I trust this first volume of Saint Teresa's "Letters," now presented to the public, will be read with that profit, interest, and delight which they are so eminently calculated to produce. If volumes filled with the "Life and Correspondence" of statesmen, poets, philosophers, travellers, military men, etc., be now so universally sought after, how ought we to prize the "Correspondence" of Saint Teresa? Her "Letters" far surpass in sterling worth (as well as abound in circumstances invested with the deepest interest) the letters of any statesman, poet, or philosopher of modern times, however great such may have been in the eyes of the world. However pure or elegant their style may be, they cannot equal the classic purity of Saint Teresa's; however interesting may be the events recorded in them, they cannot surpass in interest the wondrous events mentioned by Saint Teresa, whether they relate to the supernatural state, or to the occurrences of ordinary life, or to her familiar and loving intercourse with her brothers and sisters; or to the delightful outpourings of her noble soul to her confessors; or to the edifying exhortations she gives to her Religious; or to the wit, vivacity, and playfulness with which she both delights and amuses those to whom she writes.
Her correspondence was most extensive, including bishops, archbishops, kings, ladies of rank, gentlemen of the world, abbots, priors, nuncios, her confessors, her brothers and sisters, rectors of colleges, fathers-provincial of the Society of Jesus, nuns and superiors of her convents and monasteries, learned doctors of different religious orders, and even most eminent saints, such as Saint Peter of Alcantara, Saint Francis Borgia, Saint John of the Cross, &c.
In the "Letters" of Saint Teresa it seems to me that all her admirable endowments, both of nature and of grace, can be more clearly discovered than in any of her other works. When we puruse her "Life," or "The Interior Castle," one is at first inclined to imagine that the Saint was altogether unearthly, unfit for the cares and troubles of life; that all her time must have been spent in holding sweet converse with her Beloved, and sighing for the hour when she should be united with Him for ever, and that visions and raptures must have engrossed all the powers of her soul. Others, again, might fancy that the Saint must have been very grave, austere, solemn exceedingly scrupulous, and given to melancholy. Some might also be inclined to believe that she was quite an enthusiast,1 led away by the ardent temperament of her character, or the vagaries of an unsteady imagination. But how quickly are such erroneous ideas scattered, when we read her admirable "Letters!" They soon convince us that the Saint possessed what we call "common sense" in a most remarkable manner; that so far from being an enthusiast, she was endowed with a solidity of judgment, and a prudence and sweetness in all her actions, which won the admiration of every one; that she was so careful to guard against melancholy, as never to allow anyone to enter the Order who seemed to be the lest infected with it. With regard to herself, we shall see, by perusing her "Letters," that she was cheerfulness itself, even in the midst of her greatest trials and afflictions, and withal exceedingly witty, lively, and jocose; indeed, her naiveté is one of the greatest charms of her "Letters" These will show us, too, that her raptures and visions did not in the least, interfere with her ordinary duties, for she was an excellent and most admirable "woman of business." Considering her numerous labours, duties, journeys, sicknesses, and infirmities, is it not surprising how she could find time to carry on such an extensive correspondence? Juan de Palafox,2 the celebrated bishop of Osma, remarks, "that it was principally by her Letters the Saint was enabled to effect the reform of the Carmelite Order."
All the biographers of the Saint speak in the highest terms of her "Letters." It is unnecessary to quote here the praises bestowed on them by Abbé Boucher, F. Ribera, Villefore, S. Antonio,3 Diego de Yepes, Bishop Palafox,4 the Bollandists, Dom Taste, Colliombet, &c. The reader will soon perceive their beauty, and be charmed almost out of himself, with the admirable character with which they invest the Saint. What love and tenderness does she not show towards her sisters in religion - what zeal for their advancement in virtue - what gentleness in correcting them - what sweetness, and charity, and forbearance toward those who opposed her reform - what gratitude for the least favour - what discretion, judgment, and consummate prudence in the management of affairs - what affection for her brothers and sisters - what tact and powers of persuasion - what admirable maxims of morality does she not inculcate - what sublime discourses on the wonders of the supernatural life does she not deliver? Indeed, it is not too much to say, that had the Saint written nothing but her "Letters," these alone would have been sufficient to entitle her to the admiration of the whole world, as well as to the love and gratitude of every devout soul. I know no letters written by any other saint which can equal those of Saint Teresa, and which have effected so much good. We can have no idea how highly they are prized in France, Italy, and Spain; and this, too, not merely by "Religious," but by the population in general. I trust their translation into English - now for the first time - will be received with the interest such letters deserve, and that those who read them devoutly may derive abundant spiritual profit and delight from their perusal. The Second Volume shall appear in due time.
Abraham Woodhead translated only a few of the letters, which are appended to the second part of the Saint's works. The zealous community of Carmelite nuns at Mount Carmel, Darlington, have in manuscript a translation in English of the Saint's "Letters;" but as the translation is made from the French, it is very inaccurate. L'Abbé Pelicot published a translation of several letters of the Saint in French, which appeared in 1660: a second volume was published at Lille in 1696, translated by Pierre de la Mère de Dieu. The style of both these translations is far from pleasing: the words are antiquated, and the sense often misunderstood. D'Andilly also published a translation; but on the whole it is not a faithful one, for having been a Jansenist,5 he cannot be trusted. Let us hope it will soon be superseded altogether, by the very excellent translation of Saint Teresa's works undertaken by the learned Father Bouix, of the Society of Jesus. In 1753 appeared another translation of the Letters, from the pen of M. Chappe de Ligni, a French lawyer. This translation is both faithful and elegant; it does not, however, include all the Saint's Letters. There is also another translation, made by Marie Marguerite de Maupeou;6 this did not appear till 1748. Dom Taste has adorned it with a valuable preface and many useful notes, besides arranging the Letters in chronological order, as far as could be done with certainty. Though many admire this translation, yet the "Bollandists" seem to think it is not so correct as one could wish. L'Abbé Migne follows Chappe de Ligni and Madame de Maupeou, in his edition of the Saint's Letters.7 He has added three Letters never before published, which he lately informed me were found in the Convent of the Carmelites at Paris. But L'Abbé Migne acknowledges in his letter to me, that the translation is not quite correct. I have, however, given these three Letters in Appendix (No. III.)
The Spanish edition from which I have translated is the Madrid edition of 1793, which is considered to be the very best. It consists of four thick volumes octavo, the first volume being illustrated by the valuable, though somewhat diffuse, notes of the illustrious Señor Don Juan de Palafox, bishop of Osma. But as his Lordship did not live to complete his labours, the other volumes contain the notes of a Carmelite father, named Antonio de San Joseph. Vol. IV. contains several fragments of letters written by the Saint. It seems very probable, on the authority of a letter received from a learned Carmelite father in Rome, "that the Spanish edition of Madrid contains nearly all the Letters of the Saint, which have come down to us." One great fault in this edition is, that the Letters are not arranged in chronological order; and yet, considering how difficult it is to fix the date of all the Saint's Letters, we cannot be surprised at this deficiency; she often omits giving the date, or the name of the place whence she writes. It will be seen, then, that I have not followed the chronological order in the present translation because I found it would be very difficult to do so: indeed, I consider it unnecessary (however desirable it might be in some respects), as there is little or no connection between the Letters. I cannot be certain if the dates I have given be quite correct: I have taken them on trust, partly from Bishop Palafox, and partly from the French translation given by L'Abbé Migne. According to the Bollandists, nearly all the Saint's Letters were written from the year 1562, to about the 12th of September, 1582.
Both in her Life and in her Letters, the Saint frequently testifies the great esteem in which she held the fathers of the Society of Jesus. They came into Spain about the year 1553. Several of them were at different periods her confessors. Many of her Letters are addressed to them, as for instance to Padre Rodrigo Alvarez, to F. Ribera Gonzalo de Avila, Padre Juan Suarez, Gaspar de Salazar, and Balthasar Alvarez, etc. In Letter No. XXI. (p. 93), the Saint gives a very interesting account of most of those whom she consulted in the affairs of her soul. There were also three individuals belonging to the holy Order of Saint Dominic, whom the Saint highly esteemed, and of whom she often speaks in her Letters, viz., Fray Luis de Granada, Fray Pedro Ibañez, and Fray Domingo Bañez. The two latter were her confessors for some time. The valuable Letters addressed to Father Gracian, who belonged to the Carmelite Order, commence at No. XXIV.; and those written to her brother, Señor Lorenzo de Cepeda y Ahumada, begin at No. XI. The others will be found towards the end of the present volume. It was my intention to have given in this Preface a short biographical sketch of the lives of Balthasar Alvarez, Luis de Granada, Pedro Ibañez, Domingo Bañez, Señora Doña Luisa de la Cerda, Señor Don Alonso Velasquez, Bishop of Osma, Señora Guiomar de Ulloa, Lorenzo de Cepeda, and others.10 But as I have been disappointed in some valuable works which I expected to have received, I must defer the pleasing task to the last volume of the translation of the Letters. I have, however, added a few Notes, which I hope will be found useful: too many would only turn away the reader's attention from the golden words of the Saint. To each Letter I have prefixed a short summary of the contents, and also the number of the Letter in the Spanish edition.
I dare not flatter myself, that I have always succeeded in giving the true sense of the original, or in translating the classic words of the Saint into good English, and at the same time preserving the grace and elegance of the epistolary style. This is no easy task. Still I may say with truth, that I have taken all possible pains. I shall feel grateful in being corrected and told of my faults.
I take this opportunity of returning my most sincere thanks to His Eminence Cardinal Wiseman, to Bishop Wareing, Bishop Ullathorne, and Bishop Brown of Shewsbury, as well as several priests, for the kind encouragement I have received, and for the interest they have taken in the translation of Saint Teresa's works.
To the Reverend Joseph Brown, of Mount Carmel, Darlington, I am indebted for the loan of the Spanish edition of the Saint's Letters, and to the Very Rev. T. Sing for sending me a correct facsimile of the Saint's handwriting. The superiors of the convents of Mount Carmel and Llanherne have also very kindly lent me several valuable works, for which I return my grateful thanks.
At the end of the first volume of the Letters in the Spanish edition, appear certain "Advices"11 which the Saint gave, partly when she was alive, and some after her death. They are addressed to several individuals. Many of the advices are more like maxims or proverbs. They are illustrated by the remarks by Bishop Palafox. Most of these I have given in Appendix No. I. I have given three of the Letters in the original Spanish (Appendix No. II.). In Appendix No. III. are given "Letters Inédites," published by L'Abbé Migne. I did not translate them into English, as I could not be certain the French translation was correct. In Appendix No. IV. I have given the greater part of the interesting Letter written by Bishop Palafox to the Most Rev. Padre Diego de la Visitacion, respecting the letters of Saint Teresa. In Appendix No. V. will be found a translation of the verses which the Saint sent to her brother, and of which mention is made in Letter No. XII. (English translation.)
Before I conclude, I think it necessary to mention, that Saint Teresa never spells her name with an h; it is always "Teresa de Jesus." The French translators, however, insert the h, thus "Sainte Thérèse." But Father Bouix, in his recent translation of the Saint's Life, has restored the recent orthography.12- John Dalton, Bishop's House, Northampton, 1853
- A high Puseyite paper, in reviewing the "Life" of the Saint, actually asserted that there were many points of resemblance between St Teresa, John Wesley, and Joanna Southcote! This seems to be the opinion of Mr. Macaulay also. (See his Review on Ranke's "History of the Popes.")
- This great prelate was enthusiastically devoted to Saint Teresa. Besides his "Annotations" on many of the Letters, he wrote an admirable critique on them, addressed to Padre Diego de la Visitacion. (See vol. i. Spanish ed. Madrid, 1793.)
- "Giocondissima é la lezione di esse. Vi si scorge l'anima generosa di Teresa, una mente fra tanti travagli, infermita, e affari, sempre limpida e vivace," &c. (Vita di Santa Teresa, tom. iv. p. 44.)
- "Y aunque todos sus escritos estàn llenos de doctrina del cielo, pero como advierten bien los instruidos en la humana erudicion, no puene negarse que en las cartas familiares se derrama mas el alma, y la condicion del autor, y se dibuxa con mayor propiedad, que no en los dilatados discursos y tratados..........Por eso, estas cartas de Santa Teresa, en las quales, tanto manifesta su zelo ardiente, su discrecion admirable, su prudencia, y carided maravillosa, han de ser recibidas de todos con mayor gozo, y no menor fruto y aprovechamiento." (Carta al Reverendisimo Padre Diego de la Visitacion.)
- This fact is proved by the Bollandists, in their last magnificent volume on Saint Teresa; and also by the Reverend Father Bouix, in his admirable translation of the Saint's "Life" (Paris, 1852).
- Her name in religion was Thérèse de Saint Joseph. She was superioress of the convent of Saint Denis in Paris, and died in 1727.
- Se "OEuvres très-complètes de Sainte Thérèse," tom. ii. Paris, 1840.
- See the Saint's "Life" (chap. xxiii. p. 192).
- It would be well if the "Life" of this holy man, by Da Ponte, were translated into English.
- I have not mentioned Saint Peter of Alcantara, Saint John of the Cross, and Saint Francis Borgia, because more is known about them from Alban Butler; and no doubt Father Faber will publish their lives, for which we shall be grateful.
- "Avisos de la Santa Madre Teresa de Jesus que ella dió en esta vida, por revelacion divina," is the Spanish title.
- "Nous avons restitué au nom de Térèse sa véritable orthographe. La Sainte, ainsi que ses autographes le démontrent, n'a jamais mis d'h dans son nom: ses historiens l'ont écrit comme elle: tous les auteurs Espagnols ont fait de même." (Avertissement du Traducteur)
