seemed to please me the most. Was it not thy pleasure, oh my God, which guarded me in every imminent danger, and held me back from rolling down the precipice, when already just hanging over its brow? The more easy I was about my life, which I bore only because thou wast pleased to bear it, the more care thou took to preserve it. There seemed a mutual emulation betwixt us, on my part to resign it, and on thine to maintain it. The robbers then advanced to the litter; but I had no sooner saluted them, than God made them change their design. Having pushed off one another, as it were to hinder each of them from doing any harm; they respectfully saluted me, and, with an air of compassion, unusual to such persons, retired. I was immediately struck to the heart, oh my Love, with a full and clear conviction that it was a stroke of thy right hand, who had other designs over me than to suffer me to die by the hand of robbers. It is thy sovereign power which takes away their all from thy devoted lovers; and destroys their lives with all that is of self, without pity or sparing any thing.

The muleteer, seeing me attended only by two young women, thought he might use me as he would, perhaps expecting to draw money from me. Instead of taking ine to the inn, he brought me to a mill, in which there was not one woman. There was but one single chamber with several beds in it, in which the millers and muleteers lay together. In that chamber they wanted to force me to stay. My efforts to oblige the muleteer to take me to the inn, proving unavailing, I was constrained to go out on foot, at ten o'clock at night, carrying a part of my clothes, and to go a good way more than a quarter of a league of

that country, (where the leagues are very long,) in the dark, in a strange place, not knowing the way, crossing one end of that wood infested with robbers, to endeavour to get to the inn. The muleteer, seeing us go off from the place where he had wanted to make me lodge, hooted after us in a very abusive manner. I bɔre my humiliation cheerfully, not without feeling it. But the will of God and my resignation to it rendered every thing easy to me. We were very well received at the inn: and the good people there did the best in their power for our recovery from the fatigue we had undergone. They assured us the place we had left was very dangerous. Next morning we were obliged to return on foot to the litter, for the man would not bring it to us. On the contrary, he fell on us with a shower of fresh insults. And to consummate his base behaviour, he sold me to the post, whereby I was forced to go the rest of the way in a post-chaise instead of a litter..

In this equipage I arrived at Alexandria, a frontier town, subject to Spain, on the side of the Milanese. Our driver took us, according to their custom, to the post-house. I was exceedingly astonished when I saw the landlady coming out, not to receive him, but to oppose his entrance. She had heard there were women in the chaise, and suspecting that we were not women of respectability, she protested against our coming in. On the other hand, the driver was determined to force an entrance. Their dispute rose to such a height, that a great number of the officers of the garrison, with a vast mob, gathered at the noise, who were surprised at the odd humour of the woman in refusing to lodge us. With whatever earnestness I intreated the post to take us to some other house, he

would not; so obstinately was he bent on carrying his point. He assured the landlady we were persons of honour and piety too, the marks whereof he had seen. At last, by force of pressing instances, he obliged her to come to see us. As soon as she ha looked at us, she acted like the robbers: she relented at once, and admitted us.

No sooner had I' alighted from the chaise, than she said to us, "Go shut yourselves up in that chamber hard by, and do not stir, that my son may not know you are here; for as soon as he knows it he will kill you." She said it with so much force, as did also the servant maid, that, if death had not had so many charms for me, I should have been ready to die with fear. The two poor girls with me were under frightful apprehensions. When any stirred, or came to open the door, they thought they were coming to cut their throats. In short, we continued in a dreadful suspence, between life and death, till next day, when we learned that that young man had sworn to kill any woman who should lodge at that house; because a few days before an event had fallen out, which had like to have ruined him; a woman of a bad life having there privately murdered a man in some esteem. That had, cost the house a heavy fine; and he was afraid of any more such persons coming, and not with

out reason.

CHAPTER XXIV.

AFTER these adventures, and others which it would be too long to recite, I arrived at Verceil. I went to the inn where I was very ill received. I sent

for Father la Combe, who I thought had been already apprised of my coming thither, by the Ecclesiastic whom I had sent before, and who would have been of so much service to me. This Ecclesiastic was only a little while arrived. How much better on the road should I have fared, if I had had him with me! For in that country they look upon ladies, accompanied with Ecclesiastics, with veneration, as persons of honour and piety. Father la Combe came in a strange fret at my arrival, God so permitting it: he could not hide it from me. He said that every one would think I was come after him, and that would injure his reputation, which I found in that country was very high: I had had no less pain to go thither. It was necessity only which had obliged me to submit to such a disa greeable task. The Father received me with coldness, and in such a manner as let me sufficiently see his sentiments, and indeed redoubled my pain. I asked him if he required me to return, adding " that, if he did, I would go off that moment, however oppressed and spent, both with fatigues and fastings." He replied, "He did not know how the Bishop of Verceil would take my arrival, after he had given over all his expectations of it, after I had so long and so obstinately, refused the obliging offers he had made me; since which he no longer expressed any desire of seeing me."

It seemed to me then as if I were rejected from the face of the earth, without being able to find any refuge in it, and as if all creatures were combined to crush me. I passed that night without sleep, not knowing what course I should be obliged to take, being persecuted of my enemies, and a subject of disgrace to my friends.

When it was known at the inn, that I was one of Father la Combe's acquaintance, they treated me with the greatest respect and kindness; for they estéemed him as a saint. The Father knew not how to tell the Bishop of my arrival, and I felt his pain more than my own. As soon as that Prelate knew that I was arrived, he sent his niece who took me in her coach, and carried me too her house; but this was only done out of ceremony; and the Bishop, not having seen me yet, knew not what to think of a journey so very unexpected, after I had thrice refused, though he had sent expresses on purpose to desire me to come to him. He was out of humour with me. Nevertheless, as he was informed that my design was not to stay at Verceil, but to go to the Marchioness of Prunai's house, he gave orders for: me to be well treated. He could not see me till Easter Sunday was ever, for he officiated all the eve and all that day. After it was all over, he came in a chaise to his niece's house to see me ; and though he understood French. but little better than I did. Italian, he was very well satisfied with the conversation he had with me. He appeared to have as much favour for me as he had had of indifference before. The second visit gained him entirely.

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He conceived as strong a friendship for me as if E had been his sister: and his only pleasure, amidst his continuak occupations, was to come and pass half an hour with mé in speaking of God. He wrote to the Bishop of Marseilles to thank him for having pro tected me in the persecution there. He wrote also to the Bishop of Grenoble; and there was nothing which he omitted, to manifest his affectionate regard for me. He now seemed to think of nothing else but