bestowed upon him. Again, in the year 1550, he was dangerously ill,
and in his own judgment and that of others he was about to die. This
time, however, whenever he thought of death, such consolation poured
into his soul that he wept tears of joy. He continued in this state
so long that he often had to divert his mind from the thought of
death, lest he should find in the thought too much consolation.

In the beginning of another winter he became very ill, and was placed
under the care of the father of a man named Ferrera, who afterward
entered the service of Balthasar Faria. Here he was very carefully
attended. Several ladies of the highest rank were very devoted to him,
and came every night to watch beside him. When he began to recover, he
was still extremely weak, and suffered from severe pains in the
stomach. These two causes, together with the intense cold and the
entreaties of his attendants, induced him to wear shoes, warmer
clothing, and a cap. He was obliged to accept two small coats of
coarse grayish stuff, and a small cap of the same color. During that
illness his constant wish was to speak of spiritual things, and to
find some one who could talk upon such subjects. Meanwhile the time
which he had determined upon for his journey to Jerusalem was
approaching.

In the beginning of the year 1523, therefore, he set out for
Barcelona. Many offered to accompany him, but he refused, as he wished
to go alone. He expected to derive great advantage from placing his
whole trust in God alone. Several were very earnest, and insisted that
as he knew neither Latin nor Italian, he should not go alone, but
should take with him a certain companion whom they praised very much.
Ignatius replied that even were he the son or brother of the Duke of
Cordova, he would not take him as a companion, as he wished only three
virtues,--Faith, Hope, and Charity. If he took a companion, when
hungry he would look to his companion for food; if exhausted, he
would call on his companion for help; and so he would confide in his
companion, and have some affection for him: whereas he wished to place
all this confidence, hope, and affection in God alone. These words
were not a mere expression of the lips, but they were the true
sentiments of his heart. For these reasons he wished to embark not
only alone, but even without any provision for the voyage. When he
arranged about his passage, the captain agreed to take him free, as he
had no money; but