have that other
affair on hand; when it is finished remind me."

Father Natalis was overjoyed that a beginning had been made, and told
me to urge St. Ignatius to complete it, often saying to me, "In no
other way can you do more good to the Society, for this is
fundamentally the Society." He himself spoke to St. Ignatius about it,
and I was told to remind him of it when the work in regard to the
founding of the college was finished. And when it was over, and the
business with Prester John settled and the courier had departed, we
continued the history on the 9th of March, 1555. About this time Pope
Julius became ill, and died on the 23d of the same month. The
narrative was then postponed until the election of the new Pope, who
died soon after his election. Our work remained untouched until Pope
Paul mounted the papal throne. On account of the great heat and many
occupations, the biography did not make much progress until the 21st
of September, when there was question of sending me to Spain. And so
he appointed the morning of the 22d for a meeting in the red tower.
After saying Mass I went to him to ask him if it were the time. He
told me to go and wait for him in the red tower. Supposing that I
should have to wait a long while, I delayed on the porch, talking with
a brother who asked me about something. When St. Ignatius came he
reprimanded me because, contrary to obedience, I had not waited for
him in the appointed place, and he would not do anything that day.
Then we urged him very earnestly to continue. So he came to the red
tower, and, according to his custom, dictated while walking.

While taking these notes I tried to see his face, and kept drawing
near to him. He said to me, "Keep your rule." And as I approached
again, and looked at him a second and a third time, he repeated what
he had said and then went away. Finally, after some time, he returned
to the red tower to complete the dictation. As I was about starting on
my journey, and St. Ignatius spoke to me the day before my departure,
I could not write out the narrative in full at Rome. At Genoa where I
went I had no Spanish secretary, so I dictated in Latin the points I
had brought with me, and finished the writing at Genoa in December,
1555.

Contents

Page

EDITOR'S PREFACE 5

PREFACE OF THE WRITER