though he had confessed many times in the course of his illness, for they who are filled with heavenly light see the smallest motes, and the slightest negligences, and always seek to cleanse and purify their consciences.

The next day, being the last day in the year, at four o'clock in the afternoon, he received Extreme Unction, being in full possession of all his senses, and joining in the Psalms and prayers with the utmost tranquillity and composure. After this, at the request of some of the brethren, he gave a devout address to the novices, exhorting them to perseverance and the love of GOD. He then begged to be left alone, and continued for more than an hour in prayer to GOD, his fervent words of rejoicing being heard outside of the cell.

He desired the Passion of our LORD, in S. John's Gospel, to be read to him, and then took leave of his friends. Feeling life departing from his lower extremities, he asked for the holy taper, which was given to him, his breath grew fainter and fainter, and without change or movement of the body, his soul departed to the eternal mansions.

"Farewell, O happy soul, depart unto thy GOD, flee to those blissful regions where my weak vision cannot follow thee; taste of that fruition which thy learned toils have earned thee; enter in to abide in the temple of the Living GOD, where thou shalt reside for ever. Let not my weak style presume to enhance thy praises; for, unless with language equal to thy own, they will be injured, tarnished, and bedimmed."

These are the words of his biographer Muñoz.

His death took place at nine o'clock at night, on the last day of the year 1588. He was eighty-four years of age, and had been sixty-six a friar.

It remains that we speak of his personal appearance and character. In stature he was above the middle height, and dignified, large of bone and of proportionable stoutness. His face expressed angelic cheerfulness, his skin was soft and delicate, his colour bright, his eyes somewhat deepset, but cheerful and modest, generally fixed on the ground; his forehead spacious and serene, the lines near the root of the nose meeting so as to form a star, his teeth white and regular, the

nose aquiline, the mouth of moderate size, the hair at one time somewhat fair, afterwards white, his head large and rather bald. He was most pleasant in conversation, and friendly with all, but too intimate with none. His whole aspect so reverend that said to excel in three things—in

it inspired respect. He was
preaching, in writing, and in speaking.

Of his diligence, his patience, and his humility, it is unnecessary to speak. His life shows them, and shows their source, fervent love to GOD, and love to men. He was not without enemies. Misrepresentations were made of him to Philip II. at the time of his going into Portugal, and his Book on Prayer, and the Guide of Sinners, were put in the index of forbidden books, where they were in good company with the works of Avila, Carranza, Villegas, Luis de Leon, and others of those whose names are now most highly venerated in Spain.

COUNSELS ON HOLINESS OF LIFE

THIS

Argument

HIS Book, Christian Reader, contains an exhortation to Virtue—that is, to obedience, and keeping the Commandments of GOD, wherein true Virtue consists. It is divided into three chief parts. The First persuades men to virtue, and brings forward the reasons that the saints ordinarily allege; first, our great obligation to GOD our LORD, both for what He is in Himself, and for what He is to us by reason of His unspeakable Benefits; secondly, the importance of virtue to us, proved by the four Last Things—Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell-of which accordingly we discourse.

The Second part has the same object, but brings forward other new reasons, the good things and years promised in this life to virtue. Twelve of these especial privileges are named, and severally treated of. The Saints have sometimes touched shortly on these privileges, declaring the peace, the light, the true liberty and joy of a good conscience, and the comforts of the HOLY GHOST, which are enjoyed by the righteous, and which ordinarily accompany virtue; but I know no writer who treats of this matter at length and in order. And this has made the work more laborious, as I had to collect and gather all these things out of Holy Scripture, to give them names, to arrange and explain them, and produce proofs of each from the said Scripture, and from the words of the Saints. And this diligence

A

was needful, that those who are not moved to the love of virtue by the hope of good things to come, because they appear so far off, may be moved by the inestimable value of those that accompany it here.

But seeing that all reasons that can be adduced on one side are insufficient unless we can answer the arguments of the other party, the Third part of this Book is devoted to answering all the excuses that vicious men are wont to make for their neglect of virtue.

And because the subject of this Book is Virtue, let the Reader understand that, by this word, is meant not only the habit of virtue, but all the arts that proceed therefrom; for it is a common figure of speech to take the effect for the cause, and the cause for the effect.

CHAPTER I.

Of the Legal Title that God has on Man, binding him to His Service and to Virtue. First Title: That He is What He is. Herein is the Excellence of God's Perfections set forth.

TWO

WO things especially, Christian Reader, move the wills of men to any good work. One is their obligation to it, as matter of right and justice; the other, the fruit and profit that follow from it. And therefore it is the common sentence of the wise, that these two things, justice and profit, are the two spurs that move our will in all its operations. Now, of these two, profit is ordinarily the most desired; but right and justice are, of themselves, more powerful. For there is no profit in this world so great as to be equal to the excellence of virtue; nor is there any loss so great that a wise man ought not to choose it in preference to falling into a vice, as Aristotle teaches. Wherefore, as it is our purpose in this book to allure and win men to the beauty of virtue, it will be well to begin by this more important side, declaring our obligation to virtue by our obligation to GOD, Who, being Goodness itself, desires, commands, esteems, and requires nothing in this world more than virtue. Let us then study and examine with all diligence the titles whereby He most justly demands this tribute.

But as these titles are innumerable, we will only touch here on six of the chief ones, under each of which, man rightfully owes Him all that he can do, and all that he is, without any exception. The first and greatest, and the most impossible to