gh the hatred
they bore to the French. They made him go part of the way on foot, so
that, though he set off the day before me, he arrived there only a few
hours sooner than I did. As for the fellow who conducted us, seeing he
had only women under his care, he treated us in the most insolent and
boorish manner.

We passed through a wood infested with robbers. The muleteer was
afraid, and told us, that, if we met any of them on the road, we should
be murdered. They spared nobody. Scarcely had he uttered these words,
when there appeared four men well armed. They immediately stopped us!
The man was exceedingly frightened. I made a light bow of my head, with
a smile, for I had no fear, and was so entirely resigned to Providence,
that it was all one to die this way or any other; in the sea, or by the
hands of robbers. When the dangers were most manifest, then was my
faith the strongest, as well as my intrepidity, being unable to wish
for anything else than what should fall out, whether to be dashed
against the rocks, drowned, or killed in any other way; everything in
the will of God being equal to me. The people who used to convey or
attend me said that they had never seen a courage like mine; for the
most alarming dangers, and the time when death appeared the most
certain, were those which seemed to please me the most. Was it not thy
pleasure, O my God, which guarded me in every imminent danger, and held
me back from rolling down the precipice, on the instant of sliding over
its dizzy brow? The more easy I was about life, which I bore only
because Thou wast pleased to bear it, the more care Thou tookest to
preserve it. There seemed a mutual emulation between us, on my part to
resign it, and on thine to maintain it. The robbers then advanced to
the coach; but I had no sooner saluted them, than God made them change
their design. Having pushed off one another, as it were, to hinder each
of them from doing any harm; they respectfully saluted me, and, with an
air of compassion, unusual to such sorts of persons, retired. I was
immediately struck to the heart with a full and clear conviction that
it was a stroke of Thy right hand, who had other designs over me than
to suffer me to die by the hand of robbers. It is Thy sovereign power
which takes away their all from Thy devoted lovers; and destroys their
lives with all that is of self without pity or sparing anything.

The muleteer, seeing me attended only with two young women, tho