in an unfortunate expedition to Africa, in the year 1578. He proved a wonderful help to the whole army, by the care he took in preventing disorders, and assisting the sick, both as to body and soul. Whilst he was exhorting the soldiers, in the heat of battle, to oppose the infidels, he was wounded by an arrow in the shoulder: he was afterwards taken by a Moor, and sold to a Morabut, which is the name given in that country to the Mahometan monks. This Morabut treated him at first very mildly, and promised him great things, that he might engage him to renounce Christ; but seeing this artifice did not succeed and that, on the contrary, he had great difficulty himself to resist Father Thomas, who urged him to embrace the Christian faith, by showing him clearly the absurdity of that of Mahomet, he had recourse to violence; he stripped him of his clothes, loaded him with chains, and threw him into a frightful prison, where he caused him to be cruelly beaten, and allowed him no more food than was necessary for keeping him alive.

It was there that Father Thomas of Jesus composed this book of the "Sufferings of Jesus Christ," for the support and comfort of his captive brethren, whom he could not help any other way. He laboured in this pious work only for some hours in the middle of the day, by the help of a faint light which he received through an air-hole of his dungeon. The Morabut, far from becoming better natured towards him, redoubled his, cruelty every day, resolved to deprive him of life by torments, if he could not deprive him of Jesus Christ.

Don Francisco d'Acosta, whom King Henry had sent into Morocco in quality of ambassador, to treat about the redemption. of captives, having heard of the miserable condition Father Thomas was in, delivered him with great difficulty from the Morabut's hands, and placed him with a Christian merchant, that he might recover his strength. He remained not long there, but went a few days after to Morocco: where, as soon as his arrival was known, the Portuguese nobility, that had been taken in the battle, and expected their ransom, would willingly have retained him with them; but by his intreaties he obtained the favour of being sent to the Sagena, which was the prison of the poor Christian slaves, where the sheriff detained two thousand thereof of different nations; and he affirmed, that he should sooner recover there than in the midst of convenience and plenty. What he foretold came to pass: for in a very short time he recovered his perfect health; and then wholly employed himself in the comfort and service of those miserable persons. When they returned from their labour, and at those hours wherein their masters allowed them to breathe a little, he assembled them, by the ringing of a small bell, in order to make them pray to God, and to instruct them; all their exercises were so regular that this place seemed more to resemble

a religious house than a prison of slaves. He begged alms of the rich for the poor, reconciled differences, prevented disorders: and his only grief was to see that many of them, in the midst of so lamentable a slavery, still lived in extreme licentiousness.

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His charity was not confined to Christian slaves; he visited those who had apostatized, exhorted them to return, and forgot nothing that was capable of making them re-enter into the way of salvation God gave such a blessing to his labours, that some, having abjured their errors, returned to the Christians; and that others suffered death in defence of the faith. Peter Navarre was one of the most considerable: he was of Madrid, and had become Mahometan in Africa. The sheriff, who had a particular regard for him, had given him a post, and he was called among the Moors, Alcaide Amet. As he was attempting to withdraw into a Christian country, with several slaves that were under him, he was taken and brought back to Morocco, where, after suffering dreadful torments, he was at last fastened to a cross, and confessed Jesus Christ until his death. Antony Mendez, a Portuguese ecclesiastic, having been made a slave with Father Thomas, profited so well by his doctrine and example, that he succeeded that holy man in zeal and charity; and after him performed the same services to the poor Christians of Barbary. He suffered martyrdom at last in the city of Morocco, with seven young Portuguese, who having been taken at the battle of Alcazera, were made pages to the sheriff.

Father Thomas had been a captive in Africa about four years; and during all that time, the Countess Linares, his sister, and his other relations, had endeavoured to procure his freedom. King Philip II. had even recommended this affair to Don Pedro Venegas de Cordova, his ambassador at Morocco, and they had begun to treat about his ransom. So soon as Father Thomas knew it, he declared, that whether he was free or a slave, he was resolved to die in the service of the Christians who were captives in Morocco; that they would do him a great pleasure if they employed that money in redeeming others, to whom that favour would be more necessary; that for his part he esteemed himself happier without comparison, if he could live and die a slave for the salvation of his brethren than to obtain his liberty. He wrote in the same manner tc those of his relations who interested themselves most for his delivery, and particularly to a nephew of his, who was a religious man, earnestly intreating him to obtain the favour of his family not to think of procuring his liberty; being well persuaded, that God would have him remain in that state, wherein he himself was very content, and had no other displeasure in it than to see himself more favourably dealt with than the other slaves, on account of the care and concern which the Portuguese ambassador had for him.

To the painful employments of his zeal, and the rigours captivity, he added also those of penance; fastings and disc were common to him: he never interrupted his exercises of: fication, and augmented them during the time of Lent, alt he preached on each day, which brought upon him a very sickness. Perceiving that the end of his life approached, h pared himself for death in a most pious manner, and receiv sacraments of the Church on Thursday in Holy-week: ar Portuguese ambassador visiting him on Good-Friday, I Thomas most earnestly recommended the poor captives to him. extreme weakness in which he was found by the ambassad duced the belief that he had only some few moments to live either out of friendship, or from a desire of seeing how saints d remained with him, in order to be present at his death Father Thomas, having assured him that his hour was n near, and, that he should not die till after Easter, Don Fra D'Acosta, the ambassador, departed

On Easter-Monday, Father Thomas being informed that slaves, weary of their slavery, and despairing of being ransome tended to become Mahometans, he sent for them to his bed-side gathering up the little strength which remained in him, h horted them to perseverance, showed them the day in which ransom was to come, and made them promise that they woul renounce Jesus Christ. A moment after, his strength failed and, pronouncing the name of Jesus, he meekly gave up his s God, on the 17th of April, 1582, in the 53rd year of his age the 4th of his captivity, The ransom of those slaves arriv the very day that he had foretold it.

SPIRITUAL ADVICE

FOR READING THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST PROFITABLY

CHAP. I.-Instructions concerning the Fruit which we are to from the consideration of the Sufferings of Christ

I. It happens but too often, that those who aspire to Chr perfection, are deceived in their manner of taking spiritual th When they read the acts of the saints, and consider their au ties, their fervour, their ectasies, and the other extraord favours, which the Holy Ghost operates in those mortified they are charmed with what is wonderful in them, without c dering what was the foundation of that great edifice, and the by which they arrive at that sanctity. This is an error so muc greater in our time, as matters of piety are become more com and every one speaks of them, though very few apply thems seriously thereto, or know them by practice.

II. What contributes to establish this opinion is, that God, who is always wonderful in his works, often communicates himself with so much sweetness and light to those who begin to serve him, that when they come to judge of their advancement by those first impressions, which were so sweet and sensible, they imagine that they have made a great progress in virtue: like a man ignorant in painting, who beholding the first sketch of some excellent painter, looks upon it with admiration, and imagines the work already finished; whereas another, who is skilful in that art, would judge that it requires still more time and labour to complete it: so those persons, deluded by some relation which they find betwixt the good sentiments wherewith the mercy of God preserves them, and what they have read or heard of the interior state of the saints, imagine themselves already perfect, erect a fabric without a foundation, and at last discover, by fatal relapses, how much they deceived themselves.

III. Three things commonly discover this deceit. The first is, a certain security, to which they falsely give the name of peace, on which they so firmly depend that they no longer give ear to the counsel of any one: and they easily judge and condemn others. under a pretence of zeal: although the saints teach us, that in the ways of God we must consult experienced persons; that it is being very remote from contemplation to abound in ones own sense; and that the characteristic of true virtue is, to have a great regard for our neighbour, and contempt of ourselves. The second thing, which is a consequence of the first, is the attachment to their own will, which renders them incapable of suffering the least contradiction, under a pretence of loving the truth; so, that they are commonly impatient, over-nice, censorious, ready to blame others, and to excuse their own faults, and desirous to make them pass for virtues; and yet it is certain there is no virtue without denial of one's own will; without patience, meekness, and silence. The third mark of their mistake is, that they are so possessed with the excellence of their own way, and with the consolation they feel in the exercises of piety, that they do not apply themselves to the practice of Christian virtues, but look upon them as impediments, although they are the only solid fruit of spiritual exercises, and, as it were, the nerves and strength of an interior life.

IV. A whole book would be necessary to show all the dangers to which those souls are exposed; the grievous falls which they ought to fear, and the means of preventing them, or of recovering themselves from their effects. The chief is fully to know the substance of a spiritual life, and to regulate ones whole conduct thereby. Now this life consists in two things, mortification and the love of God. That mortification which does not kindle love is suspicious: and that love which mortifies not deserves not the name of love. He

that would approach to God must not separate those two things, which arc, at the same time, the foundation and height of perfection; but because God and the soul concur together in free actions, hence it is, that the interior life is subject to many illusions, from the difficulty there is in distinguishing what proceeds from God and what from man.

Wherefore, he that would walk surely, chiefly applies himself to mortification, is careful of dying to himself, and leaves to God, who is faithful in his promises, and the master of perfection, the care of communicating his gifts to him, in such time and manner as he shall please: but it is true, that he seldom communicates them to any but to mortified souls: and if he bestows any share of them on those who are not so, it is only to induce them to the love of mortification and the cross. As several authors have treated of this matter, I shall only speak here of what is necessary for reaping some profit from the consideration of the sufferings of Christ.

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V. Mortification chiefly consists in an entire and constant resignation of one's self, and of all exterior, interior, and celestial goods, into the hands of God, without any voluntary reservation. is easy to be said, and agreeable to be heard, but infinitely difficult to be practised, because of the extreme opposition of nature thereto. It is this combat of which St. Paul speaks (Gal. v. 17), Of the flesh against the spirit, and of the spirit against the flesh: the flesh would be at liberty, and the spirit would bring it into subjection to itself, and to the will of God. This victory is the end which the spiritual man proposes to himself in all his exercises of piety; that he may become a pliable instrument in the hands of God, who never fails to bestow his blessings plentifully on those souls wherein he finds such happy dispositions. For the more free, disengaged from passion, submissive, and resigned to the will of God the spirit is, the more purely divine love operates therein : and in proportion also as love is purified, resignation becomes perfect these two virtues go hand in hand, as one may say, and assist one another; resignation augments love, and love perfects resignation.

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This entire resignation to the order of God being, therefore, the foundation of sanctity, and the most perfect preparation to the gifts of the Holy Ghost; we must not wonder if the devil and corrupt nature endeavoured so much to destroy it: and if it is opposed by all manner of temptations. It is for this reason that God, who knows all our evils and their remedies, has so wisely ordained, that the cross and sufferings should be the way to heaven. For, on the one hand, the sense of pain taking from man the relish of pleasures, disengages him by degrees from the earth; and on the other, the experience of his own misery, obliges him to have re