ll my persecutions,
our Lord always struck some good stroke of His own right hand, and that
good ecclesiastic was delivered from an anxiety of mind, which had much
afflicted him for some years.

After I had left Grenoble, those who hated me, without knowing me,
spread libels against me. A woman for whom I had great love, and whom I
had even extricated from an engagement which she had continued in for
several years, and contributed to her discarding the person to whom she
had been attached, suffered her mind to resume its fondness for that
pernicious engagement. She became violently enraged against me for
having broken it off. Although I had freely been at some expense to
procure her freedom, still she went to the Bishop of Grenoble, to tell
him that I had counseled her to do an act of injustice. She then went
from confessor to confessor, repeating the same story, to animate them
against me. As they were too susceptible of the prejudices infused, the
fire was soon kindled in all quarters. There were none but those who
knew me, and who loved God, that took my part. They became more closely
united to me in sympathy through my persecution. It would have been
very easy for me to destroy the calumny, as well with the Bishop of
Grenoble. I needed only to tell who the person was, and show the fruits
of her disorder. I could not declare the guilty person, without making
known at the same time the other who had been her accomplice, who now,
being touched of God, was very penitent, I thought it best for me to
suffer and be silent. There was a very pious man who knew all her
history, from the beginning to the end of it, who wrote to her, that if
she did not retract her lies, he would publish the account of her
wicked life, to make known both her gross iniquity and my innocence.
She continued some time in her malice, writing that I was a sorceress,
with many other falsehoods. Some time after she had such a cruel
remorse of conscience on this account, that she wrote both to the
bishop and others to retract what she had said. She induced one to
write to me, to inform me that she was in despair for what she had
done; that God had punished her. After these recantations the outcry
abated, the bishop disabused, and since that time he has testified a
great regard for me. This creature had, among other things, said that I
caused myself to be worshiped; also other unparalleled follies.

From Marseilles I knew not how or whither I should tur