who had been her accomplice, who now; being touched of God, was very penitent, I thought it best for me to suffer and be silent. There was a very pious man who knew all her history, from the beginning to the end of it, who wrote to her, that if she did not retract her lies, he would publish the account of her wicked life, to make known both her gross iniquity and my innocence. She continued some time in her malice, writing that I was a sorceress, with many other falshoods. Nevertheless, sometime after, she had such a cruel remorse of conscience on this account, that she wrote both to the Bishop and others to retract what she had said. She got one to write to me, to inform me that she was in despair for what she had done; that God had punished her in such a manner, that she had never felt any thing like it. After these recantations, the outcry abated, the Bishop was disabused, and since that time he has testified a great regard for me. This creature had, among other things, said that I made myself be worshipped; and other unparalleled assertions. As she had formerly been beside herself, I think in what she did to me, there was more of weakness than of malice.

From Marseillés I knew not how or whither I should turn next. I saw no likelihood either of staying or returning to Grenoble, where I had left my daughter in a convent. On the other side F. la Combe had written to me that he did not think I ought to go to Paris. I even felt a strong reluctance to the view of going thither, which made me think it was not yet the time for it. One morning I felt myself inwardly pressed to go off. I took a litter to go to see the Marchioness of Prunai, which was, thought, the most honourable refuge for me in my

I

present condition. I imagined I might have passed through Nice to her habitation, as some had assured me I might. But when I arrived at Nice, I was greaty surprised to learn that the litter could not pass the mountain to ge thither. I knew not what to do, nor which way to turn, being here alone, forsaken of every body, and not knowing what God required of me. My confusion and my crosses seemed daily to increase. I saw myself, without refuge or retreat, wandering as a vagabond. All the tradesmen, whom I saw in their shops, appeared to me happy, in having a dwelling place of their own to retire to. Nothing in the world seemed harder than this wandering life for one like me, who naturally loved honour. As I was in this uncertainty, not knowing what course to take, one came to tell me that next day a shallop would set off, which used to go in one day to Genoa, and that if I chose it, they would land me at Savona, from whence I might get myself carried to the Marchioness of Prunai's house. To that I consented, as I could not be supplied with any other way of getting thither.

I had some joy at embarking on the sea. I said in myself, "If I am the excrement of the earth, the scorn and off-scouring of nature, I am now going to embark on the element which above all others is the most treacherous; if it be the Lord's pleasure to plunge me in the waves, mine shall it be to perish in them." There came a tempest in a place pretty dangerous for a small boat and the mariners were exceedingly wicked. The irritation of the waves gave a satisfaction to my mind. I pleased myself in thinking that those mutinous billows might probably supply me with a grave. I perhaps carried the point too far in

VOL. II.

C

the pleasure I took, at seeing myself beaten and bandied by the swelling waters. Those who were with me took notice of my intrepidity, but knew not the cause of it. I asked of thee, my Love, some little holé of a rock to be placed in, there to live separate from all creatures. I figured to myself, that some uninhabited island would have terminated all my disgraces, and put me in a condition of infallibly doing thy will But, oh my divine Love, thou designed me a prison different from that of a rock, and a banishment different from that of an uninhabited island. Thou reserved me to be battered by waves more irritated than those of the sea. Calumnies proved the outrageous unrelenting waves to which I was to be exposed, in order to be lashed and tossed by them without mercy. By the tempest swelling against us we were kept back, and instead of one short day's passage to Genoa, we were eleven days in making it. How peaceable was my heart in so violent an agitation! The swelling of the sea and the fury of its waves were, as I thought, only a figure of that swelling fury which all the creatures had against me. I said to thee, oh my Love," Arm them all to avenge thyself on me for my infidelities, and for those of all the creatures." I saw thy right hand armed against me; and I loved more than my life the strokes it gave me. We could not land at Savona. We were obliged to go on to Genoa. We arrived there in the beginning of the week before Easter.

A

While I was there, I was obliged to bear the insults of the inhabitants, caused by the resentment they had against the French, for the havock of a late bombardment. The Doge had just gone out of the city, and had carried off with him all the litters. Where

fore I could not get one. I was obliged to stay several days at excessive expences; for the people there demanded of us exorbitant sums, and as much for every single person as they would have asked for a company at the best eating house in Paris. I had but little money left. My only 'reliance was on Providence. I begged with the greatest earnestness, for a litter (whatever it cost me) to go to pass the feast of Easter at the Marchioness of Prunai's house. It was then within three days of Easter; and I could scarce any way get myself to be understood. By the force of begging they brought me a sorry litter with lame mules; and told me they would (but withal demanded, an enormous sum for it, no less than ten Louis d'ors*) take me well to Verceil, which from this. place was only two days journey; but not to the Marchioness of Prunai's house, as they knew not where her estate lay. This was to me a strong inortification; for I was very unwilling to go to Verceil nevertheless the proximity of Easter, and want of money, in a country where they used every kind of extortion and tyranny, left me no choice. I was under an absolute necessity of submitting to be thus conveyed to Verceil.

1

Thus Providence led me whither I would not. Our muleteer was a most brutal man; and for a farther increase of my affliction, I had sent away to Verceil the Ecclesiastic who accompanied us, to prevent their surprise at seeing me there, after I had protested against going thither. That Ecclesiastic was very, coarsely treated on the road, through the hatred they bore to the French; and they made him go part of the way on foot, so that, though he set off the day be-.

*French Guineas.

fore me, he arrived there only a few hours sooner than I did. And as for the fellow who conducted us, seeing he had only women under his care, he imposed all possible insults on us.

met any

We passed through a wood infested with robbers. The muleteer was afraid, and told us," that, if we of them on the road, we should be murdered; for they spared nobody." Scarce had he uttered! these words, when there appeared four men well armed. They immediately stopped the litter. The muleteer was excessively frighted. They came up to us, and looked at us. I made a light bow of the head, with a smile; for I had no fear, and was so entirely resigned to Providence, that it was all one to me to die this way or any other; in the sea, or by the hand of robbers. But oh my God, how wonderful at this, as at many other times, was thy protection over me ! How many perils have I undergone upon mountains, and on the very edges of high precipices! How often hast thou stopped the foot of the mule already bending over the precipice! How often have been like to be thrown headlong from those frightful heights, into hideous torrents which, though rolling far below our sight, forced us to hear them by their horrible noise! When the dangers were most manifest, then was my faith the strongest, as well as my intrepedity, being unable to wish for any thing else than what should fall out, whether to be dashed against the rocks, drowned, or killed any other way; every thing in the will of God being equal to me. The people who used to convey or attend me said, "they had never seen a courage like mine ;" for the most alarming dangers, and the times when. death appeared the most certain, were those which