hour of need. John spoke to
everyone with the greatest charity and kindness; his manner was modest
and unassuming as that of a child, and he seemed to fear receiving
praise. I saw the assembled group take one meal during that day, but
its members were, for the most part, silent; not a sound was to be
heard throughout the house, and the doors were tightly closed,
although, in fact, there was no likelihood of anyone disturbing them,
as the house belonged to Nicodemus, and he had let it to them for the
time of the festival.

The holy women remained in this room until nightfall; it was lighted
up by a single lamp; the doors were closed, and curtains drawn over the
windows. Sometimes they gathered round the Blessed Virgin and prayed
under the lamp; at other times they retired to the side of the room,
covered their heads with black veils, and either sat on ashes (the sign
of mourning), or prayed with their faces turned towards the wall; those
whose health was delicate took a little food, but the others fasted.

I looked at them again and again, and I saw them ever occupied in
the same manner, that is to say, either in prayer or in mourning over
the sufferings of their beloved Master. When my thoughts wandered from
the contemplation of the Blessed Virgin to that of her Divine Son, I
beheld the holy sepulchre with six or seven sentinels at the
entrance--Cassius standing against the door of the cave, apparently in
deep meditation, the exterior door closed, and the stone rolled close
to it. Notwithstanding the thick door which intervened between the body
of our Saviour and myself I could see it plainly; it was quite
transparent with a divine light, and two angels were adoring at the
side. But my thoughts then turned to the contemplation of the blessed
soul of my Redeemer, and such an extensive and complicated picture of
his descent into hell was shown to me, that I can only remember a small
portion of it, which I will describe to the best of my power.

CHAPTER LIX.

A Detached Account of the Descent into Hell.

When Jesus, after uttering a loud cry, expired, I saw his heavenly
soul under the form of a bright meteor pierce the earth at the foot of
the Cross, accompanied by the angel Gabriel and many other angels. His
Divine nature continued united to his soul as well as to his body,
which still remained hanging upon the Cross, but I cannot explain how
this was, although I saw it plainly in my own mind. The place into