The life of the holy and venerable mother Suor Maria Maddalena De Patsi a Florentine lady, & religious of the Order of the Carmelites. Written in Italian by the Reuerend Priest Sigr. Vincentio Puccini, who was sometymes her ghostly father. And now translated into English.

Of the tentations that she had against Fayth, and of many other aridityes of spirit. CHAP. 25.

BY how much more victorious she re∣mayned after these infernal battails, so much the more did the Diuel torment her, with new temptations. Wherupon she would often say: I know not what kind of thing I am: I know not whether I be a li∣uing creature, or some senseles thing. At least there remaines nothing in me, that is good, but only a little desire that I haue not to of∣fend God. I am growne to be the very re∣ceptacle of iniquity, the occasion of all mischief and of all the offences which are committed a∣gainst God, so that sometymes I am conside∣ring, how Iesus and the creatures can suffer me to liue on earth. By this aridity of spi∣rit, all the exercises of Religion grew te∣dious

to her, so that sometymes she could hardly be drawne either into the Refe∣ctory, or into the Quire. But when the tentation was diminished so many were her teares, her sighes, and so great her sadnes, that euery one would haue thought she had committed some grie∣uous sinne. Besides, she was incredibly tempted in Fayth, and the Diuell sought to perswade her, that she should not a∣dore the B. Sacrament, & that God was not there. Nay many tyms she found ex∣treme difficulty to receaue it; for draw∣ing neere to the little window to com∣municate, she remayned as it were de∣priued of all sense; and to her seeming, the Diuell would stand there, being re∣solued to kill her. Besides, he cast it into her thought, as if there were no other life but this; and therefore there was no cause, why she should labour and indure so much. Sometyms she came to so great aridity of spirit, that she was scarce able to looke vpon the sacred Images, and pictures. Oftentimes the Diuel tempted her to blaspheme God, and the Saints;

and chiefly, when with the rest of her Sisters, she was singing the diuine Office in the Quire, at that time she heard such blasphemyes pronounced in her eares, and such horrible outcryes of Diuells, that (seeming to her by great odds to ex∣ceed the voyces of her Sisters) she had much difficulty to comply with her o∣bligations. Whereupon, weeping often for grief in great aboundance, she tur∣ned to her Sisters, saying, Pray to Iesus for me, that in steed of praying him, I blas∣pheme him not; and the Religious were moued to much compassion by seeing this blessed soule so afflicted in the spirit of deuotion. For this reason, the Ghost∣ly Father was often forced to communi∣cate her alone, that more easily she might ouercome those tentations. But hardly was she fortifyed sufficiently euen by that heauenly food, for the tentations would occure againe with greater fury; the Diuell indeauouring to perswade her, that she had lost the diuine grace, and therefore that the custome of com∣municating did her no good, but rather

that the Iustice of God was prouoked so much the more to her punishment. And thus she became byond all conceit full of dolour, & only thought how she might carry her selfe in those fierce assaults. In the midst of these cogitations, it came once into her mind, to vse a remedy which against tentations she had learned of the B. Virgin. And it was, that going to Mother Prioresse, she prayed her with great instance to command her by holy Obedience, that she should not forbeare the holy Communion, and the exercises of the Monastery, and that she should punctually obserue that manner of life, which had beene prescribed to her by God. Now Mother Prioresse to content her, commanded her to do all by holy O∣bedience. And it cannot be exprest with how great deuotion and humility she answered to euery particle of that which was imposed in these words; Benedictus Deus, adding further, I will indeauour with the help of Iesus, to do all that you haue imposed. This solemne sacrifice of her will was so gratefull to God, that after∣wards

he raysed her to many Rapts, and her hart became in the midst of so many temptations, to be full of tranquility & ioy.

Notes

• Note.