to her frequently and remained a long time with her; sometimes bringing with him his holy Mother, sometimes St. Dominic, and occasionally both together; then St. Mary Magdalen, St. John the Evangelist, St Paul and other Saints, separately or in company, according to his good pleasure. But he came alone most commonly, and conversed with her as one friend with another, when on the most intimate terms. She blushingly avowed to me that our Lord recited Psalms with her, while walking in her room, just as two Religious when reciting their Office. The infinite benevolence of God varies his gifts in each of his saints, so that his magnificence may be made manifest in details as in combination.
Since I have mentioned the recitation of the Psalms, I must inform my readers that Catherine knew how to read without having learned from any one. She narrated to me herself, that having resolved to learn to read so as to recite the Hours and follow the Offices, she had studied the alphabet with one of her companions. But after having uselessly consumed several weeks in this labor, the thought came to her to obtain from heaven the grace to lose no more time. One morning while engaged in prayer, she said to Almighty God: " Lord, if it be agreeable to thee that I know how to read, in order to be able to recite the Office and sing thy praises, have the goodness to teach me what I cannot learn alone. If not, thy will be done; I will remain without regret in my ignorance, and I will employ with joy, in meditation, the time that thou wilt leave me." Before the end of her prayer, our Lord taught her so well, that when rising from her knees, she knew how to read every kind of manuscript, as rapidly and as perfectly as the most highly educated persons. What astonished me the most was, that she
