My good and very dear Brother,
I have already thanked God for your safe return, and when writing to my Sister the Superior (of Chambery) sent you my good wishes. Now, while renewing them, I would like to tell you how very much I desire to see you and talk over some matters of interest with you, so I hope this poor town will soon be restored to entire liberty.[B] Meanwhile, dear brother, you will, with your usual kindness, take steps to accelerate the lawsuit against M. de la Ravoir, and this I very strongly recommend to you, as I am greatly astonished to see such apathy about an affair, that is so clear. It is now two years, or at least a year and a half, since the suit was begun, and it is of great importance to all our monasteries in Savoy. As to us here, if the judgment is not in our favour it will later entail a number of legal proceedings and annoyances, for many are awaiting the result of this case to go to law with us themselves. M. Fichet, who is at Chambery, has already done so, and hopes to deprive us of the dowry of his sister, who died here after a year and a day of profession. The ground upon which he bases his claim is, that, notwithstanding her profession, she made a will leaving everything to this monastery. You see, dear brother, how much the peace or trouble of our houses of Savoy, in regard to the Sisters' dowries, depends on the issue of M. Ravoir's case. If you can still procure legal approval of our exemption from the tax upon salt all our houses will be under fresh obligations to you, and, besides, you will be helping towards our Sisters' buildings while awaiting the time when you can help us to build our church.
Pray convey my remembrances to the Commander Baldain. I never write to him because letters only worry him, and, besides, I am myself so overwhelmed with letters and business, owing to the number of our monasteries that correspond with this one, that I am hardly able to get through it all. From day to day we are expecting the removal of the restrictions on this town, after which we shall converse with leisure, fully and freely. I beseech Our Lord to shed upon you His choicest blessings. Recommending myself to your good prayers, believe me with the same affection that I always have for you,
Yours, etc.
[A] The Convent lawyer.
[B] In the spring of this year (1630) the invading armies of Louis XIII. reached Annecy. The little town bravely but ineffectually resisted. On capitulation one of the clauses it stipulated, and which was granted by the Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, was that the body of the venerable Francis de Sales should never be removed nor taken out of Annecy.
LXXXIII.
To Dom Galice, Barnabite Father at Montargis.
Vive ✠ Jésus!
Annecy,
February, 1630.