ickness that he was thought to be dead; and as such they
were weeping for him when an Agnus Dei and some holy water were
sent to him from our house. Our Lord was pleased to restore him very
soon to health, and his parents related it to every one, ascribing
this result to the efficacy of the Agnus Dei and the holy water. A
Spaniard was exhausted by a violent pain that had been afflicting him
for some time. Seeing himself in such distress, he sent for one of our
fathers, who read the gospel to him. Immediately he began to improve,
and in less than a quarter of an hour felt entirely well. He then gave
thanks to God, and made it publicly known that he had recovered his
health by means of the holy gospel. In Advent and Lent the practice
of discipline has been maintained in the church, in which participate
the Spaniards who are wont to come to this town. Sometimes public
and bloody flagellations took place; and on Holy Thursday and Friday
there were two admirably arranged processions, in which many people
accompanied the flagellants with torches. I will conclude this letter
with two incidents, omitting many others, to avoid prolixity. The
first concerns a pagan, who was grievously wounded by a wild boar while
hunting. Thinking that the hour of death was at hand, and remembering
to have heard in the church that in our necessities we should invoke
the most holy name of Jesus, he fell upon his knees, and, folding his
hands, repeated, 'Jesus, have mercy on me.' Our Lord heard his prayer;
and, soon healed of his wounds, he came to recount this experience,
and asked to be at once baptized. With great devotion he relates to
others this act of God's mercy, and says that he received it through
having heartily invoked the most holy name of Jesus. Another pagan,
affrighted by some terrible thunder, and fearful that some flash of
lightning might strike him, invoked many times with confidence the
sweet name of Jesus, accompanied by all the people of his household;
and all were protected and encompassed by one cross. A brilliant
flash of lightning burst forth, accompanied by a frightful peal
of thunder. The pagan, in his fright, fell to the ground, and all
believed that their hour had come, and that they would be consumed
by fire on the spot. But they noticed only a bad odor of something
burning, and in the morning found that a palm-tree which grew close
to the house was completely burned by the lightning. This incident
filled them all with