than the other. For this purpose, in spite of sharp
and constant pain, the leg was kept stretched for many days. Finally
the Lord gave him health. He came out of the danger safe and strong
with the exception that he could not easily stand on his leg, but was
forced to lie in bed.

As Ignatius had a love for fiction, when he found himself out of
danger he asked for some romances to pass away the time. In that
house there was no book of the kind. They gave him, instead, "The Life
of Christ," by Rudolph, the Carthusian, and another book called the
"Flowers of the Saints," both in Spanish. By frequent reading of these
books he began to get some love for spiritual things. This reading led
his mind to meditate on holy things, yet sometimes it wandered to
thoughts which he had been accustomed to dwell upon before.

Among these there was one thought which, above the others, so filled
his heart that he became, as it were, immersed and absorbed in it.
Unconsciously, it engaged his attention for three and four hours at a
time. He pictured to himself what he should do in honor of an
illustrious lady, how he should journey to the city where she was, in
what words he would address her, and what bright and pleasant sayings
he would make use of, what manner of warlike exploits he should
perform to please her. He was so carried away by this thought that he
did not even perceive how far beyond his power it was to do what he
proposed, for she was a lady exceedingly illustrious and of the
highest nobility.

In the meantime the divine mercy was at work substituting for these
thoughts others suggested by his recent readings. While perusing the
life of Our Lord and the saints, he began to reflect, saying to
himself: "What if I should do what St. Francis did?" "What if I should
act like St. Dominic?" He pondered over these things in his mind, and
kept continually proposing to himself serious and difficult things. He
seemed to feel a certain readiness for doing them, with no other
reason except this thought: "St. Dominic did this; I, too, will do
it." "St. Francis did this; therefore I will do it." These heroic
resolutions remained for a time, and then other vain and worldly
thoughts followed. This succession of thoughts occupied him for a long
while, those about God alternating with those about the world. But in
these thoughts there was this difference. When he thought of worldly
things it gave him great pleasure, but afterward he found hi