m guilty of such
crimes I cannot be too severely punished; wherefore I will not flee or
go out of the way. I have made an open profession of dedicating myself
to God entirely. If I have done things offensive to Him, whom I would
wish both to love, and to cause to be loved by the whole world, even at
the expense of my life, I ought by my punishment to be made an example
to the world; but if I am innocent, for me to flee is not the way for
my innocence to be believed."

Similar attempts were made to ruin Father La Combe. He was grossly
misrepresented to the king, and an order procured for his arrest and
imprisonment in the Bastile.

Although on his trial he appeared quite innocent, and they could not
find anything whereupon to ground a condemnation, yet they made the
king believe he was a dangerous man in the article of religion. He was
then shut up in a certain fortress of the Bastile for life; but as his
enemies heard that the captain in that fortress esteemed him, and
treated him kindly, they had him removed into a much worse place. God,
who beholds everything, will reward every man according to his works. I
know by an interior communication that he is very well content, and
fully resigned to God.

La Mothe now endeavored more than ever to induce me to flee, assuring
me that, if I went to Montargis, I should be out of all trouble; but
that if I did not, I should pay for it. He insisted on my taking
himself for my director, to which I could not agree. He decried me
wherever he went, and wrote to his brethren to do the same. They sent
me very abusive letters, assuring me that, if I did not put myself
under his direction, I was undone. I have the letters by me still. One
father desired me in this case to make a virtue of necessity. Nay, some
advised me to pretend to put myself under his direction, and to deceive
him. I abhorred the thought of deceit. I bore everything with the
greatest tranquillity, without taking any care to justify or defend
myself, leaving it entirely to God to order as he should please about
me. Herein he was graciously pleased to increase the peace of my soul,
while every one seemed to cry against me, and to look on me as an
infamous creature, except those few who knew me well by a near union of
spirit. At church I heard people behind me exclaim against me, and even
some priests say it was necessary to cast me out of the church. I left
myself to God without reserve, being quite ready to endure the