there for a little while in the
same attitude of crucifixion, and then resumed in an
instant her previous upright position. When this
torment had lasted for about half an hour, both his
lordship and myself were of opinion that it had better
come to an end, so I gave her an obediencethat it
should cease: it stopped immediately, and we saw her
in a moment on her kneesbefore the grate, in a recol-
lected and humble posture."
TheFatherthen askedher what wasthe meaningof
174 S. VERONICA GIULIAXI.

her unexpected
fall on the flo^r in her crucifiedstate,
to which she replied, that it was owing to " the
turningoverof thecross;for that the Jewshaving
nailed the hands and the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ,
turned the crossover,in order that they might clinch
the nails on the other side."
" After all this which I have deposed above," con-
cludes Father Crivelli, " Sister Veronica was dismissed
by the bishop; and we both left the church over-
whelmed with amazement and admiration at the won-
ders we had seen." And certainlythere is nothing
moremarvellousto be met with in the life of S. Mary
M:i;j,dalenof Pazzi, or in those of S. Catherineof
Eicci, S. Teresa, S. Catherine of Siena, or any other
saint of the highest order.
But there was one peculiar feature in Veronica's case
which we do not find in the biographiesof other saints.
We allude to the numerousand extraordinarysigns
whichwereengravenon herheart. We saynumerous,
becauseafew thingsof-the kind werediscovered
in the
heart of the Blessed Clare of Monte Falco and the
BlessedMargaretof Citta di Castello. In Veronica's
there were no fewer than twenty-four, viz.-a Latin
crosswith a Cmarkedat the top of the upright beam:
in the centre of the transverse beam was an F : at the
right-handextremity of the samewasa V, and at the
left an O. Above the cross, on one side, was a crown
of thorns; to the left of this was a banner on a staff
lying transverselyoverthe cross,anddividedinto two
parts terminatingin points-on the upperonewasim-
printed the letter I, and on the loweronethe italic m.
Nearthetopof thebannerwasaflame,andunderneath,
a hammer,a pair of pincers,a spear,anda reedwith a
sponge
atthetop. Totherightofthecross,
beginning
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 17,5

from above,was a representation of the seamlessves-

ture of our Lord JesusChrist,anotherflame,a chalice,
two wounds,a little pillar, three nails, a scourge,and
sevenswords,besidesthree letters in different places,
namely, two P's and a V.
All these signs, excepting the chalice, are described
in the processof information by Father Raniero Guelfi,
which contains an account of the examination to which
he wassubjectedon the26th of September,
1727,about
ten weeks after Veronica'sdeath. On the Holy Satur-
day of the sameyear, our Saint headmentioned to him
under obedienceasher confessor,that during Passiontide
the representationof two flameshad been imprinted on
her heart, as also a banner marked with the initials of
the most holy namesof Jesusand Mary. The father
ascertained from her in the course of conversation
that there were alsoother signsengravenon her heart.
Sohe wiselyconceivedthat it would be well to get
from herself an authenticdocument,the accuracyof
which he would be able to test after her death, and
he commanded her to draw a picture of her heart,
just as shehad describedit to him. Veronicaobeyed,
but as she did not know how to draw, she got
Sisters Florida Ceoli and Mary Magdalen Boscaini to
assist her. However, she did not tell them that she
had any seriousobject in so doing,but treated the
matter as though it were a mere joke or fancy. She
designedit on a pieceof red paper cut out in the
shapeof a heart; attaching to it the figuresin ques-
tion, which were cut out of white paper, with the
exceptionof the two flamesand the upper division
of the banner; these she made of a deeper coloured
red : she then traced the nine letters with a pen and
ink, and drew lines which connectedall the instru-
176 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

mentstogether. Shehadcompleted herwork by the

Feast of Pentecost,and placedit in the handsof
FatherGuelfi,threedayspreviouslyto herbeingseized
by the apoplectic strokeof whichweshall speakin
the next chapter. During herillnesshe consignedit
to the.keepingof the bishop,havingmarkedit with
his own sealand signature,which he recognizedin his
examinationduring the informative as well as the
apostolic process.
The sameFather, moreover, adds, and his evidence
is confirmed by that of various competent witnesses,
that the mysterious instruments of which we have
spokenwere in the occasionalhabit of moving and
emitting sounds,more or lessaudible,accordingas our
Saint exercised the corresponding virtues, or was
ordered under obedience. These farts wTere more
thoroughlyauthenticatedafter her death. A formal
examination was instituted according to directions
received from the Bishop Codebo, by the medical
professors,Giovan FrancescoGentili, surgeon,and
Gian Francesco Bordiga, physician, hi the presence
of Monsignor Torrigiani, then Governor, afterwards
Cardinal of holy Church, as also of the Chancellor
Fabbri, the Priors Don Francesco Maria Pesucci and
Don Giacomo Gellini, Don Giovanni Falcoui, Don
CesareGiannini, Father Guelfi, the artist, Luc'Antonio
Angelucci,and severalnuns. Theydiscovered,
in the
right-hand division of her heart, a well-defined cross,
at the upper end of which was the letter C. Besides
this, they found a little crown of thorns,two flames,
sevenmarks,meetingat the pointsin the shape
of a fan, to indicatethe sevenswords; the letters V
andP, a lanceandreedcrossing eachother,a banner
attached
to a spear,dividedinto two parts,on which
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 177

"were the letters I and in, and a nail with its head
sharpenedinto a point, as we generallysee the nails
of the holy cross represented. The remainder of the
signsalreadydescribedwerenot discovered,becausethe
bishopdid not chooseto havethe investigationcarried
further, for fear of spoiling the heart; for our Saint
had beennow deadthirty-four hours,andhis lordship
was also unwilling to occasion inconvenience to the-
bystanders, particularly to the nuns,who were already
too much affected by the sight before them, and by
the grief which they felt at the loss of so holy a com-
panionand superioress.They had all seenenoughto
convince them of the accuracy of the rest, and the-
function was accordingly closed. From what they had
already seenand juridically tested, that print was en-
gravedwhich got into generalcirculation.
Before we bring this chapter to a closeit may not be
unacceptableto the reader to be made acquaintedwith,
the signification of those mysterious signs and letters..
We have the authority of Father Guelfi for what we
aregoingto state; heheardit from thelips of Veronica,
and brought it forward in his deposition. The two
letters on the banner, viz., the I and the m, stand for
Jesusand Mary, the C for charity,the F for faith and
fidelity to God, the 0 for obedience,
the two V's* for
humility and the Will of God,the two P's for patience
andsuffering.The two flamesrepresenttheloveof God
and of our neighbour; the banneris the symbolof the
victories which our Saint had gainedduring the course
of her life, andthe sevenswordsmarkher participation
in theDoloursof Mary. Theremainderweretheinstru-
ments of the most bitter Passion of our Lor d JesusChr ist.
* In the original Italian these letters are the initials of tlie
virtues for whicli they stand.
12
178 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

CHAPTER X.

THE EXTRAORDINARY GRACES AND FAVOURS WHICH

ACCOMPANIED HER LAST ILLNESS AND HOLY
DEATH.

THE crowningwith thorns,the imprintingof the

stigmata,and the painful impressionsmade on the
heart of our Saint were several times renewed during
the last thirty years of her life, as we have already
mentioned. The frequent, one might almost say the
perpetual, excesses
of her love of God, besidesthe
overwhelming sufferingswhich it pleased our Lord to
bestowon her, together with the severepenanceswhich
«li > voluntarily imposed upon herself, had the inevi-
table effectof underminingher health, andeventually
causingher death. Her companionsrelate in various
partsof the processthe frequentand severemaladies
to which she was subject from time to time, and for
which, generallyspeaking,no remedy could be dis-
covered by her medical attendants, but of which
she was invariably cured in some unexpectedand
miraculous way; so that it was commonly said in
the convent that Veronica only lived by miracle.
Father UbaldoAntonio Cappellettiwas the only per-
son who took down in his diary an account of these
illnesses and recoveries. He did so for his own in-
struction, from the year 1702 until 1707. His narra-
tive was inserted in the process; it makes mention of
no fewer than thirteen of these occasions on which
shewasreducedto extremity, and he had to assisther
in his capacity of confessorto the establishment.
While thesediseaseslasted,Veronicawould flatter
herself that now at length she was about to be
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 179

delivered from the burden of mortality, in order that

she might take her flight and be united to her Immor-
tal Good. Shefrequentlyreceivedin her heart loving
invitations from her divine Lord, and seemedto be on
the point of possessingHim; but again,when sheleast
expected it, the prospect would recedefrom her view.
At last the time came when she was assured that the

boon was granted, and her anticipation was both clear

and unmistakable. As early as the year 169-i shehad
been informed from above, as she hinted to her con-
fessor, that she had still thirty-three years to live.
The event proved that this number signified the years
which were to elapse until her death. Perhaps it
was also an intimation of the thirty-three days which
were to be the duration of her last illness. She was
satisfied of this herself, and predicted that it would be
so. She also declared that she would have to endure

-a threefold purgatory from creatures,from obedience,

and from the devil, and .so it cameto pass. In~the
_yearbefore her death she appointed, by her authority
as abbess,Sister Mary Magdalen Boscaini to be sacri-
stan of the inner chapel of the most holy rosary.
When Veronica committed this chargeinto her hands,
she said to her expressly, " This is the last time that
I shall dispense these offices." Upon which Sister
Agnes inquired, " Are you going to die so soon,then,
mother abbess?" She gave an approving smile, and
it turned out as she had said. At several of the
chapters which took place during the last year of her
life, when Sister Gabriella Brozzi was kneeling before
her to confessher faults accordingto custom,it was
observed that the saintly abbess addressed to her
alonethe following wordsin addition to other good
counsel:-" SisterGabriella,let us prepareourselves
;
12-2
180 -S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

we have not much longer to live." In fact the fol-

lowing July, aswe shall presentlysee,Veronicadied,
and Sister Gabriella followed her two or three months
later. But Veronica spokestill more plainly to the
above-named sister, Mary MagdalenBoscaini,on the
eve of her fatal illness. That religious, having come
to her by order of her confessor to mention some
spiritual trial which afflicted her, remarkedthat she
would await her abbess' leisure; but Veronica very
soon after came to her cell and said, " We had better
perform the obediencethis evening,for who knows
whether we shall ever have another opportunity ?"
The followingmorning beingthe Cthof June, 1727,
within the octave of Pentecost and a Communion day,
the holy abbess, who well knew what was about to
happen,manifestedunusual anxiety that the sacred
function should proceedwith the least possible delay.
She had left the confessional,her countenanceglowing
even with more than its wonted sanctity, and per-
ceiving the sacristan, Sister Mary Joanna Maggio,
who deposedto the fact in the process,she bade her
makehaste with the taper which she was in the habit
of using to light the four candleswhich burned within
the communion window. It was eleven o'clock,
Italian time; and Veronica no sooner received the
holy Eucharist than she was struck with apoplexy,
which rendered her left side utterly powerless, but
neither deprived her of consciousnessnor of speech.
Thenunsran promptly to assisther,and placedher on
a stoolmade'ofwalnut-wood,which is still preserved.
She raised her eyes to heavenin rapture, and the
sacristantells us that her countenancewas joyful as
shesaidto thosearound,"I go,I go,"thusinforming
them that the stroke would be a fatal one.
 s. VERONICA" GIULIANI. 181

As they couldnot bring her to herselfby any of the

usualremedies,they put her in a chair and conveyed
her to the infirmary. Not to prolong her suffering,
they lodged her in the first room, although it was dark
and resembleda prison. She hod already spent much
time there, as we shall seein the next book. Notice
was immediately sent to her confessor,Father Raniero
Guelfi, at that time an Oratorian, and afterwards
.archpriestof the illustriouscollegeof S. Eustacbioat
Home, also to the bishop, Mgr. Alexander Codebo,
the physicianBordiga,and the surgeonGentili. As
"soonas our Saint beheld her confessor,the first thing
she asked him was to give her the holy Viaticum,
although she had so lately communicated, but this
he thought it necessaryto refuse. Presently the
bishop arrived, and the moment she saw him she
began to declare with the greatest humility that she
"wasthe most unworthy inmate of the monastery,that
during the fifty years of her religious career she had
failed to correspondwith the grace of God, and had
not succeededin acquiring a single virtue; she re-
questedhis pardon and that of all the religious who
were present, for the scandalsshehad given them, and
implored them not to imitate her, for shehad been a
great sinner. Shethen requestedhis lordshipto give
her the blessing in articulo mortis, and to grant her
permissionto receiveholy Communiondaily during
the remainingportionof her life. Thebishopgranted
the second favour she had asked; the first he post-
ponedfor a moresuitableoccasion.
Her maladyincreased,and was aggravatedby the
addition of a violent fever, acute pains in her head
and teeth, calculus,nervous and spasmodic affections
in all her joints, and suchnausea,that shewasunable
lSl> S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

to retainanydescription
eitherof foodor medicine
-
sothatthroughout
thisterribleillnessshecouldonly
swallowa few drops,and that with the utmostdiffi-
culty. On the third day the physicianhad her con-
veyedwith careinto the third cell of the infirmary,
whereshelingeredfor thirty daysmore,and then ex-
pired. It maybe conceived
thateverything
wasdone
which human care or skill could d.uggestto save so
preciousa life. The nuns,the bishop,and the whole
city, did all they could,particularly themedicalmen,
so high was the estimation in which they held her.
The latter tried bleeding,applied hot irons to the
nape of her neck, and administered their most costly
drugs. All this constitutedthe first descriptionof
purgatorywhichshehad to encounter,viz., that which
was to come from the hands of her fellow-creatures.
The remedies which were resorted to served only to
increaseher sufferings. The same may be said of
the attentionswhich were paid her by the religious.
Although shenever complained,it was clearfrom her
convulsivemovementsthat everyposturewaspainful
to her. They soughtto relieve her by changingher
position, but although they did this with the utmost
caution,it only made her worse. Onceshe declared
that her sufferingswere like thoseof hell. Shepar-
ticularly felt the absence
of her formerspiritual direc-
tor, the Servite Father Tassinari. It was the Will
of God that during the whole time of her illness
he too shouldbe incapacitatedby sickness.It was
the onlything for whichVeronicashowedanyregret,
but sheresignedherself to the providenceof God.
The secondpurgatory,
that of obedience,
tried her
still more. She ardentlydesiredto unite herself to
her Belovedwithout delay,but she would not do so
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 183

withoutthe'permission
of her confessor;
shetherefore
repeatedly asked him to give her leave to die. He
always refused until the very last, as we shall here-
after see. She was so much afflicted at these denials
that on one occasionshe turned to the bystanders and
exclaimed," How strangeto feel oneselfdying, and yet
to be unable to die!" Her maladies had weakened
her to such a degree that although she did not
hesitate to take whatever was offered her, she was
unable to swallow either food or medicine. This cost
her several reproofs, both from the nuns and her con-
fessor, on the score of disobedience; which was
peculiarly mortifying to her, since there was no virtue
of which she had shown herself more jealous, both in
theory and practice, throughout the courseof her life,
than that of holy obedience. Father Vincent Segapeli,
an Oratorian, was invited by Father Guelfi to assist
him in the care of Veronica. One night, when the
bell rang for matins, he turned to our Saint, reduced
as she was. and deprived of the use of one side, and
said to her, " Sister Veronica, do you not hear the bell
ringing for matins ? will you not go ?" This was
enough to cause her to make a strenuous effort to
rise; but the father was struck with admiration at
her heroic obedience,and commandedher not to stir.
A still greater proof of humility and obediencecame
under his observation. Perceiving that her handswere
coveredwith certain little bandages,which her superiors
had permitted her to wearfor the purposeof hiding
the stigmata,he inquired contemptuously," What is
the meaningof thesebandages ? This is sheerhypo-
crisy." In a moment she presentedhim her right
hand, for she could not move the other, and cheerfully
replied : " I am readyto do as you please;obedience
184 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

gaveme them, and obedience shall take them away."

But it costher humility a severepangto be obligedto
displaythose marksof honour. This wasall deposed
in the processby SisterMary JoannaMaggio,whowas
highly edified,aswas everyoneelsewho happenedto
be in the cell.

The third kind of purgatory was to comefrom the

demons. Several times they attempted to terrify her,
by appearing under the form of brutal negroes; or
they would assumethe shapesof asses,and bray in her
car, in order to increasethe pain in her head; or one
of them would take the appearanceof her physician,
ami predict the most revolting kind of diseases,for
tlie purpose of subduing her indomitable patience.
But the worst of all was their transformation on one
of her last days. She was quite alone, and beheld
the bishop entering her cell; he declared to her in a
threatening manner that shewas at last discovered,and
that her whole life had been one tissue of malicious
hypocrisy, and diabolical illusions; he added that in
the afternoon he would return with the officers of
his court, in order that in their presence, and in
that of all the nuns, she might acknowledge and
abjure her treachery. This was taken down from
her own lips by Sister Mary Magdalen Boscaini, Sis-
ter Mary Celestine Tosi, and Sister Mary Celestine
Meazzoli,who deposedaccordinglyin the process.
They had been lingering about the infirmary for some
reason,when their holy abbesscalled to them and said,
"My daughters,recommendme from your heartsto
God,prayfor me." Theyaskedher what hadhappened.
She replied, " The bishop has been to me, and has
told me that he knows my whole life to have been
spentin hypocrisy,andin deceivingeither myselfor
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 185

others; he saysthat he will comeagainin the courseof

the day, in company with others, in order that I may
abjure my hypocrisy in their presence,and before the
whole community. If they say so, they must have
been enlightened as to the true state of the case, and
I am ready to obey." Such was her humble distrust
of herself, united with heroic obedience. The three
nuns were astonishedat what they heard, and assured
her that the bishophad not beento the conventthat
morning. " What do you mean 1" asked Veronica.
"I believehis lordshipis just going downstairs,and
what you sayis only to spare me pain." The fact
was that the bishop had really not been seen that
morning ; and thus they discoveredthat it was merely
an illusion of the devil, invented for the purposeof
driving our suffering Saint to despair. Probably the
lapse of memory which occurredto her often at this
period in her frequent confessions, was another
device of Satan, unless we look upon it as a trial
permitted by God. During her self-examinationshe
would preparewhat she meant to sayto her confessor,
but when she was on the point of accusingherself, she
had forgotten it all. For this reason shewas often
reproved by her confessor,who chargedher with negli-
gencein order to try her. This got to be known in
the monastery; and Sister Florida Ceoli, her assistant,
asked her why she did not confess, to which she
repliedwith the utmost humility, " Our Lord knows
what pains I have taken in order to make my confes-
sions,and how much I desireto do so. But when I
attempt to accusemyself of my faults, I find that I
haveutterly forgotteneverything." With still greater
humility, she on more than one occasionaskedher
novicesif theycouldrememberanythingthat sheought
186 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

to mentionto her confessor.Out of compassion

for her
they suggestedoneor two things, just as onewould
do to a childwhenpreparingit for its first confession.
" God reward you," replied Veronica,"I will accuse
myself as you advise."
Thesethree kinds of purgatory,besidesthe other
sufferingswhichwe havedescribed,constitutedthe first
classof specialgracesconferredby God on His servant.
AVc call them graces,although to a superficial observer
they may not appear such. But let the reader bear in
mind that the portion which our Lord Jesus Christ
chosefor Himself on earth,was an uninterrupted course
of sufferings from the first to the last moment of His
life. There was no favour which Veronica more.
desired,or more ardently implored of her Crucified
Spouse on the day of her solemn nuptials, than
.^ijl'iriinj, jwre finj/'iI'hiff. However, this was not the
only boon, preciousthough it might be, which God
in His bounty bestowedupon her during her last
illness. Shederivedthe highestgratificationfrom the
repeatedvisits of the bishop. Shealwaysrequested
him to let her hold his pectoral cross in her hands,
caressingand kissing it with the utmost affection; and,
when she bad been blessedwith it, shewould saythat
shefelt quite comforted. But far greaterwasthe con-
solationshe derivedfrom holy Communion,whichshe
was permitted to receiveevery day, accordingto the
promise which had been made her. On these occa-
sionsher whole heart beamedand glowedwith love.
The mere sight of a crucifix, which she was in the
habit of callingthe door-keeper
of the heart,andwhich
shealwayskept nearher, had powerto relieveher in
the midstof themostexcruciating pain. Shegavea
proof of this onedayby callingsomeof the younger
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 187

sisters to her, and saying, " Comehere ; love lets itself

be foundhere. It is the causeof my suffering. Tell
every one so." Then sheasked them to sing a hymn
on the Incarnation of the Divine Word, which touched
her so much that she wept freely. Being asked the
reason of her tears, shereplied with all the energy of
love, "Who would not weep at the thought of such
love V She was constantly making fervent acts of the
theologicalvirtues,of resignationto the divine Will,
and of profound humility, which are the true refresh-
ment of the soul. Her physician,whovisited her several
times a day, was extremely edified, as he expressedin
the process. He was particularly struck by an answer
she oncegavehim, when, seeingher more than usually
tried, he encouragedher to makean act of conformity
with the sufferingsof Jesus. To this shereplied with
the greatest humility, " In order to obtain merit by
suffering, it must be accompaniedby virtues, of which
I am utterly destitute. Still, I am quite willing to
bear it all; I would fain suffer even more, if such
were the Will of my Lord."
Thus passedthirty days of her illness, during which
her danger had been several times so great that she
had thrice received the holy Viaticum, and had been
fortified on one occasionby the Sacramentof Extreme
Unction, at her own earnestrequest. During the last
three days of her life, she appearedto live in almost
perpetual ecstasy; her eyes being for the most part
closedand immovable. She did not say as much, but
it was the general impression that during her ecstasy
she frequently beheld Jesus,her divine Spouse,Mary,
her powerful Advocate, and those saints to whom she
had a particular devotion,especiallyS. Francisand S.
Clare. At last it became evident that her departure
188 s. VERONICAGIULIANI.

wasat hand,andfor thefourthtime shereceivedthe

"holyViaticum. Beforeit wasadministered,although
her voice was so feeble that she feared it would be
impossibleto makeherselfheard,sherequested
her
father confessorto ask in her name the forgiveness
of the religiouswho surroundedher, fur the bad
exampleshehad given them, as well as for all the
faults she had committed dining the term of her
superiorship. Sister Christina Eleosari was not pre-
sent, for she was confined to her bed by illness; so
Veronicaaskedthat a messagemight be conveyedto
her. After our Saint had occupiedherself for a con-
siderable time in holy affections to Jesusin the blessed
Sarnuneut,shetook great painsto impressupon her
spiritual daughtersthe importanceof exactfulfilment
both of the laws of God and of the Church, as also of
the rules and constitutions of the convent, and of the
maintenanceof peaceandmutualcharity amongthem-
selves. She gave them all her crucifix to kiss, and
said, " Neverlose sight of the infinite love which He
has shown us."
On the morning of the 8th of July, which washer
last day on earth, she received her fourth visit from
the bishop,and obtained leave from his lordship to
have the Sacrament of Extreme Unction repeated.
She accompaniedit with intenseacts of faith, hope,
and the most perfect charity. She then asked for
his pastoral blessing,and for the papal benediction
in articulo mortis, both of which he bestowed on
her amid the tears of the bystanders. Her con-
fessor then proceededto give her the blessing of
the order, that of the most holy rosary,and of the
sevenDolours. Shethenremained perfectlytranquil,
her right handneverrelaxingits hold on the image
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 189''

of her crucified Lord, towards Whom shepoured forth

in silence her tenderest affections. About the middle
of the night she entirely lost the power of speech,
and her agony commenced. The confessor went
through the usual recommendation of a departing
soul, accompaniedby the prayers of all the nuns, who
never left Veronica duringO the whole of the ni^ht.O
Dying as she was, it was evident that she joined
them as well as she could with her internal petitions,
although she could not use her voice. Throughout
her agony, which lasted for three hours, like that of
our divine Redeemer,she did not give the least sign
of agitation or alarm. As morning broke, her con-
fessor, being informed that she had but a very short
time to live, said to her, " Take courage, Sister
Veronica, you are very near that which you have so-
ardently desired." At these words her joy was in-
expressible,and she began to look fixedly at her con-
fessor. He continued to recite the prayers which the-
Church has appointed for the dying, and suggestedthe
usual pious acts,without thinking why it was that the
dying Saint kept her eyesfixed upon him. At length
God gave him light to remember that Veronica had
often told him that she would not even wish to leave-
this world, until dismissed by holy obedience,which
she now asked by her earnest gaze. Animated by a-
lively faith in God, he approached her and said r
" Sister Veronica, since it is the Will of our Lord that
you should now go to enjoy Him, and since it is the
pleasureof His divine Majesty that you should not
pass away from us without the order of His minister,
I give it you." Veronicaimmediatelydroppedher
eyesin token of submission; then she looked round"
on her daughters to take a last leave and blessing,
 190 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

after which she bowed her head like her crucified

Spouse, gaveherlastsigh,andherblessed
soulwinged
its flight to the bosom
of her Beloved.This took
placeabout seveno'clockin the morningon Friday,
alwaysto hera dayrepletewith heavenly favours,the
9th of July, 1727. Shewasin the sixty-seventh
year
of her age,and had spent fifty yearsin religion, and
eleven in the office of abbess.
We shallnot attemptto describeherethecommotion
which ensued,not only in the convent, but in the city
at large; nor the honoursof her funeral,for we shall
reserve such details for the following book. We must
not, however, omit somedescription of her person, as
it will be acceptable to those devout to her. Her
external appearancegave indications of the heavenly
gifts which enrichedher soul. Veronicawasof middle
height and fair complexion; her face oval and beau-
tiful, though shehad a slight mark to the right of her
iinder lip ; her eyeswere bright, and their expression
habitually cheerful. Although she practised such
severe mortifications as those we are about to describe
in thenext book,shewasnot emaciated,
a gracewhich
she perhaps obtained from our Lord, in order that
her fasts and penancesmight be concealed. Her
mannerswerecourteousand obliging,and qualified with
great modestyand religiousreserve; sothat we may
apply to her the eulogiumwhich S. Ennodiusgivesin
his life of S. Epiphanius,Bishopof Ticino : " Modesty,
whichis the mother of goodworks,shoneconspicuous
in him. The graceof his personwas an index to his
soul. The sweetness of his beamingsmileharmonized
with themelodyof hisdiscourse.Thecalmsplendour
of his eyereflected the peaceof his soul. His marble
browmighthaveborrowed
its whiteness
fromthevery
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 191

source of light. His countenance was a beautiful

mirror of his life." In like manner, there bloomed
in Veronica,asthe springin the fields,that modesty
which is the mother of good works. Her outward
lovelinesswasan imageof her inward beauty. Her
radiant smiles added charms to her words; while the
lustre of her eye indicatedthe serenityof her spirit.
Her forehead was fair as ivory, and her appearance
was altogether an emblem of her life.
 BOOK III.

OF HER HEROIC VIRTUES, AND OF THE GIFTS

WHICH SHE POSSESSED IN COMMON WITH
OTHER SAINTS.

13
 CHAPTER I.

.JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF BECOMES HEE VISIBLE IN-

STRUCTOR IN CHRISTIAN AND PERFECT LIFE. HER

CONSTANT DESIRE OF GREATER PERFECTION.

WE have already witnessed such numerous instances

of the heroic virtue of Veronica, that to somepersons
it may appear superfluous to devote a separate
treatise to the same subject. But so many of her
actions are illustrious on account of their exceeding
sanctity, that we should fail in one of the principal
duties of a biographer, if we were to omit to recom-
mend them to the imitation of our readers. We are
obliged, as it is, to make a selection, for if we were
to mention all, we should swell this volume to an un-
reasonablesize. We shall, therefore, confineourselves
to the most remarkable facts.

But beforeenteringon this narrative,it is well to

remember the source from whence she derived such
supernaturalgrace. JesusChrist, Who is Incarnate
Wisdom, was pleasedto constitute Himself her Master
and Guide; and thus from her earliest years she had
beeninstructedin this heavenlyscienceby Him Whois
at oncethe Author and Model of all that is most holy.
Veronica was not more than three years old when she
waspermittedto beholdour Lord, aswe havealready
seen in the secondchapter of the first book. She
was then taught that she must belong entirely to
13-2
196 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Jesus,that her heart must be changed,that shemust

practisecertainrules of life, and aim at retirement,
mortification of the senses,silence, obedience,and
the avoidanceof all curiosity. Then again in her
sixth year she saw the Divine Infant, and was
reproachedby Him becauseshe had sometimes
diverted herself with juvenile sports, in company
with other children. When shehad attained the age
of nine years,He excited within her an ardent long-
ing for holy Communion,and infusedinto her soul
speciallights, in order that she might make a good
preparation,and an exact confessionof her pastlife.
He also kindled within her heart a holy fervour the
first time that she was permitted to receive the holy
Eucharist, which was on the 2nd of February, 1670.
These three circumstancesare found in the diary of
Father Cappelletti, which we have often had occasion
to quote. Veronicaherself confidedthem to him on
the 19th of December,1702, when she related to him
the vision she had had on the 2nd, in which our
Lord had shownher her heartunderthe figureof iron,
and had reprovedher for want of correspondence to
His grace, and reminded her of the rare favours which
had been vouchsafed her as a child. The reader will
recollect this visionin the third chapterof the first
book.
But still more distinct and elaborate were the
instructionsshereceivedfrom our Saviour during the
night which followed Easterday in 1G97,after the
solemnityat which her mystic nuptials had been
renewed,andwhenHe gaveher a precious ring with.
threegems. During that night He appearedto her,.
and said, " Wilt thou do whatever I shall command
theef To whichshereplied,"Yes, my God,I will
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 197

do all with Thy grace." At the sametime shereceived

an intimate knowledgeof her own nothingness, and
deep sorrow for her sins (sure signsof the truth of
her heavenlyvision),and our Lord, after bestowing
His blessing,continuedas follows: "I am about to
give thee rules for thy conduct. 1. I wish thee
to be faithful, to be diligent, and to co-operatewith
all that I, thy Spouse, work in thee. During this life
thou must be like a corpse,unconsciousof self, and
leavingthe careof all to Me. 2. I wish from theea
strict obedienceto thy confessorand superiors,and
that thou regardthyself asanovicewho has only just
comeinto religion. Such is My Will, and I confirm
thee now asMy spouse. Let thy obedience be blind,
particularly asregardsthy confessor, conferring with
him clearly and definitely. 3. Make it a rule in all
thy works to have an upright and pure intention of
promoting only My glory. In everything let thy
object be the accomplishmentof My Will, which
thou shaltascertainfrom the lips of My representative.
4. I commandthee to observearigoroussilence: never
speakingsave on religioussubjects,when charity re-
quiresit, or whenit is expedientfor thine owngoodor
that of others. 5. By meansof mortificationandcon-
tempt thou mayestadvancealongthepath of humility.
Let all thesethingsguidetheein thy works,that thou
mayestnever Josesight of thine own nothingness.
6. I wish thee to go barefoot,and to ask leavefor
this of thy confessorin My Name. 7. I enjoin thee
to write a full accountof all this for thy confessor,
and
to describeall the operationswhich I work in thee,
simply, sincerely,and accurately,in order that My
greatlovefor theemaybe seenand known. Maintain
thyself in peace,for it shall all conduceto the benefit
198 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

of thy soul,andto My honourandglory.* 8. Never

give an opinionor counsek'toany one,until thou hast
first askedMy directionin prayer. 9. Be sure,0 My
spouse!to have alwaysfirm confidencein Me, and
distrust of thyself. I wish thee to walk betweenfear
and love, sothat fear /naypreservetheein knowledge
of self, and love draw thee to close union with Me.
10. I have chosen thee to act as mediatrix between
sinners and Myself: I confirm thee now in that office,
not merely by inspiration, but by word of mouth.
Let it be thy businessto savesouls; for their salvation
and My glory thou must be ready to sacrifice thy life
and thy blood. 11. For the future thou shall keep
thyself in the exerciseof My divine presence;and in
whatsoevercondition thou mayestbe, fasten thyself to
the simpleand nakedcross,and bind thyself to it by
My Will. 12. I wish thee to be entirely transformed
into Myself. I make over to thee My Passion,My
merits,and all the sufferingsof the thirty-three years
of My Life, that thou mayestwork with Me and
sufferwith Me. In all things conformthyself to My
Will; divest thyself of all besides,so that thou mayest
truly say-' I AM CRUCIFIEDWITH CHRIST.'"
Thesedivine rules for attaining to sublime perfec-
tion, are transcribed word for word from Veronica's
written documents of the year 1G97. Theywouldhave
sufficedfor ever,but sogreat wasthe carewith which
our Lord regardedthe spiritual profit of His well-
beloveddisciple and spouse,that He did not fail to
renewthe remembrance of His instructions,in whole
or in part, by meansof almost daily visions,as may
be seenby any one who choosesto consult her volu-
* Thiswassaidbecause
shewasalwaysafraid of pride and.
vainglory, when writing about her own gifts.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 199

minous writings. A very remarkable instance of such

a repetition occurredin the year 1700, on the 5th of
April, when our Lord appearedto her for the purpose
of removing the scarsof the stigmata. She writes as
follows concerningthat occasion: " Our Lord wishes
that I should lay myself out for the good of my neigh-
bours, and that I should have neither human respect
nor self-love; and that I should go, either by night or
day, to give counselto whosoever may need it at my
hands; for He assuresme that He intends to speak
through me for the advantage of others. Our Lord
has also convinced me how negligent I have hitherto
beenin this respect;andhow, throughthis, othersouls
have lost the fervour of divine love. At the same time
He mademeawarethat He desiresmeto be entirely
denuded of self, without reflection upon myself. It is
His Will that I shouldbepreparedfor everything,and
that I should mention whatever occursto my confessor.
Again He said to me, ' Be faithful; be faithful.' To
which I seemedto reply, ' Grant me some particular
"direction as to this.' ' Be faithful in everything,' He
said. ' But be specially careful,' He added, ' to cherish
zeal for My honour, to accomplishMy Will, to sever
thy soul from self, to practise prompt obedience,to be
contented in the midst of pains and labours,to delight
in being treated contemptuously,to be charitably
vigilant on behalf of others,to attract all to My holy
service,to be exact in religiousobservance,and to
live like one dead, never allowing thyself the smallest
gratification. Thou must alsoexercisethyselfstrenu-
ously in humility and obedience.'"
Again, on the 4th of December,1707, Father
Cappelletti tells us in his diary, that he heardfrom
her own lips, that after she had receivedholy Com-
 200 S. VERONICA. GIULIANI.

niunion,our Lord appeared to her, andgaveher a

freshruleof life, which containedan abstractof the
former, with the addition that in the morning of
the day she was to meditate on His most sacred
Passion,beginningwith the prayerin the garden,
and continuing until evening with all the other
sorrowful mysteries; and then beginning againasat
first. Her attention was thus to be fixed hour by
hour, or rather momentby moment; and she wasto
relate to her confessor all the details of God's work in
her soul-an indubitable sign, like all the rest, of the
reality of these heavenly graces.
The devil took occasion,from thesefrequent lessons
givenby our Lord Jesusundera visibleform,to deceive
Veronicaby assuminga similar one,but shewas too
great an adeptin the scienceof her divine Masterto
be seducedby his artifices. She mentions several of
these occurrencesunder the date of the year 1700.
Oncehe took uponhim the appearance
of our Lord, and
presentedhimself before her with his countenanceall
resplendent,showingher a large book, andinforming
her that it contained a summary of perfection. But
she perceived his artifice in a moment, and nobly
replied, "Infernal monster, I have no need of thy
books; I want no other book but the crucifix, and
the Will of God. Of myselfI can do nothing; I am
full of imperfections." Such unfeignedhumility put
Satanto instant flight, leaving behind him an offen-
sive odour in her cell. Another time he assumed the
sameglorified aspect,and said to her, " Stand firm,
and doubt not; I am come to consolethee,and to
teachthee how thou must conduct thyself." Where-
upon the faithful discipleof Jesussmiled,andthen,
in a tone of grave contempt,inquired, "Deceiver,
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 201

who art tliou 1 Thou art the devil, art them not ?"
So the traitor departed; but, as he did not despair
of ultimate success,
he presentedhimself againunder
the sameform, and with a cheerful countenancesaid,
" I am for thee ; do not doubt." To which shereplied,
"Mind your own business. I do not care for you;
I hopein the mercyof God. I desireHim, and trust
in Him;" saying which she spat in his face. The
proud demon was immediately put to flight, but
presently returned, and said, " I do not wish thee to
practise such severities as thou dost. Human nature
shouldbe kept in subjectionjust sofar asthat it may
serve the spirit" (an excellent aphorism, but misap-
plied). " I give thee,as regardsconferences,
a rule
not to trouble thyself about any more. What thou
hastdonealreadyis enoughfor me." But theprudent
virgin ridiculed thesesuggestions,
and repliedaccord-
ingly; "I do not need thy lessons. Mind thyself.
I desire to do the Will of God, and His representative
must know all. I shall continue to do this in spite of
you." This was enoughto banishat oncethe father
of disobedience.
It is, however, time to quit this not unprofitable
digression. The celebrated adage of S. Ambrose, in
his book concerningvirgins, strikes us as appropriate
here-" The first desire of learning springs from the
nobility of the master." It is not, therefore, surpris-
ing that Veronica, who had been favoured with the
personal instruction of our Lord JesusChrist, should
exhibit so much ardour in aspiring to the sublimer
degreesof that perfectionof which He is the Mas-
ter. And, in fact, if we could only look through
all her precious writings, which are so voluminous as
to fill a large box, we should find that in all the
202 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

visionswhichshedescribes,in the midst of the most

signalfavourswhich shereceivedfrom God,shenever
manifestedthe least desire for these extraordinary pri-
vileges; and on the innumerableoccasionson which
she spokefamiliarly with God, she never askedfor
anything but contrition for her sins, knowledgeof
her own nothingness,conformity to the divine Will,
the conversionof sinners, crossesand pure suffering,
and the grace of divine love. It appearsthat these
desireswere,in a certainsense,by specialprivilege,in-
nate in her, as is clear from considering the history of
her earliest years; and that, like the passionsof other
children, they grew with her growth, and strengthened
with her strength. We have already seen that they
were not mere empty hankerings and desires; and
this will be still more manifested by what follows.

CHAPTER II.

VERONICA'S HEROIC PERFECTION IN THE THEOLOGICAL.

VIRTUES.

LET not the readerbe surprisedat our devotingonly

onechapterto a subjectwhich comprehends the basis.
not only of the Christian life, but also of the most
sublime holiness, viz., faith, hope, and love of God.
We have not taken this course from any lack of
heroic actions on the part of Veronica, but becauseit
would be superfluousto go over again minutely the
ground we have alreadytrodden in our first and second
books, especiallysincewe have seenthe sacredfamilia-
rity which existedbetweenher saintly soul and God
during more than sixty years, her almost daily
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 203

visions, and the wondrous mystery of those espousals

to which she was so graciously raised by our Lord
Jesus Christ. It is obvious that the most lively faith,
the firmest hope, and the most ardent charity must
have reigned in such a soul. Nevertheless, in order
to accommodate ourselves in some degree to the
ordinary style of biographers,we will not omit some
distinct mention of these j but a selection must be
made, both for the sake of brevity, and the reasons
given above.
To begin with faith : as God was constantly before
the eyesof Veronica,sheregulatedall her actionsby
the maxim, God seesme. This is attested in the pro-
cess by her former director, Father Segapeli. So
habitual with her was this exerciseof the presenceof
God, that her days passed without her perceiving it.
She admits as much in her journal, under date of the
3rd of April, 1G97; adding, " On severaloccasionsthe
Lord was at my side, in the literal senseof the words.
I was aware of it, and was thus enabled to perform in
a short space of time, what, under ordinary circum-
stances,would have required whole days." Thus we
see how, in her case,a life of extreme activity could
be combined with an almost perpetual contemplation.
She was in the constant habit, when abbess,of con-
versing with her novices and the whole community
upon the mysteries of the Faith, though never in a
controversial manner, for shecould not bear people to
ask the why and the how of every mystery. If any
oneattemptedto do so,shewould reprovethem,and
tell them that our province is to believe and not to
investigate. This is an excellentrule, particularlyfor
the unlearned. Veronica,althougha personof mode-
rate natural endowments,and very little education,
204 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

asFatherGuelfiandotherstestify,couldyet speakso
learnedlyon thesubjectof divinemysteries
andperfec-
tions,thatthemostprofoundtheologiancouldnothave
excelled her. Hence it was a commonopinion among
the nuns that on several occasions when she held
chaptersas their abbess,it was the Mother of God
herself who addressedthem through the mouth of
Veronica; which opinion was confirmedby her own
declaration that not she herself, but the BlessedVir-
gin, was the abbessof the convent.
"She burned with the most intense desire to see the
holy faith propagated throughout the world; and if
shehad beenpermitted, shewould fain have compassed
the globe,in order to evangelizeidolatrouslauds,and
seal her testimony with her own blood. The following
is a striking instance of the spirit which animated her.
When Father Crivelli was confessor extraordinary
to the community, Veronica one day requested him
to preach them a sermon, in which he was to invite
all idolaters, Turks, heretics, and schismatics,to come
and embrace the truth. The good father smilingly
inquired, " Of what use can the invitation be, when
those to whom it is addressed are unable to hear it ?"

But shepressedhim so earnestly, that at last he com-

plied, and delivereda sermonat the grate,suchashe
would have preachedto the most barbarous tribes of
India. Veronica literally dancedfor joy, and could
not sufficientlyexpressher gratitude to the father.
It seemed to her asif shewereherselfpreachingin the
midst of the savages, and reapinga rich harvestin the
conversion of many souls.
In orderto satisfyin somedegreeher desirefor
martyrdom,on the night of S. Laurence'sfeast,
and frequentlyat othertimes,shewouldimposeon
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 205

herself various fearful sufferings, for the purpose of

imitating that saint and martyr. She made for her-
self a speciesof hurdle, of thorns, on which she lay
without any protection for the space of three
Misereres recited slowly. After this she would
squeeze herself under a basket, and remain thus
painfully imprisoned until the day was far advanced.
Then she would give herself six hundred and sixty-
six blows with a scourge made of thorns, and end by
holding her tongue for a great length of time under a
heavy stone, praying the holy martyr to obtain from.
God the conversion of the whole world. Even when
she was a novice, she had such earnest longings after
martyrdom, that while she was conversing one day
with the mistress of the novices upon the subject, she
was seizedwith sucha violent palpitation of the heart,
that it seemedas though it werebreaking. The novice-
mistress heard three loud cracks, so that she feared our
Saint wasabout to die on the spot, and wished to take
her to the infirmary; but Veronica, who knew the
real stateof the case,assuredher that nothingserious
was the matter. It was on this occasion, perhaps,
that the letter F, signifying Faith, was imprinted for
the first time on her heart. We passover such parti-
culars as are common to other saints; for instance,
the supremevenerationwhich she entertainedfor all
sacredpersonsandthings, her piousattentionto every
act of religion, her special devotion to the Blessed
Virgin, to her guardianangeland patron saints,and
the peculiarinterestwhich she felt in celebratingthe
greatersolemnitiesof the Church; andproceedto the
consideration of the next theological virtue.
Let it not be thought that the exerciseof hope
necessarilyprecludesall fear as to one's eternal salva-
206 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

tion, for the Philippians are exhortedby the apostle

to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.
In fact, the theologicalvirtue of hope,whoseobject
is God, takes its rise in the fear of our own
weaknessand natural corruption. Such was the
case with Veronica. In a letter of hers, written to
Bishop Codeboon the 18th of January, 1725, she
thus expressesherself: " May the most holy Virgin
obtain for me the salvation of my soul; I always fear
and tremble." From this diffidence of herself she rose
to firm confidence
in the mercyof God. She would
therefore frequently sing the 135th Psalm, which
begins, "Praise the Lord, for He is good," and
which terminatesevery versewith, "for His mercy
endureth for ever." Accordingly she had no fear
of death, but was, on the contrary, anxious to die.
Sister Florida Ceoli, who lived twenty-four years
with her, bears witness to this fact. If our Saint re-
frainedfrom praying for deathasa boon, it wasonly
in order that she might suffer more; and this was
an evidenceof her hopefor that reward which God
has promised to those who suffer.
But this virtue waschiefly conspicuous in the trials
through which she had to struggle. Among the
temptationsby which the devil strove to effect her
ruin, those of distrust and despair were not the
lightest, or the least frequent. " Thou art ours,thou
art ours,"said the evil one. Upon which Veronica
retorted-"If I am yours,why do you tempt me?"
But it may conduceto the instructionof manyto hear
her own accountof her conductduring theseattacks.
" It is underobedience,"shesays," that I write the
details of some of those assaults which are so fre-
quentlymadeuponme by the devil. Theyare of
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 207

various descriptions. To displease him, I shall sum

them up in general, and then descend to particulars.
Satan seemsto mock me; but he hasgood reasonto
do so, for I am a vile worm of earth : I am nothing,
I can do nothing, I can will nothing. The Will
of God is my stay. Though I can do nothing,
I rely with a firm faith on the power of God. I
trust myself to His power. He fights for me.
I glory in His infinity, I hope in His mercy, I
fold myself in the arms of His immense love and
unlimited power. The farther I enter into the
greatnessof God, the more strengthenedI feel; and
I derive from this a generousreadinessto wrestle with
all the powersof hell. Again I repeatthat of myself
I can do nothing,I am good for nothing; I take my
stand on the consideration of my own nothingness;
and the more deeply I bury myself in this abyss,the
more do I find myself drawn to the contemplation of the
divine attributes. I fix my gazeupon the mercy
of my God, and behold as in a mirror the love with
which He has blessed, and continues to bless my
soul. . . . It is in this divine charity that I place my
trust, when I see my nothingness and incapacity
without the graceof God." Her writings are full of
these sentiments.
Since she was herself so good a combatant, it is
not surprising that she should have excelled in as-
sisting others when engaged in similar conflicts.
"We could give many illustrations of this; but, for
brevity's sake, we will content ourselves with one,
which is related in the process by Sister Florida
Ceoli, whom we have so often had occasionto name.
She was the next in authority to Veronica, and died
in the odour of sanctity; her evidence, therefore,
 208 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

has great weight. When shewasa noviceunder

Veronica,shewasa gooddeal troubledon the sub-
ject of her own predestination,
and the devil did
his best to foment her fears. One day in Holy
Week, in either 1703 or the following year, while
she was taking the discipline with her novice-
mistress,in memory of the Passion of Jesus,the
arch-fiendtried to interrupt her in this mortification,
saying," Wilt thou see if thou art going to be con-
demned eternally? Behold hell open before thee!"
And at the same moment the terrified novice saw
before her eyesa great whirlpool of fire, and began
to weep violently. Her saintly mistressperceived
the cause,and said to her, "Do not be afraid: have
faith. The devil is a liar ; what he shows you is
merely an illusion." So saying, she embraced her
affectionately. These few words, with their accom-
panying embrace, brought such consolation to the
poor novice, that her agitation was calmed in a mo-
ment. Subsequently the same Sister Florida attri-
buted to the heroic hope of Veronica the abundant
assistancein the way of alms which during her govern-
ment flowed into the monastery, for when shehad at
first assumedthe superiorship the establishment was
in a wretched condition, overwhelmed with embarrass-
ments, and destitute of necessaries. When our Saint
becameabbess,she paid off the debts,enlargedthe
building, and suppliedit with all that wasrequisite.
Lastly, in order to give someidea of her intense
love of God, of which we havealready seenmany
instances, we must briefly remark that her exte-
rior would often present signs of that ineffable
charityAvithwhichshewaspossessed,
and,asit were,
inebriated.Onseveral
occasions
sheran,asthough
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 209

out of herself, along the open galleries of the convent

and in the garden walks, springing on the trees, and
inviting all creatures,whether reasoningor not, to join
her in loving and blessingher God. When she ad-
dressedthe community as abbess,the most tender ex-
pressionswould burst from her lips in speakingof God,
whom she termed "Father," "Friend," and "Spouse
of Souls." Thus would she excite her daughters to a
grateful correspondenceof feeling with her. On the
Vigil of Pentecost she spoke with such impressive
energy on divine love, that the whole community was
melted into tears, and the religious declared that it
seemed to them as though on that day they had
witnessed a renewal of S. Peter's preaching after the
descentof the Holy Ghost in the Cenacleat Jerusalem,
so-powerfully were they moved. Sister Florida adds
that one evening when our Saint was speaking on a
similar topic, she beheld her countenancesuddenly
assume an appearance of angelic beauty. She de-
clared that her hand was then seized by Veronica,
who continued in an ecstasyfor the spaceof an hour
and a half, and that she found it impossible, with
all her efforts, to rescue her hand from that grasp.
She also mentions a still more remarkable fact.
Father Antonio Cappelletti had given directions to
two of the religious that whenever they saw her in
these raptures of love they should deluge her hands
and feet with cold water: this was done, and several
times the water, when applied, was seento boil, as
though it had been brought into contact with a strong
flame.
Hitherto we have dwelt on the tender character of
her love. A few words must be said on the strength
which distinguishedit. The supremeaffectionwhich
14
210 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

she entertained for God induced her to destroy every-

thing in herselfwhichmight displease
Him. Hence
arose the intense contrition which she displayed in
manifesting the slightest imperfectionsto her con-
fessor. This is attestedby the last confessor
sheever
had, Father G-uelfi,who mentionsthat shewasin the
hal>itof prefacingher self-accusations
with the words,
" I have offendedGod," while this declaration cost her
suchpain, that her heart seemedreadyto break,and
it frequently happenedthat it stopped her breathing.
She appeared to be in a ivi-tain manner jealous of
inanimate things-for instance, she would embrace
the trees and the stones,kissing them,and blessing
them,becausethey never disobeyGod or transgress
His commandments.Suffering,unmixedsufferingon
behalf of her Beloved, was the object of her most
earnestdesires. This burning charity was symbolized
by the flames impressedon her heart, and was illus-
trated by the following vision:-She writes that on
Easter Day, in the year 1G98,Jesusappearedto her,
and holding in His Hand a heart, which He drew
from His Breast, pronouncedthe following words,
" Tell me, whoseis this heart]"-" Lord, it is Thine,"
replied Veronica.-"Tell me, whose is this heart]"
repeatedour Lord; and shegavethe sameansweras
before. But Jesus,as He had doneto St. Peter, turned
to her againwith the sameinquiry, " Tell me, whose
is this heart ?" and for the third time Veronica re-
plied, " It is Thine."-" If it is Mine, then," resumed
ourLord," I shall put it back in its properplace."
Then, showing her His own divine Heart within His
openedSide, He placed Veronica's above it. At this
sight she becameall on fire with love. She had in-
numerablefavourslike the above,particularlyon
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 211

occasions of sacramental Communion. The blessed

Eucharist was often administered to her in a visible
manner by angels, by the most Holy Virgin, and by
JesusChrist Himself. Father Cappellettialonemen-
tions no fewer than five of these instances within the
years 1702, 1703, and 1704. He obtained his infor-
mation from her own lips at the time he was her con-
fessor,and he gives very conclusive evidenceof this,
for he states that on several mornings when he was
saying Mass at the convent, he gave her a purely
mental command to be communicated at the hands of

angels,and that after the termination of the holy Sac-

rifice, she herself mentioned to him the command she
had received,and its accomplishment. His diary men-
tions the 21st of November, 1702, as being the date
of one of these occurrences. Such rare privileges, like
those of which our second book is full, belong to the
class termed gratuitous (f/ralis datce),because they
have no foundation in the merits of the recipient :
although, as we may learn from the lives of other
saints, God in His ordinary providencedoesnot grant
them excepting to such souls as are most enamoured
of His divine Majesty. Hence we may infer the
greatnessof Veronica's love for her Supreme Good.

CHAPTER III.

HER REMARKABLE ZEAL AND CHARITY TOWARDS HER

NEIGHBOUR.

LOVEfor our neighbouris thetwin sisterof loveof God,

and is concernedwith both the temporal and spiritual
14-2
212 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

advantage
of others. In the formerit maybetermed
charity, and in the latter, zeal. Veronicashonecon-
spicuous in both. With regardto the first, from her
very infancysheseemed inclined,by preventinggrace,
to relieveothers. As shegrew in years,sheadvanced
in charity. When it fell to her asa religiousto have
the chargeof the turn, and still more afterwards,
when she becameabbess,she did her utmost to assist
the poor who applied to the monastery for alms " and
although she could not personally attend the prisons
and hospitals, she visited them in spirit by desires
and prayers, as she one day admitted to Sister Mary
Boscaini, who was asking her how to employ herself
during a seasonof drynessof spirit.
It was impossible to surpass the charity which she
evinced towards the sick membersof the community,
particularly when shewas abbess,for then sheenjoyed
more liberty as to the disposal of her time; night and
day shewas to be met with at their bedside; shewould
visit them at any sacrifice of her own convenience,
in case they should be in want of assistance. In
order that they might be better attended, she added
two to the usual number of infirmarians, and whenever
she could, she nursed them with her own hands. Her
heroism was specially manifested in coming down
every day to the gate of the monastery, to dress the
woundsof SisterAntony, an externalsister,who was
suffering from a dreadful cancerin the breast. When
any sisterwasdying, Veronica,unmindful of her own
convenience,hardly left her side,evenfor meals,but
did all in herpowerto administer
to herbodilyaswell
asspiritualrelief. Sheactedin thesamewaytowards
SisterMargaretMarconidella Peniiadi Billi, who,
besides
beingin consumption,
wasmuchwasted
away.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 213

She neverleft the patient's bed for severaldays,neither

would she have thought of taking any nourishment,
if the sisters,movedwith compassion,had not brought
her some little refreshment. Hence all the nuns were
anxious in their last illness to have her at their
side.

There was a religious of a disagreeabletemper, who,

when attacked by a slowly-consuming cancer in the
breast, becamealmost unbearableto those who waited
on her. Veronica was constantly in and out of her
cell to seeif she wanted anything; but the nun fre-
quently drove her away, although her abbess,by her
unbecoming deportment,and told her to take carenot
to come into her presence when she was dying.
When that time came,she repented of her previous
impatience, and asked pardon; after which she could
not bear any one but Veronica at her bedside. The
latter, who was always on the watch, no sooner heard
herself summoned by night or day, than she replied,
"Here I am, sister; what do you want?" And she
persevered
in this assiduityto the last. When any of
the sisters died, she would lay them out with her own
hands, place them on the bier, convey them to the
choir, keep watch over them to the end, and at length
bury them, doing her best to pray and to procure
prayersfor them.
Her zeal for their spiritual welfare was not less
striking. We have already seen that our Lord
Jesus Christ appointed her to act as mediatrix
between sinners and His divine justice. The more
effectually to incite her to this mediation, He caused
her to see, and even experience, the bitterness of
those pains to which transgressorsare destined. She
mentions several instances of this in her writings.
214 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

In December, 1G90,aftershehadbeenrunningabout
the gardenin a stateof ecstasy,
during pouringrain,
exclaimingthat shewantedto find herGod,sheat
lengthpaused,andsaid,in themidstof hersighs," My
God,my Infinite Love! I wouldfain havethisboon,
that Thou shouldst be no more offended. There is
nothing I would not do to prevent the loss of so
many souls. 0 God! O God! I feel that my heart is
opening." "At this moment,"she continues,"God
gaveme someideaof the ingratitudeof creatures,and
how muchthis sin displeases Him. I beheldour Lord
in thesufferingsof His Passion,scourged,
crownedwith
thorns,and with a heavycrosson His shoulders. He
said to me, ' Behold, and mark well this place; it
shall neverhavean end: My justice and My rigorous
indignationconstituteits agony.' I seemedto hear a
tremendous noise; a multitude of devils appeared,
holding fast bound in chains a variety of animals.
The latter suddenly assumed human forms, but they
were so ugly and hideous, that they frightened me
more than the demons themselves. . . All at once
they resumedthe appearanceof beasts,and were pre-
cipitated into an abode of utter darkness,where they
cursedGod and His saints. Here I was enraptured,
and our Lord communicated to methat this placewas
hell, and that its inhabitants were departed souls,
who, in consequenceof their sins, had been con-
demnedto thosebestialforms, andthat someof them
had been religious when on earth. 0 my God !
what is there I can do to prevent these crimes? I
wasmadeto understandthat the sin of ingratitudeis
onesodispleasing to ourLord,that whoeveris guilty
of it crucifies
Him,asit were,afresh.Eeligious
commit
manysinsofthiskind,andarelostin consequence. Jesus
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 215

showed me His cross,His precious Wounds, and His

Blood, which streamed down on the earth, and said
to me, ' The value of this is infinite; I gave it all for
the salvation of souls,but I find few to avail them-
selves of it.' " In another of these visions-for she
had very many such-she relatesthe variouskinds of
tormentswhich shebeheld,and adds that unlessshe
had been supported by her angels, and the most
BlessedVirgin, she must have died of simple fear.
She concludes; "I say no more, becauseI cannot say
enough. All that I have saidis nothing. All I ever
heard on the subjectfrom preachers,and all I ever
met with in books,is nothing. Hell never can be
understood,nor theanguishof its painsandtorments."
Visions like these had the effect of exciting, to
an almost incredible degree,her zeal for the con-
version of sinners. Incessant were the prayers and
penances which she offered up in order to bring
them back to God. This is attested by Father
Crivelli, her extraordinaryconfessor,who was better
acquainted with her than any one else. In order to
render her efforts more efficacious,she requestedthat
in the course of his missions he would cause whatever
pious soulshe might meet with to make a spiritual
alliancewith her, for the purposeof obtainingfrom
God, by their joint exertions,the repentance
of those
who had strayedfrom the right path. " And it is my
firm belief," adds Father Crivelli, " that many of the
most important conversionswhich took place during
my missions, were the result of her prayers and
penances" particularly as I was in the habit, when
pressedby great difficulties,of invoking mentallythe
assistance
of thosevery prayersand penances. And
I wasanimatedin my work by the conviction which
21G S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Godfrequentlyimpressed on me,that Veronicawas

presentwith mein spirit, whenI preached
missions."
Still more striking was an idea current among
many,andfoundedon variousexpressions
dropped
by our Saint: namely,that it had beengranted her,
for the promotionof this,hergreatobject,to experience
during her mortal life the tormentsof hell, saveonly
the pain of loss and the privation of God. With
respect to the supplicationswhich she offered up
for sinners, she is declared by eye-witnessesto have
shed tears of blood. Sister Mary Magdalen Boscaiui
deposed as follows, after mentioning the terrible
mortifications which she added to her petitions
on behalf of .sinners and unbelievers: " Veronica,"
she says, "frequently shed teais of blood, when,
in her deep recollection, God made known to
her the state of sinners, the grievousness of the
offences offered to Him, and their miserable con-
dition. I say this happened frequently, because
several of the nuns have told me that on various
occasionsthey were witnesses to this fact, viz., our
present abbess,Sister Clare, who \vas the companion
of our Saint, and the two lay sisters, Giacinta and
Frances. I myself have more than once seen these
tears of blood in her eyes. I have also seen a
black veil of hers spottedin severalplaceswith the
blood which she shed on these occasions. This last
circumstance is attestedin writing by FatherRaniero
Guelfi,her confessor, who gavethe veil in questionto
my uncle,Don DomenicoBoscaini,prior of S. Sisto,
at Pisa, This document I have read. Father Guelfi
had the veil either from Father GirolamoBastianelli,
or from Father Bald' Antonio Cappelletti,I do not
exactly rememberwhich."
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 217

Whilst our Saint was abbess, she frequently gave

ordersfor processionsand special devotions, and would
requestthat eachoneof the communitywould prayfor
the conversionof one sinner,and implore Almighty God
to sendall the sufferingsandchastisements on herself,
their abbess,in order that the boonmight be granted.
Suchferventprayerswere the fruits of that charity
which our Lord teachesus' is the highestof all; for
Veronica offered herself as a victim of expiation, and
consequently
herpetitionscouldnot return unanswered
from the throne of mercy. Sister Florida Ceoli says,
" I sawhherliterally shedding tears of blood. I dried
them with my own hand. She was in the act of pray-
ing for the conversion of a sinner, whosename I with-
hold out of respect; and being in a state of ecstasy,
she said in my presence: ' Courage! I hope we shall
gain this soul.' I afterwards learned from her con-
fessor that she had told him that the soul in question
would be converted to God, and the event proved the
truth of her prediction. His subsequentlife and death
were holy; his conversionwas a notorious and public
fact, aswas alsohis happydecease."
Oneof thereligioushad abrother who lived alife of
dissipation. His sister commendedhim to the prayers
of Veronica, and, to the amazementof all, he aban-
doned his evil coursesand becamea good Christian.
A religious in another convent was at the point of
death, and exhibited the worst symptoms of impeni-
tence ; and our Saint receivedorders from Father Tassi-
nari, her confessor,to assist the dying nun in spirit.
This direction waspromptly and zealouslyobeyed by
Veronica, who, during severaldays, was perceived
by her companions to be in a state of profound ab-
straction ; and it was evident that she sufferedmuck
218 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

interiorly. But they wereall extremelyconsoled

whenthe fruit of herlaboursappeared in the sincere
contritionwith which the dying religiousendedher
life. A lady, who wasdevotedto worldly amusements,
and particularlyfond of dancing,was attackedby a
dreadful cancer in the foot. Her conscience was dis-
turbed by remorse; and the agoniesconsequenton
her disorder drove her to the brink of despair. Her
daughter and the Jesuit Father Ticciati, who wasat
that time extraordinaryconfessorto the monastery,
got our Saint to pray for her. Her pleadings were
successful, for the unfortunate lady expired, after
giving satisfactory tokens of eternal salvation. At
her death she was assistedby the above-namedfather,
and still more by the powerful intercession of her
saintly mediatrix.
Another lady of Castello, who had led a most
scandalouslife, was dying of a lingering disease,and
endeavouredto procure the prayers of Veronica on
behalf of her soul. The answer returned by our Saint
was that she must publicly ask pardon of the whole
city, if she wished to be saved. Everybody thought
that she could never be brought to do this, but
through the earnestprayers of Veronica an immediate
changewas effectedin her heart; she sent for all the
parish priests of the city, and requested them to ask
from the altar, in her name, the forgivenessof the
peoplefor all the scandalshehad given. Shedied a
true penitent. Hencewe seethat the prayersof the
saints do not of themselves suffice to effect a conver-
sion; there must alsobe the co-operationof the sin-
ner. In fact, whenever any one was commendedto
her intercession,
she directed what was to be done,
and her conditionswereno soonercompliedwith,
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 219

than the happy result followed. The reverse was

the caseif her suggestionswere not attended to.
A zealouspriest,having requestedher to pleadfor a
certain person, she replied, "Yes, Father, I will
pray, but the pitchers are not ready at the well."
By which shemeantthat her petitions would not be
supportedby the good-willof their subject. Wefind
from her writings, that on oneoccasionwhenshe was
engagedin prayerto our Lord, AVhowas then visibly
beforeher, to the intent that shemight be assuredof
the conversionof certain individuals, which she had
very muchat heart,He answeredher with a smilefull
of majesty," Tell them that it is not enoughto call
uponMe, they must comethemselvesand seekMe."
The zeal of Veronica knew no limits. It extended
itself to the whole Church militant and suffering.
Shewasfrequentlyinvited, by celestialvisions,to offer
up her sufferings
for the prosperityof the holy Catholic
Church. Oncethe BlessedVirgin saidto her expressly,
"My daughter, pray for the necessitiesof Holy Church;
they are great." On the 12th of December, 1707,
JesusChrist Himself appearedto her under the sem-
blance of His Passion,and asked her to accept three
days of special suffering before the Feast of the
Nativity, to be applied to the wants of our holy
Mother the Church, and of the convent in which she
lived. The days were to be fixed by her confessor,
Father Cappelletti. He appointed the 16th, 21st, and
23rd of the month; and describes in his diary the
nature of the sufferings which befell her on those
days. They chieflyconsistedin a participationin the
heaviestsufferingsof the divine Passion,added to
variousill-usagefrom the devil, and the most bitter
spiritual desolation. Sheenduredalsoterrible palpi-
220 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

"tationsandtremblings,
the detailsof whicharetaker*
from the above-mentioneddiary : " Her head was all
swollenandpierced,asthougha nail hadbeendriven
into the middle of it. There was another great nail
which went throughfrom ear to ear. Her eyeswere
full of thorns, which made her"alternately burning
hot and icily cold. Her nose,too, was swollen,and
full of pain. Her mouth, palate, and tongue were
in a state of burning inflammation. Her throat,
also, had swollen to such a degree as to threaten
suffocation. Her armsand legshadthe appearance
of
being bound to the very bones. She felt as though her
whole body was at one moment being squeezedunder
a press, and at another crushed beneath a mill-stone.
Sometimesshe felt heavy as lead, and cold as ice ; at
other times she had the sensation of being scorched
and utterly consumedin a furnace. Her own breath
seemedto her such that she wondered any one could
bear to be near her; she even asked the sisters how
they could endure such a stench. She said the same
thing to me, but really what shereferred to was neither
perceived by me, nor by any one else. Everything
that shetook seemed
to her to possess
the samequality.
It was all dreadfully bitter, moreover, and occasioned
her great inward distressandvomiting." On the third
of thesedays,whichfell on a Friday (asdid the first)
our Lord appearedto her beneaththe weight of His
sufferings,and again asked her to apply all sheen-
dured to the necessitiesof holy Church,informing
her that the wants of our spiritual Mother at that
time were nothing when comparedwith what they
would one day be. And truly the late unfortunate
times havealreadyverifiedthe prediction.
Ten years later, viz., in 1717, when Christen-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 221

dom was in terror from the Turks, Veronica multi-

plied her prayers and penancesmore than ever; for
which reason she was maltreated by the demons,
who are the principal causesof the disasters which
befall the Church. There is a notice of these conflicts
"in her journal for that year. " The devils inflicted
blows on me," she says, " exclaiming, ' Accursedone,
accursed one ! dost thou think thou canst keep us
bound 1 Thou art a fool, thou art an idiot, thou art
our captive.' I laughed at their boasts, and said, ' I
am bound to the Will of God ; here I take my stand ;
may the divine Will live in me ; I wish for nothing-
else. Even so, infernal monsters! strike me, scourge
me, do whatever God allows you. Lying traitors that
you are! I belong to God. With Him I wish to
remain, to accomplish ever His holy Will.' In the
innermost recessesof my soul I blessedGod. I had
recourse to Mamma mia, most holy Mary. I said to
her from my heart, ' Most Holy Mary, defend me, as-
sist me; thou knowest that I am nothing, and that I
can do nothing.' I endeavouredto bury myself in
my own nothingness,at the sametime that I made acts
of faith and confidencein God and Most Holy Mary."
Her hopesand prayers were not in vain, for in the
August of the sameyear, the Christians gained a great
victory over the Turks, as our Lord had revealed to
her in the precediug March would be the case,in ac-
cordance with which revelation she had ever since
predicted the event.
We must not forget her cares on behalf of the
Church suffering. Father Tassinari, who was her
special confessorfor forty years, declares " that the
samecharity which influencedher dealingswith the
living, characterized her zeal on behalf of the dead.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Sheprayednight and day for the soulsin purgatory.

Sheperformedvery severepenances
for them; and
entreated
AlmightyGodto imposeonher all kindsof
sufferings,howeverdreadful,in order that they might
be liberated from those flames : and if she could have
sufferedenoughto set them all free,she would fain
haveemptiedpurgatory." We can form someideaof
the speciesof penaltiesto which shesubjectedherself
on their behalf, from an account written by herself
on the 1st of January, 1717. "I write under obedi-
ence," she says; " I have spent this last night in the
midst of pains of every description. Blessed be
God! I have endured all kinds of bodily torment,
in the Avay of freezing cold, burning heat, nervous
convulsion^ and shocks, pains in all my bones; I
have been pierced witli steel weapons, and stretched
from Availto wall. I have also experiencedthe sensa-
tion of being buried, so that I was unable to breathe.
I was carried down into a deep place, where I found
nothing but serpentsand fierce animals. It seemed
to me that I was gnawed by all these creatures; and
the agony which this caused me every moment was
such that I was on the point of death. "With regard
to the pains of purgatory, I can only say that if the
soulswho are there couldreturn to us,they would be
unableto describethem, for whateverthey might say
would fall short of the reality The pains
of the body are nothing comparedwith those of the
soul. O God, thou knowesthow fearful they are!
To be banishedfromGod! To bedeprivedof God!
In sucha stateeverymomentseems an eternity. An
hour passedin sucha conditionis moreconsuming
than everyother sufferingor cross."
Veronica was not left without a reward for all that
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 225

she endured. "From the conversations which I had

with her," says Father Tassinari, " as well as from
her o\vn writings, I have ascertained that by the
merits of her holy obediencein offering up suffrages
for the dead, she obtained from our Lord the liberation
of an innumerable multitude. During her ecstasies,
Almighty God and the Blessed Virgin vouchsafed to
reveal these favours to her. She was frequently per-
mitted to see the objects of her care set at liberty,
while she herself was left to suffer the most severe
trials for a long time. Among the souls set free by
her intercession was one of a priest, and one of a
religious of her own convent, named Sister Constance
Dini of Mercatello, who died in October, 1703 ; as also
that of a certain Sister Catherine. The last-mentioned
soul appearedto our Saint in the form of a globe of
light, deriving its lustre from a magnificent sun,
which signified God. Three times, however, a small
cloud camebetween these two objects, and obstructed
the passage of the sun's rays. Then the globe as-
sumed the appearanceof Sister Catherine, and the
ever glorious Virgin, who was present fit the vision,
said to Veronica, " Ask this soul whether the applause
which was given her in the world is any plea-
sure to her now 1" Veronica put the question, and
was answered, " Although it pleasedGod to grant me
a specialgrace of detachment, yet transitory things
were impediments to me; that little cloud which
camebetween me and the sun was a sign of this. As
God is most pure, the soul which is anxious to be
united to Him must keep clear of the smallest obsta-
cles, inasmuch as the least impediment or spot will
preventit from enjoyingHis purelove." Our Blessed
Lady then desired Veronica to ask her what kind of
224 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

life wasmostpleasingto God. She replied, " A life

of sufferings,a life of humiliationsand ignominiesen-
dured for God." These answers are sufficient proof
of the genuineness
of the heavenlyvision.
Sister Florida Ceoli bears witness to the liberation
of the soul of the Count Monte Marto, husband of
the Countess Gentilina. Father Guelfi attests the de-
liverance of his father, Louis Ferdinand Guelfi, on the
Feast of the Assumption, 1725, after three days of pur-
gatory. He alsomentionsthe deliveranceof his sister,
called iu religion Sister Mary Gaetana,who died in
the convent of S. Clare, in her native place,Borgo
S. Sopolcro. That of Signer Giulio Spanaciarirests
uponthe evidenceof his daughter,Sister Mary Con-
stance. Those of Mgr. Eustachj, of the auditor,
Monsignor Magi of Florence,of Father Cappelletti,
and of Pope ClementXL of holy memory,stand upon
the testimony of Sister Mary Victoria Fucci. Sister
Mary Magdalen Boscaini bring? forward the de-
liverance of the father, mother, and uncle of Father
Crivelli, all of whom died at Milan. These were all
the fruits of Veronica's prayers and mortifications,
and were all revealed by apparitions, or in someother
unmistakableway. We see now with what good
reasonthe letter C, signifying c/iarif//,was stamped
uponher heart; asalsothe two flames,whichtypified
her sublime love of God, and her heroic charity
towardsher neighbour.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 225

CHAPTER IV.

HER SPIRIT OF POVERTY AND MORTIFICATION, AND

HER ANGELIC PURITY.

IT is customary to pass from, the theological to the

cardinal virtues, which are the foundation of all mo-
rality. Enough has been said in the tenth chapter of
the first book on the subject of her prudence and
justice towards men. What our Saint did towards
God, with regard to the choiceof her last end, the
meansof attaining it, and the rendering to God what
was due to Him, we have already seen" and it will
be proved to us more strikingly by Avhat is to come.
In this chapter we will considerher perfect observance
of her vow of evangelicalpoverty, and her admirable,
rather than imitable, mortification. These, combined
with her angelic purity, constituted the virtue of
temperancein an heroic degree.
She appeared to have an instinctive fondness for
evangelicalpoverty ; or rather, we should say, shewas
endowedwith that grace so early, that even in child-
hood she was resolutely opposed to all those pomps
and vanitieswhich are apt to charm the femaleeye,
It washer love for rigid poverty which induced her
to make choiceof the Capuchinorder, and in this
she excelled others in an extraordinary degree. She
was accustomed to wear the very oldest habit she
couldget. Sister Florida Ceoli declaresthat when
Veronica was abbess, she wore a habit which had as
many as ninety-eight patches in it, and the only
wonder was how she could keep it from falling off.
At last the assistant earnestly requestedher to sub-
15
226 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

stitute anotherfor it, but our Saintwould not consent,

excepton condition that she shouldask for one not
quitesobadin chapteras an alms. Thefurnitureof
her cell consisted
of a poor little bedstead,
madeof
two planks,with a worn-outcoverletlaid on it, and a
canvaspillow stuffed with straw, a small stool, a
table with a devoutprint on it, and an earthenvessel
for holy water.
As shegave sobright an exampleherself,she was
""il'Ifto urgethe observance
of this virtue on others.
At an early stage of her career, when she occupiedno
position of authority, she obtained so much influence
by meansof her truly religious deportment, that she
persuaded the nuns to give up their silk cushions
I<Tlace and embroidery, as well as pious pictures on
parchment, silver pins, medals, and little crosses,be-
causein her opinion suchthings were inconsistentwith
tho povertywhich ought to be practisedby Capuchin
nuns. "When she became mistress of novices, one of
her spiritual daughtersattests that she was always
exhorting them to love the very simplest poverty;
" and so impressive was her mode of speaking," con-
tinues Sister Boscaini, " that neither the other novices
nor myself could help eagerly petitioning for the
very commonest things in the way of pillow-cases
and coverlets, exchanging those fine linen ones we
had brought with us from the world for others of
coarse cloth or canvas.
She usedto make us pick up every little thread
that lay on the ground,and examinethe sweepings
of
the noviciate,in casethey might contain anything
that could be turned to account. She did this in
order to accustomus to the practice of that holy
poverty of which her own conduct afforded so illus-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 227

trious an example; for she observed herself the same

carefulnesswhich she required from us." She took
away from the noviceship all musical instruments,
birdcages,and such things, for they Averenot conform-
able with the virtue which she so tenderly loved. It
may be easily conceivedthat no considerationwhatever
could induce her to accept anything that was either
costly or superfluous. Donna Julia Albani Olivieri,
the aunt of Clement XI. of holy memory, presented
her with a silver reliquary, containing a fragment of
the true cross,but Veronicalost no time in placing
it in the hands of the bishop, and she acted in the
same way when a Roman prelate sent her a medal
and twelve silver crosses. When she was abbess,
she would never keep the pecuniary contributions
which were sent to the convent, but handed them
over to the bishop, in order that they might be
reserved for some pressing emergency. When any
such occurred, she sent to ask 'for as much as was
absolutely necessary,declaring that the bounty was
thus doubled in her eyes, as it came first from her
benefactors,and then from the charity of her eccle-
siasticalsuperior. She also put a stopto the giving
of presentsunsuitable to the institute, allowing only
such as were of trifling value.
Notwithstandingher zealfor this virtue, it pleased
Godto increase
it by meansof variousvisions. Among
the souls which were released from purgatory by the
prayersand penancesof Veronica,we have already
mentioned the name of Sister Constance. Soon after
her death in the monastery, Veronica beheld her tor-
mented with flames, because she had kept certain
little paperson her altarino. Our Saint immediately
ran, as though besideherself,to the oratory of her
15-2
228 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

departed sister in religion, and began stripping off

its little ornaments,exclaiming," Ah ! if SisterCon-
stance could but return to us, how carefully would
she set this placein order." Jesus once appeared
to her and pointedout to her a certainspotwhereshe
beheld a multitude of demons throwing dirt into
certain grottos, which were like sanctuaries. Our
Lord informed her that these were the cells of reli-
gious,furnishedat the instigationof the devil with
curiositiesand unnecessaryarticles. Lastly, S. Francis
appeared to her, and reproved her becauseshe had
not usedher authorityasabbess
with sufficientseverity
in removingall abusesagainstpoverty. In order to
encourageher to do this, our Lord appearedto her,
holding a banner in His Hand, and said to her, " I
am thy Victory." She was recommended to co-
operatestrictly with her confessor,for the purpose
of promoting the most rigid poverty in the monas-
tery.
We are told by Sister Boscaini " that all these
things animatedher to bring the whole communityto
a state of thorough detachment. She would never
permit a single religious to have anything she could
call her own, or even to have the disposalof anything,
howeverslight might be its value. She had many
difficultiesto encounterin achievingher end, but she
manifested throughout an invincible fortitude, com-
bined with alacrity and cheerfulness.. . . When she
visited the offices,she was careful to banish every-
thing that seemedopposedto the most rigorous
poverty. Once in my time, someof the infirmarians
had broughtmore fagotst han wereabsolutelyneces-
saryfrom the wood-houseinto the infirmary, so Ve-
ronicaorderedthem back,consideringthat suchan
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 229

abundance was incompatible with the exactness re-

quired from those who profess poverty. Another
time, having discoveredthat certain officials had pro-
vided such a number of brushes for the use of the con-
vent that there would be enough for their successors
after them, she reproved them sharply, and, as a
penance, obliged them to carry the articles round
their necks in the public refectory, accusing them-
selvesof their fault. She would permit only a very
small number to be retained. She administered a

similar reproof to the two lay sisters who worked in

the garden, becausethey had blackened with soot and
pomegranatebark a certain bench in the chapelof our
Father S. Francis in the garden, for she considered
such a thing superfluous, and contrary to poverty.
She also directed that the black colour should be

washed off the bench." The samedeponent goeson

to state that Veronica gave up herself a representa-
tion of the Infant Saviour in plaster, though she had
been permitted to keep it.
She was very particular that whatever presents
were made to the nuns by their friends and relations
should be delivered into the hands of the superior,
to be distributed for generaluse. In a certain annual
chapter of detachment which she introduced, she re-
quired an account from eachindividual of the smallest
things they might have, such as chaplets, pictures,
&c., and if any one ventured to conceal anything,
though ever so carefully, she was sure to know it by
light from above, and to question them accordingly.
One of the choir religious had hidden a piece of a
black veil, and having sprinkled it with lavender-
water, woreit on her head. Shewas severelytaxed
with her offenceby her zealousabbess,andpunished
230 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

by going without her black veil for severaldays,like

a lay sister.
Suchrigid povertywas of itself a considerable
mortification,but it was nothing when compared
with
the rest. To form some idea of this, it will be as
well to refer to the style of living practisedby the
communityat that time. We havethe official state-
ment of Sister Mary Teresa Valleniauni, which was
sworn to in the deposition made to the judges of
the process and the sub-promoterof the faith ; when
examiiu'd by them, she replied as follows:-"The
Capuchin nuns of our convent observe perpetual
abstinence from flesh meat, and every day is a fast
with us, Sundays cxci'pted. In the forenoon we take
for dinner some soup made of herbs, or such things,
and an egg; occasionallywe have a little fruit. On
thosedays whenwo do not eat eggs(viz., during the
forty days' fast of Advent, beginningimmediately
after All Saints,and lasting till Christmas-besides
the ordinary Lent of the Church, that of the Holy
Ghost, from the Ascension to Pentecost, and the
Wednesday,Friday, and Saturdayof everyweek),in
addition to our herb soup we are allowed a small
portion of salt or fresh fish, not more than five pounds
being allotted for each day, we being at present
thirty-three nuns and one servant. . . For our evening
collationa smallvesselof boiledbreadis preparedfor
such as require it; the others take instead a little salad,
with a morsel of bread, or else a small quantity of
fruit, for instance,a few grapes,or a coupleof chest-
nuts or walnuts, or an apple, or a radish." Veronica
attendedto theserules with the utmost precision,as
thewitnesses
declared
unanimously;but thesegeneral
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 231

mortificationswerenothing in comparisonwith those

peculiar to herself.
In order to mortify her natural delicacy of appe-
tite, she would frequently collect the leavings of
the soup of the more aged nuns, and make her
own meal upon them. Her ordinary portion of
food was so very small, that Fabbri, the physician,
weighed it, and said it was impossiblethat she could
have subsisted upon it naturally. This wretched
pittance, however, became a source of real torment
to her, in consequenceof the disgusting things
which the devil, in his anger, was accustomed to
mix up with it, namely, bunchesof hair, dead mice,
insects, leeches,&c. All these things Veronica ate,
although the violence thereby done to nature was
so great, that more than once Sister Florida Ceoli,
who was looking on, and had been authorized to do
so, snatched away her plate from her. Our Lord
was pleased that she should share the bitterness of
His chalice,and on several occasionsinfused into her
food a certain liquor, which communicated to it an
almost insufferabletaste, as the lay sister, Giacinta,
who had tasted it, affirms.
The reader may recall that peculiar fast which she
observedfor five years, and judge if it were possible
to surpasssuch mortification. Father Crivelli states
that her " repose during the night was so brief and
interrupted, that it might almost have been termed a
time of waking as well as of sleeping. Even during
the short spaceher slumbers lasted, which, perhaps,
did not exceed an hour, she was constantly waking
and exercisingherself in most intense acts of love
of God; and then she would drop off again with
her mind full of theseholy affections; sothat it wasa
 232 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

season
mereof prayerthanof rest.. . . Meanwhile
thedevil did not relax,but gaveher enough to do in
combatinghis attacks,and conqueringhim; for it
wasparticularlyduring the hoursof night that God
permittedthe powersof darkness to assailher."
This was but a small portion of the trials of
Veronica. We mustrequestour readersto call to mind
the overwhelmingsufferingswhich were connected
with her participationin the chaliceof our Eedeemer,
her crown of thorns and the wound inflicted on her
heart, besidesall the torments of the divine Passion,
the sacredstigmata,and variouskinds of agonywhich
she so frequently endured throughout the course of
her longlife. " Her penances,"
deposed
FatherCrivelli,
"
were of so terrible a nature, that one is at a loss to
conceivehow shecould have lived through them with-
out miracle. Sheused the disciplineto a fearful ex-
tent, maceratedher body with sharpinstruments,and
wore an under vest woven with thorns, which she
called her embroideredrobe. . . . On my asking her
whether,when sheput it on, she kept it on also by
night aswell as by day,she repliedin the affirrnative.
I had half a mind to forbid her to do so; but reflect-
ing on her great zealandspirit of penance,I permitted
her to continueit, only limiting the timesand seasons
at whichshemight wearit." FatherCasoni,S.J., one
of her directors, states that she was in the habit of
taking the discipline for whole hours together, to
imitate the scourgingof our Lord JesusChrist. This
wasa function which occupiedher for two hours and
a half, whenshewent through the wholeat once.
Sometimes hedesired
herto distributeit overthe days
of a whole week. On such occasionsher instruments
werebundlesof thorns,nettles,and iron chains. She
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 233

would alsotearherfleshwith pinsandiron combs,and

imprint on herselfthe holyNameof Jesus,by meansof
heated slates.
Theprocessesof her canonizationfurnish us with
variousotherinstancesof her penance. Shefrequently
slept on the bare floor; sometimesunderher bed,
which,beingverynearthe ground,actedasa kind of
press,and preventedher from turning. When she
slept on her bed, which hasbeenalreadydescribed,
she was not satisfied unless she could strew it with
thorns, bones,and broken crockery; and then she
called it the " reposeof thorns." Sometimes shegot
the lay sister,Giacinta,whowas in her confidence,to
coverher with alargebasketmadeof rushes,andthen
to put on it heavyweights,sothat shecouldnot rise.
Thisshecalled" the prisonf andfrequentlyremained
thus confinedduring nearlya whole night, in conse-
quenceof the lay sister having fallen asleepat the
appointedhour for releasingher. The same thing
happened whenour Saint causedherself to be buried
under a pile of Avoodin the wood-house. When
praying at night before the blessedSacrament,she
boreon her shouldersan enormouslog weighingup-
wardsof seventypounds: sheallegedasa reasonthat
shewishedto feel the weightof her sins. Sheloaded
herselfin a similar way with the kneeler belonging
to S. Francis' chapel; and with this on her back she
traversedthe garden walks whenthey were covered
with ice. Sister Giacinta also says that shewould
often spreadhot wax on her flesh,and squeeze
it with
pincers,which were not seldomheated. She gene-
rally wore sandalsthat had no soles,in order to con-
cealfrom othersthat shewasbarefoot. If shehap-
penedto haveon a pair with soles,sheput into them
234 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

beansand smallstones. Often at night sheascended

the longstaircase
leadingto theinfirmaryon herbare
knees,markingevery step with a cross,which she
madeon it with her tongue,so that tracesof blood
were left behind. Besides this, she would put her
tongueon the windowsill, and pressit with a heavy
stone : this she did even when she was in the world.
But Father Battistelli, another of her confessors,
mentionssomethingstill more painful. There were
in her cell two large hooks fixed into the wall, as far
apart as the ends .if the cross-beamof a cross,and to
these were attached two running knots of cord, in
which, mounted on a stool, she inserted her wrists.
She then got Sister Giacinta to take away the
stool, and r<"iiiaiued suspendedin the air for several
hoursin unspeakable agony. Onenight the lay sister
forgot to comeand take her down,and Veronicawas
brought to the very verge of death. The nuns heard of
this, and told her confessor,who forbade her ever to
do the like again. So also during the last yearsof her
life Father Tassinari prohibited all the extraordinary
penanceswhich shehad been in the habit of imposing
upon herself, and permitted her only to continue the
more usual methods of mortification, fasting, disci-
plines, and haircloth. Although sheregretted this, she
yielded a ready obedience,for shehad never done any-
thing without the cognizance and approval of her
directors.

Yet all this wasnot sufficientto satisfyher ardent

desires. Shewascontinuallypraying that Godwould
send her pure, simplesuffering. It was out of the
abundanceof her heart that she gave utteranceto
the following beautiful expression. She heard a
sweeper
passing
underthe windowsof themonastery,
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 235

and inquiring if there was any one who would buy

his goods. " Why is there no one,"exclaimedVe-
ronica, " who is ready to buy sufferings? If there
were but any one to sell them, I would purchase all
he had." Father Crivelli relates a still more striking
instance of her passionfor unmixed suffering. " The
genuine desire of our mother, Sister Veronica," he
declares, " was that she might suffer more : her thirst
after sufferings was absolutely insatiable. I recollect
that one day when I was anxious to moderate the
force of her longing, she told me that she could not
live without suffering,for it was the sole benefit of
existence. I remarked-' I supposeyou would wish
to imitate S. Teresa, who said, " To suffer, or die!"
or S. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, who used to say-
" To suffer, not to die !" ' She replied that in order
to suffer still more, she would choose neither to suffer
nor to die. On my bidding her explain herself, she
answered that suffering consists in being deprived of
what we desire; since if we have the object of our
wishes, our state is one of enjoyment and not the
reverse-therefore as she desired to suffer and to die
that shemight seeand enjoy God,it wasa far greater
pain to her not to die and not to suffer." This is
both admirable and true, but it only applies to such
souls as, like Veronica, are enamoured of the cross.
Was anything more remarkable ever met Avith in the
lives of. the greatestpenitents'? Truly shemight be
called a martyr of penance.
When surrounded by this thick hedge of thorns, it
is not surprisingthat the fair lily of angelicpurity
should have nourished. We saAv in the first book
with Avhat care heaven Avatched OArerour Saint from
infancy. Well may her chastity have risen to an
23G S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

heroicdegreeaftershewashonoured with the mystic

espousalsof theImmaculate Lamb. A symbolof her
soul'sfragrancewasthe delicious
perfumeof Paradise
which her body diffusedaroundher. Evenduring
the most frightful assaultswhichshehad to encounter
from the demons,and when she sharedin the mystery
of our Lord's scourging,not the smallestpart of her
was seen uncovered, through the watchful care of
her Beloved. We will content ourselves with sum-
ming up all that might be said on this point, in
the words of Father Cnvelli, in the process-"She
possessedthis virtue in so eminent a degreethat she
might be termed the very picture of purity. She
seemed like a spirit, .searo'ly consciousof the burden
of humanity. II< r example was such as to inspire
similar sentiments in the minds of all the other

religious." We will now proceedto glanceat another

bright examplegiven by our illustriousmodel.

CHAPTER V.

HER PATIENCE AND IMPERTURBABLE GENTLENESS.

VOLUNTARY sufferings,however appalling in their

nature, havesomethingin them which isgratifying to
our own will. Those which comeimmediatelyfrom
God,or with His permission
from the devils,canbe
endured,becausewearesoothedbythe reflection
that
wereceivethemfromthe Handof God,andwe know
that they are the earthlyinheritanceof His beloved
ones. But thoseafflictionswhich are broughtupon
us by ourfellow-creatures,
eitherthroughtheirmalice,
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 237

their errors, or any other reason, are those against

which our human nature more especially revolts:
consequently
when such are calmlyenduredwithout
any resentment,it proves the existence of a very high
degreeof patienceand forbearance,
both of which pro-
ceedfrom fortitude, the fourth and last of the cardinal
virtues. We shall omit here any particular descrip-
tion of the frequent and very painful maladiesfrom
which Veronica suffered during the course of her
religious life, and which only caused her regret on
account of the trouble which they occasionedto her
companions. She felt their sympathy so acutely that
shewas accustomedto say, " Suffering is not suffer-
ing to me;- my suffering consists in being pitied."
Neither shall we enter in this place on any details of
the horrible assaults made on her by the demons,but
confine ourselves to those trials which came from her
fellow-creatures in one shape or another. Let us
first remark that no one ought to be surprised,.
much less scandalized,that among a community
of religious,many of whom were saintly persons,
there should be found some who deviated from
the path of duty. Still less ought we to be astonished
that Godshouldsometimespermit the mostholy men
to fall into certain mistakes of judgment, out of
which a good deal of suffering accrues to others.
Furthermore,many actions are lawful on the part of
superiorsand spiritual directors, for the purposeof
testingthe virtue of their subjects,which would be
utterly unlawful in private individuals.
The community of the Capuchin nuns was distin-
guishedfor its spirit of religionandsanctitywhenVe-
ronica entered it (indeed,it was for that reason she
selectedit, aswe haveseen,from amongmanyothers),
 238 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

andits character
subsequently
roseunderherdirection
andblessedexample.Nevertheless
therewerecertain
nuns who deserved the name neither of saint nor
religious,just as amongthe apostlesthere wasa
Judas Iscariot. From these the sanctity of Veronica
had much to bear. Even when she was a novice, she
had a companionwho set herself to persecuteour
Saint, carrying slanderoustales about her to the
abbess and novice mistress, ;uul treating her in the
must nidi-, and contemptuousway, even before others.
But "Wnmira was not in tin- Iea>t irritated by her
conduct; and so lar Mas she from rendering evil
I'm-evil, that slu- did not even seek to justify herself.
On the rnnlrary, she,only resorted to the evangelical
vengeancepeculiar to the saints, and repaid evil with
good,subduingit by means of benefits. She would
humble iuTM'lf so far as to kiss the feet of this com-
panion; sheassistedherin everypossibleway,andeven
thanked her for the treatment she had received at her
hands. She only requested her to forbear in public
for fear of giving scandalto others : she did not mind
what was done to her in private. The reader must
not suspect that either of her three fellow-novices,
whosenamesare mentionedin the eighth chapterof
the first book, had any share in this disgraceful per-
secution. Sister Clare Felicia entered and passedthe
year of noviciate with her. The latter has been un-
justly blamedon this scoreby a certainwriter; but
sofar from there being any ground for suchan accu-
sation, she was one of those who most admired and
assisted
Veronicain her extraordinarypenances
and
virtues. This we have ascertained from the indu-
bitable testimony of those religious who were her
companions
and contemporaries.Veronica'sperse-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 239

cutor was clothed two years beforeherself, but was in.

the noviciate at the same time, according to the
custom of the monastery, which requires the newly
professedto spendtwo years under the direction of
the novice-mistress. We heard her name in the
monastery, but refrain from giving it. Besides the
kindness shereceived in return from our Saint during
life, she owed her after death a still greater favour, for
she was one of those souls who were speedily de-
livered from purgatory by the intercessionof Veronica.
The following facts, which are recorded in the
processes,will serve to give us a better idea of her
heroic patience. In the course of the long period
during which she filled the office of novice-mistress,
shehad under her a couple of very intractable novices.
One of them could so ill brook her gentle admonitions,
that she was transported with rage against her, and,
proving incorrigible, was dismissedfrom the convent,
as Veronica had predicted before she even entered it.
Nevertheless, the Saint obtained from the Blessed
Virgin that this person should receive the holy habit
of religion in another order, and be brought to repent-
ance. She acknowledged her faults, and, in detesta-
tion of her ill-treatment of Veronica, she began to
publish abroad her sanctity. She also, during an ill-
ness,implored with great profit the aid of her power-
ful prayers. The conduct of the other was so violent,
that she one day struck her saintly mistress and
woundedher lip. Veronica,who was only grieved
on account of the scandal thus given, and the excom-
munication which the novice hereby incurred, set
herself to petition our Lord so earnestly for her
repentance that she shed tears of blood, as many
eye-witnessesdeposed. The transgressordid repent
 240 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

for the time being; but as she did not strike at the
root of her natural ill-temper,sheon anotheroccasion
grievouslyinsulted Veronica,who was abbess,while
she was cook. An old labourer came to the monas-
tery, and it wasthe duty of the cook to give him his
food. The holy abbess, not seeingthis doneasusual,
and being moved with compassionfor the poor
countryman, went into the kitchen to administer a mild
reprimandfor her forgetfulnessor dilatoriness,which-
ever it might be. But as the sister contradicted her,
Veronica, being anxious to cut short the conference,
said, " Now, makehaste,and give him this," taking
up the breadand a knife, with whichshewasto help
the poorman. But the cookgrew excessivelyangry,
and gave her abbess such a vehement push, that if
she'hadnot been caught by the bystanders she must
have fallen flat on the ground. They wished the
offenderto be immediatelypunished,as shedeserved,
but the superiorwisely and prudently would say
nothing then, becauseshewas aware that correction is
uselessand even injurious while the person on whom
it is inflicted is in the heat of passion. So when the
religious pressed her to impose due penance on the
culprit, shecalmlyreplied, " We must havepatience.
I am only displeasedon accountof the sin against
God." Sheconductedherselfwith the sametranquil-
lity in the first chapter which she held; and the
reward of her moderation was the contrition of the
guilty person,who was filled with shame,and made
due satisfaction to the community, after which she
Avatchedbetterover herself,and lived and dieda very
goodreligious.
Similarto the aboveare thefollowing cases,which
we shall relatein the wordsof SisterMary Joanna
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Maggio, who was an eye-witness, and deposed to

them in the process. " I have not only heard of,"
she says, "but I have also seen,the venerable Sister
Veronica enduring insults and contradictions without
cause, particularly from a certain religious who is
now dead, but who filled the office of sacristan con-
jointly with myself, during the superiorship of the
venerable Sister Veronica, who bore all with cou-
rage and tranquillity, specially showing her charity
towards the person who injured her. The religious
in question wanted to make an altar in the choir
for various sacred relics, which were to be placed
there on the feast of All Saints, but she built it
up too high in proportion to the strength of the
foundation,sothat it nearlyfell down with the holy
relics and myself; for she had desired me, as
second sacristan, to get upon it. As soon as our
abbess,the venerable Sister Veronica, perceivedthis,
she directed me to comedown, which I accordingly
did ; and shereprovedthe sacristanfor having made
her platform soweak that there was dangerof the
casesof the holy relics falling to the ground and
being broken. 'This reproof was appropriate and
necessary,prudent and moderate. However, the
person to whom it was addressed did not take it in
good part, but remarked with anger that the abbess
might attend to herself,for that shedid nothing but
troubleher. To which our venerablesuperiorreplied
without the least irritation, but with an air of suitable
modestyand tranquillity, that her duty wasto obey,
and nothing else. Upon this the nun beganto grumble,
but our motherrestrainedher feelings,not choosing
to administer correction to a person under the influ-
enceof excitement. However, when the chapter of
16
242 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

faults cameround she did not fail to do so,but in the

most charitable way."
" Another time the sameindividual was rebuked by
the Saint for her carelessnessin arranging the usual
crib of the Nativity in our choir. She handledthe
figuressocarelessly that sheknockedoff a fingerfrom
the statuette of S. Joseph, and broke a candle which
weighed seven or eight pounds. The admonition
which shereceived was gently and prudently worded,
but shegave a proud and impatient answer. Our
Saint bore it with patience,and merely gaveher a
charitable correction at the ensuing chapter, in which
she had to put up with insulting conduct,not only
from her, but from anotherof the three ill-disposed
sisterswhich the communitycontainedin my time.
Our saintly abbess, in quality of her office, cor-
rected them with the utmost kindness, firmness,
and love, which seemedto increasein proportion
to their perverseness. She prayedand got others
to pray for them, and imposedon herselfvarious
penances,as I have heard from those nuns who
were her confidants. The delinquentswere brought
to their senses,and acknowledged the great virtue
of the servant of God, by whom those who died be-
fore her desiredto be specially assistedin their illness
and death. As soon as it became known in the
monastery that the Saint had received the stigmata,
someof the nuns who did not like her stirred up a
persecutionagainst her, slanderouslyaffirmingthat
they were only appearances,and that she had art-
fully contrivedto imprint them on herself. They
said this even in her presence, and one of them
declared that she would be lost for ever if she con-
tinuedto maintaintheseappearances,
and persist in
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 243

her hypocrisy, for such she deemed her life to be.

When Bishop Eustachj came to be informed of this
event,he presentedhimself at the grate,and calling
the saintly servant of God with our mother abbess
(who must have been either Guerrini or Salari), he
blamed her severely, and showedevery mark of con-
tempt."
The present is a good opportunity for adducing
some instances of her invincible and exemplary
patience and tranquillity during the trials which she
had to encounter from her superiors for the purpose
of testing her spirit. We may be allowed to remark
that asin the caseof those patientswho have strong
constitutions a physician is allowed to adopt very
strong remedies,so the severetrials resortedto by
her superiors cannot be called extravagant or indis-
creet, seeing that they had proofs of the strength of
her virtue. When Veronica received, on the 5th of
April, 1697,the rare and preciousgift of the sacred
stigmata, Bishop Eustachj considered it his duty to-
apply to the sacred tribunal of the Inquisition at
Rome, for directions as to the course he should pur-
sue. At the same time he informed their eminences
the cardinals,of the moral qualities of Veronica. In
conformity with the instructions which came from
Eome, to ascertain any illusion or hypocrisy there
might be,he did his bestto try her patience,humility,
and obedience,as these are the undoubted charac-
teristics of a right spirit. His first step was to depose
her from her office as mistress of novices; he
alsodeprivedher of her active and passivevote, and
called her excommunicated,and a sorceress,in a voice
so loud that it resounded from the grate to the cor-
ridors of the nuns; he threatened also to have her
16-2
244 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

burnt in the middleof the cloister. Then lie caused

her to be confined in a room of the infirmary,
forbiddingher to write to anyoneexcepting
to her
sisters,who werereligiousat Mercatello,and those
letters she was first to show to the abbess. He also
prohibitedherfromeverenteringthe parlour. Then
he forbade her to come to the choir either for Mass
or the divine Office,exceptingon feastdays,and then
no farther than the threshold, apart from the rest
as though she were under excommunication,at-
tended by the lay sister Frances, who was to
re-conduct her to her prison. She was not
allowed to speak to any of the other nuns, who
were directed to treat her with the utmost rigour
as a hypocrite and a deceiver. She was deprived
for this period of holy Communion, and the time
she might spend at the confessional was to be re-
stricted by the abbess. Besidesall this, the bishop
causedher mysterious woundsto be medically treated;
and, as if he suspectedimposture, he had the gloves
which were used sealed every time with the epis-
copalseal. Insteadof getting better, swellingsarose
round them, so that it becamenecessaryto bathe them
with rose water, as we find from the letter of the
bishop to the secretary of the Holy Office at Eome,
dated the 29th of August.
These appointments of Providence must have been
not only distressingto her nature,but great trials of
her virtue, deprivedas shewasof thesacraments,
and the other privilegesof religion; and yet the
followingtestimonyof SisterMaggiois fully borne
out by other witnesses. " While the venerableSister
Veronicawasin this condition,abandoned as it were
by all, both withoutandwithin the convent,
and
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 245

treated with utter contempt, she retained all her

humility, calmness,
and resignation. She reposedin
the arms of her crucified Love : her sole desire was
to glorify and imitate Him ; shethought nothing
of herself,and was not disturbed by the contumelies
heaped upon her, but, on the contrary, took the
greatest delight in them." But there is no oc-
casionto refer to other sources, when we have the
authentic letter of the bishop to the Holy Office,
which is aboveall suspicionof impartiality. Under
date of the 29th of August, 1697,he states,-"She
punctually fulfils everything she is ordered to do,
and manifests great satisfactionat being exercised
in obedience,as also at not being permitted to ap-
proach the grate. Neither by me, nor by her con-
fessor,nor by the abbess, is she favoured with the
slightest mark of distinction; on the contrary, she
is treated with lessconsiderationthan any oneelse."
On the 26th of the following September, after re-
lating what had been done, the bishop continues:
" Sister Veronica never fails in the practice of the
most strict obedience,humility, and abstinence,with-
out evincing the least degreeof sadness,but always
ineffable serenity and peace. The nunscannothelp
expressingtheir admiration of her to seculars. I
try hard to prevent them from doing so,but I can-
not succeed, though I am always threatening to
imposesomemortificationon the most talkative of
them, for I do not wish the curiosity and gossipof
the people to be encouraged." On the strength of
this letter, the Congregation of the Holy Office laid
aside all doubt asto the virtue of Veronica, although it
prescribed certain precautions against the dangerous
curiosity and gossipof the city.
246 S. VERONICA. GIULIANI.

We have not mentioned the harsh measures which

wereadoptedtowardsher by a certainabbess, at the
instigation,probably,of BishopEustachj,in the year
1G95. Not beingsatisfiedas to the order which
Veronica had received from God to keep that rigorous
fast, of which the particulars are given in the fifth
chapterof the secondbook,he attributed to affecta-
tion the violent repugnancewhich causedher to reject
every kind of food. In fact, he rather suspectedthat,
as some malevolent person declared, she was in the
habit of eating when she pleased in secret. The
devil contrived, by false appearances,to support this
idea. So the bishop wrote to the abbess,directing
her to shut up Veronica in a cell belonging to the in-
firmary, and to put some one to watch her con-
stantly; alsoto give her nothing to eat but meatand
broth. The superior received these orders while
she was saying office in the choir with the other
nuns, and Veronica, too, was in her stall. No sooner
had the abbess glanced at the bishop's note than
she stopped the office, and, turning to Veronica,
with an indignantand commandingtone, exclaimed,
" To the infirmary ! To the infirmary !" She then
drove our Saint from the choir as one unworthy
to remain there, and confined her in the appointed
cell, causingoneof the lay sistersto bear her com-
pany. The religious who werepresentdeclarethat
Veronica went off immediately, without any sign
of beingtroubled,andremainedin herprisonforfifty
days with the greatest cheerfulness.
In our opinion, however, the trials which she had
to encounterfrom the Jesuit Father Crivelli in 1714,
must havebeenstill more painful, not only because
herspirit hadbeenthoroughly
testedin manyways
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 247

during the previous year, but becauseshe suffered

from one of whose merit she had been assured by
our BlessedLady on the occasionof her first seeing
him. That celebratedmissionaryarrived at Citta di
Castelloin the above-named year,and was employed
by BishopEustachjto try the spirit of our Saint still
further, although that prelate had been already
enlightenedas to her greatvirtue in the matter of
the fast, aswell as in that of the stigmata. Yet as
the extraordinaryfeaturesof her life went on multi-
plying, he appointedthe Jesuit her extraordinary
confessor,and conferred full powers upon him.
Father Crivelli availed himself of this authority, and
having duly got up the case,began by putting her to
the severest possible tests. At their very first inter-
view he treated her as a sorceressand a hypocrite,
and called her so repeatedly at the grate. One day,
when she was in her stall with the rest, listening to
the sermon,he obligedher to comeout into the middle
of the choir and sit on the floor, as being unworthy
of taking her seat with them. In order to put her
to shame before them all, he called to her in a loud
voice, " Where is she1 Let her come and sit on the
floor." She did so directly, without being disquieted,
, and afterwards she thanked him gratefully for what

he had done. At this time she was as much as fifty-

four years of age, thirty-seven of which she had spent
in religion, and twenty as mistress of novices.
Father Crivelli deposesthat one day he assumeda con-
fidential air, and told her that she was likely to be
scourgedand burnt alive as a Avitch and a hypocrite,
and says, "I found her so humble and resigned to be
taken for such, that, to tell the truth, I wondered
exceedingly. The more I endeavouredto mortify
248 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

her by meansof harsh words, taunts, and threats,

the more did she humble herself. The following
' I would not
were the precise words she used:
willinglybe a sorceress
; but if your reverence
knows
that 'I am in the hands of the devil, be pleased to
deliver me from them for the love of Jesus Christ.'"
From wordshe proceededto actions. He forbade
her to speakor write to any oneout of the establish-
ment, and appointedthe lay sister Frances to be
her superior, whom she was to obey in everything.
He obligedthe saidSister Francesto treat her in a
manner which was at once rude and imperious;
giving her now one kind of occupationand now an-
other. Veronica yielded the most prompt submission
to every beck and call, and maintained the same
equanimity and sweetnessof temper during the two
months which this trial lasted. Then he gave her
another of a different kind. He knew that there was
a small closet in the infirmary which was dark and
unused, the habitation of spiders and other insects.
He ordered Veronica to occupy it instead of her
cell, which was too good for her; and instead of
havingit sweptout first, shewas to kneel down and
cleanthe floor Avith her tongue,and then stand up
and do the same to the Avails. She fulfilled this in-
junction AA'iththe utmost calmness; and, furthermore
contrived, with the assistanceof a footstool, to apply
a similar process to the ceiling, swallowing both
spiders and cobwebsas though they had beenthe
mostdainty viands. Thenunsreportedthis to Father
Crivelli, who sent for her,and, concealing
the high
estimationwhichhe had formedof her virtue, scolded
her, and calledher stupidfor havingmisunderstood
his orders. She quietly replied that such food did
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 249

her good. He left her in this place for two months,

during which, whenever shehad occasionto name her
abode,which wasgenerallycalled"the dark cell," she,
on the contrary, termedit " the bright cell," because
she had learnt more there than in any other place.
Satan was so displeasedat the light shereceivedin
that dark cell, that he did all in his power to force
her to disobey,and to leaveit. Every night he ap-
pearedto her under somehorrible form, hopingthus
to frighten her out of it. Often he camewith a troop
of his hideous companions,attacked her furiously,
and struck her head against
O the walls ;J but she was
firm and contented to the last, and even sorry to go
away when removedby obedience.
We havetaken theseparticulars,not only from the
depositions of the nuns, but from those of Crivelli him-
self, in the processof information, wherein the reasons
which he assignsfor the opinion which he had con-
ceivedof her, not only in that year,but in the three
which followed, during which he was the extraordi-
nary confessorof the monastery,are given in these
words : " The principal pleasureof Veronicaconsisted
in suffering for the love of God ; and the more afflictions
shehad, the more shewished for them. She had pre-
served her baptismal innocence,as I knew from
havingheardduring thoseyears both her generaland
particular confessions; for frequently I could not find
in these last sufficient matter for absolution, and,
therefore, I made her repeat her general confessions,
though even in them I could scarcely find enough."
He often recommended himself to her prayers, in
which he had great confidence,for he had experi-
enced their efficacyon severaloccasions.He it was,
who, on his arrival at Eome in February, 1716, after
250 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

the deathof BishopEustachj,wasappointeda mis-

sioner of the city by the father general,and was
admitted to an audienceby the illustrious Pope
ClementXI. By theencomiums
whichhe thendeli-
veredon thesanctityof Veronica,he obtainedfrom the
Holy Officepermission
for herelectionasabbess.She
was,therefore,unanimouslychosento fill that office,
which she retained till her death, with the sanction
of the Sacred Congregation of bishops and regulars,
who permitted her re-election for three successive
terms of as many years.

CHAPTER VI.

HER WONDERFUL HUMILITY.

" OBEDIENCE and humility were the two predomi-

nant virtues of our mother, Sister Veronica, and
constituted the basis of her exalted sanctity." Such
is the declaration of Father Giovanni Maria Crivelli.
Amongst all the witnesseswho deposedto the heroic
virtues of our Saint, the authority of this illustrious
missioner is peculiarly important; not only on account
of the zeal for souls which he evinced in devoting his
whole life to missionary labours, and his skill in the
discernment of spirits, but still more on account of
his being appointedby the bishop for the purpose
of examining Veronica, and putting her to many
severeand satisfactorytests during four consecutive
years,whichno oneelsehad the opportunityof doin"-.
Throughout the whole of the processof information,
we can find no deposition more minute and circum-
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 251

stantial than that "which contains his examination

from the 14th of July to the IGth of August, 1728,
in the presenceof Bishop Codebo, of the fiscal pro-
moter, Lorenzo Smirli Mori, and the episcopalchan-
cellor, Domenico Fabbri, on about two hundred and
fifty points. Father Crivelli had been shown to Ve-
ronica under his natural form, several years pre-
viously, by JesusChrist, who told her that he would
one day make trial of her spirit. In the year 1714,
when he first came to Citta di Castello and entered
the church of the Capuchin nuns to pray, shesaw him
again. She was at that time in the confessionalof
Father Tassinari, so that she could not have seen
him by natural means ; but the most holy Mary ren-
dered him visible to her, so that she was able to
describe him, to the amazement of her confessor and
the nuns, who knew nothing about it. She declared
moreover the object of his coming, and the good that
would result to her soul. To him also she predicted
many things, and disclosed her knowledge of his
interior secrets, as he himself tells us. At his re-
quest, she obtained the deliverance of the souls of
his father, mother, and uncle, from purgatory.
Veronica having expresseda desire that he should
assist her at her death, he promised to do so, if
possible. At the time of her last illness he was
extraordinary confessorto the Capuchinnuns of Monte
Castelli, having been sent there by Monsignor
Gualtieri, Bishop of Todi; but it seems that
notice was sent him in the following way. He
occupied the apartments of the ordinary director,
in which hangs a bell, communicating, by means
of a rope, with the monastery, so that the nuns can
ring it in caseof necessity. On the evening of the
252 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

30thJune,about4 o'clockat night,he heardthisbell

ring. He and his companion listenedto hearif it
wouldsoundagain,but asit did not,hedid notanswer
it, Thenextmorninghe askedtheabbess whythebell
hadrung,andwhathadhappened. Sherepliedthat
nothing had happened,,and that it was impossible
that any one could have rung it, becausethe room
where the cord was had been locked, and she
always kept the keys herself: Another evening,at
the samehour, he heard it again, as also on the 9th
of July ; but on inquiring the reason the sameanswer
was invariably returned by the abbess. At length
the news camethat Veronica was dead, and he under-
stood that these had been her summons-the first
corresponding with her increased danger, ten days
beforeshe died, the secondto give warning of her
approachingdecease,and the third to inform him of
her death, which took place about 7 o'clockin the
evening on the 9th of July.
We heard the following incident from one who had
it from his own lips. Father Crivelli had taken from
Veronica'scell a largewoodencross,which he always
carried about with him, and conveyedto the Jesuits'
Collegeat Tivoli, where,at an advancedage,he died
in the odour of sanctity. He used to say that when
this crossshould break, it would be an intimation that
his departure was at hand, for that the venerableSister
Veronicahad told him so. It was securelyattached
to the wall of his room at the college,when oneday,
without any apparentcause,it fell down and broke.
Then the good old man said that he had but few-
days to live, and his words were verified. We
trust the reader will forgive us for this brief, but
not irrelevant,digression. It may serveto enlighten
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 25S

"usas to the value of his testimony, and is a tribute of

gratitudeto so eminent a director, aswell asto the
rare holiness of our Saint. It will also, we hope, be
agreeable to her, for during her life she had the
highest esteemfor him, and the deepest sense of her
obligations to him.
But to cometo the subjectof the presentchap-
ter, her rare humility in thought, word, and deed.
She had the lowest opinion of herself; her own
nothingness was the habitual subject of her re-
flections. We have seen from her writings, that
she prayed for nothing more than that the Lord
would make her understand this well. But this
was not all ; she regarded herself as a grievous
sinner ; " and such she would have been considered,"
says Father Tassinari, who was her confessor for
severalyears, " by any one who did not know her,
and who merelyformedhis opinionfrom the way in
which she spoke of herself in the confessionaland in
conversation. These confessions," adds Father Cri-
velli, " she would have wished to make,if possible,
before the whole world, in orderthat shemight be
looked uponasthe being who wasmostungratefulto
God, and the greatest sinner in the world." She did
all shecould to ensurethis reputation. She spoke
of herself in this way before all her companions; and
to the novices,when she was their mistress, shewould
frequentlymakea kind of generalconfession,
putting
herself to the blushin their presenceby relating the
little faults of her childhood,asthoughthey hadbeen
enormousoffences,and dwelling on them with such
energy and contrition as to draw tears from all who
heard her. Shewould sayover and over again, " In
hell there is room for all; my place is there if I do not
254 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

changemy life." The lay sisterGiacinta,her special

confidant, attests "that she was constantly begging
everyoneto pray to our Lord for her conversion,and
for the salvation of her soul. She did this with such
fervour and earnestnessthat you would havethought
her heart was bursting. I recollectthat one day our
confessor, Father Ubaldo Antonio Cappelletti, told
me that she had so bad an opinion of herself, that
she was afraid of associating with the other reli-
gious for fear of contaminating them. It was evident
that she considered herself as a being so very vile
and abject among us all, that she seemed ashamed
to show her face, as I have frequently observed."
Father Cappelletti, in his diary, expresseshimself in
the following clear and energeticwords: " She felt

ready to die of grief every time that God gaveher

that intimate knowledge of ingratitude and sin.
If she could have hidden herself in the very
depths of hell, she would have readily done so.
This filled her with such an intimate knowledge of
herself, that she would fain have concealedherself
in the innermost centre of the globe, so as never
againto beholdcreatures,and to preservethem from
beholding her, and being polluted and poisoned
by coming into contact with her. Shewishedthat
all would drive her from them, and despiseher as she
deserved."
The fruits of this low self-estimation did not con-
sist merely in saying disparagingthings of herself,
but, what was of more consequence,in a total absence
of resentment under contumelious treatment. On
the contrary, as Father Crivelli and others affirm,
whoever despised her fell in with her wishes. An
instance of this may be found in the tenth
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 255

chapter of the first book, when it was related that

sheusedto oblige her novicesto tread on her lips.
When she became abbess, she did not cease from the
most menial employments,or from waiting on the lay
sisters.

It will not be out of place to point out here the

humility which she showedin declining the dignity
of abbess. Father Crivelli, being thoroughly con-
vinced of the sanctity of Veronica after the trials
which have been already related, believed that it
would be of the highest advantage to the convent if
the suspensionof the Holy Officecould be withdrawn,
and she were to be elected abbess. He consulted
the Abate Giacomo Lomellini, the companion of his
missions,and Bishop Eustachj, both of whom agreed
with him. One morning, in the same year,
1714, after celebrating Mass in the church of
the convent, he went into the confessional, where
he found Veronica plunged in the deepestaffliction.
She implored and conjured him for the love of God
to spare her the cross which he had in his mind
for her. Father Crivelli, who really did not know
what she meant, not having the least idea that she
had had a vision, hastily replied that he could not tell
whether she was dreaming, or Avhat cross she was
talking about. Shethen told him that while shehad
beenassistingat Mass,S.FrancisXavier had appeared
to her with a heavy crosson his shoulder, and had
informed her that Father Crivelli was about to lay
that cross on her in the office of abbess, which
he destined for her. This vision was repeated on
the two following mornings. The goodFather was
in reality amazed; but prudently concealinghis
astonishment,for the purpose of testing her spirit, he
256 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

beganto scoldherandcall hermadfor supposing

that
lie had anythoughtsof makingher abbess,whereas
he did " not considerher capableof governinga set
of hens." Veronica smiled and modestly replied that
therewas no occasionto deny it, for that she knew
and saw how it was. On the morning of the third
day she furthermore stated that she had seen the
samecrossmaking the circle of the choir until it came
to the stall of the abbess,where it stopped. The fact
was, that not only did Father Crivelli think of getting
her appointed to that office,but he put his thought in
execution, for in 171G, as we have already seen,he
obtained from the Pope that the suspension should
be withdrawn by the Holy Office,and that she should
be elevated to the rank of abbess. But the lustre of
so exalted a post alarmed Veronica so much, that she
fell on her knees and implored the bishop, as well as
the entire chapter, to savethe convent from the ruin
that must ensue from the choice of a superior so
wicked, and incapable of promoting either its spiritual
or temporal welfare. Her humility, instead of an-
swering her purpose, had quite the opposite effect,
since it only showed her worth and fitness; and in
the event the monastery was her debtor for increased
advantages
in the way of enlargedbuildings and ad-
ditional supplies of water, as well as for the regu-
larity of religious observance
which it now enjoys.
Her mode of governmentwasso able,owing rather
to the illumination shereceived from above,than to
her natural talents,that Mgr. Eustachj said that
she was fit to governa world, and that every one
should have recourse to her in the most difficult
matters; yet shewouldneverundertakeanything
without the advice of others. It is true that, what-
 g. VERONICAGIULIANI. 257

ever sheproposed,everyoneacknowledged
to be the
wisest course. Her profound humility prevented her
from using words of command,even to the lay
sisters, or to the artisans and countrymen who worked
for the monastery. She employed, instead, humble
expressions of request, excepting in cases where it
was her duty, as superior,to reproveany rebellious
persons for their faults.
Her disposition was equally averseto human praise.
In order to conceal her extraordinary penancesand
prayers, she chosethe dead of night wherein to
perform them, when all around her were sleeping.
If she had occasion for the assistance of others,
as when she suspendedherself from the wall, or im-
prisoned herself in the basket, she selected the two
most simple of the lay sisters, namely, Frances and
Giacinta, on whose secrecy she believed that she
could implicitly rely. In order to conceal the fact
that she was barefoot, she wore sandals without any
soles. She strove also to hide the mortification which
she observedthroughout the whole of a novenabe-
fore Christmas, of never warming herself, by carrying
about the usual pan of charcoal, with nothing
but cold ashes in it.
Still more careful was she to conceal the hea-
venly gifts and graces which our Lord lavished
uponher. It was nothing but obediencewhich in-
duced her to make them known to her directors, and
when she did so, she expressedherself in the most
humble way. She would always say, " It appears to
me that I saw," or, " It appearsto me that I under-
stood ;" and she would always conclude by exag-
geratingher own iniquity and ingratitudeto God.
From her sense of her own unworthiness, she took
17
258 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

her visionsfor dreamsand impressionsof the imagi-

nation. " I mention this," she writes in the year
1695, " out of obedience,and to conquermyself,but
it really seemsto me that I am talking nonsense. I
do not know how to write a line properly. All these
things seemto me to be dreams,and my ownimagin-
ings." Sheusessimilar languagein 1697, and in the
followingyear. In 1703shegoesstill further : " I am
never confident," she says, " but always in fear and
trembling lest these things should be devicesof the
devil; and I treat them with contempt every time that
they occur to me, particularly visions. I relate them
minutely, not becauseI believe them, but in order that
the minister of Godmay know everything,and ascer-
tain if there be any demoniacal illusion." She only
liked narrating thosevisions in which Godhad reproved
her for someimperfection. But inasmuchas she could
not concealthe gift of the stigmata from generalobser-
vation, but was, on the contrary, obliged to give all
the evidence she could in proof of it, shetook care to
remark that it sometimespleased God to bestow cer-
tain graceson sinnersin order to effecttheir conversion,
adding that that blessedresult had not followed in her
own case. Sheprayed incessantly that thosemarks of
honour might bewithdrawn, or at least the external and
visible scars. It was three years before she obtained
this boon, and it was not until just before her death
that all tracesof them wereremoved. Her humility,
in short, was such as we do not find to havebeen sur-
passedin the life of any saint.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 259

CHAPTER VII.

HER MIRACULOUS OBEDIENCE.

WE now come to 'the virtue which is the parent

and fruitful origin of all others ; for as the illustrious
Pope and Doctor S. Gregory has remarked, it is obedi-
encealonewhich engraftsthe whole circle of virtues
in the soul, preservesthem, and trains them to per-
fection. Obedience is the offspring of humility, for
none but the truly humble can subject their will and
understanding to God and man. The obedienceof
Veronica was indeed the submission of both intellect
and will, not only to God, but to all His representa-
tives, whether her superiors or spiritual directors.
It is not our intention at present to speak of that
obediencewhich is paid immediately to God and His
divine commandments(though of this we have abun-
dant evidence), nor of her exact observanceof the
preceptsof the Church and of her rule, nor of her
perfect conformity to the divine Will. All this
comes under the virtue of charity, on which we
Lave spoken enough already, for no one can be said
to love God, who does not observe His law and
acquiescein His Will. Yet Avecannot omit one
exampleof obediencewhich conies more properly
under this head, and which is taken from one of her
writings of the year 1696. " My Lord," she says,
"I desire to please"Thee, and to accomplishThy
holy Will. If Thou seest,0 my God, that there is
anything of my own choicein thesedesires,take it
away, rid me of it Lord, let thy Will be
done; I am satisfied to be in the dark, and to be
treated as Thou wilt. But I protest that whether
Thou shalt manifest or conceal Thyself from me, I
17-2
260 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

always intend to remain with Thee." Not content

with this declaration,she signed a contract to that
effect with her own blood.
But the kind of obedience with which we Lave
now to deal is that which she rendered to her
fellow-creatures as the ministers of God. This is the
greatesttrial to humanpride, and it waspi-actised
by
Veronica to a miraculous extent. We do not mean to
speakmerelyof the act of obedience,
but of the con-
sent of the understanding and will. In order to do
this with the greatestpossibleperfection,shehad im-
printed on her mind, as her confessor,Father Guelfi,
assures us, the following maxim, which she would
often repeat to herself, as it would be well that all
otherpersonsshoulddo whohaveboundthemselves
by
the vow of obedience : " If God in person were com-
mandingme to do anything,shouldI not run to obey
Him ? Now the obligation is the same,whether God
makes known His Will directly, or through my supe-
riors, His representatives." Knowing such to be her
conviction, we have no difficulty in believingwhat
Father Tassinari tells us in the process. " If it had
been possible,"he says, " she would never have moved
a step or drawn a breathwithout the merit of holy
obedience,as I know well, from the long, severetrial
I made of her." Nor are we astonished at the fol-
lowing deposition of Father Guelfi : " During an
ecstasy on the 1st of January, 1727, the Blessed
Virgin havinginvited her to the banquetof eternity,
she excusedherself by stating that shehad not leave
for that. When she returned to herself she related
this fact at my feet. She then askedme to give
her leaveto go to eternalglory; but on my refusing
to do so, she promptly resigned herself to obedience."
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 261

Her great affection for this virtue was never more

conspicuousthan during the severe trials by which
she was proved. We have already seenwhat pains
the devil took to withdraw her from the submis-
sion which sheowedto her confessors
and superiors.
However, the only result of the traitor's machinations
was an increase of that virtue in her. From that

time forward she used to subscribeherself, "In spite

of the adversary, daughter of obedience." We have
seen the trials to which our Lord Jesus Christ sub-
mitted her, in the case of her remarkable fast, re-
proaching her frequently for not putting it in execution:
to which shealways replied by imploring Him, if such
was His Will, to make her superiors consent to it.
We are already aware of the severe tests to which
her directors and superiors subjected her. She was
always prompt in her acquiescence,and calmly pre-
pared to obey the least intimation of their will. She
requested them never to spare her, but to use
words of command, such as, "I will that you should
do so and so; I order you, I command you."
Thereforeshewas never more pleasedthan during
the two months which Father Crivelli made her
spend under the lay sister Frances, who, although
an excellent person,was extremely rough in her
ways, and particularly so in her treatment of
Veronica,accordingto the orders of FatherCrivelli.
Sheeither kept our Saint working in her room, and
watched her as one would an inexperienced and
naughty child, or she set her to sweepthe kitchen
and poultry yard, or similarplaces. Shewasalways
scolding her for her stupidity. She put her in
penancefor severaldays, depriving her of her black
veil, and making her wear a white one like a lay
262 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

sister, to all of which Veronicasubmittedwithout a

word of complaint.
Therewasonepoint,however,
on whichshefound
it difficult to obey,namely,when her confessors
com-
mandedher to givethem minute detailsof her gifts
and virtues, not merely by word of mouth, but in
writing, for here humility and obedienceclashed. It
was a hard contest, but obedience proved victorious,
asthe readerwill be pleasedto see. When shebegan
to write in the year 1G93,shesaid : " I pen theselines
simply under obedience,and with great repugnance.
. . . . Believe me, every time I have even to mention
these things, my repugnanceincreases;and having
to write about them costsme much. But being com-
manded to do so overcomesit all, otherwise I should
not write a line I say all these things under
obedience,but I assure you that the struggle is
so violent that I scarcely know how to say a
word." This aversion never wore off; in the year
1G99,sherepeats," I find still the samerepugnance
to writing that I always did. In 1702 she says,
" When I set myself to write the contents of this
book, I had to do myself such violence, that I could
scarcely finish a line." In 1704, "Whatever I
have written has been done under obedience,and
my aversion has been sometimes so vehement that
I have beenhardly ableto write a word." In 1716
shesays, " I havewritten under obedience, but it is
like death to me." Again, in 1722, " I write by
obedience,otherwiseI should say nothing." Her
writings are full of such expressions,and yet this
aversion
is coupled
with the factof her havingpenned
so many manuscripts,that they fill a largebox, with-
out countingthosewhich she tore up becausethey
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 263

had been spoilt by the devil, and those which he

afterwardsburnedin his fury. In ordernot to absent
herselffrom any conventualofficeor employment,she
wasobligedto write all her papersat night whenthe
communitywasasleep,sothat shewasnot only obliged
to takethe timefrom repose,but alsofrom her beloved
prayers and penances, which she wasin the habit of
reserving for that time. We must not forget the
frequentand most painful maladiesto which shewas
subject; and it cannot be denied that her obedience
wasin this respectmiraculous.
We will now give thosereal and tangiblemiracles
which havepassedthroughthe ordealof theprocesses.
We pass over one which Father Tassinari relates, in
which shedied and roseto life againat his command,
because,although we are inclined to think there is
sufficientwarrant for believingit, it is a matter most
difficult of proof, and we mean to confine ourselvesto
such asare provedbeyondall doubt. The fact of her
understandingpurely mentalpreceptswas certainly
supernatural, and occurred several times. Under the
samehead we may place her going down into the
confessional,
which she did frequentlyout of obedi-
ence,while she had fevers and other disorders upon
her, and her returning thencein perfect health and
strength at the commandof her confessors.These
occurrences werewitnessedby the wholecommunity.
Oneday, when the devils had been beating her,
they threw her to the ground from the ceiling, to
which they had lifted her, so that she broke her
leg. Some days after, Father Cappelletti,for the
purpose of testing her obedience,having had her
brought to the confessional,
said to her, " Have you
faith ? We shall seeif you have. Ask our Lord
264 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

to cureyour brokenleg directly." Thus enjoined,

she beganto pray confidentlyfor this favour,and
obtainedit on the spot. Before the eyes of all the
nuns she went out of the confessionaland walked up-
stairs to her cell. From that time forth shealways
spokeof it as" the limb of obedienceand of faith."
On another occasion Satan held her hand over the
fire so long that her nails were shrivelled, and the
skin scorched up. Two hours afterwards Father
Crivelli arrived,and,havingheardfrom the abbessand
SisterCeoli what had happened,he summonedVero-
nica, and asked her whether she had faith in obedience.
Sherepliedin the affirmative. " Very well," saidthe
Father, "in the Nameof GodAlmighty, Father,Son,
and Holy Ghost, Three Personsand One God, Living
and True, I commandyou by the sign of the holy
cross,which I make over your hand, that it be en-
tirely healed." Then he asked her if shewas cured,
and shereplied, " Yes." Just then Monsignor Eustachj
arrived, and. when he had been informed of what had
taken place, Veronica was summoned to the grate.
On seeingthe wonderful cure which had been effected,
he sent for the abbessand Sister Ceoli, and first of all
asked them if they would know the scorchedhand
again. " Certainly,"they replied. " Very well, look
at it now," was the answer. Accordinglythey both
examinedit; but not beingableto discoverthe least
traceof burning, they were amazed,and exclaimed,
" It is a miracle !"
^ hileVeronicawasabbess,
thethreedispensers
in-
advertently poured into a vesselof putrid oil about
three hundred poundsweight of goodoil, which had
beenprovided for the table. One of them, Sister
Mary Tommassini,
beingin great distress,hereupon
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 265

implored Father Guelfi to commandtheir saintly

abbessto blessthe vessel. The confessorhaving issued
the desired injunction, and his obedient penitent hav-
ing faithfully executedit, the oil was found to be of so
good a quality, that it was used in the refectory with
generalsatisfaction.The lay sister Frances,who had
chargeof the garden,havinglostall hopeof gettingrid
of a sort of worm called in that part of the country
fii'i rboht,which is very destructive to the roots of plants,
had recourseto Father Tassinari, who was at that time
their confessor,
and requested
that he woulddesireVe-
ronica to blessthe garden for that particular intention.
She did so immediately, and all the worms cameup out
of the ground,and collectedtogetherin onespot. Then
Veronica said, " Let us leave them to be food for our
chickens." Thefowls wereaccordinglyturnedin, and
the garden was completely clearedof the nuisance.
Such extraordinary incidents sufficiently sanction
our calling Veronica's obedience miraculous; and
they might be added to those given by that great
masterof obedience, S. Ignatius Loyola,in his cele-
brated letter to his religious in Portugal, in which
he commendsthe more perfect degreesof this virtue.
But besides the mute language of these wonderful
events, it pleasedheaven to expressan open approval
of the blind and mostperfect obedienceof Veronica.
To preserveher from all risks of illusion, her directors
had commandedher to pay no regard,but, on the
contrary, to exhibit marks of contempt, even if our
BlessedLady, or our Lord JesusChrist were to appear
to her in person,for such treatmentis intolerableto
the evil spirits, whereasthose who comefrom heaven
rejoice at it when it is done for a good object, and out
of obedience. Among the innumerable visions of the
266 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

most holyMarywhichwerevouchsafed
to Veronica,
she had one after the gospel of the first Masson
ChristmasDay. The Queen of heaven held her
divine Son in her arms, and was attended by a multi-
tude of saints, among whomwere distinguishedthe
sevenfoundersof the order of Servites. Having
related this event in her journal, she adds, "As
usual, I forced myself not to desire these kind of
things, and I even despisedthe vision as an illusion
of the devil. But the most holy Mary, with a gracious
expression of countenance, and a smile full of ma-
jesty, said to me, ' Daughter, I am no evil spirit, nor
are thesemy children such. Nevertheless,continue to
act as thou hast done, for thou hast beenoften bidden
to do so by obedience,and by myself.' She imme-
diately causedme to adorethe Most Holy Trinity ;
and at the samemoment there cameto me three rays
of light, and I was confirmed as daughter, spouse,and
disciple of the Three Divine Persons,as I have fre-
quently described elsewhere. Then all those saints
and blessed souls offered up an act of thanksgiving
for me to God and the most Holy Mary The
BlessedVirgin then causedme to renew my profession,
and when I cameto that part of the formula in which
eternallife is promised,all the saintsanswered,
Amen,
and all the instruments in my heart were moved."
The last fact to which she alludes was one of not un-
frequent occurrence; it was discussedand approvedby
the tribunal of the SacredCongregationof Kites,who
acknowledged it to be a realprodigy.
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 2G7

CHAPTER VIII.

HER TENDER DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN, TO

HER GUARDIAN ANGEL, AND THE OTHER SAINTS.

WE have doubted whether we ought to devote a

special -chapter to this subject, for what has been
already said in the courseof our narrative, is amply
sufficient to mark out Veronica as one of the most
devotedof the clients of Mary. But on the other
hand, considering that this peculiar grace being,
as the Fatherstell us, most efficaciousin promoting
our salvation, as well as one of the most beautiful of
the prerogatives of the saints, we have resolved to
dwell on it particularly,as there are many thingscon-
cerning it which have not yet been drawn out.
Although we have read the lives of many other
saints,we have never met, exceptingin Veronica'scase,
with examples of familiar intercourse between our
BlessedLady and a child of three years old. It is,
indeed,a peculiarprivilege,and onenevergrantedto
any but chosen souls. Nor can it be supposedthat
the Queen of heaven would condescendto such holy
intimacy with a soul that did not burn with love for
her. Such communications must have marvellously
increased the affection of Veronica for her who is of

simplecreaturesthe most worthy of love. We have

seen that our Lord JesusChrist deigned to be her
visible instructor in virtue, and in this the Blessed
Virgin also took part. Our Saint has left us
many of the lessons which she received from her
glorious Patroness; for Jesus Himself had been
pleasedexpresslyto commissionHis holy Mother
to teach her, when He appeared in her company ta
268 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Veronica,and pronouncedthose sweetwords, " My

most belovedMother, I wish this our beloved to
be alwaysguidedby thee."
But we must not linger on what is plain. It
is time for us to proceedto certain indisputable
facts which will give us an idea of the caresses
which took place between our Lad}' and her devoted
daughter. It is well known that it is the cherished
office of love to share in the sorrows of the beloved

object. Therefore it was that Veronica was so fond of

testifying her homageby participating in the martyr-
dom of the Queen of Dolours. On this theme she
would often meditate and speak. When she did so,
it waswith sucha feeling of compassion,
that Father
Tassinari declareshimself to have been frequently
moved to teai's; and at such times she seemedto him a
living portrait of her whosewoesshedepicted. And
indeedtheseDolourshad madesopowerfulan impres-
sion on her heart, as to leave there the symbolic repre-
sentation of the seven swords. She was so anxious that

her religiousshouldbe incitedto practisethe samede-

votion, that sheplacedinthechoir astatueof the Mother
of Dolours, in whose honour she appointed a solemn
processionon the third Sunday of every mouth, which
is still kept up by the community. AYhen she was
electedabbess,and had accepted,
accordingto custom,
the keys, the rules, and the seal of the convent, she
placedthemall beforethe most holy Sacrament,and
then, falling on her knees at the foot of the supe-
rior's stall, she directed Sister Florida Ceoli, her
assistant, to place thereon their statue of the Mother
of Dolours. This done,Veronicapresented theinsig-
nia of her officeto the sacredimage,imploringthe
Blessed Virgin to be abbess
insteadof herself. Every
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 2Gt>

evening before retiring to rest, she renewed the de-

vout ceremonyof surrendering the keys to her as to
her superior.
There is no doubt that our BlessedLady gra-
ciously accepted the offering of her client, with all
the benignityof her maternalheart. We learn from.
Veronicaherselfthat her heavenlyAdvocateappeared
to her, and told her lovingly that she must not shrink
from that undertaking, for that she would herself
fulfil the functions of abbess. If any reader should
be disinclined to believe this vision and statement of
Veronica, he may be convinced by various facts, which
werevouchedfor by nearlyall thewitnessesin the pro-
cess,who deposedthat during the abbess-shipof our
Saint, they had sensiblyand tangibly felt that the most
Holy Virgin wastheir abbess,and spokethrough the
lips of Veronica. This was clear from the won-
derful effect produced by her discoursesat chapter, as
also by the marvellous order and peacewhich charac-
terized the community during the happy period of
her rule, andthe copiousalms,both of moneyandpro-
visions,whichflowedin fromall quarterssoabundantly
as to enablethe building and other advantageous
ar-
rangementsto be forwarded. In order that they might
all recognizethe maternal hand whence all this pro-
vidential bounty flowed, these benefits invariably co-
incided with the approach or celebration of the more
solemn feasts of our Blessed Lady ; so that it was a
commonsayingamongthe nuns, " Our divine abbess
has paid for the feast." HenceVeronicacalled her,
not only the superior,but the procuratrixof the es-
tablishment. It is pleasant to read the following note
which she sent on the 14th of April, 1723, to her
bishop,into whosehandsshecommittedall the money
 270 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

shereceived:-" Your lordshipmust forgive me,if I

again trouble you with a letter. Our Superior,the
mostHoly Virgin, who providesus with money and
other alms, is the cause of my doing so. It is she
whonowsendsyou thirty-threepauls. I askpermission
to write to the manufacturer,to tell him to make some
cloth for the religious. I know he cannot make it
immediately,for he requires three or four months'
notice. It will costa gooddeal,but I amnot afraid;
I rely implicitly on the Superior,and on your lord-
ship."
As specimensof her affectionfor our BlessedLady,
we shall select two of the letters which she wrote to
Father Tassinari,and which were examinedby the
Sacred Congregation of Kites. On the 2nd of Fe-
bruary, 1713, she writes:-" Father, do not be dis-
couragedat the coldnessof your daughter. Give her
your charitableassistance, by commands,penances,
and sufferings. I speakfrom my heartwhenI tell you
that I can no longer endure myself. I am satisfied
with the Will of God,but I am in fearand trembling
lest I shouldbe banishedfrom Godon accountof my
ingratitude. I go to the feet of most holy Mary,
and there I make my protestations, renew my vows,
and offer up my hearty prayers. But only think ! she
does not wish for my prayers. I go on, and throw
the blame on your reverence,saying : 'Mamma titia, I
can do nothing else. Holy obedience sends me to
thee; thou art boundto hoarme. After all, I amthy
child, and the child of thy servant. Thou art the
Mother of Dolours-behold me who am full of sor-
row. I repentof my sins,I grievefor my ingratitude;
I know that I darenot lift my eyesto heaven. Full
of confidence
in thy mercy,I resignmyselfto thy
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 271

will like one dead.' Then I experiencea sensationat

my heart which I cannot express,but so secretly,
that I canhardly feel it. To God be all the glory."
Again, on the 12th of March, 1721, she writes:-
"I live contented in the midst of troubles. Oh,
how sweet and precious it is to live for the love
of God ! Although my Mamma is hidden, I
know she assistsme; and I blessher for suchgreat
charity. If it were not for her, woe to me! I re-
ceive every blessing from her, and your reverence
knows that it has always been so. It is very surpris-
ing. If you only knew, my father, the way in
which the most holy Mary treats my soul, you would
be beside yourself with delight. I ask her for graces,
and sheimmediately enfolds me in the Will of God.
I am sure to receive some grace, not that which I
ask for, but that which God pleasesto sendme. So
I havegoodreasonfor praying, and I feel that the
BlessedVirgin stirs meup to do so. Shedoesall for
me in God's way, and I agree with her."
In the last of theseletters,the powerful protection
vouchsafed to Veronicaby Mary is speciallyapparent.
But perhapsanother anecdotemay be useful to excite
othersto a similardevotion. Besidesshoweringsuch
abundant suppliesfrom every side on the convent,
while our Saint was abbess, the Queen of heaven
not seldom condescended to assist her in those labo-
rious occupations which she still continued. One
day when she was employedwith others of the
community in washing their clothes, it was ob-
servedthat sheaccomplished
her work in anincredibly
short time, and with wonderful perfection ; and they
several times heard her exclaim : " Most holy Virgin,
thou going to do everything thyself and leave
272 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

nothing for me?" Then they were no longer sur-

prisedat her amazingprogress,but were struck with
admiration at the condescensionof Mary, and at the
merit which Veronica must have acquired to receive
so high an honour.
Many years after she had receivedthe stigmata,
Mgr. Codebo,the new bishop,directedher to draw
out in writing full and precise details of the event.
Veronicawasa gooddeal perplexed,for she did not
thoroughly recollect all the circumstances, and she
was afraid either of failing in obedience,or of deceiv-
ing her superiorby any incorrectnessin the narrative.
But in the midst of her difficulties our Blessed Lady
appeared,and related the whole distinctly to her.
In connection with the present subject, and with
her writings, is the following beautiful incident,
which Sister Florida Ceoli witnessed with her own
eyes. About sevenyears before her death, Veronica
was ordered by her confessorto write down in a fresh
book an accountof the state of her soul. She obeyed,
but asthe things which shehad to relatewerefor the
most part such as were likely to do her honour, she
expressedherself as laconically as possible. In the
evening Sister Florida sawthat shehad nearly finished
her task, and the next morning, on entering the
chamberof her holy abbess, she found her in tears
and deeply afflicted. She inquired the reason, and,
as Veronica had great confidencein her, arising
from their similarity of spirit, she replied that
during the night she had had a vision of her
guardianangel and most holy Mary, who, having
received
fromthe angelthebookshehadbeenwriting,
looked it over, and reproached Veronica with dis-
obediencein not giving a much fuller account. Our
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 273

Blessed Lady then desired the angel to cancel all

that she had written, and told Veronica that she must
write the whole of it again better. As soon as our
Saint returned to herself, she took up her book, and
found it perfectly white, as though no onehad ever
written on it; in which state she showedit to Sister
Florida, who had seenit on the previous evening
almost coveredwith writing. Nor wasthis the only
rebuke which Veronica received from the Mother of
God, who, wishing to raise her to a still higher
degree of perfection, frequently reprimanded her for
her faults, informing her how she might obtain the
full approval of her divine Son. These reproofs were
the best tokens which our Lady could give of the
great love which she bore Veronica, as well as of her
special protection and care for her.
A still more striking instance of this maternal affec-
tion was related in the process by Father Tassinari,
who was acquaintedwith all the secrets of our Saint.
According to his testimony, which is above all sus-
picion, the Blessed Virgin would frequently place
her divine Infant in the hands of Veronica, parti-
cularly during the feasts of Christmas. On several
occasions she communicated our Saint with her own
hand, taking the SacredHost from the altar, or from
the tabernacle. Frequentlyin her visionsour Blessed
Lady seemedto play with the heart of Veronica,
drawing it from her bosom,showing it to her with
thosemysteriousmarkswhich have beenalreadyde-
scribed,and then replacingit near her own or that
of her divine Son,exclaiming," Heart of my heart!"
Then, again,she would make an exchange,putting
into the bosom of Veronica her own and that of
Jesus. Suchexchanges
arewell knownto beno more
18
274 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

than sensiblesymbolsof the invisibleoperations

of
gracein theheartof Veronica,
but assuchclearlythey
demonstrate the resemblance of her heart to those of
Jesusand Mary, aswell as that conformityof will
and affection which existed between the three, and
which is the most sure sign and fruit of that solid
and tender devotion which Veronica cherished towards
the Queenof heaven and her divine Son.
Before closing this chapter, the reader must
permit us to say somethingof her devotion to her
guardian angel and her patronsaints. There is no
room for details of the novenas and other works of
piety which she daily offered up in honour of these
inhabitants of heaven. Her visions proved how ac-
ceptable.they were. Shefrequentlybeheldher guar-
dian angelpresentingher at the Throneof the august
Trinity, or making intercessionon her behalf at the
tribunal of the divine Judge, or before the bright
throne of the Queenof heaven. Many times she saw
S. Joseph,the great spouseof Mary, S. John the pre-
cursor of our Lord, the great apostle S. Paul, her
own patriarch S. Francis of Assisi, and her mother
S. Clare, SS. Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Jesus,
Kose of Lima, Dominic, Francis Xavier, Pellegrino
Laziosi,Aloysius Gouzaga,
and others; a certainsign
that shehad merited these rare favours by her devo-
tion to them. We cannot conclude without remark-
ing how much those personserr, who seekto gain
a vulgar reputation for wit amongthe irreligiousby
ridiculing the devout practiceswhich the Church sanc-
tions in honour of the saints. In the lives of all the
heroesof ourholyreligionfromthevery earliestages,
we find examplesof similar homageto thoseimmortal
warriors,who,havingcompleted
their earthlycareer,
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 275

haveattainedcrownsof eternalglory. Suchexamples

should make us smile at our modern reformers, while
we follow the footstepsof thosewho have preceded
us in the faith, and are now enjoying the rich harvest
of glory in heaven,and on earth the honourof being
raised on the altars of the Church.

CHAPTER IX.

HER GIFTS OF PROPHECY AND MIRACLES

DURING LIFE.

IT is natural that a soul enriched with such heroic

virtue and such extraordinary privileges, should be
likewise adorned with every other ornament with
which God is pleased to decorate His saints before
the eyesof the world. To beginwith prophecy,which
is a gift that has been vouchsafedto nearly all the
saints. Veronica possessed it to such au extent that
it was commonly said in the monasterythat nearly all
her words were so many prophecies,for they invari-
ably cameto pass. The reader may recollect how she
predicted her own death. Sister Mary Magdalen
Boscaini relates of herself, that having applied for
admission into the convent of S. Clare in the time
of Mgr. Codebo,the bishopwas just then unwilling
to admit any one. Her parentsand an uncle,who
was a priest, were opposedto her wish, and called
her mad for wanting to be a Capuchin nun, parti-
cularly as her constitution had been injured by
a serious illness. She was extremely distressedat
this opposition,anddespairedof attainingthe desired
18-2
 276 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

boon; but Veronica told her that in time shewould

overcomeit all, and so it proved. The samething
happenedto SisterFlorida Ceoli. She had come,
like the former, from Pisa, to apply for admission,
but the nuns had no sooner seenher than they dis-
couraged
heradvances,
thinkingher unsuitedto their
community. But Veronicaplainly told the bishop
that a chapterhad better be held, and that the votes
would be unanimous in her favour. The event veri-
fied her prediction; and both theseindividualsbecame
of great use to the monasteryby their exemplary
virtue. An opposite case was that of Margaret Ea-
nucci, who was received by Mgr. Eustachj. Vero-
nica, who was then novice-mistress,distinctly told him
that the young lady was not meant for them. How-
ever, she was clothed, but two months afterwards
she left them and went to Perugia, where she entered
a convent of " the Poor," as they were called. She
uttered a similar predictionon the admissionof Sig-
nora Clarice de' Marchesi del Monte, who was not
even clothed, but went awayand entered the enclosed
convent of the samecity.
Upon the death of Mgr. Eustachj,the Capuchin
nunsprayedfor the election of another good pastor.
Veronicadid so particularly,by orderof Father Cri-
velli, who, as her director, enjoined her to mention
every light that she might receive from heaven.
This fact is related by the good father in the
process. After she had prayed for some time, she
said that she had seen a bishop'smitre, bearingin
front the two capital letters A.C. Father Crivelli
inferred that these would be the initials of the future
bishop,so he glancedhis eye over the directory
of Cracasto seeif any of the prelates had a nameand
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 277

surnamecorresponding with theseletters. The only

onehe couldfind was Mgr. Antonio Cansacchi. He
thought this must be the one, and the rumour got
abroadthroughthe whole city; but news camefrom
Romethat quite anotherpersonhad beenfixed upon.
So Father Crivelli said to Veronica," Your prediction
has endedin smoke."But sherepliedthat shehad no
such doubts herself, because she had since seen the
mitre with the same letters, and six additional ones
at the sides. Presentlyintelligencearrived that the
individual who had been elected was a most worthy
ecclesiastic of Bologne, named Alessandro Codeb6,
not yet a prelate. Every one was astonished. Father
Crivelli does not tell us what these other six
letters were; but we learn from the evidence of
others that before the election took place they saw a
sketch made by Veronica of the mitre as shehad seen
it, and afterwards heard the interpretation from
herself. In the middle werethe letters A.C., signify-
ing Alexander Codebb; on one side were the letters
M. V. D., Marise Virginis Devotus-devout to the
Virgin Mary. On the other side were the letters
P.E.O., for Pastor EcclesiseOptimus-an excellent
pastor of the Church. These epithets were merited
by the new bishop during the whole courseof his
life. Sister Boscaini attests that during his life-
time Veronica informed her confessor that he would
be succeededby Monsignor Gasparini. This came
to passsix yearsafter the death of our Saint. The
same religious adds that when the see of Cortona
becamevacant, sheforetold that it would be occupied
by Mgr. Gherardi.
When Father Kaniero Guelfi.was a young man, she
told him that he would one day be an Oratorian, not-
 278 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

withstandingthe opposition
of his father. Whenhe
wasin the Oratory,shetold him to go to BorgoS.
Sepolcro,for that his father was at the point of
death. Finally, she predicted that he would assist
her in her passagefrom this world ; and all these-
things cameto pass. When FatherVincent Segapeli,
an Oratorian,was dangerouslyill, she assuredhim of
his recovery,thoughall had given him up : the same
happenedto Father Tassinari,anotherof her confes-
sors,who had been given over by his physicians on
accountof gangrene. When FatherCrivelli wassum-
moned to Eome by the General, Father Michael
Angelo Tamburini, in order that he might take the
placeof Father Merlini, shetold him plainly that he
would not remain there, but would shortly return to
Citti di Castello,and so he did. She predictedthe
birth of a son to the Emperor Charles VI., and her
wordswereverified,thoughthe child's life wasshort.
She also foretold the destruction that would be caused
by the plagueat Marseilles,when it was reportedin
Citti di Castellothat its ravageswere over in that
city.
We shouldwearythe readerif we wereto recount
the innumerableprophecieswith whichthe processes
are filled, sowe will concludewith one relating to
Signer Don Giacomo Lomellini, who was the com-
panion of Father Crivelli in his missions,as he had
beenof the celebratedFather Segnerithe younger;
for he deserves honourable mention. Veronica was
indebtedto this holy and zealousecclesiastic,
for he
hadbeenher directorduringthe periodwhenFather
Crivelli was obliged to absent himself,in order to
proceed to Florence. When Father Lomellini was
dangerously
ill atCitta di Castelloin December,
1714,
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 279

Father Crivelli ordered Veronica to recommend him

to God. She did so, and afterwards said that
most holy Mary had appeared to her with a cross
adorned with five jewels, which she informed her
were intended to represent the virtues of Lomellini;
adding that he would not die until she should seethe
samecrossagain,decoratedwith a larger numberof
gems,to indicate the greater virtue which the good
priest would haveby that time attained. Sherepeated
this intimation to Father Lomellini himself. At the
beginningof the following year, Father Crivelli set
out with his companionto give the spiritual exercises
at Perugia; and there Father Lomellini fell sick
again. Thence they proceeded to Foligno, where,
perceiving that his companionwas suffering from fever,
Father Crivelli sent him to Sarzanafor changeof air,
while he returned in March to Cittu di Castello. He
had no sooner arrived there than he asked Veronica
what shethought of his beloved companion. She said
that she believed him to be near his end, for that she
had had avision in whichFatherSegnerithe younger
had appeared to her, holding in his hand the same
cross which she had previously seen, all covered
with jewels, which circumstance coincided with the
notice shehad then received from most holy Mary.
Hereupon Father Crivelli Avroteto Sarzana to con-
gratulateFather Lomellini on the approaching
termi-
nation of his sufferings,and on the rich reward which
was prepared for him in heaven; but beforethe
letter could reach him, Father Lomellini breathed his
last.

To the spirit of prophecymay alsobe referredthe

power of penetrating secretsburied in the heart;
although this may more properly be termed the
280 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

facultyof searching
hearts. Wehavehadinstances of
thisin thetenthchapterof thefirstbook,andtherefore
wewill onlygiveoneexamplehere. BishopCodebb
was consultingwith Father Guelfi,her confessor,
as
to what should be done with her after her death.
The next time Veronica saw that prelate she said to
him, as if she had heard the whole discussion: " My
lord, I beg that you will do with my bodyexactly
as you please, without troubling yourself in the
least." We have seen how she was able to divine
the mental precepts of her confessors,and also her
discovery of Father Crivelli's design of causingher to
be appointed abbess. We will conclude with Father
Crivelli's own words: "I must acknowledge that,
from the opinion which I entertained of her gift of
reading hearts, I used to treat her with reverential
fear and deference; being convinced that she knew
everything that was passingin my heart."
The evidence of such a witness renders all further

remark superfluous. We shall not attempt to speak

here of her gifts of supernatural science and discern-
ment of spirit; nor even of her ecstasies,which were
still more wonderful, for the reader has read much
of these in the courseof the narrative, but will pass
on to the miraculous cures which she effected.
The following casesare selectedfrom the processes.
A Capuchin nun of her own convent was afflicted
with a festering wound in one of her limbs, which
shecould never bring herself to showto a surgeon.
At last the torment she suffered was such that she
told Veronica, who visited her with the utmost
charity, and bathed the part affectedwith a little
rose-water. The next morningit was found that she
was completelycured. Another, who was suffering
 S. VERONICAGIULIANI. [281

from a violent headacheand other bad symptoms,

applied to our Saint, who had no sooner touchedher
head than every trace of indisposition vanished.
Sister Catherine Cappelletti, who was cook in the
year 1719, was troubled with an inflammation in her
eye, in consequence of a piece of egg-shellhaving
flown up into it. Her companionsand Gentili, the
surgeon,did all they could,but wereunableto extract
it. The swellingand pain becameso great,that the
surgeon resolved to use his lancet the next morning,
though he protested that it would be running a great
risk. During the night his patientwasin convulsions,
and Veronica was informed of this at matins by Sister
Mary Constance,the infirmarian. Therefore, as soon
as the office was over, she went to the sufferer, and
recommendedher to try to rest a little; to which the
sister replied that it was impossible,in consequenceof
the spasms she felt. Then the saintly abbess em-
braced her, pressed her head to her own bosom,
blessed her, and departed. She had hardly left
the cell when the invalid fell into a quiet slum-
ber, which lasted till morning. She woke up when
the infirmarians came,and being asked how she was,
replied that she had slept all night. They went
up to her and examinedher eye,whichthey found
perfectlyfreefrom the splinterof egg-shell,andwith-
out the least swelling or inflammation. When the
surgeonarrived, he wasastonishedto find that there
was no need of the operationhe had proposed,for
the eyewasperfectlywell, andremainedsoeverafter.
The sameSister Catherine suffered for several years
from a severeand incurable headache,and when
Veronica was confined to her bed in her last illness,
she fell on her knees before her, and implored her to
282 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

blessher,lest the excessof pain she felt shouldde-

prive her of her senses. Our Saint laid her hand on
Sister Catherine'shead and said, " You will not lose
your senses
; on the contrary, you will be cured."
From that time forward she never had the slightest
return of her headache.
Sister Mary Fucci (sister, we believe, of Canon
Vincent Fucci,a priest of high character,who died
at Rome, at an advancedage, and was a great friend
of ours), had a great number of warts on her hands,
of the sizeof a farthing. They often opened,andno
remedycouldbe found for them. Accordingto the
usual routine of the convent, her turn came round to
serve in the kitchen, but Veronica, who was then
superior, would not allow her to do this, thinking
that the community would object to have their food
touched by her. Sister Mary, however, was extremely
grieved at this prohibition, and resorted to the unwise
expedientof cutting her warts,althoughit causedher
extreme pain. The bleeding which ensued was so
copiousthat sheran into the kitchen to stanchit with.
cold water, but unsuccessfully. While she was so
employed,the holy abbesscameup, and, ascertaining
how matters stood,reprovedher gravely,and added,
in order to frighten her a little, "Are you not
awarethat sucha foolishstepasthat whichyou have
taken may cause your hands to fester?" Then she
orderedher to get herselfattendedto, and not to rise
for matinsthat night. SisterMary Fuccihappenedto
have at hand a piece of Veronica'sscapular,which
"wascommonlycalled'"'patience." In this shewrapped
her woundedhands,havingremovedthe bandages
which the infirmarianshad put on; after which, she
passedthe night in refreshingsleep. Whensheawoke
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 283

the next morning, sheuncoveredher hands and found

that they were perfectly cured, neither was there the-
least trace of wart or wound. She was amazed,and
so were all the nuns as soonas they heard it, par-
ticularly as the piece of scapular which had effected
the wonderful cure was found not to have the least
mark of blood upon it. The sameday shewas able
to enter the kitchen and serve her turn.
No lessmiraculouswas what happenedto a nephew
of the two lay sisters, Frances and Giacinta. The
poor youth had a cataract in his eye, and Sister Gia-
cinta, considering it incurable, sent him in a phial
some water in which Veronica had washed her hands.

With this the youngman bathed his eye,which was

immediatelyrestoredto its naturalstate. The healing
water was sent back to the convent, and the nuns
observedthat it emitted a deliciousfragrance.
But it is scarcely necessaryto recount individual
instances,when we recollect that her whole life was
one perpetual miracle of the most stupendousorder.
We do not speak of the supernatural characterof her
virtues and holiness,but such things as are considered
miraculous in temporal matters, such as the unheard-
of penanceswith which she macerated her body, the
rigorous fasts which she observed,the way in which
she deprivedherself of sleep,her incessantlabours
of the most fatiguing description,the frequent and
horrible attacks which she endured from the demons,
the wound inflicted on her heart, the sacredstigmata,
her frequentparticipation in the chalice,the scourg-
ing, the crowning with thorns,and all the sufferings
of the divine Passion,including the crucifixionitself.
To all this must be added the almost continual tran-
sportsof her love of God; her frequentecstasies
and
284 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

raptures,whichgiveassistance
andcomfortto thesoul,
in proportionasthey enfeeble
the body. Neithermust
we forgether constantinfirmitiesand dangerous
ill-
nesses; and yet, in the midst of it all, shespentfifty
years in religion, and attainedto the age of sixty-
seven. Surelythe merefact of her living on asshedid
was a miracle, and her whole life was a chain of super-
natural events of the most marvellous order. Such

was the opinion of her companions in the cloister,

and of the medical attendants who investigated her
case.

^ In conclusion, we will relate two miraculous cir-

cumstances which came under our own observation.
The first wasthe striking conversionof one of our
penitents at Kome. We say striking, because,al-
though not publicly known, it was a very remarkable
miracle. We supposeour readersto be aware of the
teaching of S. Thomas,in commonwith all the Fathers
and theological writers, that the justification of a
sinner is the most wonderful of all the works of God
ad extra; wherefore the Church prays : " 0 God,
Who dostparticularly manifest Thy omnipotenceby
sparingand showingmercy." Now this person,who
Lad committed enormouscrimes, and lived for some
year or morein a state of despair,was recommended
by us to seek deliverancefrom his miserablecondi-
tion through the intercessionof Veronica,the writing
of whoselife had inspired us with great confidence
in her. Oneday, whenhe least expectedit, he felt
himself changedat heart, and filled once more with
confidencein God,sothat he made a generousand
devout confession,and lived peacefullyever after-
wards, with no sorrowconcerninghis pastlife, except
the thought of the grievous wrong he had done to
 S. VERONICA GIULIANI. 285

God,more by distrustof His infinite mercythan by

any other sin.
The other circumstance occurred to ourselves. "We
had for a long time desired a spiritual favour, which
we have reasonsfor not describingmoreparticularly,
but whichwas equivalentto a great miracle. As our
confidence and devotion towards Veronica increased
in proportionaswe proceededwith her life, we used
to recommendthis favour to her, and when we least
deservedit, on the 17th of March, 1801, to our un-
speakablejoy we receivedthe desiredgrace. There-
fore, asa perpetualremembranceof our gratitude to
our great benefactress,
we mentionit in these pages,
and we beg all who shall in future reprint our book,
not to omit these miracles, in order that all who read
of them may be animated to confide in the infinite
mercy of God, and in the powerful intercession of
this great Saint.

NOTE.

UPONthe death of S. Veronica, the bishop began to

collect evidence of her holy life. The process was
solemnlyopenedby him on the 6th of December,
1727,and completedby his successor
on the 13th of
January,1735. After the usualpreliminaryexami-
nations, the introduction of the causeat Kome was
signedby PopeBenedictXIV., on the 7th of July,
1745. The virtues of the servant of God were ap-
provedby PopePiusVI., on the 24thof April, 1796,
and two of her miracleson Whit-Monday,the 7th of
June,1802,by PopePiusVII, who,on the 12th of
286 S. VERONICA GIULIANI.

Septemberin the sameyear,issuedthe decreeof her

beatification. Further miracles, which occurred in
1815and 1818,wereapprovedby the SacredCongre-
gationof Rites,and, on the feastof S. Philip Neri,
May 26th, 1831, Pope Gregory XVI. decidedthat
iher canonizationcould be safelyproceededwith. She
"wassolemnlycanonizedby the same Popeon Trinity
"Sunday, May 26th, 1839, in the Vatican Basilica,
together with S. Alphonso Liguori, S. Francis di
Girolamo,S. John Josephof the Cross,and S. Pacifi-
cus of San Severino.
 THE

SPIRITUAL LIFE

or

THE BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI,

RELIGIOUS OF

THE ORDER OF S. CLARE.

 HISTORICAL NOTICE.

LEANDER ALBERT, in his descriptionof Italy, includes

Camerinoamongthe mostimportanttownsof Umbria.
He saysthat the sovereigntyof this town belongedfor
a long time to the illustrious family of Varani, of which
he gives a brief history. One of the most celebrated
of them was Gentilis Varani, renowned for his valour
and prudence. His son Eudolph espoused succes-
sively two wives, leaving two sons by each. The elder
brothers assassinatedthe two younger, and the town
revolted against the criminals. The elder was put to
death, and the younger having fled, was killed at
Tolentino, but the popular vengeancefell upon his
five sons,who were all beheaded.
This frightful tragedyoccurredin 1433,after which
the citizens maintained their independencefor ten
years. At the endof this perioda return of affection
for the family of Varani madethem recallEudolph
and Julius Caesar,the sons of one of the murdered
brothers.
Julius was a great warrior, and commandedthe
troopsof the Holy See,underthe twoPopes,Nicholas
V. and Sixtus IV. He afterwards entered the ser-
vice of the Venetian Republicin the samecapacity,
then that of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary,
19
290 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

and everywhereacquiredmuch honour. His brother

Eudolph dying without issue,he inherited his sove-
reignty, and returned to his domains. Under his
reign Camerinobecamea beautifuland powerfulcity.
He constructed several fine buildings, among which
the church of S. Mary was remarkable. He re-
built the walls, and provided for the defence of his
territory by the construction of strong castles.
This princeespoused
JoannaMalatesta,daughterof
Sigismund, Prince of Rimini, and from this mar-
riagesprungBattistaVarani, who wasbornonthe 9th
April, 1458. She was baptized Camilla, but took
the nameof Battista on entering religion. History
gives us no informationregardingher until she was
ten years old, and her humility knew so well how to
conceal the favours which God bestowed on her
during the twenty-three last years of her life, that we
are equally ignorant concerningthat period, and had
it not been for a circumstance for which we cannot
thank God too much, we should have been equally
uninformedregardingthe twenty intermediateyears;
but our Heavenly father permitted her to be assailed
with such violent temptations from the devil, that
for three years she suffered a sort of martyrdom.
The confessor who then directed her had known her
only six months, and it was necessarythat he should
be made acquaintedwith her previous life. He con-
sequently required from her a history of herself, and
enjoined her to write unreservedlyeverything that
had occurredto her for the last twenty years. She
did so, and to this we are indebted for the treasure
of edificationwhichher holy life offers to us. The
fragments
of it do not form a regularhistory,and
Pascucci,
to supplythedeficiency,givesa chronological
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 291

table of the principal event? of her life, until the

«nd of the fifteenth century. We place it here, in
order that the narrative may not be interrupted
afterwards.

LIFE OF BATTISTA IN THE WORLD, IX ITS CHRONO-

LOGICAL ORDER.

1. Shewasborn on the 9th of April, 1458.

2. Tenyearslater, in 14GS,
her heart beganto burn
with love for the Passion of her Lord.
3. After a general confession made in Lent, 1477,
she felt 'herself strongly drawn towards a religious
life; but insteadof surrenderingherselfto the call of
grace, she struggled against it for a whole year.
4. Vanquished by the goodnessof God, sheat last
resolved to obey, and declared her determination to
her father about Easter, 1478.
5. The prince refused his consent, and continued
his opposition during two years and a half.
6. In the month of November,1481, he at length per-
mitted her to follow her vocation, and give herself to
God. From this moment she was inundated with
graces,and conceivedsuchan ardent desireof suffering
that God was moved by it to satisfy her. He sent
her a severeillness, so that for a short time she was
in great danger,and it left her in a weak state of
health for thirteen years.
LIFE OF BATTISTA IN RELIGION.

1. On the 14th of November, 1481, she received

the habit of S. Clare in the Convent of Urbino, and,
instead of Camilla, took the name of Battista.
2. Five mouths before her professionshe wrote a
letter under the dictation of Jesus Christ.
19-2
292 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

3. Difficultiesof whichwe haveno recordprolonged

her noviciate beyond the ordinary period, so that
she was not professeduntil some time in the year
1483.
4. Her father built a convent at Camerino in the
sameyear,and this was the occasionof manybitter
trials to her.
5. She took possessionof this convent with some
nuns on the 4th of January,1484,and having made
anewa generalconfession to FatherPeterMoliano,Pro-
vincial of the Franciscans,sherecoveredher peaceof
mind. It was then that her celestial favours- became
frequent: first S. Clare appearedto her, afterwards
she was conductedinto a place where Jesuswas cruci-
fied, and there she remainedtwo whole months. Then
the fire of seraphic love burned within her for three
months. At last she obtained weekly communion,
which she enjoyed during two years.
6. It was during the summer of 1487 that she
received the order to write, and that shewrote her
Treatise on the Interior Sorrows of Jesus Christ.
7. In the month of August following, while she
wasenjoying profoundpeace,God permitted her to
be deceivedby the demons,in order to prove her still
more.

8. On the llth of Octoberfollowingthey beganto

afflicther with grievoustemptations,whichsheendured
for three yearswithout disclosingthem to any one.
9. After the death of Father Moliano on the 25th
of July, 1490,shetook anotherconfessor,fromwhom
she hopedto receivesomesolacefor her pain, but
her hopesweredisappointed,
for he wasobligedto
quit Camerino two months after.
10. It appears that this new director at once re-
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 293

quired from her a written history of her formerlife,

whichshecompleted
in themonthof Marchfollowing.
He had then left Camerino,but it wasforwardedto
him. The additionalletterswerewritten immediately
afterwards.
11. This entire openingof her heart brought back
peace to her soul, but only for a short period, for
soon after temptations assailed her with redoubled
violence,and this tempestlastedabouttwo years. It
ceasedentirely towards the middle of October, 1492.
12. Wishing to explain to one of her spiritual
childrenthe trials throughwhichGodmakesthe souls
of His beloved pass,she gaveherself as an example,as
if shewere speaking of a third person, and she thus
related the tribulations which she had suffered for five
years. " The person of whom I speak," shesaid, " was
forcedto call uponGod continually,and to invokeHis
aid, saying,'Lord, cometo my assistance;
0 Lord,make
hasteto help me. I havelifted up my eyesto Thee,
Who dwellest in heaven. I have lifted up my eyesto
the mountains,from whencehelpshallcometo me; all
my hope is in the Lord. 0 my God! help me,and
abandon me not in this extreme peril. 0 God ! my
strength has gone from me, sustain me with Thy
powerful Arm. I can no longer stand, stretch out
towards me Thy helping Hand. Thou sleepest,my
Jesus,in the frail bark of my soul,and the tempest
raisedby the demonthreatensto overwhelmme. Ah!
without Thee the calm will never return.' It was
thus that the personof whom I speakfixed her soul
on God during this furious tempest,and He never
leavesHis elect during the time of war. Imitate
her, my son, in the temptations which oppress
you, and you will soonexperienceHis mercyin your
294: BLESSED BATTISTA VABANI.

regard. Act soas to be able to saywith the royal

prophet, ' The Lord was continuallybeforemy eyes,
and His divine presencewasthe objectof the medita-
tion of my heart.' You will easilyfind in the Holy
Scripturesmany other texts, which prove that the
thoughtsof the saints were unceasinglyfixed on the
Lord."

When the BlessedBattista wrote thesethings, to-

wards the closeof the fifteenth century, she had been
a nun for eighteen years. Of her spiritual life in
religion we know only what she has judged proper
to tell. Pascuccihas collected somethings in the
chapters on her virtues in the supplement to this
volume. The last twenty-three years of her life are
unknown to us. She was never formally beatified,
but it is believed that Clement X. authorized the
devotions practised in her honour at Camerino, and
all authorswho havementionedher sincethe begin-
ning of the seventeenth century give her the title of
Blessed.
 P K 0 L 0 G U E.

MY BEVERENDFATHERIN JESUSCHRIST,
I must begin by telling you that the whole of this
month of February hasbeento me a seasonof battle and
bitter sorrows, causedby my resistance to a powerful
inspiration, of the origin of which I was ignorant.
If I had believed it to have come from God, I cer-
tainly shouldnot have daredto struggle againstit;
but I suspectedit to be a temptation of the spirit of
pride,permitted by God to try me, for the punish-
ment of my sins. Seeing myself destitute of all help,
and deprived of all human consolation,I had recourse
to prayer,my accustomed
resource. I besoughtthe
sweet Mother of God, with all the love of which I
am capable, to dissipate the darkness into which I
saw myself plunged in punishment of my sins, and to
causea ray of light to penetrate my mind, by which I
might discern whether it was the Will of God or not.
After having, through the whole month, wearied
heavenwith my criesof distress,without gainingany-
thing but extreme fatigue of spirit, on this second
Sundayof Lent,the 20th of February,onretiring from
the holy Table,I haveresolvedto obey the interior
inspiration, persuadedthat otherwiseI shall never
regainpeace. God grant that this determinationbe
296 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANL

conformableto His Will. I have confidence that it

is so; andI believethat it is by His gracethat I have
madethis resolve. Howeverthat maybe,it is certain
that this obediencewill causeme nothing but extreme
confusion,both beforeGod and before you, and this
reasonconfirmsme in my resolution,morethan many
otherswhich point it out to me as very useful, and
even necessary.
This inspiration, my father, makes me anxious
about my salvation. I will tell 'you things which
I have never before told to any one,and will dis-
cover secrets hitherto carefully hidden in my heart.
In a word, I will recount my spiritual life from the
beginninguntil the presenttime. God is Master:
and since He wills it, I will it also. It is true, this
is not the first time that I have treated of this
matter with you, my father; but what I have hitherto
said was so obscure that you could not comprehend
it. I must frankly admit that formerly I spoke in-
coherently; now it will be otherwise, and I will un-
fold to you, although against my will, that wound
which has beenhiddenfor three yearsat the bottom
of my heart, and has pierced it, even as the spear of
the soldier pierced the Heart of Jesus. I will tell you
all without reserve; deignto listen with an attentive
ear.

Oh, my father! have pity on a poor sinner, who,

like another Magdalen, prostrating herself at the
Feet of Jesus,castsherselfat your paternalfeet, with
tearsin her eyesand shameon her forehead,humbly
to discloseto you thehistory of her unfortunatehappi-
ness. It seemsto methat I maywell giveit this name,
sincein punishmentof my sins, my infidelities, and
my ingratitude, it is changedinto bitterness,into
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 297

wormwoodandgall. I conjureyou to cast an eye of

enlightened compassion on my sad condition, and
to judge if there be any sorrow like to mine.
Having to speak of such high matters, for they
refer to God and to the divine things, which His
mercifulgracehas deignedto work within me-my
spirit is troubled,and with trembling do I undertake
to write what you will read, becauseI know my
misery, and recognizethat in me there is only false-
hoodand lies. I implorethe Spirit of God, the Lover
of truth and purity, with a suppliant and plaintive
voice, to assist me ,in the history I am about to
relate. May He grant methegraceto recountsimply
and without dissimulation,the particular gifts and
benefitswhich I have received,in spite of my un-
worthiness, from the most clement Father of mercies.
On my part, I feel more inclined to curtail than to
exaggeratewhat I have to say. At least, I confide
it to you under the sealof confession,and therefore I
begin by saying: "I confessto Almighty God, and
to you, my father."

NOTE.-The confessorrespectedher wishes on this

point, and communicated the manuscript to no one
while she lived. It appearseven that he dared not
permit himself to divulge it after her death; neither
did those whoseheritage it afterwards became,so
that it remained hidden for nearly a hundred years.
But at last, God, by Whose commandthesewonders
had been written, disposedthat it should be published
for the consolationof devoutsoulswho walk alongthe
way of divine love, in the blood-stainedfoot-prints
of our Eedeemer.
 CHAPTER I.

HER VOW MADE IN CHILDHOOD RELATIVE TO THE PAS-

SION OF JESUS CHRIST.-HER PROGRESS IN THIS

DEVOTION, AND THE PIOUS EXERCISES WHICH IT

SUGGESTED TO HER.

BE it known to you, my father,that by the graceof

God, it is yon, and you only, who have given the first
impulseto my spiritual life. I canwell imagineyour
surprise, perhapseven your incredulity, becauseI
know you haveno knowledgeof the fact I declare
to you : for, as it was connectedwith the favours
God has bestowed on me, I had determined never to
divulgeit, and would not have brokenmy resolution
had I not been compelled to do so. However, your
astonishment will cease when you have heard my
story, and you will agreewith me that all is possible
with God. The last time you preachedat Camerino,
I was about eight years old, or ten at most-calculate
yourself, my father, and you will discoverthe exact
time; I am now thirty-three years old, having been
born on the 9th of April, 1458. It was on Good
Friday that you preachedyour last sermon,and of
my own accordI went to hearyou. In truth I heard
you, not only with attention, which of itself was a
grace of the Holy Spirit, but in an abstraction of the
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 299

senses,like a person who listens for the first time to

somethingof the deepestinterest. I remembervery
well that the things you spokeof seemed
to mefuture,
andnot past,whichwill proveto youthat I hadstill the
simplicityandpurity^ofyouth. You represented Jesus
Christ before Herod,who would releaseHim if He
would only speak. I felt an excessivecompassion
for Him, and beganto pray to God thus: " 0 Lord,
grant that my Jesusmay speak,that He may answer
Herod, and not be carried away to die." When I
heardyou declarethat He would not break silence,
I wasdeeplyafflicted,andI said in my heart,to soften
the pain I felt, " Why will He not speak? it seems
to me that He consents to His own death." It was so,
my good Jesus,it was so ; but I did not understand
it then. I tell you all this, my father,to show you
howyoungI musthavebeenwhen this sweetSaviour
deignedto take possession of my heart,and establish
His dwelling there.
In ending your discourse,you made a touching
appeal to your audience to weep for Jesus, and to
retain the remembrance of His sufferings. " Make
at least everyFriday," you said," a short meditation
on His sufferings,and shed one tear for His love. It
is but little that I ask from you, and yet I assure
youthat this will pleaseGodmore,and be moreuseful
to you, than any other work, however good it may
be." It was the Holy Ghost who dictated these
words to you, for, in spite of my youth, my heart
was penetrated to the quick, and they made on me
an ineffaceableimpression. When I grew a little
older, theyconstantlycameinto my mind, andI medi-
tated on them with particular satisfaction. Oneday
I wassodeeplytouchedby themthat I boundmyself
300 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

by vow to give to my JesuseveryFridaythis tear

whichyou had asked,and this wasthecommencement
of my spirituallife, asyou will clearlyseein the course
of my history. It is to you then, my father, that I
owe my introduction into this life, and, insteadof
being surprised,you will unite with me in giving
thanks to our Creator, from Whom all goodthings
proceed.
After having madethis vow,I did all in my power
to be faithful to it, in spite of the manydifficultiesI
had to contendwith. It wasnecessary for me every
Friday to put my heart to the torture to elicit this
tear which tl desired. This came from a sort of
aversionfor spiritual things, so that I couldneither
read them, nor bear to hear them read. When,
by the special favour of God, I have been able
to shed my first tear, do not suppose,my father,I
waited for a second; on the contrary, I rose in all
haste, and immediately ran away. Sometimesin
following the impulseof mynatural vivacityI laughed
soloud, and diverted myself with solittle discretion,
that when the time for weepingcame,I could not
draw from my eyesthis blessedtear. Then becoming
impatient, I went away, but with a saddenedheart,
believing that some evil would happen to me for
this infidelity, and remorse of consciencewould tor-
ment me for the whole week.
When Lent arrived, I went to confessionto Brother
Pacifico of Urbino, and declared to him all my sins as
well asI could. He askedme many questions,and,
among others, whether I had contractedany obli-
gation by vow. Without thinking, I replied in the
negative,but immediately correcting myself, I said,
" I have indeed made a vow, but I cannotfulfil it,
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARAN I. 301

althoughI really desireto do so." The good father

askedwhat it was,but becauseI knew it was a good
thing, I was ashamedto tell it, and would not at first
reply, but it ended by my yielding. When he knew
what it was, he said to me, " Do not believe, my
daughter,that I will ever dispenseyou from sucha
vow; on the contrary, I wish you to observeit, but
on this condition, that if, whenyou have done what
you can to accomplishit, you do not succeed,you will
be guilty of no sin."
I continuedthen to fulfil my obligation,but always
with the samedifficulty, and it was not till after a
long time that it diminished,and God cameto my
assistancewith His accustomedgoodness. I chanced
to find one day a meditation on the Passion of our
Lord, which seemedwritten for a person little accus-
tomed to this holy exercise; it was divided into five
points, after each of which an Ave was to be said.
The first point pleasedmemuch,and beingsooncon-
vincedthat I shouldbe equallypleasedwith theothers,
I kept the book, and resolved to read this meditation
everyFriday on my knees. I did sofor severalyears,
exciting myself to shed a tear at eachof the Aves,
which I recited as devoutly as I could. It appeared
that this devotion was agreeableto my Jesus, for in
generalI shedmany tears,insteadof only one. One
Friday it happenedthat I had beenmuch occupied
until midnight, whenI obtainedpermissionto go to
my room. Seeingthe night sofar advanced, andthat
my reading would take a long time, I was much
temptedto passit over for once,and it costme much
to makethe effort to begin. I struggledlong beforeI
could cometo any determination; at length, with the
help of God, I overcamemyself, and performedmy
302 BLESSED BATTISTA YARAM.

accustomed exercise. Oh, my fatherin JesusChrist!

if you knew the dangerI ran that night, an hour after
I went to bed,you would be astonished. If you wish
to know, I will tell you anothertime, but now I will
not interrupt my history. Oh, how happythat crea-
ture is, who, whenassailedby temptation, holds fast
by her resolution. I saythis, for I know it by ex-
perience; but to return from,this digression.
The ever-increasing pleasurewhich I felt in reading
this, inspiredmewith the desireof substitutingmedi-
tation for it. I thenbeganto meditateon the Passion,
not only on Fridays, but every day. and that for a
considerable time, accordingto the inspiration which
God gaveme,without usingthe book. This practice
procured me such an abundanceof devout tears,
that I couldnot saya rosarywithout weeping,even
before strangers. This lasted three years beforeI
resolved to give myself to God. I need hardly
add, that the devil did his bestto make me give up
this holy practice. At his instigation, personswhom
I could not avoid, becausethey lived in the house
with me, misinterpretedmy tears, imputing them to
worldly sorrows, or ridiculous affections. Not con-
tent with thinking thus, they said it to my face,and I
own that these reproachesdeeply wounded my heart.
Yet, by the graceof God, I cameout victorious from all
thesecombatswith my resolutionsunchanged. " In-
terpret my conduct as you will," I said to them, turn-
ing interiorly to God-" interpret my conduct as you
will, I carelittle for your blameor yourpraise." And
thus passedthosethree years,during which devotion
to the Passionof JesusChrist inundatedmy heart.
I fasted every Friday on bread and water, and
bound myself by vow to abstainon that day from
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 303

certain habitual imperfections. UnfortunatelyI was

not always faithful to this engagement. I often
scourged every member of my body, one after the
other. Every night I interrupted my sleep,and got
out of bed to say a chaplet,and when I had neg-
lected this, I said two the next time. Now that I am
a nun, I no longer get up for such a purpose, nor do
any good thing whatever.
During thesethree yearsI fastedtwo or threedays
a week together on bread and water, and also on
the feastsof JesusChrist and His holy Mother, but
now I do nothing of the kind. I forgot to say that
at the end of my meditations on the Passion, which
made me shed abundance of tears, I experienced a
sort of rapture, during which my soul enjoyed a
peacewhich I cannot express; I only know that in
this extraordinarystate, which lasted about aslong
as one or two Ave Marias, my body was without feel-
ing, like a corpse,and my soulwas transportedinto
a place of peaceand delight. On coming out of this
state, I often said to God Avith my whole heart, " 0
my Lord! if Thou foreseestthat any worldly thing
will separateme from Thee by a hair's breadth, pre-
vent this by sending me a thousand misfortunes."
Now I understoodby separationthe loss of the
sweetnessI tasted in these moments; for at the period
of whichI speakI hadno otherway of approaching
God
than this. The life which I then led presentedmany
hindrances.Canyou imagine,my father,that with the
exception
ofthe shorttimeI gaveto meditationonthe
Passion,all the rest was sacrificedto dancing,music,
promenades, and similartrifles? Beadingdevoutbooks
tired me or made me laugh. I had suchan aversion
for religious that I couldscarcelybear to look at
304 BLESSED BATTTSTA VARANI.

them. Dress and frivolous reading were my de-

light. In short,duringthosethreeyearsmy soulwas
asaprisoner, andthoughI struggledin mymeditations
and multipliedmy prayers,I couldnot obtainthe
graceof full liberty. Now, my father,listento the
means by which Providencedelivered me. How
goodThou art, 0 my God! Thouknowesthow to
helpin a thousandwaysthe soulthat sincerelydesires
to apply itself to the pursuit of virtue.

CHAPTEK II.

SHE RESISTS THE GRACE OF A RELIGIOUS VOCATION

FOR A LONG TIME, BUT ENDS BY FOLLOWING IT

WITH GENEROSITY.

GOD,in His infinite mercy,willed that my eyes,so

long blinded by the profounddarknessof the world,
should at last open to the light of truth. Father
Francisof Urbino (whosewordsand teachingseemed
to shakemy soullike thunderand lightning) cameto
preach the Lent afc Camerino. During the whole
season,
he repeatedthoseterrible words, " FearGod,
fearGod!" Now I felt this holy fear,for I perceivedthe
greatnessof the offences
I had committed againstHis
Majesty, and experiencedsuch a dread of the flames
of hell, that had I not known despairto be of all
sins the most displeasingto God, I firmly believe
that I shouldhave despairedof His mercy. It
alonewasall my consolation
and all my support,for
I spoketo no oneof what waspassingin my heart.
I wept night and day over my infidelities and
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 305

ingratitude,and applied myself with great contrition

to meditationon the Passionof my Saviour,giving a
long time to this exercise,both morning and evening.
Feeling also more than ever the necessityof penance,
on Fridays I only took three or four mouthfuls of bread
and a glassof water. Sometimeseven the whole day
passedwithout my eating anything. I spent the
night without going to bed, sleepingsolittle, and so
lightly, that I couldsaywith truth, " I sleep,but my
heart wakes."
In this life of prayer, upon which fear made me
enter, I began to hear at intervals a voice unknown
to me, a voice which seemedto come from afar, but
not so far but that the words were quite intelligible :
it said to me, that if I would escapethe pains of hell,
of which I had such fear, I must renounce the world
and become a nun. My mind at the sametime was
enlightened by a light from heaven, which made me
seeclearly that unlessI quitted the world I should be
lost. Xow these words were very bitter, and this
light very insupportable, becauseI had not yet shaken
off the chains of my evil nature, and, accustomedas
I was to the pletasuresof the world, I was very un-
willing to renouncethem. I alleged to myself many
strong and persuasive
reasons,but they madeno im-
pressionon me, becauseof my ill-regulatedaffections,
from which it is necessaryto be free before we can
listen to such inspirations.
During these miserablecombats,I was very un-
happy,and had I beenabandoned to myself,I haveno
doubt nature would have triumphed, but my Ee-
deenaer, the true and only Friend of souls,would not
permit it. Touchedwith compassion, He put into my
mind a good thought, which I carried out without
20
306 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANT.

repugnance,
and,if it did not procureme a complete
victory, it at least contributedlargely to my conver-
sion. It was this : one day that gracespoketo my
heart morestronglythan usual,without beingableto
vanquishmy repugnance,it seemedto me that God
bid me write to the father who preached; I did so
immediately, without telling any one, and without
hopingfor a reply. It is true that I did not deserve
one, for my obedienceto the inspiration was far from
sincere. I excited his zeal to labour for the soul of one

who was a stranger to me, telling him not one word of

my personalwants. But I added a postscript to my let-
ter, "Remember me, my father,in the peacefulelevation
of your mind." I said this in the persuasion that
every servant of God experienced at the end of his
meditations that supernatural peacewhich I experi-
enced,and this goodfathermore than others,because
I consideredhim a saint, almost an angel from heaven.
He deignedto reply to me, andsentmeby a sureand
secret channel the following answer : " I will, under-
take the affair j^ou recommend to me, and will omit
nothing to make it succeed,whether in my public
or private instructions. As for you, my daughter, I
recommend
you to guardcarefullythe purity of both
body and heart, after the example of S. Cecilia and
manyother virgins, until the momentwhenGodwill
disposeof you accordingto His graciousdesigns.
Be careful not to yield to the sensualtemptations
which assailyou ; on the contrary, overcomeyourself
in all thingswith a holy generosity. Farewell." The
reading of these lines produced in me profound
affliction; for it was evident that these words were
so many arrows shot by the Hand of God at
my poor heart. It was very evident that He had
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 307

made known to the father what was passingwithin

me, since I had never revealed it to any one, and
yet he appearedacquaintedwith the captivity of my
heart.

As soon as I recovered from my vexation, I

exclaimed," It is Thou, 0 my God,Who speakestto
me by the ministry of Thy servant, for he could not
otherwise haveknown my combats,and yet he saysto
me, ' Overcome
yourselfif you would beperfectlyfree.'
Well then, my God, I will do what is commanded."
Will you believe it, my father, scarcelyhad I made
the sacrificeof two or three satisfactions
of the eyes,
than I was delivered from this evil passion. I then
conceivedfor Father Francis an affection which may
have been too strong perhaps, but which was never-
theless necessaryfor changing the profane love which
occupied my heart into a holy and spiritual love.
Besides, I owed something to a servant of God who
had rendered me suchan important service.
After having delivered,me from the slavery of
Pharao,God pressedme still morestronglyto with-
draw into the desert,and sacrificeto Him there ; that
is to say, to shut myself up in a convent, where I
should be occupied in His service; but restrained by
my perversenature,I turned a deaf ear to His call;
my determination not to quit the world became
strongerand stronger,and, fool that I was, I dared
to opposeto gracethe most frivolous excusesto
justify myself. For instance,I said to myself,"My
father lovesme too muchto permit me to go into a
convent, and he is too powerful for any one to dare
to contradict him by withdrawing me from his hands."
I really believedthis, and regardedthe thing asim-
possible,even had it beenmy most sinceredesire.
20-2
308 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

O my God! my God! what had I then done to de-

serve the interest Thou didst take in me, being as I
am a false and sinful creature ? What need hadst
Thou of my services,0 my sweet Jesus,to seekme
with somucheagerness 1 I remembervery well all
the meansHe suggestedto me for withdrawing my-
self from my father,' but their remembrance
pierces
my heart too deeplyfor me to tell them.
This Master, so patient and wise, seeing the
hardness of my heart, and yet unable to resolve to
abandon me, changed His treatment, and inspired
Father Francis to preach a sermonthe day before the
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, on the ardent
love which the angelical salutation enkindled in her
heart. Never had I heard him preach with so much
fervour. I believed, while listening to him, that I
heard a seraph rather than a man. He affirmed,
among other things, that in one single spark of this
divine love which consumedthe heart of Mary, there
was more sweetnessthan in all the pleasuresof the
Avorldcombined. This made so strong an impression
on me, that all my resistanceyielded at once. When
the sermonwas over, I approachedone of the altars,
and, throwing myself on my knees, made a vow to
the Queen of Virgins, to preserve all my senses
immaculate until God made me know His Will.
I made one condition, however, which was that the
divine Mother would sharewith me a sparkof that
fire which burned in her heart at the moment of the
Annunciation. From that time this desire and pro-
mise occupied my mind day and night, and I
prayed,with all the fervourin my power,for this pre-
cioussparkof love; but becauseHe could not place
sucha rich treasurein an uncleanvessel,Godwilled
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARAXI. 309

to purify my heart in the manner I am about to re-

late.
The preacherdeterminedto preachon Holy Satur-
day,thoughthis was contraryto custom,as well asto
the wishesof the canons,who objected,on accountof
the longofficesin the cathedral on that day. His
audiencewasvery limited, because the publicwerein-
clined to follow the general custom; but the grace
which God intended this sermon to bestow failed not.
Thegoodfatherbeganby askingpardonofhis audience
for this unaccustomed sermon,excusing himself by
pleadingan inspirationfrom God,Whorequiredfrom
him that he shouldpreparethemto makea goodEaster
Communionon the morrow. He then went on to speak
of the circumstanceswhich might render this sacri-
legious,and dwelt long on the subject. I followed
him with great attention, and was struck by the
following words: " Whoever has received absolution,
without the firm determinationto give up all that is
or that leads to mortal sin, is forbidden to communi-
cate." " Miserablebeingthat I am!" said I to my-
self, "it is thus that I have alwayscommunicated, for
I have never had the firm purposeto renounceall
vanity and folly, at leastuntil now; but I will gothis
eveningto confession, and declarespeciallythesesins,
with the firm resolution never again to yield to
them." And so I did.
[Our readersmay be surprised at this declaration,
if they take it literally. It is certainthat the vanity
of which shespeaksdid not extendto mortal sin, for
vanity in itself is not such. To render it mortal,
-circumstances of scandalmust accompany it, andthis
the whole of her life contradicts. It might be sus-
pectedthat she had committed grave faults of sen-
310 BLESSED BATTISTA VAKANI.

suality; yet we find afterwardsthat she had always

preservedher heart and bodypure. It is incredible
that soscrupulousa soul shouldhave taken so little
care about examination and contrition as to make her
confessions
[invalid. What, then, mustwe think of
the manner in which she judges herself? We must
believe it to have been dictated by excessivehumi-
lity. " It is the peculiarity of pious souls," says S.
Gregory," to see sins wherethere are none,and to
find gravity in matters of little weight." When
preachersreproach the guilty, in order to move their
consciencesand convert them, thesegood soulstake
to themselvesall that is said,because,
by divine light,
they seeclearly the heinousnessof sins which others
think lightly of, asthe ray of sunshineenteringinto a
chamber shows the dust hitherto concealed. But to
return to our story.]
My confessor,
FatherOlivieri, inquiredfor howlong
a time I had communicated in this manner; and, on
my replying, " Almost always,"he said: " Certainly,
my daughter,I will not allow you to approachthe
holy table. Examine yourself during these days as
seriously as you can, and return in a week to make a
general confession." The following day, when all rose
to approach the altar, I continued sitting in my place,.
coveredwith shameand confusion,because I thought
every one would notice this humiliating exception.
" Well," I said to myself, " the proverbis true which
says, ' He who gives not what he can, never receives
what he wishes.' This is my bitter experienceto-
day."
After havingmademy generalconfession, Godgave-
methe graceto preserve during Paschaltime the sorrow
to which it had given birth. As for my confession,it
 BLESSED EATTISTA VAUANI. 311

was still very defective. My elastic conscienceand

my want of light preventedmy discoveringthe faults
I seeclearly now ; but what I did not say then, I
saidafterwards,asyou mayimagine; and if my con-
fession was imperfect, it was at least sincere. It was
on the eve of Low Sunday, in S. Peter's church, that
Father Olivieri heard my confession,and gave me
Paschal Communion.
On the sameday, I had an interview for the first time
with the pious Father Francis of Urbino. He askedme
if I thought of enteringreligion. On my replying in
the negative, an air of sadnessoverspreadhis counten-
ance,and he said, " You are now whole ; sin no more,
go in peace." I returned home joyful and happy.
My soul being purified in the manner I havestated,
the divine goodnessbegan to knock more loudly at the
door of my heart. Its voice made itself heard, not
in the distance as heretofore, but within me, and in a
manner so clear and distinct that I could not stifle it.
I often shut my ears, but it was useless,becauseit
spoke not to my body, but to my soul. When I began
to pray, it seemed as if I were going to the war, for
then I fought incessantly against God; and there is no
war so painful as that. However, I never inter-
rupted the courseof my daily prayers. It happened
sometimes, that, fatiguedwith my resistanceto grace,
Godwould sayto me, "I amHe Whomthou desirest,
and yet the more I call, the moredeafdo thy earsbe-
come. The more I pressthee, the more thou resistest
My love for thee. Well, then, my daughter,go into
the world where thy folly leads thee ; there thou wilt
find no satisfaction for thy desires." Consider, my
dearfather, that my mind did not assentto these
words; I turned them over and over, but found no
312 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

rest, nor could I resolveto enterreligion. Neverthe-

less,insteadof shorteningmy prayer, I repeatedit
because it was Friday, and it seemedthat someone
drew near to assist me. I have never been sub-
jected to such a shock of contendingfeelings: at
one moment willing to obey the call of grace,the
next, revolting againstit. But at last my freewill,
which in the midst of the conflict had remained
neutral, erected itself into a judge, and decidedin
favour of the Spirit of God.
The submission was prompt. I determined, with
all the affection of my soul, to serve the Lord as He
wished, and wasready,if necessary,to suffermartyrdom,
rather than continueto resistgrace,or evento oppose
it by sinful delays. I felt, at the same moment, a
lively desireto go to Urbino, somethingwhispering
to meinteriorly that it was only there that I couldserve
God with a tranquil heart. The determination was
to my soul, exhaustedby such painful agitations,what
a soft bedof flowerswould have been to a body ex-
hausted with fatigue. Since that day I have ever
enjoyed profound peace,and great spiritual joy.

CHAPTER III.

SPIRITUAL FAVOURS WHICH FOLLOWED HER ENTIRE

CONVERSION.

IT is now, 0 my God, that I feel more than ever in

needof Thy assistance,
having to recountthingsmore
angelic than human. Assist me, then, 0 Lord, I
beseechThee; grant me the grace worthily to re-
count Thy admirable benefits, those benefits with
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 313

which Thou hast loadedThine unworthy creaturefor

her ownshameand confusion. And you, my father,
while listeningto me, saynot once,but a thousand
times," I amno longerastonished at your greattrials,
but only that God has been so lenient towardsyou,
ungrateful creature that you are ; for what could He
havedone for you that He has not done? and how
haveyou corresponded to His adorablegoodness
1" In
saying this, my father,you would saybut the truth.
In fact, as soon as I had conformed my will to His
adorable Will, all the cataracts of heavenseemedto
open upon me, and my sinful soul was absorbed in
the abyssof the divine mercies. This God of good-
ness came to meet His prodigal child; He received
her in His Arms, and pressed her to His Heart; He
bestowedon her the sweetestcaresses,and gave her,
not once, but many times, with His divine Mouth,
the kiss of peace. 0 my heart, harder than the
very stones, how is it that thou dost not break
with love1 What art thou doing? Why art thou
so slow in showing thy gratitude?" And yet the
sovereigngoodnesscontinued to treat my unfaithful
soul as the mother who cannot caress her child suffi-
ciently; and this coveredme with confusion. Oh,
how often haveI besought,with true humility, this
loving Father to ceasecaressing
me,for I was so un-
worthy ! How oftenhaveI withdrawn from prayer
in order to escapefrom His divine Arms ! But this
means,which might have been sufficient to save
me from His justice, couldnot tear me from the em-
braces of His love. It frequently happened that
on leavingmy prayer my soul requireda certain
time to return to herself. Often I heard within me
of inexpressiblesweetness,
wordsfull of manna
314 ELESSED EATTISTA VARANI.

and honey,of gladnessand joy. But what am I

doing? Do I pretendthat I am writing all? I
cannot,aud if I could I would not, because
of the
wordsof the prophet: " Thy words have I in my
heart, that I may not sin against Thee." I will
only say with the Spousein the Canticles: " My
soul melted when He spoke," and with the Psalmist:
" How sweet are Thy words to my palate, more than
honey to my mouth. Thy word is exceedingly re-
fined, and Thy servant hath loved it."
I saw clearly within me the accomplishmentof this
word of the prophet Ezechiel, " In what day soeverhe
shall turn from his wickedness,I will not remember
all his iniquities that he hath done." God did
still more for me, He effaced them from my own
remembrance. I could not, indeed, remember any of
my former sins, and I no longer felt any fear; and
therefore I plunged into, and submergedmyself in an
oceanof love. Such was the fruit of my conversion,
which made me understand how the beginning of
wisdom (that is, the first taste of the divine sweet-
ness) is the fear of the Lord ; and becausethis taste
is strongly felt, in proportion to the strength of the
previous fear, it was without measure, as my former
fear had been.
For many previous years my heart had experienced
a strong necessityto love, and becausemy affections
leant towards creatures,I restrained them with the
rein of discretion,for fear of compromisingmyself,
but when they inclined towards God, I slackenedthe
reins, and allowed them to rush forth impetuously
towards my sweet Saviour, Who, not content with
calling me, showed Himself to me, sometimesunder
the form of a Father, sometimes under the form of a.
 BLESSED BATTISTA VAEAM. 315

Friend,sometimes
(andthat the mostfrequently)
under the form of a loving Spouse. When He
deignsto enter into a soul in this way, I believe,
from my own little experience,that He gives birth
thereto a feelingof divine love, so sweet and deli-
cious,that there is nothing in this life with whichit
canbe compared. If this feeling had not beentran-
sitory, I shouldhave wishedneverto quit this mortal
life, becauseI felt as if I were already in possession
of eternal life. In truth, I cannot imagine any
differencebetweenthis blissand the joys of paradise,
exceptthat which exists between an uncertain and
fleetinghappinessand a certain and everlastingjoy.
But, alas! this differenceis not small; I would say
rather it is sovereignand infinite !
Beholdingmyselfnow, on the onehandsotenderly
loved,and on the other soguilty andvicious-I could
not seemyself otherwise; for when the Sun of justice
entersinto a soul,she finds herself enlightenedwith
marvellouslight-I sometimes exclaimed,full of won-
der, " 0 my Lord! if thedemonsdared to utter sucha
blasphemy, it seemsto metheymustregardTheeasthe
friendof vice. I beseechThee,myJesus,I conjureThee
not to permit themto giveTheeanamesoodious.I say
they might call Theeso,for I ambut iniquity, and yet
Thou lovest me with incredible love. 0 my Jesus,
again I beseechThee, suffer not the demonsto dis-
honour Thee becauseof Thy love for me." One day
while I was speakingthus,I heardthis loving Godre-
ply :" Know, my daughter, that I amfar from being the
friend of vice. I can well rejoice in thee without
loving iniquity, sincethou hast until nowpreserved
thy innocence. This is what I love and what I enjoy
in thee." Now my ignoranceof spiritual language
31G BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

caused me not to understand this word innocence.

After searching
for a longtime,I foundin a bookthe
followingsentence,
but it left me asmuchin the dark
as ever: "If thou continuest faithful to Me, I will
restore to thee thy first innocence." This only excited
my curiosity more,but I was not long in having it
satisfied. A devout friend called on me one day, to
whom I explained my difficulty, and this is the reply
which I received : " God promisedto that soul to remit

her sins, not only with regard to the guilt, but also to
the punishment." I neednot sayhow agreeable
this
was to me ; could it be otherwise, when I had received
the assurancethat God had granted me this favour?
I understoodthen what my Jesusmeant by speaking
of my innocence, but I did not understand what He
had added,and I would not ask this personin case
it might be discoveredthat it referredto myself. I
then addressed myself to my Jesus, and said to
Him : " What joy, my Saviour, what delectation, and

what object of love, canst Thou find in my inno-

cence?" He deigned to reply: " When I take delight
in thy innocence,I take delight in Myself,and not in
thee; for this innocenceis My work, and My pro-
perty ; when then I rejoice in it, and love it, it is
Myself that I love and rejoice in." I understood by
this explanation that God desires and loves Himself
alone,in heavenas well as on earth; that He loves
His creaturesthe more,in proportion asHe hascom-
municatedHimselfmoreabundantlyto them,andthat
there arenoneworthy of love in themselves. He left
me,after havinggivenmethisgrandlessonof humility,
of whichI stoodmuchin need,beingin dangerof be-
coming proud of His favours.
But let me breakoff the subject,my father, for the
 BLESSED BATTISTA VAUANI. 317

more I say of it, the more there remains for me to

say; and whenI shall havesaid all, certainlyI shall
havesaidnothing. You know enoughnow to under-
standwhat must havebeenmy peace,my tranquillity,
my sweetness, my delight, my confidence,and my
familiarity, in the embraces
of my divine Spouse,in
the sweetintercoursewith His Father,in the graces
and the consolationsof the Holy Ghost.
0 happy time ! full of joy and delight ! how hast
thou givenplaceto the tempest,to darknessand sor-
row ] 0 peacewhich surpassethall understanding,
how is it that the horrors of war have succeeded
thy
sweetness? O unspeakabledelights ! by what fatality
are you changed into wormwood and gall 1 O
love, which almost took away life ! what cruel hatred
hast Thou left behind thee ! 0 divine friendship!
0 intimacy, which cannot be understood, still less
explained, to what enmities, to what discord hast
thou given place ! O Arm of my Spouse, after
having embraced me with so much love, how hast
thou let me fall from such a height into the abyss?
Alas J what a heaAryfall! It would not be surprising,
0 my poor soul, if all thy boneswere broken ! Well
mayest thou now lament, and sigh, and say : " The
spouseof the King of kings is plungedin sorrow,and
her tears are on her cheeks; there is none to comfort
her." All my friends have left me, and made me
desolate,wastedwith sorrowall the day long. Oh !
whowill givewaterto my head,anda fountainof tears
to my eyes,that I may weepfor my sadbereavement ?
Alas ! my crown has fallen from my brow, because
I
have not been faithful to my Spouse,and now I am
reducedto spendmy life in tears. Let the heavens
and the earthweepover me,let all creaturesendowed
318 BLESSED BATTISTA VAKAXI.

with reasonjoin their lamentationsto mine. And

you,my father, weepfor me, if you havea heart that
canfeel for your desolatedaughter.'
This is the wound which has torn and still tears my
bleedingheart; I discoverit to you now, because
it is no longerpossibleto hide it. Apply a remedy
if you can; or, if you cannot,give me at leastyour
pity; it will always be somesolaceto my woe. 0
patience! O help ! how I desireyou! Sorrowcon-
sumesme, so that I am ready to faint; I am distracted
with anguish and bitterness, knowing neither what I
say or do. Pardon me, then, if any unbecoming
words escapeme. But enough of my sorrows; let me
continue my narrative. I will recount, accordingto
promise, all the courseof my spiritual life, until
the time of my desolation,and I hope,through the
graceof God,to do sowith all truth and simplicity.
He who is the Flower of the fields, the Lily of the
valleys, and who feeds among the lilies, wished
to leave in me marks of His passage,and ornamented
my soul with three lilies of exquisite perfume;
the first was such an aversion for the world, that if
God had said to me, " Mount the throne of the
Caesars,with the certainty of being saved,or enter a
convent and run the risk of being lost," I would not
have hesitateda momentin giving the preferenceto
the religious state. Becauseof the hatred I bore to
the world, I saw nothing in it that could pleaseme : its
pompsand its pleasuresfilled mewith disgust,for I
sawin them neither pompnor glory, but only a tem-
porary hell, the earnestof an eternalhell. Behold
what they are in reality; I sayit to the shameof those
who think differently. The secondlily was a pro-
found humility, which mademesincerelybelieveand
 BLESSED EATTISTA VARAN I. 319

-confess that the earth bore not on her surface a

greatersinnerthan myself, a creaturedeservingto be
condemnedby His justice, and savedonly by pure
mercy. The more He showeredHis benefitsupon
me, the more unworthy I believed myself to be; I
thereforeconsideredHis graces,not somuch asgifts,
but as depositswhich He confidedto my care,or rather
as funds with which I should traffic for His benefit. Oh
how worthy of love arethesetruths ! Ohwhat grati-
tude do I owe Him for suchprecious instructions ! The
third lily was 'an ardent desire of suffering. Such in
fact was my inclination,that if it had beenproposed
to me to mount to heaven by any other road than by
Calvary, I should have refused the invitation. I some-
times said to Him, with all the affection of my soul,
" If the good things with which Thou honourest me,
my Lord, proceedreally from a sincereheart, wilt Thou
givemeproofof it, by associating
meto the sufferingsof
Thy beloved Son 1" He promised that He would, and
He kept His promise, for sincethen I have drunk at
least four times the chalice of bitterness even to
satiety.
Soon after this I fell ill of a sickness, from which
I have suffered for thirteen years. I have always
borne it with inconceivable joy, except for this last
year,whenit seemedthat I could bear it no longer.
I do not glory in this, my father, but I return all
glory to the Lord, for I know that patienceis one
of His gifts. After the first sevenmouths (during
which time I was every minute at the point of
death), I wasable to leaveniy bed. It was then
that Father Gregory, who now (if we may trust
the universal belief) reigns in heaven,taught me
to meditate on the Passion of our Lord, by reciting
320 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

the chapletof His holy Mother, which occupiedme

three hours every day. This devotion procuredme
unspeakablesweetness,andinexhaustibleconsolations.
One day in particular, whilst I contemplatedthe
glorious mystery of the Transfiguration,I received
such heavenly promises, that I cannot now hear it
mentioned without my heart palpitating with joy.
There is nothing more true than the words of the
prophet: " Taste and see." I know it by my own
experience,for as soon as I had tasted, I saw that
God alone deserved to be loved. From that moment
I experienced
a burningdesireto beholdthe beautyof
His countenance,and my prayerswere all more or less
languishing desires of love. All creaturesseemedto
invite me to contemplate this divine Lover. The
sight of a blade of grass, or of a flower, was sufficient
to recallto meHis sovereignbeauty,and inflamemy
heart. Each time I turned my eyes towards the
heavens,the psalm " Ccelieuarrant" cameinto my
mind, and I cried, " 0 my Jesus! if Thy works are
sobeautiful,what then must be the splendourof Thy
Face1 ShowThyselfto me,I beseech Thee,my good
Master, show Thyself to me-show Thyself to me !
What pleasurecanstThou takeiii seeingme languish
for solonga time? Thou alone art my life and my
hope; Thou alone art all my love. Why, then, dost
ThouhideThyself? Why dostThoudeprivemeof the
sight of Thy fair countenance?" During the time
of which I speak,I did not fly from Him asI had
donebefore; onthe contrary,I pursuedHim saying,
" I run after Theeto the odour of Thy ointments,so
superiorto all perfumes. Show Thyself to meand I
shall be content. Oh that thou would'st kiss me
with a kiss of Thy Mouth."
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARAXI. 321

When I had passedsix monthsin the agitationand

sufferingof these desires,it pleasedGodto hearmy
vows in sucha manner, that instead of showingme
His Face, He turned awayfrom me,saying," Write
these words, my daughter, ' My Jesus grants me
indirectly that which I have asked of Him. It is
truly in an indirect manner that He now listens to me
and hears me, and yet my desires are directly accom-
plished. I feel it, for now my soul is happy and
tranquil.'"
But it is necessaryfor me, my father, to give you a
more detailed accountof this apparition. Oneday,
when I was at prayer, I recognized by certain signs
that He was present in my soul. When He was
about to withdraw, He said to me : " If thou desirest
to seeMe, raise thy head." I looked, and saw Him
retiring, as one man would leave another, turning
round, and continuing His way. When I first saw
Him, He was already more than six paces off, and
traversingwith slowstepsalargehall,at the extremity
of which there was a small door, like the door of a
cupboard. I could observeHim at leisure,until He
reachedthis door, when, stooping becauseof His great
height, He passedthroughit, and disappeared.At
the same moment the hall and the little door both
vanished, and I saw my own room as before. If
I was not happy enoughto behold His Face,I at
least remarked His vestments. He was clad in a robe
of dazzling whiteness,which descendedto'.HisFeet.
It was embroidered with a border of golden letters,
which swept the ground; and this border was
about the breadth of a finger's length. I could not
read the letters, as muclabecause
of the distanceas
of the continual movement of the robe; not that
21
322 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

His stepswerequick,for on the contrarythey were

slow, but He walked without ever stopping. His
waistwasvery thin, and girt with a goldenbaud,
about thebreadthof two fingers. He wastaller than
any man I had ever seen,by a headand shoulders.
His golden hair, which was slightly crisp, floated
over His shouldersand reachedto His girdle. Some-
thing adornedHis Head, but I cannotsaywhetherit
was a crown or diadem, or a simple circlet of roses
and other flowers. I am inclined to believe, as He
was arrayed with the magnificence of a heavenly
King, that I was consideredunworthy to behold
Him. I could never describethe effect of His golden
hair, mingled with the dazzling whitenessof His robe,
as it floated over His broad shoulders. All that I
can say is, that, enchanted with the richness of His
apparel, and still more by His majesty and grace, I
remained stupefied with admiration.
During the two years and a half that I continued
in the world after my conversion, preparing for the
complete sacrifice I wished to make of myself to God,
He gave me many other gracesand gifts, of which I
will say nothing, as it is better to be silent than
to speakof such extraordinarythings at the risk of
interrupting the peace which my heart enjoys. I
ought, however,to tell you, that during this time of
tranquillity God showed me all the trials to which I
should be subjected at a later period. His intention
was doubtlessto enableme to support them with
as much prudenceas resignation; but, alas! my
father, I cannot conceal it, I have neither done one
nor the other. I have actedquite contraryto what
a faithful sheepwould have done, and now I am con-
demned
to weepfor my folly: " 0 all ye who pass
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 323

by the way of divine love, attend and seeif there

be any sorrow like to mine."* My soul, oncethe
spouseof the Lord, initiated into His secrets,and
brought up in scarlet, is now reduced to dwell on a
dunghill, becauseshe allowedherself to be seduced
by the deceitsof the devil. [It is needlessto add
that it is her humility whichmakesher speakthus,for
nothing in her conductwouldjustify this lamentation.]
There is a time for everything. The moment of
afflictions and trials arrived, to prove whethermy
virtue was gold or lead, and I had much to suffer
both in body and soul. Besides the illnesses with
which God afflicted me, I was the object of a very
painful persecution, the author of which I am not at
liberty to name.
[Pascucci,the historianof her life, explainsit thus:
Her father, who became sovereign of Camerino by
the death of his nephew, Nicholas Yarani, was not
satisfied with being named general-in-chief of the
troops of the Venetian republic, but, Avishing to in-
creasethe splendourof his family by a rich alliance,
ho did all in his power to force his daughter into a
certainmarriage,aswe shallpresentlysee.]
Every temptationwas employedto overcomeme;
at first promisesand flatteries,then threats, which
endedin my beingimprisoned; but, by the grace of
God,caresses madeno impressionon my heart, nor
promiseseither. Threatsexcitedin mea strongdesire
to see them fulfilled, arid imprisonment only ren-
dered my determinationmore fixed. At length
all this ended,like the Egyptian captivity. God
withdrew me from the hands of the powerful Pharao,
whosehardnessof heart lasted two years and a half.
* Lament, i. 12.
21-2
324 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

and who endedby sayingto mewith his own mouth:

"I yieldto theLord, Whosevengeance
I dread.The
Jear of drawing upon myself His vengeance,alone
forces me to restore your liberty. Otherwiseyou
never would have obtained my consent to become a
nun."
I escaped
then from Egypt, where a yoke of iron
had crushed me 'for so long, and I came out laden
"with spiritual riches. I passedthe Eed Seadry-shod.
I understand by the Ked Sea the purple and honour
of sovereignty,brilliant chimeras,which seduce man-
kind, but which conceal much misery, and end in
smoke. When safe across,I turned my head to look
back, and saw Pharao and his host overwhelmed in
the waves; that is to say, the devil with all his strata-
gems,all his sinsand vices. After having returned
thanks to God my Deliverer, I plungedinto the desert
which was to lead me to the promised land ; that is,
to speakwithout figure, I went to the monastery of
Urbino,whereyou,my father,werewitnessto my joy,
which forced me to cry with Mary, the sister of
Moses," Let us singto the Lord, for He is gloriously
magnified; the horse andhis rider He hath thrown
into the sea."* You might find others, my father,
who renouncedthe world as willingly, and with as
much pleasureas myself, but not "with more joy and
heartiness.*Youhaveperhaps
beensurprisedby my
comparing myself to the children of Israel, but
I cannotfind a more striking comparison;for God
loadedmewith especialgraces,asHe did them, and
like them,I have resisted His goodnesswith invin-
cible hardness of heart.

[Perhaps
the readermaywishto knowwhyBat-
* Exod. xv. 1.
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 325

tista,in quitting the world, preferredthe monastery

of Urbino. Pascuccigivesthe following reasons: A
short time before, the Princess Battista Malatesta,the
wife of Guido of Montefeltre, since known as Sister
Jerome, had entered this convent. It was also in
this monastery that her relation, Elizabeth, widow of
Peter Gentilis Varani, had lived. This princess,
after the murder of her husband, became a nun
at Foligno, but the hatred of the enemiesof her
family pursued her into her retreat. They per-
suadedPope Nicholas V. that her professionwas but
a feint to cover the design of bringing the town
again under the domination of her family ; and, in
consequence,she received an order to depart. Thanks
to the intervention of some Italian princes, the
Pontiff gave her the monastery of Monteluce, where
twenty-one nuns from Foligno followed her. Seven
years afterwards, at the requestof the Duke of Urbino,
Pope Calixtus III. gave her orders to found a monas-
tery in that town. She did so, and governedit with
as much wisdom as edification. Her daughter, Fran-
cescaVarani, lived there also with her relation, Eu-
phrasia Chiavelli of Fabriano, Emerentiana Colonna,
Clara Cappelli, Bernarclina Baglioni, and several
other ladies of illustrious birth. The Blessed Battista
entered the convent on the 14th of November. 1481.1
326 ELESSED EATTISTA VAEANI.

CHAPTER IV.

WHAT SHE HAD TO SUFFER DURING HRR NOVICIATE.

-HER RETURN TO CAMERINO, WHERE SHE RE-
CEIVED GREAT FAVOURS FROM HEAVEN, AND,
AMONG OTHERS, A VISIT FROM S. CLARE.

UNTIL now, my father, I have been giving you the

history of my spiritual life, during the time that the
glorious Virgin Mary, touched by my prayers,commu-
nicatedto mea sparkof divine love. It was,indeed,
but a spark, detachedfrom that furnace which burns in
eternity; yet it kindled such a fire in my heart, that
I could scarcelysupport the delightful heat,which
often compelledme to cry out, " No more, Lord, no
more." I will now tell you what occurred to me
when I was clothed with the habit of S. Francis. An
old writer saysthat we must retire into solitudeto
hear the singingof birds, to breathethe perfumeof
flowers, to contemplatetheir brilliant colours,and
to discover the hidden dwelling-places of animals.
Scarcelyhad I entered the sacredmonasteryof Urbino,
than I found there similar pleasures; the harmonious
chant of the divine praises,the beauty of edifying
example, and, if I dare say so, the dwelling-placeof
graces and celestial gifts. Powerfully moved and
urged by the Holy Spirit, I felt within me a burning
desireto penetrateinto the centreof the desert; that
is to say, into the depths of the Heart of my most
sweet Jesus, and to discover there His most hidden
griefs. I renounced,
therefore,
asmuchas possible,
the mannaof heavenlysweetnesses;
not that I was
tired of them,asthe ungratefulJewishpeoplewere,
 BLESSED BATTISTA VAKANI. 327

l>utbecause
I hada profoundfeelingof my own un-
worthiness,and fearedbesidesthat theseanticipated
payments were drawnfrom the capitalof my future
happinessin heaven. I thereforebesoughtmy God,
'with a pure and sincereheart,to nourish,to satiate,
and to fill mewith the sorrowfulpain which myJesus
had enduredin His cruelPassion,and to let medrink
long draughtsfrom His bitter chalice. This was,in-
-deed,the only want which my soulfelt, and her only
desire; so that I could say with the Spousein the
Canticles,"A bundleof myrrh is my belovedto me;
he shallabidebetweenmy breasts."*
I resolvedthen to employmy wholetime ofprayerin
meditation on the Passionof JesusChrist, not wishing
to occupymyself with aught else,in order to plunge
with all the vigour and impetuosityof my soul,into
the sea of bitterness which inundated His Sacred
Heart. And how could I not desire, 0 my beloved
Jesus,to penetrateinto Thy loving Heart, whereI
knew my name was written in letters of gold, ever
since the manifestationThou didst deignto make to
me! Oh ! how bright they appearedon the crimson
of Thy divine Heart, those large golden letters, " I
lovethee,Camilla." Thou didst grantmethis favour,
0 my good Jesus! becauseI could not understand
that Thou hadst for me such a tender love. " How
is it," I once said to Thee-"how is it that Thou
canst love such a wicked creature 1" "I cannot do
otherwise,"Thou didst reply, " for thy nameis written
in My Heart!" and then lifting Thy glorified Arm,
Thou madest me read the words across the Wound of
Thy Heart. 0 my soul, why dost thou not take
courageand confidenceat the remembranceof this
* Cant. i. 12.
328 BLESSED BATTISTA VARAXI.

goodness, this love of thy belovedJesus? Thou wilt

say to me, I know, that it is not possible. Alas ! it
is too true, that this remembrance, instead of en-
couragingme, piercesmy heart, and forcesme to
cry out in lamentation," 0 all ye who pass by the
way of divine love, attend and see if there be any
sorrow like to mine."
But to return. After having perseveredduring two
yearsin meditationon the Passionof Christ,with the
desire of partaking of His sufferings,I was introduced
by an admirable grace of the Holy Spirit, into the
sacred bed of His divine Heart, which contains an
ocean of bitterness, of which neither man nor angel
can measurethe depth. How often should I havebeen
submergedin this ocean,if God had not sustainedme
by His powerful Arm: for I had much more difficulty
in supporting the bitterness of my sorrows than the
sweetness of His love. Therefore I often said with all
the fervour of my soul, " No more, my Lord, no more;
if I plungedeeperin this ocean,I shallbe swallowed
up, for it has neither bottom nor shore." Then my
God would appear to me no longer as a paradise, but
as a hell. And indeed, in my simplicity, I often gave
Him this name; for no other seemedto suit Him
so well. I will say nothing further on this subject
now, as I intend to recur to it again, but there is one
observationI believeI ought to make,namely,that
althoughmy interior painswere asdreadfulasit was
possiblefor my soul, assistedby the Holy Spirit, to
bear,they wereto the sufferingsof my Jesusbut as
a grain of sand to heavenand earth.
During thesetwo years,whichI spentin the monas-
tery of Urbino,beforereturningto my owncountry,
my soul was fertilized by benign influences of
 BLESSED EATTISTA VAEANI. 329

the Sun of Justice, and produceddifferent flowers,

agreeableto her beloved,sothat shecouldsaywith
the spousein the Canticles," Winter is now past,
the flowershaveappearedin our land."* Amongthem
was the lily, planted in the barren soil of my soul
at the beginningof my conversion, namely,the desire
of suffering. This desire,in particular,wascultivated
by the royal hand of the true Assuerus,my blessed
Jesus, and largely bedewed with the waters of His
interior sorrows. But although often reducedalmost
to death, I ceasednot to say to the Lord, " But when,
0 my God! wilt Thou conduct me into the rich
pasturesand delicious gardensof Thy sufferings,where
Thou nourishest Thy elect and beloved sheep1 O my
Jesus! Thou deferrest the accomplishment of Thy
promisesfor a long time ; fulfil them, I beseech
Thee,
without delay; yes, immediately, my Jesus,imme-
diately ! for I can wait no longer. Let not my
numeroussins make Thee repent of the promisesThou
hast made me? Ah ! Lord, I beseechThee, deprive
me not of so great a benefit."
About this time my calamitous professionap-
proached; I call it thus, becauseof the horrible tempest
of whichit wasthe cause,a tempestwhich agitatednot
my monasteryonly, but the whole order, and also
some seculars. I believeI ought not to give details
of this event, and I would even desire that no guess
should be madeon the subject. What I can say is,
that if my professionwas the causeof trouble on
earth,it wasa subject of joy to the angels,and the
occasion of a solemn festival in heaven. Be assured
of this. It is not on the reportof othersthat I affirm
* Cant. ii. 11, 12.
330 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

it, but on the clearknowledge

I hadof it myself:and
would to God that all sinners were as certain of their
"salvation as I am of the truth of this fact. Is it that
I glory in it ? Certainlynot, for I couldneverbelieve
that the angelswouldrejoicein this manneroverme,
but over the greatadvantageswhich my monastery
would after a time derive from my profession,and over
the acquisitionof a soul,withdrawnby gracefrom the
world. Now this double event which rejoiced the
angels,could not fail to displeasethe devil; therefore
he avengedhimself by raisingthe tempestof which
I speak.
You, my father, were elected this same year
vicar of your order in this province,a chargewhich
you had not had for a long time before, and which
since then has not been imposed on you. Am I
deceivedin believing that heavenarrangedit thus,
in order that he who had been the instrument of
my conversion should continue and terminate the
work ? You continued it, indeed, by sustaining me in
this great trial; and you finished it by re-establishing
me in the peacewhich I haveenjoyed sinceSeptember,
and the sweetness of which I still taste. It is true that
you have had much to suffer from this tempest,which
agitatedeveryhouseof the orderin the province,and
even seculars of all ranks; but was it not fitting
that it should be so, since you had been the causeof
"somuch good ? Besides, I know that the trouble
which this affair cost you has not been without its
:reward,for though this monasterywas the causeof
much vexation to you, yet you have shared in the
good which it has done, and still continues to do.
And althoughyou opposedthe selectionof this site,
God changedyour opinion, and it wasyou yourself,
 BLESSED BATTISTA VAEANI. 331

who by your authority enclosedus here,and thus in-

stituted this holy monastery. Fly, if you will, from
this house of Camerino. You have nowhere else done
so much good as at Cameriiio. Therefore the devil,
who knowshow muchharmyou havedonehim, causes
you to dislike the place. I saythis to you,my father,
with filial confidence.*
When I had, with my companions, taken possession
"of the monasteryin virtue of the Apostolicrescript,
I had no scrupleon the subject of my transfer, for
God had madekno\vnto me,in a specialmanner,that
it wasagreeableto His Majesty. Yet it pleasedHis
goodnessto give me for my consolation a still more
manifest sign of His Will in this matter. The second
Friday after our entrance,Sister Constance,whom you
know well, was spinning beside me, while I was
sewing; shebegan to sing the hymn, "Anima bene-
detta dall' alto Creatore," &c.-" 0 soul, blessed by
the Most High Creator," &c. When she had finished
the first verse I sang the second, and so we con-
tinued alternately until we came to the words, " JRis-
* The origin of this monastery is thus described by the
historian Wading: "Julius Cfesar Varaiii, wishing to give
his daughter a convent at Camerino, besought the Roman
pontiff to 'give up to him the monastery of S. Constance,
which was falling into ruins, and contained only one old nun,
that with the materials he might build anotherin a morecon-
venient place for the daughters of S. Clare, under the invoca-
tion of S. Maria Nuova, and the direction of the fathers of
S. Francis. The Pope granted his request on the following
conditions:-1st. That the church of the ancient monastery
should be preserved and repaired. 2nd. That the new com-
munity should give a pensionfor life to the old nun, which
was accordingly done. It was into this conventthat Battista
entered, with seven other nuns of S. Clare, on the 4th of
January, 1484."
332 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

guardaquellemani, risguardaquellipiedi,risguarda
quel costato"-" Behold theseHands,behold these
Feet, beholdthis Side,"when sorrowrenderedme
mute, and I fell into the armsof my sister. Sheat
first believedthat this proceededmerelyfromphysical
causes,
but my distresswas purelyspiritual. My
soul was enraptured by the contemplationof the
afflicted Mother, when she received into her arms the
deadbody of her adorableSon. I heard most dis-
tinctly the mournfulvoiceof the mostholy Mother;
I heardthe loving andafflictedMary Magdalencrying
out, " 0 my Master !" The plaintive voice of the-
beloved disciple John also soundedin my ear, saying
in a low voice : " My Father ! my Brother ! and my
Master !" I heard also the lamentations of the other
beloved Maries. I remained in this state from the
hour of compline until the secondhour of the night,
and it would have lasted much longer, had I not made
a great effort to recall my spirit, and relieve the
sorrow of my sisters; for I sometimes heard them
weeping, although I was in the state of rapture, and
their affliction made the tears flow from my eyes.
At othertimes,whenI heardthevoiceof the glorious
Virgin Mary, my soul seemedto have left my body,
and I perceived none of the things of this world.
When I cameto myself, I experiencedsuch excessive
exhaustionand sorrow,that for more than a fortnight
afterwardsI lookedlike a corpserisenfrom the grave.
Before this event the mystery of Mary with the
Bodyof her Sonin her armshadneverpresenteditself
to my mind. When I had appliedmyselfto meditate
on the Passion,it was either the agonyof my Saviour
in the Gardenof Olives,or His crucifixion,which ab-
sorbedmy attention " but from this moment I became
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARAN I. 333

so much affectedby this devout mystery, that for more

than two yearsI couldnot look at a pair of pincers,a
ladder,a hammer,or a nail, althoughin my ecstasyI
had seennone of them. It wasthus that it pleased
God to show His approval of my return to Camerino;
for if He had been displeasedwith this step,He would
not have granted me such a favour, which I could
not look upon otherwise than as a singular mark'of
His love. " 0 all ye who pass by the way of divine
love, attend and see if there be any sorrow like to
mine !" God willed formerly that the Hebrew people
should be baptized, as the apostle says,in water and in
fire; and thus it pleased Him to treat me, for after
havingwashedmy soulin the tearsof contrition and
devotion, He willed also to baptize it in divine and
seraphicfire. You can easily understandwhat was
His designin this ; I had without doubt committed
many faults during the time of my tribulations, and
He wishedto purify my heart in the fire of His love,
to render me fit to receive the new favours He had in
store for me.
At lengththis year of tribulation cameto an end;
a year that had brought me so manybitter sorrows,
which the Lord had permitted to embellish my crown,
and not to punish me; for you know, my father, it
was love of my vocation which excited against me this
violent tempest. I wished to establish this new
monasteryunder the title and the rule of the Poor
Clares. This project displeasedmany persons,who
neglected
nothingto bringit to naught,but without
success,
for my wisheswere accomplished,
asyou see.
Duringthis time FatherPeterdeMolianowaselected
our vicar, a glorious and holy soul,nowmanifestly
blessed,on accountof the miracleswhich he worked
 334 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

during his life, and continuesto work now. He came

from time to time to our monastery. One day he
askedme, in presenceof my sisters," Are you not
Sister Battista Varani?" On my replying in the
affirmative, he said, " Prepare your confession,my
daughter,for I wish to hear it before I go." " I
have no need to confess,my father," I replied. " It
is by inspirationthat Task this of you, my daughter,"
he said; "you must expiateyour sins; I know you
have need of it." " I have not, my father," I an-
swered" but he insisted, saying, " Send away your
sistersand confess,for God wills it." Seeingthat
I still resisted, he said again, " Why do you refuse
to make your confession?" I answeredthat I refused
becauseit was not necessary. This reply seemedto
displease
him, and he said, "Away with you! you
had better reconsider the matter." Oh, my father,
you were too good to such an ungrateful creature !
He departed, and I was not sorry; but the next
day I was tormented by remorse of conscience,and
ashamed
of myself, saying," I have behavedvery ill
to this good father. Certainly when he returns I
will confess to him as he desires." In the mean-
time I wrote to him to askhis pardon. Somedays
afterwards I felt an extraordinary desire to confessto
him. The Lord sheduponme the light of His grace,
and I perceivedin myself many thing" which neg-
ligencein my examinations had hitherto prevented
me from discovering and confessing. From that mo-
ment I hadno repose,and I wrote to him letter upon
letter, beseeching
him to havepity on my soul, and
hastenasmuchas possiblehis return to Camerino ;
but, like a skilful physician,he rather delayed,in
order to render my desiremore ardent still, as
 BLESSED EATTISTA VARANI. 33J>

he acknowledgedafterwards. I had to w ait until

the feast of the stigmata of S. Francis, but the
grace of God knew how to render this a profit-
able time to me. Never did I shed such abundant
and bitter tears over my sins, as well those I had con-
fessedasthoseI hadnot. The sorrowI felt for having
offendedthe infinite goodnessof God, inspired me with
such hatred of myself,that I earnestlydesired to become
an object of detestation to the good father; but God
promised me that, on the contrary, I should be more
loved than before, when I should have made known
to him all my miseries. In reality, on hearing my
general confession, he was so much consoled and
pleasedby my frankness and repentance,that he be-
stowed on me his holy friendship, and preferred me
afterwards to all his spiritual daughters. I can
assureyou that after this confessionof all the sins of
my pastlife, I wasfilled with greaterconsolationand
joy than he was,and sincethen I havebeenin con-
stant tranquillity.
Somedaysafter this, not only while I waspraying,
but nearly always, I had a vision of a religious of my
own order, of the most ravishing beauty, and in
the black veil like one of ourselves; I saw her
more distinctly than if I had seen her with my
bodily eyes,and with a pleasurewhich the sight of
no creature had ever inspired. She followed ine
everywhere,
andshowed
her love for me by smiling
with the mostgraciousand caressingair ; and my joy-
wassointense,that I wascontinuallyin astateborder-
ing on ecstasy.
I triedto guess
whoshecouldbe,which
seemedto pleaseher exceedingly;and I thought I
heard her say, " Do you not know me ?" Eachtime
that sheappeared
to me(for I did not enjoyher con-
 336 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

tinualpresence),
I knelt beforeher instinctively,
whe-
ther I was at the grate, or at table, or occupiedin
work. In vain would she sign to me to rise; I
persistedin retaining the postureI thought fitting
towards such a venerable personage. The more I
contemplated
her beauty,the moreI was ravishedby
it, and I could not comprehend how she could love
such a creature as me. These apparitions were often
repeatedduring fifteen days, but I have never had
them since that period. I forgot to mention that
she appearedto be about forty years old.
I was far from suspecting that this nun was S.
Clare, our own glorious mother. This thought never
cameinto my mind, for I had never had the desire to
seeher, except in heaven; but if you wish to know
what I thought, my father, I will tell you in all sim-
plicity. Until then I had alwaysrefused to receive
nuns from other convents who asked admission, in
which I wasactuatedby a right zeal. I accordingly
thought that God ".wishedto introduce here this
personwhom I saw,andthat He showedher to me
beforehand to propitiate me in her favour; and this
made me say interiorly, " I will willingly receive
such a religious, for her aspectalone is enoughto
fill us with consolation." It was not until these
visions had ceased,that it came into my mind that
perhaps it might be our glorious mother, and the
thought inspired me with the most tender devotion
towards her. Now I have no doubt that it was
she,andif ever I attain to heaven (which, through
the merits of the Blood of Christ, I hope]to do),
I shallrecognizeher without difficulty in the midst
of all the glorioushost,and I will embraceher fondly,
saying, "O.rny most sweet mother! it is you who
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 337

didst deignto visit meduringmy wearyexile." But,

alas! what haveI been,and what amI now1
O all ye who pass by the way of divine love,
attend and seeif there be any sorrowlike to mine.

CHAPTER V.

OTHER DIVINE FAVOURS ACCORDED TO BATTISTA :

THEY ARE FOLLOWED BY NEW TRIBULATIONS.

" THY testimonies are wonderful, 0 Lord, and to the

soul who seeksThee, exceedingly credible." Now
what I have to say is Thy testimony; how then
should I conceal it from my venerable father, who
seeksThee in truth ? No; I will recount to* him
Thy praises without disguise, and I will recount them
for Thy glory, and my ownconfusion. 0 ye angelic
spirits, \vho are no strangers to what I am about to
say, assist me, I beseechyou, that I may speak the
whole truth. It was but a few days after our holy
mother S. Clare had withdrawn from me her beloved
presence, that two angels appearedto me, clothed in
robes of dazzlingwhite, andwith goldenwings. They
took my soul in their hands, and carriedit on high,
where they placedit at the Feet of Jesuscrucified.
They retainedit there during more than two months,
so that in the interval, whether I wished to walk,
speak,or act,it seemedto me that I had no soul,and
that my body only took part in thesedifferentmove-
ments. When this periodhad elapsed,they restored
my soul,but burningwith love anddevotionfor the
22
338 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

seraphim to sucha degreethat I spokeof theminces-

santly, and prayedwith the mosttenderaffectionto
have one of them sent to me, as had been done to
the prophetIsaias.
After having made this prayer continually for
severaldays, without obtaining what I asked,one
morning before prime I addressedmyself to the
Mother of God, and said to her with holy impa-
tience : " 0 most sweet Mary ! 0 Queen of incompar-

ablegoodness, I know that thou reignest over the

angels,and that they all are eagerto fulfil thy will.
Commandthen, I beseechthee, oneof the seraphimto
fly towards me, as one did towards the prophet Isaias;
thou knowest, 0 my most holy Mother, with what
ardourI desirethis grace." I wasstill speaking,when
the Mother of God,touched by my prayer, promised of
her own accordwhat I wished, which caused me to
feelExtraordinaryjoy. Somedaysafter, having said
matins at night, I continuedto pray,and it cameinto
my mind to meditate on the greatnessof the love
of God for His creatures. This method of prayer
was not usual with me, yet I followed it, because
my mind is accustomed to follow the attraction
which comesfrom God. I began,therefore, to search
for this love in the smallestand most abject things,
but was soon transported in an ineffable manner to
the contemplationof the most sublime and most
divine things; that is to say, I plungedinto sovast
and so deep a sea,that more than once I desired to
withdraw, but could not. What passedwithin me
wasneitherreasoning
norvision,but a certainlight,
whichis altogetherinexplicable. I will relate only
three things for your consolation.
Thefirst is, that thosewho contemplate
the great
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 339

and innumerable benefits with which the most boun-

tiful and most clementGod has favouredthem, im-
mediately recognizethemselves to be burdened with
two debts,which they can never pay : I meanthe
love with which He has first loved us, and the Passion
He has willed to endure for us. What indeed can we
"doto acknowledgesuitably these immensebenefits'?
The secondis, that all our lovefor Godmight be called
hatred; all our praises,maledictions; all our thanks-
givings, blasphemies; so remote are these sentiments
from the sublime degreein which they oughtto be
found in us. The third thing which I perceivedvery
clearly was, that the august Mary, the Mother of
God herself, together with all men and all angels,
could not return adequatethanks for eventhe produc-
tion of the smallest flower, becausethere is an infinite
difference between the excellence of the Creator and
the lowness of His creatures.

Now, my father, you can easily understand the

abyssinto which I saw myself descendingin contem-
plating the immense benefits I had received from my
God. Then I really despaired of myself, and all my
best works seemed as nothing. I renounced from
my heart all spiritual joy, from the fearof adding
debt to debt, ingratitude to ingratitude; sothat had
JesusChrist appeared to methen,I shouldhaveclosed
my eyes firmly not to seeHim. Prostratingmyself
with my faceto the ground, I besoughtmy God to
keep me constantlyattachedto the Feet of Jesus
crucifieduntil my last hour, and to punish me after-
wardsfor all the time I had passedthere,as if I had
employedit in blasphemingandbetraying Him, per-
suadedthat if I did not employit thus, it would be
22-2
 340 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

entirely owing to His mercy. In short, I besought

Him to place me after my deathin the positionmost
conformableto His good pleasure,declaringto Him
that I was readyto descendinto hell if He willed it,
becauseHis holy Will was the only object of my
desires,and that I wishedno other reward,no other
beatitude, no other glory than that.
At the sight of the immenselove with which God
embracesall His creatures,a love which appeared to
me without bounds, I could not hinder myself from
reproachingHim by saying, " 0 folly ! 0 folly!"
It seemedindeed that I could not otherwise qualify
such a love. The Feet of my Saviour were given up
to me accordingto my prayer, so that during five
years I never ceasedto seethem and to occupy myself
with them, which gave me inexpressible happiness
and peace. Now that this favourhasbeenwithdrawn
from me, and I am deprived of so great a blessing,which
was the treasure of my heart, I am inconsolable,and
continually cry, " O sacredFeet! 0 only hope of my
soul! how can I live without you, who were my heart
and my life 1 0 my Jesus! give them to me but for one
hour of the day, and cast me into hell if Thou wilt,
for with this consolation I should find it endurable.
My sojourn there would not be long, for I would shed
so many tears, I would embrace Thy Wounds with
such continued ardour, that my heart would break,
and this body of sin would be destroyed. O sacred
Feet ! I would,for love of you, see,touch, and kiss
the feet of every creature. 0 most sweet Feet!
whereare the tearsof love and devotion which you
causedme to shed? Alas ! bitternesshas replaced
these delights of my heart. 0 beloved Feet! I could
not havebelievedthat I shouldbe torn from a place
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 341

where adulterous and dishonoured women found an

asylum" for wasit not at the^Feetof my Jesusthat
the sinnersof the gospelcameto seek their pardon1
and now what wasgrantedto them is refusedto me.
I am, then, more severelypunished and more un-
fortunate than other sinners. 0 most clement Feet !
if I did not fear to tire him who reads these lines, I
would employthe whole day in writing my lamen-
tations." This need not astonish you, my father,
for the pain I experienceis so bitter, that all other
sorrows seem nothing in comparison. I have,
doubtless,enjoyedthis favour longerthan others,but
becauseof this, my harp, accustomedto give forth
notes of confidence, is now turned to mourning.
But I wander from my subject while I speakof the
Feet of my Saviour; I will return, and the recital
which I havebegunby the inspirationof God,I will
finish by the help of His grace.
When this light, of which I have just spoken,had
vanished,it left sucha fire in my soul, that, if I may
dare sayso,my soulbecamein it what iron becomes
in material fire. If I remember correctly, this fire
continuedto burn me during three months; but I
must explain to you its nature. It was a desireto
quit the body and enjoyJesus Christ, but a desireso
lively and soardent,that if I wereto try to expressit,
I fear I should not be believed. Yet God knows
I wish to speakonly the truth. Theflameof this de-
sirewassoburning,that duringall the summerlseemed
to sufferthe painsof hell; painswhich mademelook
for deathasa blessing,asa feast, asthe day of my
nuptials with the Belovedof my heart; sothat I would
say with the apostle,"Oh, how I desirethat my body
should be dissolved,that I might go to be for ever
342 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

with JesusChrist;" and with the prophet: " Bring

my soulout of prison,that I maypraiseThy Name."
This sacredfire with which I burned,mademeunder-
stand that a seraphhad flown towards me,to accom-
plishthe promisemadeby my sweetEmpress,themost
holy Mother of God.
In the meantime,! wastormented interiorly and exte-
riorly by this mostardentdesire,to an extentI cannot
describe,andshedinexhaustibletorrentsof tears, sob-
bingandprayingnight anddayto my Godto withdraw
me from the world and call me to Himself. One day
when during my prayer I besoughtthis gracewith
more than usual earnestness,my blessedJesus mani-
festedHimself to me with an air of greatcompassion,
and embracingmy soulwith His left Arm, He drew
her to His Breast,,and wiping away her tears with
His right Hand, said repeatedly, "Weep no more."
This was a weeping of the soul, and not of the body,
though I also shed many bodily tears. These sweet
wordsoughtto havelessened my grief,but, on thecon-
trary, I weptmoreabundantly,andmy prayerto obtain
the end of my captivity became all the more ardent.
He replied, " I cannot yet." " But Lord," said I, "art
not Thou almighty?" "Behold," said He to me,show-
ing me His divineHands, " they are firmly bound."
I could not understand this, but He added : " These
bonds are the prayers which your brethren and sisters,
the Franciscans,
addressto Me, to haveyour life pro-
longed; be then patient."
I know not whether that which I am about to re-
count took placebeforeor after what I have already
related. Once, when I felt such a heat that I could
not bear it, I] turned in a dying state towards the
geraphim,andsaid to them, complaining,and almost
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 343

reproachingmyself for having asked their aid : " 0

most sweet spirits, if I have asked with so much fer-
vour that you might cometo me,it was because I be-
lieved that being sonearto God,your presencewould
be paradise; how is it, then, that since you have
come to me I suffer the pains of hell? indeed, I
understandnot what you have brought with you."
Then these sublime spirits, entering into familiar con-
versation with me, as with a friend, replied : " That
which afflictsyou is preciselythat which rendersus
happy. Being unable to enjoy God while you are
captive in the prison of your body, you are reducedto
form desireswhich torment you in proportion to their
strength. With us, on the contrary, desire being
always united to the presenceof the Beloved Object,
the more ardent it is, the more it augments our feli-
city." After these words, they told me that their
intimate presence with God was such that God
couldnot be a single instant without them,nor they
without Him. They told me, moreover,that there
exists such an intimate union between the seraphim
and cherubim, that one could not be in a soul without
the other. " Sometimes," they said, " it is the
cherubim who hold the first placein a soul, some-
timesthe seraphim; but it is we seraphimwho enjoy
the pre-eminencein your soul. Becauseof this, our
seraphicfire prevails in you abovethe light of the
cherubim." This accorded exactly with my own ex-
perience,for, thoughthe light which I had seenwas
really incomprehensible by reasonof its intensity,
nevertheless, in comparisonwith it the fire wasthrice
asstrong. On this occasionI learnedthat the two
angelswho held my soulduringthreemonthsat the
Feet of Jesus,were one from each choir. This is
344 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

that fire in which I was baptized and purified,after

my generalconfession to Father Peter Moliano.
The Sacramentof the Eucharist is really the Bread
of angels: I say this, my father, becauseafter the
visit of the angelsI felt a hungerfor this divine sacra-
ment which I couldnot assuage.This mademebegin
the custom of communicating every Sunday, which I
continuedfor two years; but it was too seldomto
satisfythe desiresof my soul. I would havewished
to communicate everyday,and whenI consideredthe
long abstinence through the week, I became weak
and faint with sorrow; but otherwise, during the three
years preceding my great tribulation, I lived happily
in the possessionof profound and truly angelic peace.
Then all the ways of Sion were openedto me, and
seemedto my eyes equally smooth and agreeable; I
no longer walked; I ran quickly, and met with no
obstacle,becausemy desiresandpiousprayersremoved
everyhindrancefrom my way. I hadthen, or at leastI
believedI had,anangelicandcelestialheartratherthan
a human one, for there never rose within it any senti-
ment of pride, unless it be pride that dictates to me
what I now say. In short, I was in sucha state,that
had any one told me I should ever be in the condition
in which you now seeme, I should have believed it
absolutelyimpossible. I think that this disposition
was notpurepride; at least,my consciencereproached
me with no sentiment of the kind. It was at this
time that, by a singulargift of the Holy Ghost, I
resolvedneverto meditateon any other subjectthan
the Passionof my divine Master, desiring to make
every day a Good Friday for myself, that I might
weepto my heart'scontentover the sufferingsof my
sweetJesus,persuadedthat if I employedmy life in
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANL 345

weepingfor Him, He would make me taste at my

death the joy of His glorious resurrection. From
that time there was no difference for me between
Easterand Christmas,betweenthe joyful andsorrow-
ful feastsof holy Church. Even Fridays produced
no changefor me, for I only performedmy accus-
tomed devotionson those days. It is true that my
thoughts turned towards the mysteries which the
differentfeastsrecalled,but it wasin spite of myself,
for my firm resolution was to think of nothing but
the sorrowfulPassionof my goodMaster. Thus,my
father, the spiritual life to which your sermon on
Good Friday had given birth, ended by becominga
continual Good Friday for me. So true it is that in
naturethere are things in which the beginning and
the end meet; sic respondentultima primis.
I wasthen traversingthe desertof this world, flow-
ing with delights,leaning on my Beloved,separated
from Him bodily, but united* to Him spiritually by
continual meditation on His sufferings. I was far from
anticipating the misfortunes which threatened me.
He Who knowseverythingfuture had fully predicted
them to me, but my extreme ignorancewould not
permit meto understand. And yet the time foretold
wasapproaching,that deplorabletime which was to
witnessmy spiritual ruin. Oneday,whenI hadjust
begunmy prayers,I hearda voicesayto me, " Arise
quickly, and write My interior sorrows,which I will
make known to you." I made an excuse,saying,
" Lord, I am soincapableof doing what Thou biddest
me, that I know not even how to begin; how then
could I resolveto relate the favours Thou hast granted
me?" The voicerepeatedthe command,and bid me
beginmy recitalasif it referredto a third person. I
34G BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

immediately
began,and my wordsflowedsorapidly
that I had no need to study how I should write.
What happenedto me then, happensto me now;
I alwaystake up my pen with extreme reluctance,
but immediatelythings present themselvesto me
with greater rapidity than I can express them.
When I received the command, I assuredly did not
foreseethe consequences;and yet I refused to obey,
as if I had known it would turn to my detriment.
Listen to what God seemedto say to me : "I foresee
that the vase of thy soul will contract stains, and
suchstainsthat it will be no longerworthy to contain
the balm of My interior sorrows. It is, therefore,neces-
sarythat thou shouldestpourit into others; besides,it
can no longer be useful to thee, becauseof thy in-
fection." Oh how I fear that what I am writing now
will produce in me a similar result. I seemto hear
the voice of God saying : " Vomit from thy mouth all
the benefits I have filled thee with, because I am
ready to vomit thee from Mine." Deliver me from.
this terrible sentence,0 my God !
In the month of August following I found myself
engaged in a serious combat, which at first gave me
no fear, becauseI enjoyed profound interior peace,and
was totally ignorant of the snares of the demon, so
that I suspectedno danger. My blindnesswas even
so profound that I saw nothing but good in his ma-
chinations. This lasted for two months; when at
length, on the octaveof S. Francis,God openedmy
eyesa little, and I saw myself, as it were,in the midst
of a vast plain, deliveredup to a terrible combat,and
surrounded by mighty enemies,out of whose hands
Godalonecouldrescueme. Overwhelmedwith hope-
lesssorrow,and not knowingwhat to do,I passedthe
 BLESSED BArriSTA VARANI. 347

octaveday of S.Francisfastingon breadandwater,and

ceasingnot to implore the helpof the Most High, and
conjuring this great saint to grant me his powerful
protection. The following night, instead of my de-
liverance, God showedme in a dream all the labours
and afflictionswhichawaitedme. This wasthesignal
for my greatest trial. Then the pit of the abyss,
which had beenshut for ten years,was opened,and
the dragoncameforth, roaring againstme, and assail-
ing me with suchfury that it seemedasif he would
devourmealive; but thepowerfulHand of God,which
never abandonsa soul that trusts in Him, drew me
unhurt from the jaws of this monster. You already
know the circumstances, my father, but I repeat it,
that the glory maybe given to Godalone,to whose
goodness it wasowing,and not to any virtue or pru-
dencein me. Nevertheless, this cruel enemydespoiled
me of my preciousgarments; he took from methe
light which enlightenedmy eyes,and cut off the hair
of my spiritual strength, and " having woundedme
went away, leaving me half dead."
I remained two years in this state of affliction, and
during thosetwo wretchedyearsI wasdeprivedof all
help and consolation,with the exceptionof speaking
three times to Brother Peter Moliano, my holy and
glorious father. It wasat this time that he became
vicar, which gaveme muchjoy ; for I said to myself,
"Provided I can consult with him, the demon will be
defeated in his enterprise, for he will give me the
means to come out victorious from this sad combat."
O my holy father, after the journey whichobtained
for me these visits from you,you returned againto
theseparts,but your beloveddaughtercouldnot con-
versewith you,for deathsnatchedyou from her. Oh !
348 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

how bitter for me was this death ! I lost all courageat

seeingmyselfdeprived
of your help,andin my despair
I madea firm resolutionto speakof my pain to none,
at leasttill God obligedme to give my confidence to
a newfather, by His graceshowinghim to measan
instrumentof His choosing. O my goodfather,I did
not then comprehendthe goodyou wereto do me,I
wasignorant that you left mean orphan,onlybecause
it was expedientfor my salvation; but I wasnot long
in receivingthe proof of it. Immediately on your
death, you took from my enemiesall their power,
and brought me back again into the path of truth.
This was not the only service which you rendered
me; for I cannot doubt that your charity obtained
for me the inspiration to give my confidence to
the father who directs me, and to discloseto him all
my tribulation. This inspiration was anything but
agreeable
to me at first. I experiencedextremere-
pugnance to manifest to a new director that which
passedwithin me, but God mademe seethat this open-
nesswasnecessary to my salvation,and nothing could
be more true, as you, my father, to whomI write,
well know. Whence,then, camethis repugnance to
open my heart? Doubtless from the demon; for since
I havefrankly told you everything, I find in myself
such consolation and peace,that I cease not to bless
heavenfor havinginspiredmewith confidence in your
fatherly care, and I saywith truth and without flat-
tery, I would not havetaken any otherthan you to be
the confidantof my sorrows.
 BLESSED BATTISTA VA.RANI. 349'

CHAPTER VI.

BATTISTA ADDRESSES TO HER SPIRITUAL FATHER

PARTICULARS SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE HISTORY

OF HER LIFE.

IT was on the 3rd of March, in the year 1491,that

the BlessedBattista finished the writing we have
just given to the reader. It ended thus: After
having faithfully retraced all my spiritual life, in
obedienceto the divine inspiration,I finish my work
to the praise of my glorious Saviour JesusChrist. I
will now write, according to the order in which I have
received them, the lights He gave me on His interior
sorrows. When you read what follows, my father,
you will perceive that I attribute the revelations to a
sister of the convent of Urbino, to prevent their being
supposedto be mine. If, then, I speak in the third
person,it is to avoid the honour which might accrueto
me. and when I speak of this soul as holy and blessed,.
it is only the better to concealmyself.
[It appearsthat the BlessedBattista wrote the
foregoing important treatise in a separatepacket,
which shekept besideher in order to show it to her
spiritual father, when he cameto Camerino. While
shewas waiting for him, shewrote three other letters
in obedienceto the inspiration given her. This is one
of them:]
My Eeverendand much-lovedFather,-After the
hard battle which I had sustainedfor two years, I had
hopedto obtain peace,or at leasta truce,but this
hope, which seemsto me so legitimate,is vain.
350 BLESSED BATTISTA VAKANI.

Scarcelyhad you quitted Camerino,when I had to

endure still more horrible temptations than before.
I revolted,to a certaindegree,againstGod,imputing
to Him my faults, my sins, my errors. I dared to
call Him to account for His conduct; I accusedHim
of falsehoodin severalthings He said in the Scrip-
tures; accusationswhich renderedme guilty of hein-
ous sin.

[The reader"willseein this but a newproof of her

Tiumility, for it is certainthat thesehorrible thoughts
wereentirely involuntary.]
I did other things besides,which I pass over
in silence. I am sure, my father, that in reading
this sad story, you will think that my poor soul
lived in hell, during the six months you have been
absentfrom her " and certainly you are right, for to
speak the truth, it seemsto me that I have become
altogether infernal and devilish; but what renders
my torment more insupportable, and almost breaks
my heart, is that I have no person to whom I can
communicate my pain, and that I cannot receive
the slightest consolation in my pressing necessity.
Into what country of the world have you fled, my
father ? I have been so unhappy, and your absence
leaves me without counsel and without support.
Oh ! how cruelhas this privation seemedto me,and
how long ! I can do nothing but groan in penning
this doloroushistory, and repeat the sad lamenta-
tion : O all ye who passby the way of divine love,
attendand see if there be any sorrowlike to mine.
If I hadavoicesufficientlystrong to reachto the ends
of the world, I would cry aloud and say, " Ser-
vants of God, who aspireto the perfectionof love,
humble yourselves, and let my example be a
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANT. 351

warning to you, for had you been admitted to

the conversation
of angelsand saints,of the Virgin
Mary, and of God Himself, you might yet, like me,
fall from your high estateinto the abyssof mortal
sin. Oh ! let my unfortunate and most miserable
soul serve you for an example. She had happily
enteredthe immenseoceanof divine love and spiritual
sweetness,and then a terrible tempestoverwhelmed
her, and madeher descendeven to hell." Farewell,
my father, &c.
[Shethought shehad falleninto the abyss,because
she took for mortal sins all the bad thoughts that
came into her head, but she ' did not consent to
them, for her will had never ceasedto be unalterably
attachedto God; she had some difficulty in sepa-
rating these two things, becauseof the violenceof
her temptations,as we see in the following letter,
which was dictated to His servantby JesusChrist,
to fortify her against the temptationsof whichwe
havealreadyspoken,and to enlightenher on certain
things connectedwith this trial.]
" My Sister,-You have often spoken of the pro-
misemadeto you by God at the beginningof your
conversion, that He would make you pass through
heavy trials, and on this occasionyou manifest to Me
the fear of forgettingthis promisewhen the trials
come, and, in consequence,of falling into discourage-
ment, perhapseven into despair.5*
For this reasonI
have resolved to dictate this letter to you, that it may
serveas a memorial to encourageyou, and I doubt not
that it alone will sufficeto sustainyour patiencein
the midst of tribulation. Eemember,in the first place,
that your vocationhas not beenthe effectof human
words, but the call of God against your own will.
352 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

Eemember,that to the desireof goodness succeeded

that of suffering, and that immediately you were
attacked by sickness. Kemember,that from your
earliestinfancyI have alwaysdrawnyou to meditate
on My Passion,wishingthat you shouldconformyour
life to it, as much as the frailty of human nature
permitted you to do. Begin by foreseeingin your
morning prayer the trials that will overtake you
during the day. I beg and beseechyou to follow
this advice, because you can do nothing more
agreeable to Me. Worldlings have more pleasure
in contemplating those they love under one habit
than under another, and I also, be it known to your
attach a value to certain garments; and when you in
a manner clothe yourself with the thought of My
suffering, then I find you most accordingto My heart.
Would you wish an example1 You will find it in Me,
in the Garden of Olives. Whilst I was in prayer, it
pleased My Father to discover to Me all the pains
which His justice reserved for Me; and despoiling
myself of My own Will, I said to Him : ' Fiat voluntas
tua'-' Thy Will be done.' Now this was not a vain
word, as you well know. I arose from this prayer with
a heart burning with charity, sothat I could have died
in that torment, not for My own interest, but for the
honour of My Father and the salvation of souls. You
have remarked, doubtless,that on this occasionI re-
turned to My prayer three times, and I would have
you and all who desire to please Me, learn from this
that a passing prayer is not sufficient to gain My
heart, but that it is perseverancein this holy exer-
cise which charmsMe, overcomesMe, and conquers
Me.

" Remember,that althoughI, being God, cameto

 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 353

suffer, yet when I saw My Passionapproaching, be-

causeI was Man aswell as God, I was forcedto pray
and cry out, 'My Father, if it lie possible,let this
chalicepassfrom Me !' For this reasonI would say
to you, My daughter,that althoughyou haveoftenbe-
sought Me to give you sufferings,you may well
tremblewhenyou seethemapproach,and then you
will say to Me, ' My Father,if it be possible,let this
chalicepassfrom Me !' but provided you add, ' Not
my will, but Thine be done,' there is in this neither
despair nor anything to displease Me, since it is
accordingto the exampleI, as Man, havegiven,for
your instruction and that of others. But if, while you
perseverein prayer amidst your sufferings,My Father
should deign to show you all the pains which still
await you, as He showed them to Me; and if this
vision should so enkindle you, as to make you willing
to suffer them all, not for your own advantage, but
for the love of God and the salvation of your neigh-
bour, as I did; your resemblanceto Me in this would
constrain My Father to love you in the highest
degreeof true charity.
" Offer Him, then, your heartfelt thanksgivings for
the tribulations which He in His bounty has sent you,
and weepbitterly for the lossof thosewhich He did
prepare for you, but did not send becauseyou had
renderedyourselfunworthy by your ingratitude and
slownessin the spiritual life ; for you must know that
His love for you is so great, that He would have
wishedto sendyou all afflictions,that He might have
an opportunity of giving you all blessings. And now,
acknowledge in all sincerity that you do not deserve
to be conformedto His beloved Son, by walking after
Him in the way of His Passion. This is the nuptial
23
354 BLESSED BATTISTA VAEANI.

robewith which I, your true Spouse,

wasalwaysclad;
and in reality the most precious treasure, next to a
goodwill, which God cangive you,is suffering. You
canalwaysrefusethe cross,asI couldhaverefusedit
Myself; but know, that in flying the cross,you fly
from all good. It was by accepting the bitter chalice
out of pure love that I pleasedMy Father most, and
you must do the same if you would render yourself
like Me, and therefore agreeablein His Eyes. When
I rose from prayer,burning with the fire of charity,
I presentedMyself before my enemies, and you also
will meet your enemies without fear. One of My
disciplesbetrayedMe by a kiss; you will alsobe de-
ceived and afflicted by those whom you dearly love,
and towards whom you feel nothing but kindness and
good-will.
"Bemember the five points I am about to propose
to you : 1st. When any persons offend you, grieve
more for the injury done to God than the injury done
to yourself. 2nd. BeseechMe with all your heart to
pardon them, and to forgive them the chastisement
which they merit, as you would beseechMe to spare
your own eye or any of your members; for your
neighbour is indeed as your eye and a memberof your
body. 3rd. You must know that you owe more to
those who ill-treat you, than to those who treat you
well; for the former purify your soul, adorn it, and
render it singularly agreeable to Me. 4th. Consider
the extent of My charity towardsyou. It is sogreat,
that evenif you had beenMy enemyby mortal sin,I
should still regard all the injuries you receive from
others as done to Myself. In like manner your hatred
of your enemies should only be to consider the harm
which may befall them as your own. 5th. Think that
 BLESSED BATTISTA VAKANI. 355

the injuries done you are far from beingproportioned

to your offences,and that if I permit themto happen
to you, it is only for your good; and beware of im-
putingsin to your enemies,whateverthey may do.
" Considerthat after I had receivedthe kiss of My
perfidious disciple, I asked of the crowd, 'Whom
seek yeV ' We seek Jesus of Nazareth,'they re-
plied " and when I answered, ' I am He,' this word
was so powerful that it overthrew them ; but at the
same time it gave them power to apprehend Me.
BecauseI united My will, as Man, to the Will of God,
the soldiers could not touch Me, and it required but a
word of My mouth to overthrowthem. It is true that
afterwards they had the power to seizeMe, because
My Father gave it to them; but what happenedto
themat first ought to have taught them that My
powerwasnot human,but divine. Thus,My daughter,
eachtime that with an honestheart you deliveryour
will up to God, saying sincerely that you beseech'Him
to do His Will-Fiat voluntas tua, Thy Will be done
-you will assimilateyourselfsocloselyto Me, that the
demonswill have no power to touch you until they
receive it from on high. Until then they will fail in
their enterprises; they will fall before you, and the
Will of God alone can raise them up; and, whatever
be the power given them, they can never hurt you
asmuchasthey did Me. I, the only Sonof God,was
abandonedand forsaken by the whole world I You,
therefore, must rejoice and be thankful in proportion
asyou participatein My abandonment.I wasdragged
beforedifferentjudges,I was loadedwith shameand
torment by the people I so tenderly loved. You,
therefore, must suffer from all sorts of persons, even
from those most dear to you. I was suspendedon
356 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

the crossin completenakedness.I thereforewish

you to be strippedon the crossof holy religion, that
is, despoiled
of all otherlove. Threenails fixed me
to the cross; you must be fixed there by the same
number,that is to say, by poverty, obedience,and
chastity. I havealreadysaidmany thingsto you on
this subject,which I will not recall to you now.
" Eememberthat I gave you a greater token of My
love in afflicting you than by pressingyou in My
paternal Arms. Call to mind, when suffering weighs
you down, how often I have lavished upon you the
sweet names of sister, daughter, spouse,and that too
in accents of tenderness which made you languish
with divine love. Eemember,poor soul, that in those
moments of pain, God has Himself said to you such
wonderfulthings about Himself, that you couldnot
support the sweetnessof His communications, but
"were forced to cry, ' No more, Lord, no more,' and
to take to flight from humility.
" Remember that to guard you against the move-
ments of your excessivepride, God told you that it
was not becauseof your merits, but from pure love
that He loadedyou with theserarefavours,explaining
this to you by the following comparison: When a
physician seesthat the state of his patient becomes
dangerous, he no longer applies ordinary remedies,
but employs energeticand powerful means. It was
thus that God,like a wisephysician,dealt with you ;
not becauseyou deserved such treatment, but from
simplecharity to healyour grave and dangerousin-
firmity.
" Rememberalso,that to renderyou morehumble,
I clearlyshowedyou that thesespiritual sweetnesses
could not be obtainednaturally, but that God com-
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARAM. 357

municatesthem by His infinite charity alone,to whom

and in what measureit pleasesHim, accordingto the
counselsof His wisdom, and the necessities of the
soulto which He may impart them. Now it pleased
Him to give them to you independentlyof all merit,
because He knew your pride, and was well aware
that if He had waited to bestow His favours until
after your trials, you would not have failed to attri-
bute them to your virtues. Know -then, My daugh-
ter, that the more sins you avoid, the more good
actions you perform, and the more sufferingsyou
endure, so much the more are you indebted to the
divine goodness. It is a great gift not to sin; it is a
greater one to do good ; but the superlative degreeis
to support affliction for God's sake, or for the love of
justice. I call them gifts, becauseit is certain that
you could do none of these things without the grace
of God; 'for without Me you can do nothing.'
Has not your own experience shown you that there
is no evil you would not have committed, if God had
not restrained you; no good that you would have
performed, if He had not concurred with you in pro-
ducing it ? that you would have come out of no
trial without sin, if He had not added His strength to
your weakness? What gratitude, then, do you not
oweto God,for having givenyou suchheavenlylight!
" Know then, and remember, that God has made
you clearlyseethat you would be unable to render
Him sufficient thanks for the least of His benefits,
even if you had never sinned, and had alone per-
formedmore penancesthan ever wereperformedby
His saints,or had shed as many penitential tearsas
would have filled the ocean, or had borne as many
sufferings
ashumannaturecouldendure. How then
 358 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

would it be possiblefor you to make satisfactionfor

your infinite faults? Say then to the Lord: 'My
God,my life, the joy of my heart ! since I cannot,
eitherby doing goodorby bearingafflictionspatiently,
thank Thee fittingly for Thy graces,nor satisfy for
my numberless andabominablesins,at leastgrant me
this favour, to regard me as one guilty of every crime
and destitute of all good, and then let me employ
faithfully the short remainder of my life according
to Thy holy Will; and at last place me, after my
death, wherever I can render Thee most honour.
Even though Thou shouldst banish me to hell, I
will be content to remain there, becauseI desire, 0
my God, that Thy honour may be my glory andmy
happiness.'
" Remember the promises I have made to you;
I will not dictate them to you now, because you
know them already. If you remember what I have
saidto you regardingyour tribulations, nothing will
seem difficult to you. Everything on earth passes
quickly away; calm succeedsthe tempest,and after
sorrow comes joy. The very moment of tribulation
itself will be to thee,in great part, an acceptable
time,
anda day of salvation. Rememberthe generositywith
which you have sometimessaid to Me in prayer,
' Now, Lord, hastenthe time, for I canwait no longer"
Thou art too long in sending me the trials Thou
hast promised. When wilt Thou conduct me into
the pasturageof suffering,where I may fatten with
Thy faithful sheep
?' Eemember, whenyou are on
thecrosswhichGoddesigns
for you,neverto say,' My
God, why hast Thou abandoned me ?' I have told
you why I forbid this complaint; namely, that the
moreyou areresignedto see yourself abandonedby
 BLESSED CATTISTA VAKANI. 359

Me, the nearerI will be to you. I wish to do with

you as my Father did with Me, and to load you with
as many sufferingsasyour weaknesswill permit you
to bear.

" God oncesaid to you that He might permit you

to fall into somegreat error, or deception,or violent
temptation, or betrayal" but be not discouraged on
this account,for nothing is sodispleasingto Him as
despair. Be firm in fear and humility, as you have
been until now, with sweet confidence, for you must
now turn over a new page; and you will seem to
yourself as much an object of His hatred and displea-
sure, as hitherto of His love and favour. Neverthe-
less, remain constant and immovable, for it is to the
conqueror that the crown is reserved. Eememberthe
royal offering you made to your God, when you said
you would serve Him, not to avoid hell and gain
heaven, but becauseHe is above all infinitely and
singularly worthy of love, and, in consequence,de-
serves' to receive from every creature all praise,
service, and love; and that you would serve Him
purely and with fervour until death, even if you knew
your damnation to be certain. God did not reveal
thesethings to you becauseof your good and holy
life. Forget not this; and be confoundedin consider-
ing, on the onehand, somuch wickedness and misery,
and on the other, such astonishing goodness.
" I feel sorrow and compassionfor you, poor soul,
when I see Myself obliged to let you fall into such
lamentable desolation, after so many sweet endear-
ments, so many tenderwords,so manyproofsof My
excessivelove, and after you havefelt and tastedhow
much God is worthy of love, gracious,kind, and
gentle aboveall the rivalswho havedisputedyour
360 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

heartwith Him. Keepyourself,then, in My fear,and

no longersay, 'May Godpreserveme from this, and
I will preservemyselffromthat.' It is for havingheld
suchlanguageasthis that He has found it necessary
to teach you at your own cost, that an ant would
have sufficed to make you break your neck, if He
had not sustainedyou by His powerfulArm. Trust
no longerin your own strength, even if God should
give you power to work miracles every day. I
havetaught you that when you bear devoutly great
sorrow,you pay someportion of your debt. Remem-
ber that this exhortation is not dictated by hatred, but
on the contrary, by the love I have for you. I will
not recompenseyour merit in this world, as I have
already often told you; I wish you to be on the cross,
alone and despoiledof all affection that is not for Me,
Love and suffering will end in uniting you to Me,.
and it is only on the cross that our holy and spiri-
tual marriage can be consummated. You have heard
what the spousein the Canticles says, ' My Beloved is
mine, and I am His / but where has she found Him?
'In the midst of the lilies where He feeds;' that is to
say, ' in the midst of many sorrows.'"
Behold, my father, what our Lord said to me while
I was yet in the world, after having taken the firm
and irrevocable resolution to serve God in perpetual
enclosure,in the orderof the glorious S. Clare. I
wrote them under the dictation of JesusChrist, in the
monasteryof Urbino, five months beforemy profession.
Glory be to this sweet Saviour, and praisefor ever
and ever.

[Onething in this letter might surprisethe reader,

and consequently deservesto be explained. We find
that God had permitted the BlessedBattista to.
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 361

becomethe victim of an error or deception, Shebe-

lieved herselfto be in a stateof mortal sin,for having
given credenceto vain apparitions,and openedher
heart to false consolations;but this only provesher
humility and the delicacyof her conscience; for how-
could it be possible, that an error, which God
promisedasa grace,andpermitted for her good,could
in reality serve to renderher guilty1? Every person
who is conversantwith spiritual things, on reading
this passage attentively, will allow that the error
was in the understanding of this holy soul, and
not in her will. Otherwise, the deception could not
have been a gift of God, which it neverthelesswas,
and accordingto His promise. We see,in short, that
this generous soul, desiring to testify to God the ex-
cessof her tender love, asked of Him heavy trials, and
that God promised to satisfy her; which He did, by
delivering her during two monthsto the delusionsof
the infernal spirit. We would ask, Is it possiblethat a
prayer dictated by sucha love could be answeredby the
loss of that love1? So far from it, rather would we
believethat the sorrow producedby this false appre-
hensionof having mortally offendedher God,and in-
curred His anger, would, on the contrary, unite her to
Him more and more. This merits particular attention.
It cannotbe supposedthat JesusChrist, Who is in-
capableof error, could ever take the sins of men as
really His own. Yet having offeredHimself to sup-
port the punishmentof them, He felt grief and con-
fusion for them before His Father, as if He Himself
had committed them, and became, in a certain sense,
asour representative,the object of the divine hatred
and indignation,whilst at this very time His Father
delightedin Him asmuchasever.
362 BLESSED EATTISTA VARANI.

Our Saint reproachesherself, aboveall, for certain

wordsthat had escaped her in the courseof hertribu-
lations, and we haveseenthat shelookeduponthem
asblasphemies, whichoverwhelmed her with sorrow;
but doesit not seemas if God had taken upon Himself
to proveher innocence, by preservingher tonguefrom
corruptionafter her death? Truly, whenwe consider
this prodigy,we could imaginewe heardGod sayto
His servant, as He said to holy Job, " Sister Battista
sinned not by her lips, nor spoke she any foolish thing
against God." If any reader should find thesereasons
insufficient, let him read with attention the following
prayer composed by the Saint, and committed to
writing by her at the end of her three years' trial.]
" 0 God, most graciousand full of goodness,Father
of infinite mercies, I am that sheepfrom among the
hundred, who had quitted Thy fold, to seek bad
pasturage, where I have fed on bitter herbs and
poisonoushusks. After three years passedin this sad
wandering, I desirewith all my heart to return to Thee.
0 God of sweetnessand clemency,only sourceof true
peace,receive me, then, with charity, take me on Thy
merciful shoulders. O generous and faithful Shep-
herd, Who hast given Thy life for Thy sheep,bring
me back into Thy dearfold, and turn not Thy Face
awayfrom me. 0 my sweetJesus,do not permit me
to be shipwreckedin the very port of religion, after
having struggledso hard to withdraw from thestormy
oceanof the world. Eemember, 0 my Jesus,theprice
I have cost Thee. Eemember,0 my Redeemer,all
the Blood Thou hast shedon the crossto redeemmy
poor soul. Eemember,0 my Well-beloved,not what
I havedone,but whatI havewishedto do,for Thy
honour. My Jesus,I am the poorpublicanspoken
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 363

of in the gospel; shamefor my sins hindersme from

raising my head,and the confusioncausedby them
makesme not dareto look up to heaven. Like him,
I cast my eyeson the ground and strike my breast,
saying : ' 0 God, be merciful to me a sinner.'
"O most clementLord, receiveinto Thine openArms
a prodigal daughter, who has wanderedfar to dissipate
her goods,by not living in uprightness. My divine
Master,I am not worthy to be calledThy servant,nor
even Thy slave, becauseI have persecuted the souls
purchased by Thy Precious Blood. Come to me,
notwithstanding, O my Jesus, come with Thy grace.
Press my afflicted soul in Thine Arms, and visit her as
Thou wert accustomedto do in happier times. 0 my
good Father, refuse not this kiss of peace which my
heart desires. Put an end to this cruel war, from
which I have sufferedso much for the last three years.
If I do not deserveit in any other way, I would will-
ingly give my life to obtain peace. O my Beloved,
call me from this exile, and from the darkness of this
world. Deliver me from this loathsomeprison of my
miserable body. Draw me towards Thee, my God,
draw me to Thee,and leaveme no longerto languish
in this valley of tears. I cannotremainlonger here.
Infirmities, demons, other creatures, and interior
tribulations cry to me, ' Fly, fly from this earth. You
havedwelt long enoughhere; a longersojournis for-
bidden you.' Eeceiveme to Thyself,my sweetJesus,
receive me; I am ready to depart, with a joy I cannot
express. Banishme whithersoeverThy honourmay
requireit until the judgment-day,provided I be not
separatedfrom Thee eternallyasI havedeserved, and
I will blessThy great mercy. Glory be to Thee,0
Lord. Amen."
3C4 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

CHAPTEE VII.

FIRST PAIN.-SORROW FOR THE SUFFERINGS OF THE

LOST AND THE ELECT.

" THEREwas a devout soul who hungered after the

food of the Passion of our most sweet Jesus, and who
after manyyearsemployedin her own spiritual refor-
mation, was at length admitted by a specialfavour
to communication with the interior sufferings which
afflicted His Heart. It is from her that I heard all I
am about to relate.
" After having prayed long to be introduced into,
and submergedin the seaof His interior sufferings,this
good Master, through pity, mercy, and grace, con-
sented to plunge her into this ocean without bottom
and without shore, where she was soonobliged to cry
aloud in her distress, ' No more, Lord, no more; my
weaknessis unable to support the overwhelmingweight
of Thy sorrows.' I find no difficulty in believing
this, for I know how abundantly He gives to those
who know how to solicit these sort of favours humbly
and perseveringly.
" One day that this devout soul was at prayer, she-
saidto Him with great anxiety of heart, ' I entreat
Thee,0 Lord, to permit meto enter the sacredbedof
Thy interior sorrows. Submergemein that oceanof
bitterness; there I would wish to die, 0 sweetlife of
my soul. Tell me,Jesus,my hope,howcruelwerethe
painsthat afflictedThy sacredHeart V ' Sincethou
art ignorant, My daughter,'this goodMasterreplied,
' of the greatnessof My sufferings,I will tell theethat
they wereequallygreat with the love which I bore
to My Father, and to creatures.' Now this devout
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 365

soul told me that at another time long before God

had madeher understandthe complacency He took in
His love for His creatures, and she communicatedto
me many beautiful and devout thoughts, which are too
long for me to relate. I will therefore proceedto
speakof the sorrowsof my goodMaster. Onhearing
Jesus give His love for man as the measure of His
sufferings,and knowing before the grandeur and im-
mensity of this love, her sensesfailed her, and she
WAS obliged to support her head, becauseof the
distress of her heart and the weakness of her whole
body. When she had recovereda little, shebegan to
say, ' 0 my God, since Thou hast told me how great
Thy sufferings were, make known to me the greatness
of the pains which crushedThy sacredHeart.'
" Jesusreplied with sweetness,' Know, My daugh-
ter, that the pains I bore in My Heart were iiinu-
merable and infinite ; for innumerable and infinite are
the souls, my members,who tear themselvesfrom Me
by mortal sin, for each soul separatesitself from Me,
its Head and sourceof life, as often as it sins mortally.
"' This pain My Heart felt most cruelly and deeply.
Imagineto yourselfwhat are the sufferingsof a crimi-
nal on the rack when his members are dislocated by
violence,and you will have someideaof My martyr-
dom at the tearing away of as many soulsas would
be lost for ever, and indeed the tearing away of
every member, when it commitsmortal sin. The
sufferingcausedby tearing off a spiritual memberis
as much greater than the suffering a corporeal
member would cause,as the soul is superior to the
body. Neither you, nor any oneliving, can under-
stand how great is this superiority; I alone,Who
created both, can appreciatethe noblenessof the soul
 3G6 BLESSED BATTISTA VABAKI.

and the basenessof the body. Therefore,neither you,

nor any other creature,can comprehendthe severity
and bitternessof My pain. I speaknow only of the
damned. As mortal sins are not all equally heinous,
and as there are different mannersof committing
them, accordingly the separations were more or less
painful; hencearosethe quality and quantity of My
pains. On the onehand,becausethe will of the lost
remainseternally perverse,their sufferingsalso are
eternal; while on the other, accordingto the number
and gravity of the sins of each, they will be moreor
less tormented.
" ' The thought that theseinnumerable memberswere
torn from Me for everwasterrible and insupportable,
and it is also this fatal for cm- which is and will be
the greatest torment of these lost souls throughout
eternity. In the overwhelmingsorrowproducedby
the thought of this fatal for ever,I would willingly
have consented to suffer, not once, but an infinite
number of times, these cruel separations,with their
different lacerations,to recover but one of these souls,
and seeit again united to My living members,that
is, to My elect who live eternally in the Holy Spirit,
by the life which comesfrom Me, Who am the living
life, that is, the life of all living creatures. You may
judge by all that I havesaid,how inexpressiblydear
a human soul is to Me. It is also necessaryyou
should know that this terrible for ever afflicts lost
soulsto sucha degree,becauseof My justice, that
there is not one who would not willingly suffer
variousand infinite painsto recoverthe hopeof being
re-unitedto Me at any period, however distant; but
asthey nevercan,this is the most frightful of their
sufferings. Considerwhat pain I sufferedmentallyin
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 367

my Heart for all the lost, and that too until the
moment of My death.'
" After this discourse,the devout soul to whom it
was addressedfelt an ardent desireto propose to
Jesusa certaindoubt. In consequence, sheventured
to sayto Him, with respectand fear,and alsowith
and simplicity: ' O sweet and
the greatestconfidence
sorrowful Jesus ! I have often heard it said that Thou
hast endured all the pains of the damned; and I
would wish to know, providedmy curiosity does not
displeaseThee, if Thou hast experiencedthe different
pains causedin these wretched souls by cold, heat,
fire, gnashing of teeth, and other torments which
they endure in hell. Tell me, then, my Jesus,if
Thou didst feel thesethings.' This question appeared
not to displeaseHim, and He replied: ' I have not
felt, My daughter, the different torments of the
damned in the manner in which you understandthem;
that could not have been, becausetheir sufferings are
the sufferings of members, dead, and separatedfrom
Me, their Head and Body. I will explain this to
you by the following comparison. If one of your
memberswere diseased,you would feel keen agony
until the surgeonhad cut it off from your body; but
once removed,it might be submitted to the action
of fire, or ice, or thrown to dogs or wolves without
your soulexperiencinganyof thosedifferenttorments,
because it is dead, and entirely separatedfrom the
head. But yet you would not be insensibleto the ill-
treatment of a member which had once been yours,
and the more it was tormented, the more, doubtless,
your heart would feel for it. In the sameway,
"whenmortal sin tore thesemembersfrom My Body, the
pain was terrible,andbecause
theyretained,during
 368 BLESSED BATTISTA VARAXI.

their life on earth,the powerto be re-unitedto Me,

I felt unspeakableand infinite pains; but after their
deathI felt this pain no more; but yet I experienced
another unspeakableand incomprehensiblepain, in
considering that they had been My true and real
members,and neverthelesswere now fallen under the
powerof the infernal spirits,and would sufferdivers
other torments for all eternity.
"'Another sorrow which pierced My Heart was
causedby My elect themselves; for you must know-
that all those among them who have sinned, or who
will sin mortally, have done Me the same injury by
their separationfrom Me as those who are lost, since
they also are members whom sin has torn from My
Body. As great as the love which I was to have for
them, and they for Me, for ever, and as great as the
degradation to which they fell by sin, is the pain
which I felt in all these My members. In this it
differed from that inflicted by the lost, that after then-
death the latter was felt no more, whereas I endured
all the bitterness and pain from which the elect suffer
in life and after death-namely, the martyrdoms of
all martyrs, the temptations of all the tempted, the
infirmities of all the sick; the persecutions,discredits,
journeyings-in a word, all the afflictions, great and
small, of every one of the elect, and that as keenly as
you would feel a blow on your eye,your hand, and
any other of your members. Now consider the num-
ber of the martyrs, and the various tortures which
eachof them suffered. Add to this the sufferingsof
all the elect,their numberandvariety,andthen make
your calculation. If you had a thousandeyes,hands,
feet, and other members,and in each member a thou-
sanddifferentpains,howexquisitewouldnot sucha tor-
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 369

ture be to you ? But My membersare not counted

by thousandsor millions-they are innumerable; nor
is it possibleto count the sufferingsof martyrs, of
confessors,of virgins, and all the other elect; they
would reach almostto infinity. You may then con-
clude, that asno onecan comprehendthe glory and
blessednessprepared for My elect in heaven, so no
onecan comprehend
the numberandgreatnessof the
mental pains which I sufferedfor them.
" ' But I was not satisfied with feeling all the
afflictions of their lives; I felt equally the di-
versity and number of the torments which remained
for them to suffer in purgatory, according to the
quality and number of their sins; for their soulsare
not dead members, separated from Me like those
of the damned" but they are My living members,
spiritually united to Me, all of whose sufferings I
consequently endure. There is no differencebetween
the pains of hell and of purgatory, only that the first
are eternal,while the latter endure but for a time; and
the soulsin purgatoryremainthere willingly, resigned
and contented, suffering in peace,and returning thanks
to the justice of God. But I have said enoughof
this pain.'
" Now this soul, comprehendinghow much her
sins had displeasedGod, and what suffering she
had caused to her beloved Jesus, was inconsolable,
and in her anguishsaidsuch touching things, that I
would fain recount them, but they have escapedmy
memory. I only recollectthat shesaidto her Saviour.
' 0 my God! I have made Thee suffer much,
whether I be saved or damned. Ah ! I never could
havebelievedthat sin producedsuchfrightful effects;
for had I known it, I certainly never would have
24
370 BLESSED BATTTSTA VARANI.

committed sin with such facility. Nevertheless,Lordr

pay no regard to my words, for if Thy beneficent
Hand do not restrain me, I shall do even worse things
than before. 0 Jesus! my true Lover, sweet to my
heart areall thesepainsof whichThou hasttold me!' "

SECOND PAIN.-THE SORROWS OF CHRIST FOR THE

SUFFERINGS OF HIS MOTHER, S. MARY MAGDALEN.

AND HIS DISCIPLES.

" The most loving Saviour continued His recital

thus: ' Hearken, hearken, My daughter. Do not
yet speakthus. I have still to recount other most
bitter pains. First, that sharp sword which pierced
My Soul, the suffering, I mean, of My pure and in-
nocent Mother ; for no onefelt so deeplyasshedid
the death and Passion of her Son. She well deserved
that We should exalt her in the heavens,and crown
her Queenof angelsandof men. The moreany crea-
ture is humiliated and afflicted in this world for love
of Me, the more they are exalted, glorified, and re-
compensedin the kingdom of heaven by the rule of
God's justice. Now, as no one on earth suffered so
much for Me as this most sweet and afflicted Mother,
no one has equalled her in glory, and becauseshewas
to Me another self in My Passionand sorrows, sheis in
heavenanother self by power and glory, excepting
only in divinity, in which she does not participate,
for it belongs to Us Three alone-Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost. But be it known to you, that I, the
Incarnate God, have sufferedno sorrow during My
mortal life that My beloved Mother hasnot shared.
Only I sufferedin a higher and moreperfectdegree,
because I was Man-God, while My Mother was but
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 371

a pure and simple creature. I would willingly have

sparedher this suffering,and taken her pains upon
Myself. It would have beena solacefor Me, an
inexpressibleconsolation; but as I was not to feel any
solacein My cruel martyrdom, this favour wasnot
grantedMe, althoughwith filial reverenceI besought
it many times, and with abundanceof tears.'
"At these words, that soul was penetrated with
such a lively compassionfor the glorious Virgin-
Mother, that she almost fainted, and in the excessof
her grief she couldonly pronouncethesewords: ' 0
Mother of God ! men should no longer call you Mo-
ther of God, but Mother of Dolours, Mother of afflic-
tions and pains, since you have suffered so many
sorrows that it is impossible to understand or enu-
merate them. If it has been a hell for thy Sou, it
has also been a hell for thee. What other name can
I give it that would be suitable ?-0 my Lord, no
more, no more on the sorrows of Thy blessedMother;
speak no more to me of them, I can bear no more.
What Thou hast already told me is enough for my
whole life, were it to last a thousand years.'
" Jesus seeing that she was overpoweredwith
compassion, went on to say : ' If you only knew,
my daughter, how much I had to suffer from the
affliction of My beloved disciple, the tender Magda-
len ! But it is a mystery which neither you nor any
other can comprehend; becauseit is in her .and in
Me that all holy and spiritual loves that have ever
been have found their beginning and foundation.
Those who have the active and passiveexperienceof
holy and spiritual love, can form someidea of My
perfectionas a loving Master, and of the love and
goodness
of My beloveddisciple; but in practiceno
one can attain to it. Never did such a Master meet
372 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANL

with such a disciple,and there neverhas been, or

will be, another Magdalen. Next to My Mother,
Magdalenfelt most compassionfor My Passionand
death. It was for this reasonthat after My resurrec-
tion shereceived My first visit, which could not have
happenedhad any other surpassed
her in sorrow;but
becauseshe was the most afflicted after My Mother,
shewas also the first, after her, who deservedto be
consoled.

" ' When My most belovedJohn rested on My bosom

during the Last Supper, I made him^see clearly My
resurrection, and the abundant fruit that would result
from My sufferings and death. Nevertheless,he felt
My sufferingsmore keenly than any other disciple,
but not more than My loving Magdalen, who was
not capable of receiving such high and sublime com-
munications as he did. If John had been able to pre-
vent My Passion,he certainly would not have done it,
knowing the immense benefits that would result from
it. It was not thus with My dear Magdalen; she
knew no other good but Me alone. So that when she
saw Me draw My last breath, she believed shehad
lost everything in heavenand on earth, becausein Me
was all her hope, her love, her peace,her consolation;
and then her sorrow was without measure. There-
fore I cordially carried her in My soul, and I received
from her all the tenderness of which a holy and
spiritual love is capable.
"'If you desire to understand better what I have
said, observethe differencethat existedbetweenMy
disciples and this sinner, who detachedherself from
everythingthat was not Me. After My deaththey
returned to their nets, but she did not return to her
"uxurious life. Burning and inflamed with holy
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 373

desires,
shesoughtMe incessantly,
andhavingno hope
of possessingMe alive, she would at least possess
Me dead,feelingthat withoutherdearMaster,living
or dead, there was no consolation for her on earth.
Sotrue wasthis, that she left the companyof My
dearMother,who wasall that wasmostamiable,most
delectable,most desirablein the world after Me, in
orderto seekMy Body. Shethoughtnothingof the
sweet conversationof the angels; she was so oc-
cupied with Me, she could neither see nor listen to
any oneelse. In short her sufferingsweresogreat,
that shewould have died of grief, had not My su-
preme power miraculously preservedher life. I was
much afflicted for her, but I did not permit her to
die, because I desired to make her, as I did after-
wards, the apostleof My apostles,for she announced
My resurrection to them, as they afterwards an-
nounced it to the world. I wished to make her the
mirror, the example, and the model of all contempla-
tion and holy life, by her thirty-three years' retreat
in the desert,whereshe lived unknownto the world,
and where she tasted and felt all that is most deli-
cious in divine love, that can be tasted in this mortal
life. This then is the pain causedMe by My beloved
disciple Magdalen.
';' Another sorrowwhichpiercedMy soul was the
fixed and unceasingthoughtof what would happento
My apostlesat the time of My Passionand death.
They werethe pillars of heaven,and the founda-
tions of My churchmilitant on earth,and I saw them
dispersed
as sheepwithouta shepherd
; I thoughtof
all they would have to suffer for love of Me; I
beheldall their tormentsand their martyrdom. Then
youmustconsider,My daughter,that no fatherever
374 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

had for his children, no brother for his brethren,no

masterfor his disciples,a love sotenderandcordial as
that which I bore these My beloved brethren and dis-
ciples,theseblessedapostles. Although I have ever
loved all creatures with an infinite love, still I had a
specialpredilectionfor those with whom I lived on
earth. Therefore when I exclaimed, "My soul is
sorrowful even unto death," it was less from the con-
sideration of My own sufferings,than of the sufferings
of those who were about to be left without Me, their
Head, Master, and Father; and this abandonment
was so painful to Me, that it seemed another death.
Whoever meditates upon the last discourse that I
addressedto them cannot but be movedto tears,how-
ever insensiblehe may be, becauseevery word is full
of compassion,and flowed from the depth of My Heart,
which seemedbursting with love of them.
" ' I saw, moreover, how for love of Me one would
be crucified, another beheaded,another flayed; I saw,
in short, by what sort of martyrdom eachone of them
would finish his life. Judge from that the pain My
soul experienced. If you were closely united to a
personby the ties of holy love, and you saw him in-
sulted, tortured, suffering becauseof you, how wretched
would you be to seeyourself the causeof his sufferings.
Yes, your deep distress would be all the greater, that
you would wish, on the contrary, to procure him all
sorts of good things, honours, and consolations. Now
it wasI, My daughter,whowasto be the causeof the
misfortunesof My apostles. What moreis necessary
to explain to you My sorrows,and to makeyou com-
prehendhow deservingtheyareof your compassion ?'"
 'BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 375

THIRD PAIN.-THE SORROWSOF CHRIST FOR THE IN-

GRATITUDE OP THE JEWISH PEOPLE, AND. OF ALL
CREATURES; HIS ESPECIAL SOKKOWIN jTHE GAR-
DEN.

'"ANOTHER SOITOAV,
which piercedMy Heart con-
tinually,like a three-edged
andpoisoned
blade,wasthe
impiety and ingratitude of Judas,first My beloveddis-
ciple,then My wickedbetrayer; the hardness andper-
verseingratitudeof the JewishpeoplewhomI chose;
-andthe evil blindnessand ingratitude of all creatures
who have been, are, and will be. Consider first the
ingratitude of Judas, whom I chosefor one of My
apostles,whosesins I forgave,uponwhomI conferred
the powerof working miracles,and whomI madethe
dispenserof the offeringsmadeto Me. When 1 saw
the design of betraying Me forming in his heart,I
redoubledthe proofsof My tenderness, to turn him
from his criminal thoughts, but it was of no avail ;
nothing would touch his wicked heart. On the con-
trary, the more affection I showed him, the more he
was hardened in his perfidious resolution. When,
at the Last Supper,I performed the humble and
touchingceremonyof washingMy disciples'feet. My
Heart could not contain itself; but I wept bitterly,
and watered his polluted feet with My tears, for I
said within Myself: " O Judas ! what have I then
doneto you, that you should betrayMe thus? 0 un-
happy disciple! is this to be the last proof I shall
ever be able to give of My love for you ? 0 son of
perdition! why dost thou leave Thy Father and
Master1? O Judas, if you would have thirty pieces
of silver, why not go and askthemfrom My Mother
thine; she wouldj sell herself to free thee and
376 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

Me from dangerand death. Ah! ungratefuldisciple,

to-dayI washthy feet, and kiss them with so much
love, and in a few hours thou wilt kissMy Face,to
deliver Me up to My enemies. 0 dear andbeloved
son,what a return thou makestto Onewho weeps
the loss of thee more than His own Passion and
death, becausefor this He cameinto this world."
"' While My Heart was speaking thus, My tears
watered his feet, but he saw them not, becauseI was
kneelingbeforehim,My Headbent down,andMy long
hair falling about My Face,sothat he could not seeMy
tearful countenance. But John, my beloved disciple,
to whom I had revealed all the mysteries of My
Passionduring this sad Supper,observedMy every
action, saw My tears flow on the feet of the traitor,
and understood that they proceededfrom the tender-
ness of My love. When a father sees his only
son about to die, he is eager to serve him, and
says in his heart, " Farewell, my son, this is the last
service I shall be able to render you." Thus did I act
towards Judas, when I washed and kissed his feet.
When I caressedand kissed them with tender compas-
sion,John,perceiving
with his eagleeyeall My gestures
and actions, was more dead than alive with wonder
and admiration. When at length I approachedto wash
his feet, for his humility had made him take the last
place, on seeing me stoop he could no longer contain
himself, but as I knelt he threw his arms round My
neck,andheld mefast in a long embraceasif fainting,
weepingand sobbingand saying in his heart, with-
out uttering a sound, " 0 my dear Master! my
Brother, my Lord and my God ! how hast Thou
had the courageto wash and kiss with Thy sacred
Mouth the cursed feet of this infamous traitor 1 0
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 37T

my Jesus! what a perfect exampleof charity dost

Thou leave us ! but how shall we follow it when we
shall no longer have Thee Who art all our good?
And Thy sorrowfulMother,what will becomeof her,
when I recount to her this act of humility'? And
now, that my heart maybreak,Thou desirestto wash
my vile feet, and apply to them Thy sacredMouth.
O my God! each new proof of Thy love serves
but to increasemy grief." After these and similar
words,all full of tendernessenoughto softena heart
of stone, he took off his sandals,and with great
modesty presented Me his feet to wash. I tell you
all this, My daughter,that you may know how much
My Heart had to suffer on this occasionfrom a disciple
who seemed to be determined to show Me as much
hatred and ingratitude as I had shown him love.
" ' The obstinate hatred of the Jewish nation was
alsoa grievouswound to My Heart, and you will under-
stand this intolerable pain if you consider the nature
of their ingratitude. I had made of the Jews a holy
people, a priestly nation. I had chosen them from
among all the nations of the earth to be the portion
of My inheritance. I had delivered them from Egyp-
tian bondage, and from the hands of Pharao. I
had broughtthem through the Eed Sea dry-shod,I
had cared for them in the desert, nourished them
with miraculous food, enlightened their march during
the night by a column of fire, and protectedthem
from the sun by day by a cloud. I gave them the
old law on the heights of Mount Sinai, and when the
fulness of time had come, I announced the new law
to them with My own Mouth. I chose to be born
of their race, I dwelt thirty-three years in the midst
of them, to give them an exampleof all virtue.
378 BLESSED EATTISTA VARAKI.

With how many benefitsdid I not load them during

the last three years of My life, giving sight to the
blind, hearingto the deaf,speechto the dumb,health
to the sick, and life to the dead. When I heard
them cry with inconceivablerage, " We will not
have this Man : crucify Him, and give us Barabbas,"
My Heart seemedto be rent asunder. None but
they who have had experienceof its bitterness know
what it is to meet with all kinds of illtreatment
from those we have loaded with all sorts of favours.
But there is something still more revolting, to hear
a whole people cry out against a just and innocent
Man, " Let Him die, let Him die !" and for the vilest
of criminals, " Let him be delivered, let him be de-
livered !" These are things which canbe felt rather
than spoken.'
" Thesewords inspired this holy soul with such deep
sentiments of humility, that she confessedin all since-
rity to God and the whole court of heaventhat shehad
received more gifts and more graces than Judas and
the Jewish people, but had neverthelessbetrayed and
crucified her divine Master. In this persuasion she
descended in thought to hell, and placing herself
under the feet of Judas, she cried with a plaintive and
touching voice, 'O my Lord, full of goodness,what re-
turn can I make Thee for having borne with me, I who
am a thousand times more criminal than the traitor
Judas'? Thou didst only choosehim to be Thy dis-
ciple, but Thou hast adopted me for Thy daughter
and Thy spouse. Thou didst pardon his sins, and
Thou hast also pardoned mine. Thou didst confide
to him the dispensationof Thy earthly goods,but
Thou hast confidedThy spiritual richesto me; for it
is from Thy treasuresthat I have receivedso many
 BLESSED BATTISTA VAKANI. 379

favours,so many valuablegifts. Thou didst place

111
his handsthe powerof working miracles,but Thou
hast performedfor me the greatestof all, in with-
drawingme from the world, and placingme where
I now am. And, after so manygraces,0 niy Jesus!
I have betrayedand sold Thee, not once, like Thy
perfidiousdisciple,but timeswithout number.
" ' Ah ! if the ingratitude of the Jews seemsto
Thee so black and insupportable,what must mine
appear? for I havecertainlytreated Theeworsethan
they, after havingreceivedfrom Thy liberality many
more benefits. Yes,it is Thou,my mostsweetJesus,
Who hastdeliveredmefrom the Egyptianbondageof
my sins, and from the hands of that cruel Pharaowho
ruled my poor soul at his pleasure. It wasThouWho
didst openup a path for me throughthe sea of the
world, and introduced me into the desert of religion.
Scarcelyhad I entered it, when Thou madesta delicious
maima to rain upon me, which partook of every taste
I coulddesire. I would speak,Lord, of Thy spiritual
consolations, which rendered the pleasures of the
world insipid to me ; pleasures,which altogether are
not to be compared with one of the least of Thine.
It was Thou Who gavest me on the Sinai of holy
meditationThy spiritual law, engravenby the finger
of Thy mercyon the stonytable of my heart. It was
Thou Who didst protectme againstthe vehemence of
my passions,and gavest me the victory over them.
Thou wert born in my heart by grace,andThou didst
showme by Thy divine light the path I shouldfollow
to arrive at Thee, the true Paradise. Thou hast made
me see, speak,hear, and walk; for I was indeed
blind, dumb, deaf, paralyzed in mind, and incapable
of all spiritual things. What more can I say, 0
380 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

my God! Was it possiblethat Thou couldesthave

done more for me? Yet who has scourged Thee?
I. Who has crowned Thee with thorns ? I. Who
hasgivenThee gall and vinegarto drink ? I. Who
has crucified Thee ? I.
" ' 0 my God! Thouknowestwhy I saythat I have
done all these things. It is becauseI have seen
light in Thy light, and I know that my sins have
causedThee more pain than all Thy corporalsuf-
ferings. Speakno more to me, then, of the ingra-
titude of men. I know enough of it, sinceThou hast
givenmegraceto see,at leastin somedegree,my own,
and that is sufficient to make me comprehend the
affliction Thou didst feel at the ingratitude of all
mankind. When I consider by Thy light the evil
that I and so many others have done Thee, I am lost
in wonder at the patience Thou hast shown to such
ungrateful creatures,and the charity with which Thou
hast unceasingly provided for all our temporal and
spiritual wants. To understand fully, 0 my God, all
the depthsof my ingratitude,would be as difficult as
to number all the marvels Thou hast wrought for Thy
ungrateful creatures in heaven and on earth, in the
water and every other element. There is but Thee,
Lord, I confess and believe, there is but Thee, to
Whom it is known. Thou alone canst know the num-
ber and extent of Thy benefits, and Thou alone canst
appreciatethe enormityof our ingratitude,and know
the horrible evil Thy creatureshave done against
Thee. Yes, my Jesus,I confessthis truth in my
own name, and in that of all Thy creatures,who are
not one moment in existencewithout abusingThy
benefits, and renderingourselvescontinually guilty
of the blackest ingratitude; an ingratitude which I
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 381

feel was one of Thy most cruel and insupportable

torments.'

" I finish this writing, to the praiseandgloryof my

Jesus,this Friday, the 12th of Septemberof the year
1488.
" What I am now about to write was revealed to me
one day that I wasmeditatingon thesorrowfulagony
of my divine Master. "Whenthe sun is in the signof
Leo, its heat is greater than at any other time of the
year,because
it has enteredon its ownproperdomain.
In like manner, when Jesus prayed in the Garden of
Olives, His mental sorrows becamemore intense than
they had been during all His previous life, becauseHe
had then arrived at the most elevated point of His
suffering love. The sign of the Lion was, then, for
this glorious Sun, the culminating point of His agony.
" It was shown me, in the revelation of which I
speak, that there is the same difference between a
soul which meditates on the mental sorrows of
Jesus, and another which stops at the crucifixion
of His sacredHumanity, as between honey or balsam
enclosedin a vessel,and that which exudes from it
exteriorly. He, then, who wishes to nourish himself
on the Passion of the Saviour, should not confine him-
self to simplytasting the edgeof thevessel;by which
I mean His admirable Wounds, and the Blood which
flowed from His most holy Body ; for in this way he
will never appeasethe hunger which devourshim.
Let him enter into the vessel itself, that is to say,
into the Sacred Heart, and he will find there more
than enoughto satisfyhim.
" I would not insert this revelation in my manu-
script,for fearof injuringthe devotionof thosewho
stopat the contemplation of HisJHumanity, andfind
382 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

there sufficient nourishment. It is not for every one

to sail on this sea,especiallyfor women,since our
capacityis limited. NeverthelessGodgivesthe power
to all who ask it of Him in truth.
" 0 my father! you cannottell what I havesuffered
in writing thesethings. Verily asthe seais my con-
trition."
[It appearsthat this postscriptwas added by the
BlessedBattista three years later, in 1491, when she
copiedout the original document,in orderto sendit,
with a narrativeof her life, to her spiritual director.]
 SUPPLEMENT TO THE

LIFE OF THE

BLESSED BATTISTA VARAHZ*

CHAPTER I.

HER HUMILITY.

IT is truly admirable to seethe length to which the

zeal of this blessed' soul went for the honour of God.
Her desire to promote His glory was as great as her
horror of everything that could possibly diminish it.
Thus, for example, her humility persuadedher that
she was the most wicked and ungrateful of creatures,
and sheregarded the graces and favours which God
grantedher asmisplacedin her heart,which shecon-
ceived to be the vilest place in the world; and from
this conviction she believed herself obliged to hide
them with the greatestcare. Shewould often devise
some excuseor other to withdraw from the spiritual
* This supplement is a collection from different letters of
this servant of God to a priest whose nameis unknown, and
"who was, probably, one of her confessors. It appearsthat
Father Pascuccionly editedthis collection, changingthe order,
the better to exhibit each of the virtues of the Saint. The
reader must not forget, that it is she who speaks in the third
person,to concealherselfasmuchas possible.
"384 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

readingmadein common,fearinglestsomethingmight
escapeher whichwould make those presentimagine
she had received some favour from God. For the
samereason shewarned the reader not to go on read-
ing aboutthe Passionwhile the sisterswereat meals,
for that they could not eat comfortably when listening
to that history of love. She did this lest any one
should observeher own conduct during the reading,
or take note of any outward sign she might then give
of her feelings. She also cameseldomto the refectory,
principally for the samereason.
I disclosethesethings to you, my son and my father
in JesusChrist, that you may learn from this soul to
hide the graces and the spirit which God gives you,
until it pleasesHim to commandyou to do otherwise.
Oh, how happy is the soul who desiresno other wit-
ness of her spiritual operations than her Creator.
You cannot imagine how many difficulties this thy
mother had to overcome for this reason; how many
attacks, presumptuousjudgments, rash and false testi-
monies to bear. How often has it happened to her
to be reproved aud humbled before her sisters and
brothers, for things worthy of praise in the eyes of
'God and man; but in the midst of these tempestsshe
remained firm, constant, and immovable in her resolu-
tions, with the sure confidencethat her faithful Spouse
"would take sword in hand on her behalf, and when
the fitting time camewould justify her, after her faith
and patiencehad been sufficiently tried. This soul, on
her part, manifested much uprightness of heart, seek-
ing to pleaseGod alone, heeding not the judgments
of men, and caring little to find herself coveredwith
confusion,provided she could savethe honour of her
Master. Be careful,my son,neverto rob Godof any-
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 385

thing; I would not have you attachedto anything

herebelow. If yourheartretainedtheslightestearthly
affection, it would be a disgraceto your spiritual
mother,and to yourselfamuch greaterinjury. Show
yourself,on the contrary,faithful in all things. Fear,
love,honour God. Whatsoeverthe Lord pleased,He
has donein heaven,in earth,in the sea,and in all the
deeps.
This devoutsoul,in her profoundhumility, besought
Godwith all her heartto transferthegracesandfavours
with which He loaded her, to someone else more
worthy of pleasingHim, andmorecapableof honouring
Him for His benefits. Shecouldnot, indeed,persuade
herself that there was another creature in the world
more unworthy of His heavenly favours. Nothing
would have consoled her more than to obtain this,
becauseshesoughtthe honour of God morethan her
own interest. It is to a soul such as this, if I mistake
not, that the words of Christ apply-"Well done,
good and faithful servant, becausethou hast been faith-
ful over a few things, I will placethee over many
things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." To
sucha soul asthis, it is saidin the Apocalypse," Be
faithful unto death,and I will give thee a crown of
life." It is not enoughto be faithful during ten or
twenty years,it is necessary to be sounto death. He
is a truly faithful servant,who, in dying, remitsintact
to his Lord the depositconfidedto him. Be careful,
my son, never to steal what belongsto God, else
He will cause you to be hung by the neck, not
caringthat you are a priest anda doctor,in no way
inferior to others who hold thosedignities. Of such
personsis it said," Serveye the Lord with fear; and
rejoice unto Him with trembling."
25
386 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

Your mother,fearinglest sheshouldrob Godof the

love due to Him, from her entranceinto religion until
this hour, has always taken care never to give her
whole self to any one, nor to suffer others to give
their whole selvesto her; but she strove to love all
with a generallovethat shemight not be lovedunduly
in return. Although very affectionateby nature, she
has avoided all occasionsof loving any one, or of ex-
citing lovein otherstowardsherself. If shesometimes
observedthat any one loved her more than others, she
was deeply grieved, and besoughtGod with abundance
of tears to temper the affection of this person for her,
or to extinguish it entirely. At other times, to relieve
herself of this importunate love, she sought to turn it
in another direction, towards some one she believed
to be more deserving than herself. She did all this
that she might not withdraw from her Creator that
love which He alone merits. In short, I affirm that
no creature ever took so much pleasure,joy, and con-
solation in seeingitself loved, as she found annoyance,
sorrow, and displeasurein the affection of which she
was the object, when she saw it was not according to
God; and over this she would shed bitter tears.
There is a wonderful revelation, my son, which you
must ask God to discloseto you: it is to make you see
clearly what you are, what you are capableof, what you
know, and what you deserve. Without this revelation
none can attain perfection; it is a secret which one
man cannotlearn from another,for it is laid up in the
SacredHeart of JesusChrist, who doesnot discover it
to all, but only to a few, and that not equally,for He
saysmoreto one,and lessto another,accordingto the
different degreesof perfectionto which eachis called.
I believethe secretcannotbe entirely understoodin
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. ' 387

this miserablelife, but only in the future, when we

shall fully and truly comprehend
our vileness,our
frailty, and our folly. Now it, is from this revelation
that humility of heart comes,which does not strike
the eyesof men, but which God beholds and looks on
with satisfaction. Your spiritual mother would never
desireany other revelationthan the knowledgeof
God,andof herself. Andyet theDispenserof graces,
alwaysgenerousandbountiful,hasaddedmanyothers,
and not denied her that one.
Severalyearsago,my son,this soul,while praying
beforea crucifix, wasdivinely enlightenedon this pre-
cious truth, that she could not arrive at perfection
without knowing another trinity besides the divine
Trinity. Just as to be a Christianit is necessary
to
believe and confessone Most Holy Trinity, Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost; so in like manner to become
perfect,it is necessaryto believethis triple verity-
namely, that before God we are but nothing, all
foolish,and all detestable. O Most BlessedTrinity!
Thou art neither known, valued,nor believedby ig-
norant spiritual persons. 0 my God, said she, rather
take from me my bodily life than the knowledge of
this loving truth. Keducemy bonesto powderrather
than permit this doctrineof eternalwisdomto depart
from my mind. I cannotglory in my power, since
my poweris nothing; nor in my wisdom,sinceI am
but a fool; nor in my merits, since 1 am a creature
vile and abominablein the eyes of the Lord, more to
be hated than hatred itself.
He whocommitssin,becomes the servantof sin; this
is of faith. And sincesin is nothing,in committing
sin, asI have often done,I have becomethe slaveof
a nothing; I am then less than^nothing,sinceI am
25-2
388 BLESSED BATTISTA VA.RANL

as much below this nothing as thes ervant is below

his master. That sin is nothing may be gathered
from the propertyit possesses
of annihilatingin usthe
imageof God, by Whom, saysS. John, all things
were made.
Hence when the soul feels in herself the power of
doing good,she may be sure that it is the Personof
the Eternal Father who comes to aid her nullity.
In the samemanner, when she seesthat she can speak
and instruct others in the spiritual life, she ought to
recognizethat the wisdomof the Sonmakesher folly
wise. Again, whenthe soulperceivesthat sheloves
God, and is beloved by Him, she may well believe
that it is the Holy Spirit who loves her, and renders
her hatefulnesslovable. By favour of this light, this
soul refers to God all that she has of good, and is free
from the pride which the angel expelled from Para-
dise j so that she can say and sing with the Prophet,
"Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are my eyeslofty."
This person held it for a certain truth, that if a soul,
however spiritual, did not obtain this light, this know-
ledge, this necessary revelation, she could never
sincerely and cordially humble herself before God
and before men.

Know that she is reverent in her exterior actions,

and an irreconcilableenemyto shamefulhypocrisy.
Nevertheless,not only in private, but in public, she
often kisses the pavement of the church which her
sistershavetrod on, believingherself unworthyto be
ableto put her mouth on the footprints of thesepure
virgins. I write this with tearsin my eyes,because
it costsme muchto disclosesecretslong shut up in
my heart,but I cannotresisttheforceof your devotion
and your prayers. Consider,0 blessedsoul,that she
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 389

would prefer to humble herself under the feet of all,

were she not prevented by the respect she owes to
her chargeand her position. For this reason,when-
ever another pays her external reverence,she never
fails reverently to incline herself, and never has it
comeinto her mind to say,I amaboveher. It even
happensfrequentlythat she is the first to salute the
least of the sisters,apparentlyin playfulness,but in
reality from her heart,seeingin this sisterthe spouse
of Christ.
And you, also, my dear son, endeavour to be
humble of heart, kind, compassionate,gentle, and
agreeable,looking into the most pure Heart of Jesus
as into a beautiful mirror, to see the feelings it con-
tains, and conforming yourself to them as much as
possible, if you would have a share in His love and
His honourable friendship.
It was from that divine Heart, from that sacred
Side, that your mother derived all her interior and
exterior adornment. His most loving Heart was her
school;shewaslearnedonly because
it wasthere that
she studied. In this divine book you read nothing
but truth, kindness, sweetness,benignity, peace of
conscience,and true joy. We find nothing there but
love-love for God and charity for men. O Divine
Heart! I cannot help naming Thee, sinceshe saw her-
self written conspicuouslyin Thee in beautiful letters
of gold. Enter into this Divine Heart, my son, if
you desire to becomesoonperfect; it is the short,
hidden, sure, and infallible way, that your mother has
always followed. Follow it, for conformity begets
and preserveslove.
In short, my son, turn towards God, and say to
Him, " I beseech
Thee,0 Lord, to givemethis revela-
 390 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

tion, for without this I can never be perfect; and yet

my priestly officedemandsperfection." Say this to
Him with a heart full of confidence; He will certainly
give you this grace, for He showersgraceson the just
and on the wicked, even when they ask them not, out
of the fulnessof His mercy. Therefore this soul whom
you love will sing throughout eternity the merciesof
the Lord.

I would wish you to servethe Lord, not asa slave,

from the fear of temporal and eternal chastisements;
neither as a sinner, who looks for a reward ; but as
a noble child, who gives to his good Father love for
love, blood for blood, life for life. Behold these
hidden paths,short asthey are,which escapehuman
eyes,but which areperfectlyknown to God,to Whom
all is open. What I speak of is a movement of affec-
tion ; and, if it be pure, God waits not for the soul
to take the first step, but opens at once to her the
treasuresof His immensewisdom; He waits not for her
to knock at the door of His divine mercy to cometo her
aid; she receives,before she asks it, more than she
can desire-more than she knows how to ask. Our
merciful and loving Jesusis extremely liberal towards
those who conform themselves to Him, and open to
Him a generousand magnanimousheart; but He will
never dwell in a straitened and base heart, becauseHe
is great, and "high above all gods" (Exod. xviii. 11).
Leave then, beloved soul, leave this deceitful and
perfidious world, not front the fear of hell as a slave,
nor from the hope of a recompenseas a sinner, but as
a loving daughter and spouse,from pure love for your
crucified Jesus. Press Him in the arms of your most
tender affections. Your mother has given you the
example; for she grieved for what she had not and
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 391

"wasnot, and that she couldnot give up morefor the

loveof Jesuscrucified,whomshelovedwith a pure
heart and perfectintention.
As it is necessaryfor the soulwho would attain this
point to keep her mind fixed on God, asmuchasher
frailty anddivinegracewill permit,shecando nothing
more useful than this. This attention to God sanctifies
the soul,inflamesheraffections,
enlightens
herunder-
standing,and preservesher from venialsins; it sweeps
away her vices,and is the best preparationfor prayer
and meditation. Many personspray all day without
keepingGod beforetheir minds, and feel dry, inde-
vout, andfull of dislike for this holy exercise,andthey
tell you, I have not the graceof prayer. But it is
not so. The reasonis that they take no painsto fit
themselvesfor it, by directing their thoughtsto God.
Those who consider how to do so best, arrive at the
desired end without delay, and obtain the graceof
tears, compunction, sweetness,and devotion. This was
shown to your mother by the Holy Spirit, that her
soul might be more ardent for this angelic exercise;
and in truth she possessesthe grace of invoking her
Redeemerin her heart, and keeping the remembrance
of Him within her.
Such is the method which truly wise and spiritual
men follow, and which they will continue to follow
for ever in the glory of heaven. There is no better
signby which to knowif anyoneis written in theBook
of Life. Know for certain, my son,that the more you
think of God, the more He will think of you. Many
strive to attain purity of heart by a way aslong asit
is painful, in watchings,fastings,scourgings,lying on
the bare ground,enduringcold and heat,mortifying
their body in other ways,becausethey know that in-
 392 BLESSED BATTISTA VAKAN1.

terior purity will elevatethemto the summitof per-

fection. But your mother is sure that by thinking
frequentlyon Godwe arrive at the sameendwithout
any difficulty, and much more quickly; and if this
be so, how can you do better than imitate her 1
Would a traveller be wise, who, being able to go to
Rome with easein one day, chose a more difficult
road four times as long 1 Choose then, my sou, this
short, easy, safe,and secret way, which will lead you
to Paradise. Embrace Christ, and you will make
your fortune without any one knowing how you trade.
When a man is constantly occupied with God, God
dwells in him; and is not he rich who possessesGod by
grace? Take carethat God be the objectof all your
thoughts, and the aim of all your intentions, without
attaching yourself to creatures. Thus, for example,
when you exercise charity towards your neighbour,
although you would do well to consider him as your
neighbour, you would do much better to consider lam
only as a member of Jesus Christ, for the more noble
one intention is than the other, the more meritorious
is it.

Do not sleepin sloth and negligence,for the king-

dom of heaven sufferethviolence, and the violent bear
it away. The Holy Ghost hasimprinted tin's word of
the gospel so deeply in the heart of your mother, that,
sleepingor waking, she calls it to mind. You must
guard continually against this fatal sleep to which
too many religious personsabandon themselves,who,
forgetful of their first fervour, perform all their
works without attention. You know the habit of
goats-when one leaps over a fence all the rest follow.
Thus thesereligious observetheir rules and ceremonies.
They seewhat othersdo, and follow them,but with-
 BLESSED BATTISTA VAKANI. 393

out considering why they act thus. Such souls are

like asses,whicharesometimes
employedby their mas-
ters to carry wines, and yet only drink water. Now
this is exactly what happensto religiouspersonswho
havethis spirit of slumber;they carry burdenswhich
causethem great fatigue, and derive from them but
little fruit. As matter without form is neither useful
nor beautiful, so likewise good works performed
without a definiteintention are little pleasingto God
or beneficialto the doer. The work may be praise-
worthy in itself, but the want of an intention de-
prives it of form, and renders it fruitless; so that
they are but fools who act in this manner. In place.
of imitating their folly, strive, my son,to follow the
example of the wise and prudent, who consider God
alone in their works, whether they be great or small,
doing everythingto pleaseHim, and sufferingevery-
thing for love of Him. For the love of God make
your prayer or spiritual reading, sing the divine office,
sweepthe house,wash the dishes,clean vegetables,do
works of charity; for believe me, my son, if you are
faithful in saying to God, whenever you remember it,
that you wish to act only for His love, you will come
at last to say it even without thinking.
Such hasalwaysbeenthe practiceof your mother.
It is true that shehas rarely been ableto apply herself
to such works, becauseof her weak health and long in-
firmities, but it may be said of her for your edification,
that she has done more than shehad strength to do.
Always havean ardent desireto do penance,but be
prudent in the outward practiceof this virtue. If,
instead of following your own will in this, you follow
the direction of your fathers, you will merit much
beforethe Most Holy Trinity, who considersonly the
394 BLESSED BATTISTA VARAXI.

heart. Take care that your heart be constantlyin-

flamedwith charity, for while oil is boiling, flies will
not approachit, but whenit beginsto cool,then they
come,sink into it, and spoil it. In the sameway, when
a soulis burning with divine love, shehasnothing to
fear from the demons nor from evil thoughts; but if
shebecomeslukewarm, then the flies of vanity and use-
less thoughts approachher and fall upon her, and thus
the fatal sleep of negligenceis born in that negligent
soul. Hence it coniesto passthat so many soulssleep
in holy religion, and dream that they are advancing
in perfection; but at the hour of death, they seethe
fallacy of all these dreams,for they find their hands
full of the illusions of the spirit of deceit and lies.
Open then your eyes,my dear son,while it is time,
and lose noneof the few days yet remainingto you.
Be watchfuland fervent, accordingto the gracegiven
to you, that you may be ableto saywith the apostle,
"His grace in me hath not beenvoid," for "to Theedo
I watch at break of day." If you follow this method,
be surethat you will advancequickly in the way of
perfection.

CHAPTER II.

HER CHARITY TOWARDS HER NEIGHBOUR, MANIFESTED

IN THE WARNINGS SHE GIVES HER DISCIPLE.

I DESIRE,my dear son in Jesus Christ, that you be

at the sametime liberal and avaricious; very liberal
towards your neighbour, and very avaricious towards-
yourself,whichis preciselythe oppositeof what is done
by the world. In truth, worldlingsare very prodigal
towardsthemselves, very attentive to provide for all
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 395

their own wants; but theyact verydifferentlyin re-

gard to their neighbour. They will seetheir brother
in wantof a hundredthingsbeforethey will makeup
their mindsto give him one. 0 excessive
blindness!
0 deplorable
calamity! TheLord givesgenerously;
He is liberal without measure,and from Him are all
things, for the Psalmistsays," The earth is the Lord's
and the fulnessthereof,"while manhasnothinghe can
call his own " he must leave the world naked as when
he enteredit. He is but thestewardandthe dispenser
of God'sriches,andyet he is parsimonious, avaricious,
without mercy,cruel to his brother andhis neighbour.
O Most High Trinity ! 0 Most Holy Trinity ! I return
Thee infinite thanks. 0 powerof my powerlessness!
0 wisdom of my folly! 0 most clement love of my
hatef'ulness!I return Thee thanksfor me and my poor
nature, as much as my impotence can, as much as my
folly is capableof, as much as my hatefulnesscan
please. I thank Thee that by Thy power, Thy wis-
dom, and boundlessclemency,Thou hast found means
to reduce human pride to what it is-to nothing; for
in reality we are nothing, and return to nothing.
What sweet joy my heart feels, when I consider on
the one hand Thy power and wisdom, and on the other
human misery : when I see that Thou alone art and
wilt be eternally what Thou hast ever been, while
sinners, who, in their pride, would be masters of the
earth and all its riches, and who refuse to exercise
mercytowardstheir neighbours,will soonreturn into
dust and nothingness. Mounted on the unbridled
desire of always possessingmore, I see them falling
underthe powerful Hand of God; and not falling to
the ground only, but into the very depthsof hell, be-
cause of their accursed avarice.
396 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

Alas! that this detestable vice should insinuate

itself into holy religion. It is not uncommonto seere-
ligiouspersons,who havegivenup greatrichesfor the
love of God,sotemptedby the demon,that theygrudge
giving a morselof breador a lettuce to the hungry,
or a little wine to the thirsty. How shameful that
the servants of God should be still subject to such
a detestable vice ! What displeasure for Him, and
what an affliction for His Heart! How can such a
liberal Master bear such avaricious servants 1 I wish,
then, reverend father and dear son in Jesus Christ,
that you should act differently from worldly persons.
I wish that if you want four things, one alone should
content you, abandoning the care of your body to the
Providenceof God, Who, provided you trust implicitly
in Him, will inspire some one to provide for all your
necessities,so that you will want nothing. Such has
always been the faith of your mother, and God has
inspired so many to provide for her necessities,both
temporal and spiritual, that shehas had nothing more
to desire. Also, I do not believe she ever askedfrom
her superiorsanything for herself; on the contrary, she
refused such things when offered, saying, " Mother, I
do not require this, will you give it to one of my sisters
who needs it more than I do V
But it is not enoughthat you be avaricious towards
yourself, you must also be very liberal towards others,
even giving four times as much as they ask. God
was pleasedto draw your mother to the contemplation
of His generosity and love. He made her see the
heavensadornedwith the sunandmoonandstars,the
earth coveredwith plants, flowers,and fruits, enriched
with the fragranceof a thousandperfumes,and abun-
dantly furnished with medicinal herbs. What multi-
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 397

tudes of fishesin the water; what variety of birds in

the air; what hosts of beastsfeed in the woods,and on
the mountains. All this, and more, has God made for
our poor bodies. He has bestowed on them, besides,
rich harvestsof corn,of wine, andoil. But if this great
God has shown Himself so liberal towards our bodies,
what has He not preparedfor our soul, which is
created in His image and likeness1? What variety of
glory, what diverse beatitudes,what incomprehensible
joys, what inestimable delights she will find at last in
the holy and triumphant Jerusalem! O city of God,
gloriousthings are saidof thee! Thy opengatesare
adorned with precious pearls. Thy walls and streets
are of pure gold. Thither are admitted those who
have been found worthy to suffer for the Name of
Jesus Christ. 0 blessed Jerusalem ! thou art the
vision of peace, the place of true happiness, the
fruition of eternal glory.
Why has God created so many great things in
heaven and earth, in the sea,and in all the elements,
if not to manifest to us mortals His bountiful charity
and His infinite mercy 1 He is so generous,so good,
sogracious,andso indulgent,that after havingloaded
us with His riches, He gives Himself to us in the most
Holy Sacrament. 0 most graciousGod! how is it
that the sinner refusesto give to his brother the least
thing1? It was from this consideration,my son,that
your mother learned to becomegenerous,although
from her infancy she had shown a tendency to this
virtue. Now she takesmore pleasurein giving than
in receiving, and she feels this gracedaily growing
more and more. And you also enlai'ge your charity,
if you wouldbecomeconformed to God,for He loves
nothingelsein usbut Himself,Hisimageandlikeness.
398 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

This doctrineyourmotherlearnt in theschoolof divine

wisdom. If it seemsto you obscure,ask and you will
find that Godis worthy of love in all things, and that
all things out of Him are hateful. Noneis goodbut
God alone, He is compassionateand merciful, and His
mercyis without end. Glory and praisebe to Him
for ever. Amen.

I do not speak here of the tender charity of the

sameservant of God, which rendered her so compas-
sionateto the weakness
andimperfectionsof her neigh-
bour, becauseit is not always expedient to open the
eyes of the blind. I only declare to you that your
mother, even while in the world, was instructed by
God on this subject; but as she was then ignorant of
all spiritual things, sheneither understoodthe import-
ance of this teaching, nor its deep meaning. When,
however,she enteredinto religion, the Holy Spirit
gave her on this subject such abundant light, that
during eighteen years,neither as subject nor superior,
did she ever speak ill of any creature.
If God permits for the increase of your crown of
glory that any one should speak evil of you, leave to
no onethe careof punishingthem,but takevengeance
yourself by praising all your brethren to the Visitors,
without accusingthoseof whom you have to complain,
that you may not open in your heart a way to hatred
or indignation; for thesetwo vices would render your
serviceand your homageabominablein the eyesof the
Lord. Now in order to act according to this advice,
two thingsarenecessary :-the knowledgeof yourself,
and the habit of thinking of God. By these means,
you becomeblind to the faults of others,and cansay
with truth that your brethrenseemto you like angels
incarnate. Your motherhad this grace,for whenthe
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 399

Visitorscameto the monastery,

shehad nothingto
report, and the very novices could say more than she
could on the faults of the other sisters. If sometimes
others spoke of them before her, she said to herself
that if they had been real she must necessarilyhave
observed them.
God discovered to her another device of Satan,
which deceives many, even very perfect persons,
whereforeI will tell it you, because
I love you from
my heart. Know then, my son, that the backbitings
and criticisms which you hearin religious housesare
inspired by the demon, who fails not to veil them
under an appearanceof good, so that his subtle snareis
undetected. It is like a leech which attaches itself to
religious, and sucks out all their toil and labour. It is
the leprosyof Mary, the sister of. Moses,whom her
gift of prophecycouldnot savefrom punishment. She
was struck with a painful and pestilential leprosy; and
if Moses, against whom she had murmured, had not
interceded for her, this terrible malady would have
conducted her in a few days to the tomb. O noble
example, given us by the Holy Spirit in the Old Tes-
tament, at the sight of which those spiritual persons
who detract others ought to tremble !
But this doctrine is little thought of, and still less
understood; so that I would dare to say that any
religiouswhois entirelyfreefrom this leprosypossesses
a sure sign of predestination. This is why your
mother had so much pity for detractors, and envied
those who were the objects of their backbitings; be-
causeto those who love God, all things work together
for good.
It is the property of leprosy,not only to consume
the flesh of the wretched sufferer,but to defile others
400 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

by its touch. Becauseof this, the Lord commanded

Mary to be put out of the camp; but he who back-
bites doesnot sin more in speaking than others do in
listening. These last are even more guilty; for if
there were no one to listen, no one would backbite.
One demon sits on the tongue of him who speaks,and
another in the ear of him who listens; and these
demonsrejoice,and mock both him who speaksand
him who listens. Be wise, my son, and carefully avoid
both these faults; if you show to him who detracts
another that you are vexed, you will do two good
things at once;you will put to flight the devil on the
tongueand the devil at the ear. I will concludethis
long digression,
into which,perhaps,your prayershave
led me, by saying that I desire you should detract
no one under any pretext or reason whatsoever,either
for goodor evil. Never forget this, and bewareof
transgressing,
for I do not speakwithout cause. Re-
member what S. James has said in his canonical
epistle," If any man think himselfto be religious,not
bridling his tongue,this man'sreligion is vain."
Every time that the Visitor enters a monastery,the
demon fails not to spread his subtle snares. He is
not ignorant that the best works, if they want the
foundation of charity, are unfruitful and hateful to
God. Therefore he employsall his industry to make
ussayto the FatherVisitor a numberof useless
things,
which, fully considered,are only rash suspicions and
ill-founded judgments. Hence it follows that the
bond of peaceis broken, charity grows cold and is
extinguished, the demons triumph, and with reason.
They care not for our obedience,poverty, chastity,
modesty, our penances,and all our good works, for all
these are nothing without charity, which alone ren-
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 401

dersthe othersagreeable
to God,andopensthe gates
of heaven. Thereforethe demonholdshis bowbent,
and aims his poisonedarrows against the root of
brotherly charity,and doeshis bestto destroyit. He
insinuatesrash judgmentsanddetractions; during the
visitation, he fills us with suspicions;lastly, he sows
cockle in the hearts of others, and destroys our
zeal for the honourof our order, that our tonguemay
take occasionto sayand report thingswhichit should
not.

Alas ! alas ! how much good is lost by souls whom

their own malice blinds ! how many labours are ren-
dered unfruitful! what disquiet of consciencesprings
from it! These poor religious are so troubled, that
they scarcely know what is right. If they engagein
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 pro-
phet has said that he refrained evenfrom saying what
was good. Behold,my son,the rule you should fol-
low, as your mother has done; from it shehas derived
an interior peace,which can scarcelybe expressed
in
words, but which I pray that you also may enjoy.
This religiouswhosesecretsI discloseto you had
received from God manygracesand spiritual gifts; and
her divine Spousetook pleasurein giving her daily
proofsof His love and benevolence.Nevertheless,
in
the midst of this abundance,there remainedone desire,
for the accomplishment of which she ceasednot to
beseechGod; it was the desireof loving her enemies
with sincerelove,and evenwith love superiorto that
shefelt for her benefactors. " 0 my God," shewould
often exclaim in her devout prayers, " 0 my most cle-
26
402 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

ment Lord! if Thou didst reveal to me the most

hidden secretsof 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 graceof a sincereheart, 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 re-
quiring to do violence to myself, those who persecute
and unjustly calumniate me. Then, 0 eternal and
most merciful Father, I shall possessan 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
goodof my soul,Who in dying on the crossobtained
gracefor His murderers."
Thanks to the goodnessof 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 shehad oftento suffer much in this way. I do
not tell you how; but it is known to God and her
persecutors. It is only their sinswhichafflicther; and
she prays to God with her whole heart that He may
pardonthem. To sayor do anythingthat maygratify
them is oneof her greatestpleasures. Sheoftensays
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 prudencethat
you will profit by the counselsI give you. Never
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 403

divide into two years that which can be done in one.

Walk, run, fly in the path of God. The just walk,
the wiserun, the loving fly towardsthe enjoymentof
the divine Majesty. You will be wrong to walk if
you can run, and to run if you can fly; becausetime
is short. You ought alwaysto advancein the paths
of holiness, and never to fall back. If we do not add
wood to the fire, it will soon go out. The samething
happens to the soul if it doesnot 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 preserveyou and every Chris-
tian soul from going along a road like this. If, how-
ever, 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 preachedso touchingly by His example,
as well as by His words; few who arrive at that true
perfection,which consistsin loving their enemies.
I finish here, my reverend father and beloved son,
thesesalutarywarnings,which, I trust, you will make
useof with the samecharity whichhas dictatedthem.
I have wished to console you by making known to
you the spirituallife of your mother;nor has this
been difficult to me, becauseI am convinced that the
examples
andlessons
it contains
will contributeto your
advantageand consolation. You will find no special
adviceon your principal obligations,such'aspoverty,
obedience,and chastity,and that for two reasons:-"
1st. Becauseif you follow the counselscontainedin
what I havewritten, it is impossibleyoucanbe other-
wise than obedient,poor,and chaste. 2nd. Because
I knowyou arealready
sowell disposed
towardsthese
26-2
404 BLESSED BATT1STA VARANI.

virtues, that all exhortations on these subjects seem

to me unnecessary. I will add only these few words
to confirm your good-will. You cannotoffer to God
a more agreeablesacrifice than to submit your will to
holy obedience; for it is He Who has said, " I desire
obediencemore than sacrifice." As to poverty, I would
that you possessed nothing but Jesuscrucified,in whom
you will find all true riches. Oh ! how poor is he who
seeksaught else but God ! How rich is he who has
nought but God! As to chastity, it is becauseGod
has ornamentedyour body with this preciouspearl,
and embellishedit with this angelicsplendour,that I
have confidedto you your handmaid'ssecrets,that
they may be laid up and preserved in you. As to
prayer, I will add but this oneword. When you can-
not reap,takewith violence; that is, pray at leastwith
your lips, whenyou cannotwith 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.

THREEyears had scarcelyelapsedsince she addressed

the foregoing instruction to her disciple, when dread-
ful misfortunes befell her family, which furnished her
with occasionsof exercising heroic charity towards her
enemies.Her father,JuliusCsesarVarani,afterhaving
governedCamerinoduring fifty years,was deprivedof
his power, and in the year 1502 died a tragical death,
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 405

of whichLeancler
Albert givesthe followingaccount
in his descriptionof Italy :-" When the inhabitants
of Camerino made themselves over of their own accord
to Pope AlexanderVI., CaesarBorgia, Duke of Va-
lencia,imprisonedJuliusin the citadelof Pergolawith
his sons Venantius,Peter, and Hannibal, and put
them all to death most cruelly. John Mary, the
youngestof the childrenof Julius, aloneescaped, his
father having sent him to Venice with his treasuresat
the beginning of the war." This good fortune was
probablydue to the merits and prayersof his sister
Battista. AlexanderVI. dying in the followingyear,
it was easyfor John Mary with a troop of Venetian
soldiers to reconquer the town; and, accompaniedby
Muzio Colonna, Toparch of Matelica, he entered
Camerino amidst the acclamations of the inhabitants.
We maybelieve his return gave pleasureto 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 elapsedbetweenthe return
of her brother and the death of her pious mother,
Battista was chosenby PopeJulius II. to establisha
monastery of her order at Fermo. After a year's
absence she returned to Camerino,where, under her
brother's protection, she succeededin making her
monasteryoneof the largest and mostillustriousof
the country. The mother abbessbeing dead, her
sisters elected her to that office. This is proved
by the signature of a letter addressedby her to a
monk of S. Francis named John of Fano :-" Your
unworthy daughter,Battista Varani, abbessand use-
less servant of the monastery of Jesus Christ."
406 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

she calls him son at the end of the letter, we may

presumethat it was he to whom the foregoing instruc-
tions were addressed.

CHAPTER IV.

FRIENDSHIP OF BATTISTA WITH JOHN OF FANO.-

BEGINNING OF THE CONGREGATION OF CAPUCHINS.

-DEATH OF BATTISTA AND VENERATION OF HER

BODY.

AMONGother letters which Battista wrote to this holy

man is onein Latin, whichwe will give entire,asit is
not without interest in her own history.
" JESUS.-Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat
and wept: when we rememberedSion. Thesewords,
dictated to the Psalmistby the Holy Spirit for the
consolation of the afflicted, suit well, it seemsto me,
the stateof persecutionand tribulation in which your
reverencefinds yourself. The elect seat themselves
and reposeupon the rivers of Babylon,while the im-
piousand sinful sink and disappearundertheir waves.
You, therefore,who are of the numberof the elect,
are seated on the banks of the rivers of Babylon,
that is, by the waters of affliction, in the hope
of the resurrection of your virtue and innocence.
You have rested in God your Saviour,Who is the
defender of the innocenceof His elect. You seeyour
defamerscarriedawayby the wavesof their loquacity,
losingthemselves
in the depthsof shameandconfusion.
You know, my belovedfather, that the darknessof
night precedesthe dawn, and the richest countries are
hidden behind mountains. The heavenlyPhysician,
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 407

Who has cometo die on the crossfor the salvation of

the humanrace,after having permittedthe waves
of persecutionand tribulation to cover His elect,
gives them joy and consolation;and they learn the
smile of angelsin the schoolof the crucifiedHumanity
of Christ. Although the sick man knits his brows
at the tasteof a bitter medicine,he soonrejoicesover
his returning health. This'loving and compassionate
Master sheds bitterness over all that surrounds us, in
order that He alone may seemsweet and worthy of
love. O most sweetJesus!0 unspeakable love! how
sweet and delightful are Thy works to the soul which
seeks Thee, to the soul which loves Thee without
fraud or dissimulation, to the soul which affectionately
reposes in the Heart of Thy crucified Humanity,
' wherethe fulnessof Thy Godheadcorporallydwells'
(Col.ii. 9).
"Bejoice and be glad, O daughterof Sion, O soul
lovingandbelovedof God! Thy detractors,unknown
to themselves,have placed a crown of preciousstones
on thy head. They thought to despoilthee of thy
honour,and, on the contrary, they have woven for
thee in this life a robe of immortality; for gold, tried
in the fire, comesout purer than before. You, my
reverend father, before this trial, were a precious,but
a closedlily, but now you are a full-blownlily, whose
deliciousperfumeembalmsall the housesof the pro-
vinceyou havegovernedfor three yearswith so much
wisdom and prudence. While you were seatedupon
the rivers of Babylon, we, your daughters,wept at the
remembranceof your sweetnessand goodness. Now
we exult, and render eternal thanks to Almighty God,
who has saved John, the son of His handmaid. He
has shownmea token for good,that thosewho hate
408 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

me mayseeandbe confounded, because

Thou,0 Lord,
hasthelped him, and comfortedme. I have written
these foolish words in feminine fashion, to engageyour
fatherly prayers,to which I humbly and devoutlyre-
commendmyself,beggingyour blessingfor her who
will always be your servant and your daughter. Fare-
well in Him who is the salvation of all those who
hope in Him.
"From the Monastery of S. Maria Nuova, of
Camerino,this 20th of April, 1521."
It was this sameJohn of Fano who, when elected
anew vicar provincial of La Marca in 1525, treated so
harshly Brother Matthew of Bassio,the first Capuchin,
who,afterhavingbeenchamberlainto Julius Cassar,
the
father of Battista, enteredthe order of Friars Minor of
the Observance,where he becamean able and zealous
preacher. This friar sought to introduce a change
in the shape of the cowl of his order, and went to
Rome for this purpose. On his return the provincial
rebuked him in the provincial chapter at Matelica,
treated him as an apostate,and threw him into prison.
The Duchessof Camerino,who had a great devotion
to Brother Matthew, having heard of this, was very
angry. She first wrote a threatening letter to the
provincial; she next summoned him to the palace
with the father guardian, and spoke with such force
that he wasobligedto releaseBrother Matthew,who
immediately on leaving prison, set out for Borne,
where he obtainedleave from PopeClementVII. to
live asa hermit in the habit he had adopted.
In the followingyear Brcth^s Louis and Eaphael,
led by the samespirit as Matthew, took the same
habit, without, however,associatingthemselveswith
him, and obtainedfrom the Pope a similar approba-
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 409

tion. Having afterwardsgoneto Camerino,the duke

and duchessreceived them provisionallyinto their
palace,until afitting placewaspreparedfor themand
others who joined them.
The provincial lookedwith an evil eyeon the pro-
tection given by a prince of such prudenceto what
he called a new order, and he wrote the duke a
pressingletter to urge him to sendawaythesecon-
tumacious brothers, and to compel them to return to
their obedience. He wrote a similar letter to the
duchess,and a third to the BlessedBattista, begging
her to aid him with her relations. The replies to
these three letters not being satisfactory, he came in
person to Camerino,hoping to gain by his eloquence
that which his letters had failed to obtain; but the
wisdom of man and all his counsels cau do nothing
against the Lord. The event showed the wisdom of
the advice of; Gamaliel:-"If this counsel or this
work be of men, it will cometo nought; but if it be
of God, you cannot overthrow it."* Such was the
reply of Battista to.the father provincial; for at that
time she knew not whether to approve or disapprove
of this novelty, and grant or refuse her protection to
Matthew and his brothers. But at last she and the
provincial acknowledgedthat it was God who had
inclined the hearts of the people of Camerinoto pro-
tect the Capuchins. Then the provincial not only
ceasedto persecutethem,but contemplated
embracing
their reform himself; and Battista, whom he con-
sulted,ashe usuallydid in casesof importance,gave
him every encouragement to do so,assuringhim that
the thought camefrom God.
It is believed that Battista died on the Feast of
* Acts v. 38, 39.
410 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI.

CorpusChrist:, the 31st of May, 1527,when shehad

entereduponthe sixty-ninth year of her age. There
can be no doubt her death was holy as her life, but
no particularsof it havebeenpreserved.
The nuns buried her in their choir, in order to have
a memorial ever present of their foundress,and a
pledge of the protection they hoped from her in
heaven. Thirty yearslater the nunswould not allow
the preciousbody to continue hidden in the earth,
and disinterredit with the greatestrespect. Great
was their joy when they sawit in a state of perfect
preservation,the eyes bright as in life, and the
countenancelit up rather than pale, as if she were
salutingthem. Theywishedto preservethe holy body
in a better place,Avhere
it would be more honoured,
but their confessorwas opposedto this, and insisted
that it should be buried again; he even,with great
indiscretion, caused the sacred body to be placed be-
tween two boards,and, when a quantity of earth had
beenshovelledin, and water poured overit, he made
his companiontread it down.
The strict obediencewhich these holy women ob-
served hindered them from opposing the strangezeal
of this religious, and still more from withdrawing the
holy body from the grave in which he had placed it.
It rested there until the year 1593, when the necessity
of making a new vault obliged the nuns to reopen the
grave. The elder nuns,who knew the placeexactly,
told the workmento dig with all possibleprecaution,
which they did. When they reacheda certain depth
they found a board, on removing which a delicious
odour made it evident at once that it was the one
which coveredthe holy body. Immediatelyall the
nuns came running together, and shed abundanceof
 BLESSED BATTISTA VARANI. 411

tears, not doubting that this heavenly odour was a

sign of the glory enjoyedby the Saint in heaven.
Another circumstance occurred to increase their
wonder. Her flesh was reducedto dust (accordingto
the wish she had expressed
to God),but her tongue
remained fresh, moist, and red. The confessorof the
convent,Brother Evangelistof Fabriano,whowaspre-
sent,was movedto tearsat the sight of this miracle,
and testified his admiration in the words of S. Bona-
venture at the sight of the incorrupt tongueof S.
Antony of Padua: "0 precioustongue,which hast
always blessedthe Lord, and taught others to bless
Him, it is now manifesthow greatthy serviceof God
has been!" When the nuns had satisfied their ten-
der devotion, they placed the holy body in a marble
tomb, which they had previouslycausedto be con-
structedin the choir; but the tonguewasenclosedin
a precious reliquary apart.
 INDEX.

Abstinence of the Saint, 116

Agony sufferedby the Saint, 147
Albizzini, Mary Gertrude, abbess,46
Alexandra, a servant of the Giuliani, 6
Alva, Peter of, 140
Ambroni, the Canon,confessorof the Saint, 10
Ambrose, Saint, saying of, 301
Angelucci, Luc' Antonio, 176
Antony, Sister, charity of the Saint to, 212
Apostles, the, our Lord's sorrow for, 373
Avarice, 395
Azzi, degli, Sister Mary Angelica, 111
Backbiting, 399
Bastianelli, Father Girolamo, 216
Battistelli, Father, confessor of the Saint, 234
Blood, tears of, shed by the Saint, 216, 217, 239
Bordiga, Gian Francesco,176, summonedat the last illnessof
the Saint, 181 _
Borghese, Don Giovan-Antonio, baptized the Saint, 4
Boscaini, Don Domenico, Prior of S. Sisto, 216
Boscaini, Sister Mary Magdalen, 74, 111, 120, 158, 175, 184,
275 ; appointedsacristanby the Saint, 179; testifiesto the
Saint's shedding tears of blood, 216
Brozzi, Sister Gabriella, death of, foretold by the Saint, 179
Cappelletti, Sister Catherine,281
<-appelletti, Father Ubaldo Antonio, director of the Saint, 19;
narrates a vision of the Saint, 75 ; prophesies the enlarge-
ment of the Saint's convent, SO; tests the miraculous state
of the Saint, 158, 168, 178 ; diary of, 196, 199 ; orders the
nuns to pour water on the hands of the Saint in ecstasy,
209 ; testimony of the Saint's humility, 254
Capuchins, the, annals of, 111; troubles of, 406
Casoni, Father, S.J., 232
Catherine, S., of Siena, 88, 100, 103, 106, 107, 140, 174
Catherine, S., Bicci, 174
Cavamazza, Father, confessorof the Saint, 62
Cecilia, S., prayer of, 134
Ceoli, Sister Florida, 20, 120, 173, 264, 273 ; treads on the
Saint's foot, 72; dower of, how spent, 80; seeson the
Saint'sheadthe marks of the crown of thorns, 97 ; had the
gift of prophecy, 112 ; holy death of, 207 ; saw the Saint
shed tears of blood, 217
 INDEX. 413

Chalice, the, seenin vision by the Saint, 86,232

Cherubim, 343
Christina, Blessed, 140
Cicerbola, the, 265
Citta di Castello,monasteryof Capuchiniiuns in, 42
Clare, Blessed,of Monte Falco, 174
Clare, S., 144, 187; appearsto the BlessedBattista Varaui, 335
Clare, Sister, companionof the Saint, 216
Clement XL, 224
Codebo,Mgr. Alexander, 176, 181, 251,272, 275, 280; pro-
phecy of the Saint concerning,277
Communion,Holy, the Saint's joy in, 114; miraculous,of the
Saint, 211
Confessions
of the Saint, oncemadedifficult, 185
Constance,Sister, of Camerino,331
Constance, Sister, 227
Conversionof a sinner obtainedby the Saint, 284
Corviuus, Matthias, 289
CosmoIII., Grand Duke of Tuscany, 81
Crivelli, Father Giovan Maria, S.J., 164,261 ; tries the spirit
of the Saint, 165, 168. 247 ; preaches a sermon to idolaters
before the nuns, 204 ; testimony of, to the Saint's zeal for
the conversion of sinners, 215 ; and to her humility, 250 ;
seen by the Saint in a vision, 251 ; death of, 252 ; prophecy
of the Saint, concerning,278
Cross, the, impression of, on the heart of the Saint, 63
Cross,pectoral, of the Bishop, 186
Cures, miraculous,wrought by the Saint, 280
Cybo, Cardinal, 151
Dereliction, divine, of the Saint, 91
Devils, the Saint assaulted by, 90
Dionysius, the Carthusian, 160
Directors, openness of the Saint with her, 47
Dying, the, charity of the Saint to, 213
Elect, the, sins of, a sorrow to our Lord, 368
Enemies, love of, 40 3
Epiphanius, S., Bishop of Ticino, 190
Espousals, spiritual, of the Saint, 99
Eustachj, Mons. Luc' Antonio, 97, 275 ; sanctions the use of
the mysterious liquid, 120; tests, the spirit of the Saint,
150, 164; witness of her mystical state, 173; his severity
to the Saint, 243; testimonyof, to the Saint's humility, 245.
Ever, for, 366
Exercises, the spiritual, 130
Fabbri, Domenico, the Chancellor, 176, 251
Fabbri, the physician, 231
Falconi, Don Giovanni, 176
Fast, the great, of the Saint, 115, 122, 246
Fasting of BlessedBattista Varani, 303
Felicia, Sister Clare, unjustly blamed, 238
414: INDEX.

Felix, Sister Clare, 42

Food,miraculouslymultiplied, 66 ; the Saint mortified in her,
117, 231
Frances,Sister, helpsthe Saint in the kitchen, 65; death of,
in the odour of sanctity, 111 ; placed in authority over the
Saint, 248 ; rough in her ways, 261
Francis, Father, of Urbino, preaching of, 304, 308; letter of,
to the Blessed Battisti Varani, 336; the Blessed Battista
converses with, 311
Francis, S., of Assisi, 140, ]43, 187
Francis, S., Xavier, 255
Fucci, Sister Mary, 282
Gaetana, Sister Mary, 224
Gasparini, Mgr. 277
Gellini, Don Giacomo, 176
Gentili, Giovan Francisco, surgeon, ICO, 163, 17C
Gertrude of Oost, 110, 140
Gertrude, Sister, of Pisa, 111
Gherardi, Mgr., 272
Giacinta, Sister. Ill, 120; helpedthe Saint in her penances,
233
Giannini, Don Cesare, 17<>
Giuliani, Francesco, father of the Saint, 3 ; removes to Pia-
cenza, 22 ; puts difficulties in the way of the Saint's voca-
tion, 31, 32 ; amends his life, 38 ; dies, 39
Giuliani, Ursula, changes her name to Veronica, 46, see Ve-
ronica
God, love of, 72
Good Friday, 298, 345
Gotoloni, Sister Mary Rose, 78, 111
Gregory, Father, 319
Gregory, S., Pope, 259
Gualtieri, Mgr., Bishop of Todi, 251
Guelfi, Father Raniero, 159, 175, 260; deposition of, concern-
ing the instruments of the Passion, 176 ; sent for in the
last illness of the Saint, 181 ; with the Saint on her death-
bed, 183 ; testifies to the Saint'sgreat knowledge,204 ; the
last confessorof the Saint, 210; prophecy of the Saint
concerning, 278
Habit, the religious, dignity of, 107
Heart, the Sacred, 381, 386, 389
Heart, the, of the Saint, wounds of. 132 : marks on, 173, 176.
273
Helena, Blessed, of Hungary, 140
Humility, source of, 387, 388
Ida, Blessed, of Louvain, 140
Ignatius, S., 265
Illusions, safeguards against, 48
Ingratitude, sin of, 214
Innocence, 315, 316
Insults borne by the Saint, 242
 INDEX. 415

Intention, effects of, 16

Intercession of the Saint for the Church, 219
Jesus, the Infant, appears to the Saint, 7, 195
Jews, the, ingratitude of, 377, 379
Joanna of the Cross, Blessed, 140
John of Fano, 405
Judas, syi of, 375
Lady, our, presentsa chain to the Saint, 88 ; appearsto the
Saint, 161, 266 ; places the divine Infant in the arms of
the Saint, 8, 273 ; sorrows of, the sorrows of our Lord, 370
Leprosy, 399
Letters, written on the heart of the Saint, 176, 177
Lidwine, of Holland, 119, 140
Liquid, the mysterious, 119; miracleswrought by, 120
Lomellini, Giacomo, Abate, 255 ; prophecy of the Saint con-
cerning, 278
Love, divine, the Saint's speaking of, 209
Lucy, Blessed, of Narni, 140
Lukewarmness, the true plague of souls, 72
Magdalen, Mary, love of, 372; mirror of contemplation,373
Maggi, Monsignor, 224
Maggi, Sister Maria, 74
Maggio, Sister Mary Joanna, 180, 184, 241, 244
Malatesta, Joanna, 290 ; death of, 405
Mamma mia, 221
Mancini, Benedetta, mother of the Saint, 3 ; last communion
of, 11
Margaret, Blessed, of Citta di Castello, 174
Martyrdom, the Saint's longing for, 20.">
Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, S., 174
Massani, medical attendant of the Saint, 98
Matthew, Brother, of Bassio, 465
Meazzoli, Sister Mary Celestine, 184
Meditation, 25, 28
Mercatello, birthplace of the Saint, 3, 17 ; the Saint brought
back to, 36 ; three sisters of the Saint's, nuns in, 42
Moliauo, Father Peter, 292, 344, 347 ; elected vicar, 333
Mori, Lorenzi Sinirli, 251
Mortification, 113 ; of the Saint, 231
Moscani, Sister Angela Mary, 111
Nicholas, S., of Bari, 5
Nicholas V., Pope, 325
Novices, how trained by the Saint, 69
Noviciate, sufferings of the Saint in her, 23S
Obedience of the Saint, 48, 259
Olivieri, Donna Julia Albani, 227
Olivieri, Father, 311
Onorati, Monsignor,Bishop of Urbania, 20
Osanna, Blessed, of Mantua, 140
Pacifico,Fr., of Urbino, 3oO
416 " INDEX.

Passion,the, devotionof the Saint to, 21, 25, 46,64 ; devotion

of B. Battista Varani to, 303, 305
Patience of the Saint, 240
Penances of the Saint, 232
Penna di Billi, della, Sister Margaret Marconi, 212
Persecution, endured by B. Battista Varani, 324
Pesucci, Don Francesco Maria, 176
Piacenza, the Saint taken to, 29 ; the Saint removed from, 36
Piazziui, Sister Mary Anne, 111
Pierleoni, Father Florido, 136
Pius VI., 121
Poor, the, devotion of the Saint to, 12
Poverty, the Saint's love of, 225
Praise, the Saint shrinks from, 257
Prayer, preparation for, 391
Presents made to the nuns, how dealt with by the Saint, 229
Profession of the Saint, 56 ; of the B. Battista Varani, 329
Prophecy, gift of, 27"'
Purgatory, the threefold, of the Saint, 179, 181, 184; pains
of, 369
Purity, virtue of, 236
Ranucei, Margaret, prophecy of the Saint concerning, 276
Raynand, Theophilus, 140
"Religious," meaning of, 143
Ristori, Sister Teresa, mistress of novices, 47
Rodriguez, Father, works of, 73
Rose, S., of Lima, 14, 15, 16, 88, 103, 106
Rules of life given by our Lord to the Saint, 197
Saints seen in vision by S. Veronica, 274
Satan, disguised as the mistress of the novices, speaks to the
Saint, 49 ; strikes the Saint, 61 ; assumes the appearance
of the Saint, 126 ; assumes the likeness of the bishop, 184 ;
assumes the appearance of our Lord, 200; attempts^ to
frighten the Saint, 249; beats the Saint, 263 ; burns her
hand, 264
Sebastiaui,Monsignor Giuseppe,bishop of Citta di Castello,
42; admits the Saint to a monastery,43; prophecyof, on
giving the religious habit to the Saint, 46
Segapeli, Father Vincent, 183, 203 ; prophecy of the Saint
concerning, 278
Seraphim, 343
Sin, effect of, 387
Slumber, spirit of, 392
Souls,delivered from purgatory by the prayers of the Saint,
221 ; pain of our Lord because of lost, 365
Spada, Cardinal, 152
Spanaciani,
SisterMary Constance,
miraculoushealingof,
saw the ring of espousals
on the finger of the Saint, 108
Spanacieri , Signor Giulio, 224
Staphenia Soncinati, Blessed, 140
 INDEX. 417

Stigmata,the, 139,151; accountof, 153; the Saint prayed

for the removal of, 258
Suffering,love of, 13; the Saint prays for, 61, 234; great
worth of, 63; the Saint's desire of, 115, 235; B. Battista
^Varani prays for, 358, 365
Sweetness,spiritual, 356
Tassiuari, Father, Confessorof the Saint, 68, 120, 221, 251,
253,260; Confessor
of the communityfor forty years,78;
appointed to test the spirit of the Saint, 152; obtains her
intercessionfor a dying nun, 217
Teresa, S., 174, 235
Tests,physical,of the Saint'ssupernatural
state,97
Thorns, the crown of, 93
Ticciati, Father, 217
Tommasini,
Fr. Antonio,S.J., appears
to the Saint,161
Tommasira,Sister Maria, 171
Tongue, the sins of, 400
Torrigiani, Cardinal, 176
Tosi, Sister Mary Celestine, 184
Trance, the Saint falls into a, 62
Trials, supernatural,of the Saint, 127; severity of her, during
her last illness, 181
Trinity, 387
Turks, the defeatof, foretold by the Saint, 221
Urbino, monastery of, the Saint enters the, 312, 324
Ursula, the Saint baptized as, 4
Vallemanni, Sister Mary Teresa,111, 230
Varaui, Camilla, 290; enters the convent of the Poor Clares
in Urbino, 291; removes to Camerino, 292; moved to write
an account of her inward life, 295 ; moved by a sermon on
Good Friday, 298 ; makes a vow, 300; devotion of, to the
Passion, 302; disliked the sight of religious, 303; resistance
of, to her vocation, 307; makes a general confession, 310;
conversion of, 314 ; seesour Lord in a vision, 321; suffers
persecution,322; becomesa nun, 324; prays for suffering,
327 ; general confessionof, 335 ; seesher own soul in the
hands of angels,337; burning love of God of, 342; writes
reluctantly, 346 ; self-abasementof, 385; her love of her
enemies,403; sent by the Pope to found a monastery in
Fermo, 405 ; death of, 409 ; incorruption of the tongue of,
411
Varani, Gentilis, 289
Varani, John Mary, recovers Camerino, 405
Varani, Julius Ctesar,289; becomeslord of Camerino,290
cruel death of, 405
Varani, Peter Gentilis, 325 ; -widow of, a nun, 325
Varani, Nicholas, 323
Varani, Rudolph, 289; death of, 290
Vecchj, de', Father Giulio, 169; witness of the Saint's mystic
state, 170
27
418 INDEX.

Veil, a, of the Saint stained with tears of blood, 216

Y<H'I.fyioiixii Clr'ixii, 105, 106
Veronica,S., birth and baptism of, 4 ; infancy of, 5 ; miracu-
lous speechof, 6 ; devotion of, to the Infant Jesus, 7, 273 ;
seesthe Host shining, 10; her love of suffering, 13, 25;
youthful zeal of, 18; confirmation of, 20; trials of. in her
father's house, 31 ; return of, to Mercatello, 36; singular
illness of, 36; seesher father in Purgatory, 39 ; and obtains
his deliverance, 40 ; miraculous knowledge of Latin of, 43 ;
becomes a nun, 44 ; frankness and obedience of, 47 ; sees
our Lord in a vision, 55; the impression of the cross on the
heart of, G3; mistress of novices, 67 ; humiliations of, 71 ;
severe illness of, 75 ; elected abbess,77, 250, 256 ; begs our
Lady to be the abbess, 268 ; carefulness of, in providing for
the needs of the house, 79 ; vision of the chalice, 86 ; at-
tacked by devils, 90, 249; vision of the crown of thorns,
93 ; endures the cruel tests of the surgeons, 97 ; her prepa-
ration for the spiritual espousals, 104; burns the Holy
Name into her flesh, 112 ; abstinence of, 116 ; miraculously
nourished, 120 ; has leave to live on bread and water, 122 ;
supernatural trials of, 127; her heart is wounded, 132;
writes with her own blood, 134 ; wound in her hand, 138 ;
receives the stigmata, 140, 151; tests of her miraculous state,
l(i(>; the Saint undergoesthe pains of the Passion, 168-171 ;
and the Dolours of our Lady, 172 ; commanded to make a
picture of the miraculous impressions on her heart, 175 ;
foretells her own death, 179; struck with apoplexy, 180;
sufferings of, from the treatment of the physicians, 182 ;
death of, 190 ; zeal of, for the propagation of the faith, 204;
wrote under obedience, 2(12,272 ; miracles of, 264
Visions, not desiredby the Saint, 58
Vitale, Father, appointed to test the spirit of the Saint, 152
Vocation, gracesof, 107
World, the, hatred of, 318
Wounds, the Sacred, 141, 149
Xavier, S. Francis, appearsto the Saint, 1C1

THE END.

R. WASHBOURNE,PRINTER, IS PATERNOSTER
ROW, LONDON.
BX 4700 .V47 S2513 1874 SMC
Salvatori, Filippo Maria,
The lives of S. Veronica
Giuliani, Capuchin nun
47236533