from his father's house, set out upon his journey
on horseback. About this time he began his habit of taking the
discipline every night. His brother desired to accompany him as far as
Ogna, and during the journey was persuaded by the Saint to pass one
night of watching at the shrine of Our Blessed Lady at Aruncuz. Having
prayed some time at the shrine for new strength for his journey,
leaving his brother at Ogna at the house of their sister, to whom he
paid a short visit, he journeyed on to Navarre. Remembering that an
official in the Duke's palace owed him some money, he collected it by
sending in a written account to the treasurer, and distributed it
among persons to whom he felt indebted. A portion of the money he
devoted to the restoration of a picture of the Blessed Virgin. Then
dismissing his two remaining servants, he rode forth alone from
Navarre in the direction of Montserrat, a mountain town of Catalonia
in the northern part of Spain.

It will not be amiss to recall an event that occurred during this
journey, to show the manner in which God directed him. Although filled
with an ardent desire of serving God, yet his knowledge of spiritual
things was still very obscure. He had undertaken to perform
extraordinary penances, not so much with a view to satisfy for his
sins as with the intention of doing something pleasing to his Lord. He
declared indeed that though filled with the liveliest abhorrence of
his past sins, he could not assure himself that they were forgiven;
yet in his austerities so intense was his desire to do great things
for Christ that he did not think of his sins. When he recalled the
penances practised by holy persons, his whole mind was bent on doing
something to equal and even surpass them. In this holy ambition he
found his consolation, for he had no interior motive for his penances,
knowing as yet very little about humility or charity or patience, for
to obtain these many holy men have led austere lives. He knew still
less the value of discretion, which regulates the practice of these
virtues. To do something great for the glory of his God, to emulate
saintly men in all that they had done before him--this was the only
object of Ignatius in his practices of external mortification.

While he journeyed on, a Saracen mounted on a horse came up with him.
In the course of the conversation mention was made of the Blessed
Virgin. The stranger remarked that though he admitted that the Mother
of Chr