o a long detail on
this, sufficient to convince all the world; but I suppress, to avoid
prolixity. I shall only say, that they threatened to deprive me of what
little I had reserved to myself. To this I only replied that I would
not go to law, that if they were resolved to take from me little I have
left (little indeed in comparison of what I had given up) I would
surrender it entirely to them; being quite free and willing not only to
be poor, but to be even in the very extremity of want in imitation of
our Lord Jesus Christ.

I arrived at Paris on Magdalene's eve, 1686, exactly five years after
my departure from that city. After Father La Combe arrived, he was soon
followed and much applauded. I perceived some jealously in Father La
Mothe hereupon, but did not think that matters would be carried so far
as they have been. The greater part of the Barnabites of Paris, and its
neighborhood, joined against Father La Combe, induced from several
causes that particularly related to their order. But all their
calumnies and evil attempts were overthrown by the unaffected piety he
manifested, and the good which multitudes reaped from his labors.

I had deposited a little sum of money in his hands (with the consent of
his superior) to serve for the entrance of a nun. I thought myself
obliged in conscience to do it. She had, through my means, quitted the
New Catholics. It was that young woman whom I mentioned before, whom
the priest of Gex wanted to win over. As she is beautiful, though very
prudent, there always continues a cause for fear, when such an one is
exposed in the world. La Mothe wanted to have that money, and signified
to La Combe that, if he did not make me give it to him for a wall,
which he had to rebuild in his convent, he would make him suffer for
it. But the latter, who is always upright, answered that he could not
in conscience advise me to do anything else, but what I had already
resolved, in favour of that young woman. Hence he and the provincial
ardently longed to satisfy their desire of revenge. They employed all
their thoughts on the means of effecting it.

A very wicked man who was employed for that purpose, wrote defamatory
libels, declaring that the propositions of Molinos, which had been
current for two year past in France, were the sentiments of Father La
Combe. These libels were spread about in the community. Father La Mothe
and the provincial, acting as persons well affected to the church,
carried