if I had studied them all my life; after which I spoke to
them as He inspired me. They went away not only convinced and
satisfied, but affected with the love of God.

I still continued writing with a prodigious swiftness; for the hand
could scarcely follow fast enough the Spirit which dictated. Through
the whole progress of so long a work I never altered my manner nor made
use of any other book than the Bible itself. The transcriber, whatever
diligence he used, could not copy in five days what I wrote in one
night. Whatever is good in it comes from God only. Whatever is
otherwise from myself; I mean from the mixture which I have made,
without duly attending to it, of my own impurity with his pure and
chaste doctrine. In the day I had scarcely time to eat, by reason of
the vast numbers of people which came thronging to me. I wrote the
canticles in a day and a half, and received several visits besides.

Here I may add to what I have said about my writings, that a
considerable part of the book of Judges happened by some means to be
lost. Being desired to render that book complete, I wrote again the
places lost. Afterward when the people were about leaving the house,
they were found. My former and latter explications, on comparison, were
found to be perfectly conformable to each other, which greatly
surprised persons of knowledge and merit, who attested the truth of it.

There came to see me a counselor of the parliament, a servant of God,
who finding on my table a tract on prayer, which I had written long
before, desired me to lend it. Having read it and liked it much, he
lent it to some friends, to whom he thought it might be of service.
Everyone wanted copies of it. He resolved therefore to have it printed.
The impression was begun, and proper approbations given to it. They
requested me to write a preface, which I did, and thus was that little
book printed. This counselor was one of my intimate friends, and a
pattern of piety. The book has already passed through five or six
editions; and our Lord has given a very great benediction to it. Those
good friars took fifteen hundred of them. The devil became so enraged
against me on account of the conquest which God made by me, that I was
assured he was going to stir up against me a violent persecution. All
that gave me no trouble. Let him stir up against me ever so strange
persecutions. I know they will all serve to the glory of my God.

CHAPTER 17

A poor girl o