gave her neither an angel nor a man, but appeared to her himself in her little cell and taught her whatever might prove useful to her soul. "Be sure, father," said she to me, "that naught that I know concerning the ways of salvation was taught by mere man; it was my Lord and Master, the cherished Spouse of my soul, our Lord Jesus Christ, who revealed it to me by his inspirations and by his apparitions. He spoke to me, as I now speak to you." She owned to me that, in the beginning of her visions, when she perceived them by her exterior senses, she dreaded being deceived by Satan; our Lord far from being offended extolled her prudence. The traveler, said he to her, should be ever on his guard, for t is written: Blessed is the man that lives in fear. (Prov. xxviii. 14) " If you wish I will teach you, how you can discern my visions, from the visions of the enemy." And as Catherine begged him earnestly, our Lord continued: "It would be easy to enlighten your soul directly and show you how to distinguish at once, the origin of thy visions; but for your utility and the benefit of others, I will tell you what the doctors teach, to whom I have made known my truth: my visions commence by terror and continue in peace; their arrival or presentation is attended with a certain bitterness which little by little changes into sweetness. The contrary happens in the visions of the bad spirit; — they begin with a certain joy, but always terminate by plunging the soul into trouble; and this is just, for our ways are widely different. The way of penance and my commandments at first appears rude and painful; but as the soul advances, it becomes easy and delightful; in the way of evil on the contrary, the first moments are agreeable; but trouble and danger soon show themselves. I will
