The Practice Of Christian And Religious Perfection/Volume 1/Translator To The Reader
TRANSLATOR TO THE READER
Having, contrary to the ordinary practice, translated this work from the French copy, rather than from the original itself, it is proper to inform the reader, that I do so, yielding to the reasons and authority of competent judges, who understand perfectly the French, Spanish, and English languages. They told me, were they to translate Rodriguez, they would be better pleased to follow the French copy of Mors, des Marais, than the Spanish original 1st, Because the style of M. des Marais' translation is more even than that of the Spanish original, a circumstance which indeed cannot be wondered at, as the author wrote at different and distant periods. 2dly, Because the French approaches nearer than the Spanish to the English idiom. It is to the observations of those competent judges I am indebted, not only for the first idea I conceived of undertaking this work, but likewise for the preference I gave the French copy.
While engaged in translating it I had the advantage of seriously and frequently perusing this book: and, as usually happens to those who peruse works of merit, the oftener I read, the more I admired it. Besides, the abilities, experience, and application of M. des Marais, who, in France, is admitted to be one of the most eminent critics of the age, will certainly give his translation ,more than ordinary celebrity. Having thus stated the reasons of my own undertaking, I will proceed to give the following account of the Author's Work and Life, extracted from the Preface of M. des Marais.
Lest, says he, the Author's Dedicatory Epistle to the Fathers of the Society should not convey such idea of his work as to display fully its merits and excellence, I shall add this short eulogy: — It abounds in most solid principles of Christian morality — it is written with that spirit and unction which characterize the scriptures and the writings of the holy fathers. It is historical and learned — it is eminently calculated to conduct all sorts of persons both to and in the way of perfection. Here the man of learning, who wishes to be guided by the great maxims and truths of Christianity, will find suitable subjects for the mind to dwell on. Here those on whom the impulse of tender and affecting devotion makes deep impression will meet whatsoever tends to inflame still more the heart of a Christian already touched with the love of God. Here, in fine, those whom God wishes to attract to himself by a happy simplicity of spirit, will find instructions and examples proportionate to their capacity and peculiar vocation.
Now to say something of the author himself, and thereby to give an idea of the value we ought to set on his work, I will here set down in a few words what the historians of his order have written of him : — He was born at Valladolid in the year 1526, and in the 20th year of his age he renounced the world to consecrate himself to God, in the Society of Jesus at Salamanca. After having been engaged about thirteen years in teaching moral divinity at Monterey, he was sent to Montille, in the province of Andalusia, to be there master of novices ;"and to deliver such spiritual exhortations, as are delivered weekly in all the houses of the Society. In these two employments he acquitted himself for thirty years together, with all possible zeal and ability, and hereby evinced how skilled he was in the science of saints, and in the direction of souls. Being afterwards chosen to go to Rome, to the Fifth General Congregation, he there also gave marks of exemplary virtue, and consummate prudence. At his return he was sent to Corduba, where for twelve years he had the direction of spiritual things, that is to say, the care of taking an account of the interior state of all the religious in the house, and to help them to overcome and root out of their souls whatsoever opposed their advancement in perfection. As at Montille so at Corduba, his office was to make the weekly exhortations : and it was towards the end of the twelve years he remained here, that collecting together what he had written upon different subjects, he compiled these three volumes of the Practice op Christian Perfection. He did not, however, publish them till a long time after, when he went to the Provincial Congregation held at Seville in the year 1606, where he was ordered to stay to take care of the novices ; and at the same time to publish this his work. After having applied himself for eight years together, without any relaxation, to the discharge of both these duties, he became so infirm, that he had neither force to exercise any longer the painful function of master of novices, nor even% to celebrate the holy sacrifice of mass. Lest, however, he should he deprived of the precious body of Jesus Christ, he daily received it from the hand of another; and having lived two years in this languishing condition, at length, upon the 21st of February, in the year 1616, in a good old age, full of merits, he happily rested in our Lord in peace. His death was not less universally regretted than his sanctity was esteemed. He was a great lover of retirement, an exact observer of rules, and had a very great zeal for the salvation of souls ; his self-abnegation was such that in all things he had but God in view. The time in which he was not engaged in the discharge of other indispensable duties, he spent in prayer and spiritual reading, adding to these pious exercises very frequent austerities, which he continued to the end of his life ; and when it was represented to him that he could not practise such penances without shortening his days, he answered : " An unmortified religious man is already dead." Behold, in short, the life of this most excellent master of a spiritual life ; but the reading his works will still give you a better knowledge of him, for there was nothing he proposed to others to practise, of which he gave not first an example in himself; his life being nothing else than' a constant practice of what in his writings he had taught others.
