— 269 — after that, however, someone happens to express some beautiful thoughts, bringing forth strong reasons and quoting many things from the Fathers and the Councils, all that is fine, but it wipes out all the good that the other, by going into detail, had impressed on souls. It's like when you’ve written something down and someone comes by with a sponge and erases everything; there’s no trace of it; every­ thing is wiped out. In the same way the mind loses the good senti­ ments it had, and the holy thoughts vanish. This lofty discourse replaces them with others, which wipe out the first ones. You must. Messieurs, you must always get down to particulars, explaining the acts clearly in detail; that’s where excellent results are usually found. The mind suggests one act to itself in a certain circumstance at the time, and another in another circumstance; always specifi­ cally, as far as possible.” Next, we went on to the means of acquiring humility, and after many had been suggested, he said toward the end, “I thank God for the graces He has given you and for the many good and beautiful things you’ve just said. We'll see if it will be necessary to continue with this. Blessed be God!” 137. - REPETITION OF PRAYER1 August 24, 1655 M. Vincent strongly recommended to our prayers four Negro boys, whom M. de Flacourt,2 a citizen of this city of Paris, just ar- Conference 137. - The first part o f this instruction, as far as “When a coadjutor Brother accused himself." is taken from Repetitions o f Prayer. MS. f° 30; the second part is from Recueil de diverses exhortations, p. 107. 1Subheading: News of four Malagasy boys brought to Saint-Lazare by M. de Flacourt: reprimand to a coadjutor Brother. ’Ltienne de Flacourt. bom in Orleans in 1607, had many difficulties governing the colony of Madagascar in the name of the Company of the Indies (1648-55), due especially to the colonists who tried several times to kill him. After his return to France, he worked in the administration of the Company. Besides a history of Madagascar, he also wrote a Dictionnaire de la longue de Madagascar, avec un petit recueil de nonts et dictions propres des choses qui sont d une tnesme espece [Paris: G. Josse, 1658), which he dedicated to Saint Vincent. rived from the island of Madagascar, had brought back with him. He had them sent here from Nantes to be presented to M. Vincent so that it might please the Divine Majesty to grant them the favor of becom­ ing good Christians and true Catholics. He said that if God were pleased to grant them this grace, the four of them would be all that was needed to convert their entire region and the people of their race. Therefore, M. Vincent recommended that the Company give them good example and not to make a diversion of them. He said he wasn’t sure who he could put in charge of instructing and guiding them, and that an angel would be needed for that because, from what he had no­ ticed from their temperament, he saw how difficult it would be for these children to devote themselves, as desirable, to the practice of the Christian virtues. He also questioned whether they could be put to study or if they should be taught a trade. The Jesuits were always very hesitant about admitting people from those countries of the In­ dies to Holy Orders because they recognized that men from those re­ gions are usually not endowed with the qualities required of a priest, and they admitted only those who were the children of either a Euro­ pean father or mother. For example, a Portuguese man who was in the Indies marries an Indian woman; or an Indian man marries a Por­ tuguese woman; the children of those marriages have been admitted and even given titles and have sometimes been accepted among them. Note: the oldest of these black children, who doesn’t know his own age, seems to be around fifteen or sixteen years old and has not yet been baptized. The three others, who are smaller and younger, were baptized in their own country by the late M. Nacquart, Priest of the Mission, the first member of the Company to have gone to the Indies, accompanied by the late M. Gondree, also a Priest of our Company. When a coadjutor Brother accused himself publicly of some fault, M. Vincent said, “Ah, Brother! It's true that this is a serious fault, a serious fault and one that I'm not sure is committed even by poor people in the world, i.e., to tear up some clothing! To tear up a gilt given to you! You should be glad if it wasn't as you desired! But to rip it to pieces! OSauveur! O Brother, what a serious fault! A se­ — 271 — rious fault! Humble yourself profoundly for that. Has anyone ever seen a man from the country, a peasant, tear up the clothing some­ one gave him, no matter how poor it was! And you. Brother, you tear up the clothing given to you; perhaps you need it, and instead of accepting it gladly and using it, regardless of what it’s like, you rip it apart! Ah, my poor Brother, what a serious fault that is! Humble yourself profoundly for it. “But didn’t this fault stem from another, even worse fault, that you committed the day before? Oh, Brother, shall I mention it? O Sauveur! Shall I mention it? Can I mention it without blushing? Brother, I’m as guilty as you are because I didn’t instruct you well. Can I really say this? I have to swallow my shame as much as you do because I’m guilty of it. The day before yesterday. Brother, you drank too much, to the point that it was obvious when you came into the house. O Sauveur! Drinking too much wine to the point that it was obvious! Acting like a drunkard! I, a miserable sinner, am the one responsible for this disorder; and it wouldn’t have happened except for the sins of this wretch. O Brother, both of us should be ashamed of this! After that, you fell asleep in the kitchen in front of our Brothers; what an example to the newcomers! What will they say of you? What will they say of me for having persons like that in the Mission? Is that how people live here? Quoi! They nurture and tolerate such vices? O Sauveur! What a scandal to the newcomers! What a scandal! O Messieurs, pray for us. O Brothers, have com­ passion on our Brother and pray that you can bear with us. He's our brother; for the love of God. have pity on his wretchedness. Ah, my poor Brother! Doubtless, that stems from something else; a person doesn't fall all of a sudden into those flagrant faults except as a pun­ ishment for other failings. O Brother, you've often humbled your­ self for this, thank God, but you must have relapsed and been unfaithful to God. Ah! What shall we do now, Brother? You have faults, you have passions and, after all those humiliations, prayers, recommendations, and resolutions you've made about them, you're letting yourself give in to them! What shall we do now? What has happened to that spirit of humility? What has be­ come of all those recommendations ? What has become of them? — 272 — Where are all those protestations now? Where are they, Brother? Where are the resolutions you made to serve God faithfully? What has become of all that? O my poor Brother! And what will become of this act of humility that you’re now making? What will become of this shame we’re now drinking? O Brother, will you change be­ cause of that? We have to hope so, since God has given you the grace to humble yourself. Accept this shame willingly before ev­ eryone, and offer it to Him as your atonement. We’re going to pray for you, and we hope God will give you the grace of doing better in the future, if you’re willing to do so.” 138. - REPETITION OF PRAYER1 August 25, 1655 M. Vincent praised a priest and two seminarians for having reflected in detail on their faults during meditation. He asked M. Delespiney, Director of the Internal Seminary, to see that they always observe this practice “because,” he said, “that’s how medi­ tation should be made and acting otherwise is not true meditation. Isn't what we’ve just heard about that great, holy King of France, Saint Louis,2 admirable? The author of the meditation reports that he kept all his passions in check and under control in order to make them subject and obedient to reason! In addition. Saint Louis was the most noble King we’ve had in France, which he showed clearly by leaving his kingdom to go to win back the Holy Land, com­ pelling the Comte de la Marche to come to his senses. This Count was unwilling to render to Saint Louis the obedience he owed him and, his heart filled with pride because of the help given by his brother-in-law the King of England,1 who was protecting him, Conference 138. - Repetitions o f Prayer. MS. f° 30v. 1Subheading: Benefit of reflecting on one’s faults in detail during meditation; example of Saint Louis; dangers threatening Poland.