A Dominican artist : a sketch of the life of the Rev. Père Besson of the Order of St. Dominic

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A DOMINICAN ARTIST

LIBRARY

RIVINGTONS

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High Street
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A DOMINICAN ARTIST

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of t^e ©rtter of ^t. Dominic

BY THE AUTHOR OF "TALES OF KIRKBECK," "THE LIFE
OF MADAME LOUISE DE FRANCE," &c.

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RIVINGTONS
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1872

(New Edition]

PREFACE

HpHE substance of this sketch has been taken
from M. Cartier's Vie du R. P. Besson,
supplemented by the memoirs and letters of
Pere Lacordaire. There are no startling events
or political interests in Pere Besson's life, as in
those of his great leader, but the point which
forms its attraction, is the simplicity and purity
of a holy life ; — the singleness of heart which
sought and found God every where. Whether
in his devoted love for his mother, or in his
warm, generous friendship, or in his reverence for
spiritual authorities, or in his tender care for the
souls he watched over, Hyacinthe Besson saw
God before all else. His deep, unselfish affection

vi

PREFACE

was refined and ennobled by its first concen
tration on his Lord. Love is the leading feature
of his soul's life, and love it was that found
expression in his paintings, his unstudied letters
(which are, almost without exception, an out
pouring of love for God and man), his devoted
labours, and, not least, in his death — the result
of devotion to his fever-stricken flock. " Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends."

It has been asserted that the monastic life
chills and represses love, or at all events forces
it into unnatural, constrained shapes, which with
draw it from those who have the first claim upon
affection and support. Pere Besson's life may
be contrasted with this opinion ; — it is a living
commentary upon the solemn truth that "He
that loveth God, loveth his brother also." The
world attempts to separate these two loves, but
in the Christian heart they form a living whole
with two faces ; one turned towards heaven, the

PREFACE vii

other towards earth and all its needs and suffer
ings.

" Sweet thoughts are theirs that breathe serenest calms,

Of holy offerings timely paid,
Of fire from heaven to bless their votive alms

And passions on God's altar laid.
The world to them is closed, and now they shine
With rays of love divine,
Through darkest nooks of this dull earth
Pouring, in showery times, their glow of quiet mirth

" New hearts before their Saviour's feet to lay,

This is their first, their dearest joy :
Their next, from heart to heart to clear the way

For mutual love without alloy :
Never so blest, as when in Jesus' roll
They write some hero soul,
More pleased upon his brightening road
To wait, than if their own with all his radiance flowed."

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGE

Fesson's childhood — School days — First days of artfst
life — Ecole Buchez — Requedat — Piel — First visit to
Rome — Returns to Paris, and studies in Delaroche's
atelier — Besson returns to full religious convictions —
Abbe Desgenettes — Residence at Rome — Louis
Cabat — Visit to Assisi — Development of a religious
vocation. — Lacordaire's profession — Confraternity of
S. John the Evangelist — Besson goes to La Quercia
— Final decision to join the Dominicans ... I

CHAPTER II

Santa Sabina — Novitiate — Death of Requedat — Disper
sion of the French Dominicans — Besson goes to
Bosco — Separation from his Mother— Letter to her —
Death of Piel 46

CONTENTS

CHAPTER III

PAGB

Profession— Letters to his Mother — Pere Besson gives up
painting — Ordained Deacon and Priest — Licensed as
a Confessor — Lacordaire returns to Notre Dame—
Pere Besson Master of Novices . . . 71

CHAPTER IV

Pere Besson at Chalais — Visit from his Mother — Letters
— Death of his Mother — Letters — Pere Besson goes
to Paris

CHAPTER V

Nancy— M. deBeaussant — Pere Besson preaching Retreats
at Langres — Revolution oi 1848 — Chalais — He be
comes Prior of Nancy . . , . „ .132

CHAPTER VI

Pere Besson is recalled to Rome — Reform in the Domi
nican Order — Pere Jandel appointed General — Inter
view with Pio Nono— Life at Santa Sabina — San
Sisto Paintings — Visit from the Pope— Friendship
with Overbeck — Eastern Missions — Pere Besson
volunteers as a Missionary — Sails for Constantinople

CONTENTS xi

— Smyrna— Aleppo— Journey to Mossoul — Difficul
ties there — Pere Besson practises as a Doctor — Visit
to the Holy Land — Return to Rome . . . 161

CHAPTER VII

Divisions in the Order — Pere Besson sent to France as a
Peacemaker — Return to Mossoul — Dangers in the
East — Massacres of Libanus — Fever at Mossoul —
Pere Besson goes to Mar-Yacoub — Last Illness —
And Death .206

CHAPTER VIII
P£re Besson's Direction— Spiritual Letters

CHAPTER I

Besson's childhood— School days — First days of artist life —
Ecole Buchez — Requedat — Piel — First visit to Rome — Returns
to Paris, and studies in Delaroche's atelier — Besson returns to
full religious convictions — Abbe Desgenettes — Residence at
Rome — Louis Cabat — Visit to Assisi — Development of a reli
gious vocation— Lacordaire's profession — Confraternity of S.
John the Evangelist — Besson goes to La Quercia — Final deci
sion to join the Dominicans.

" A RT," it has been said1, "is a revelation from
J~\. heaven, and a mighty power for God ; it is a
merciful disclosure to men of His more hidden beauty,
it brings out things in God which lie too deep for
words. ... In virtue of its heavenly origin it has
a special grace to purify men's souls, and to unite
them to God by first making them unearthly. If
art debased is the earthliest of things, true art is
an influence in the soul so heavenly that it almost
seems akin to grace." Surely this is true in the

1 F. W. Faber.

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deepest sense. In a reverent spirit we may look
back to the beginning of art as filling the earth when
" God saw every thing that He had made, and behold
it was very good ;" and from that time the wondrous
gift of a creative power has been bestowed upon men;
a power so exquisite, so precious, so mighty for good
to him who possesses it, and to all who come under
its spell, that it may indeed be called " akin to grace."
That among men too often " noblest things find vilest
using," is a sorrowful truth, and heavy is his guilt who
turns the heaven-sent gifts of genius to aught save
God's glory, and the good of men. But art, true
creative power, as it is part of that noble heritage
bestowed on man when the Ever-Blessed Trinity
vouchsafed to make him " in Our Image, after Our
Likeness," — so it is one of the noblest offerings of
praise and adoration which the creature can offer to
his Creator, — a lavish outpouring of all the gold,
myrrh, and frankincense of his mind's treasures ;
every line, every tint, every beautiful outward expres
sion of the inward conception of loveliness, offered up
as a mighty hymn of thanksgiving, a great " Sursum
corda;" — in heathen art, it may be to a great
"unknown God;" — in Christian art to Him Who is
the fount and source of all beauty, and to Whose
worship all in beauty turns again, as waters flow
onwards to the sea.

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" Akin to grace," art seems most certainly to have
been in the case of the young artist whose short
career and early death (he was called to his happy
rest when only forty-five) are lovingly narrated by
the artist-friend who was as a brother to him, and a
son to his mother — M. E. Cartier, — whose writings
have done so much to set Christian art in its highest
form before the nineteenth century.

This "beautiful growth of grace, the most exquisite
reflection of Fra Angelico, a soul infinitely pure, true,
and simple, possessing the faith of a great saint," as he
was described by Lacordaire, was a young Frenchman
named Charles Jean Baptiste Besson, and was born
April loth, 1816, in his grandfather's house near
Besangon. He was the only child of a widow, nor
did he see the light of day till after his father — a
soldier — had died from the results of a wound.
Young Besson's childhood was almost idyllic in its
simplicity. His mother's parents, in whose chateau
it was spent, were staunch Royalists. " My soul is
God's, my life-blood my King's," was their traditionary
code ; and the household was governed almost like a
religious community, partly perhaps owing to the pre
sence of a favourite aunt, who, having been driven forth
from the cloister during the Revolution, had returned
to her father's roof, and there continued to live
according to her rule, teaching the little children and

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servants of the family, loved and loving, in all ways
the "Angel of the house."

But a cloud soon came over this sunny picture.
Through the dishonesty of a relation, Madame Bes
son's father was ruined, his estates sold, and the happy
family party dispersed. The young widow must have
been a woman of no common character, as well as of
exquisite beauty. Instead of giving way to the pres
sure of misfortune, she resolved at once to support her
child and educate him fittingly ; and accordingly, with
out hesitation, she sought and found a situation in the
neighbouring town of Besan^on, where her days were
spent in wearisome toil, the one sufficient reward for
which was her return each evening to her little son,
and the delight of teaching and fondling him. This
arrangement soon came to an end. Madame Besson's
youth and beauty exposed her to annoyances from
which she saw no escape save flight. Making
her father her sole confidant, the brave woman
left her child in his care, and started alone
and on foot for Paris, with a view to beginning life
anew there. It was a rash step, and many a time
Madame Besson's courage nearly failed, in spite of
her fervent trust in God and His ceaseless protection.
One evening (she told her son afterwards), as she
passed over a lonely bridge, the temptation to plunge
into the deep eddying waters below, and so fly

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for ever from her earthly troubles and perplexities,
came all but irresistibly upon her. But He Who
heard Hagar's voice in the wilderness was not heed
less of the desolate young widow as she leant over the
rushing waters of the torrent; His angel whispered
courage, and set before her a young child's face,
recalling one who would be left an orphan were she
to refuse to bear the burden God laid on her; — and
making the sign of the Cross, she fled from the dan
gerous spot.

Once in Paris, matters took a happier turn. Some
friends placed Madame Besson in a position of con
siderable responsibility with an old American lady,
whose affection she so entirely won, that on discover
ing how bitterly the young mother felt being separated
from her son, he was speedily fetched to Paris, and
soon became almost as dear to his patroness as to his
mother. The old lady placed Jean Baptiste at school,
and herself instructed him in preparation for his first
Communion. Madame Besson's means were, how
ever still but scanty ; and her nights were often spent,
after the day's toil, in washing and mending her child's
clothes. Years after he alludes to this in one of his
letters to his mother : —

" Dearest mother, our dear Lord seems always to
have stamped you with the sign of His cross, the
special mark of His chosen ones; He has indeed

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brought you through fire and blood. Never fear ! all
the sorrows of this life pass away, however grievous
they may seem, and meanwhile they lead us to the
portion of the saints in Heaven. How lovingly I look
back upon the trials we bore together in the Rue
Trois-Freres — trials which I was then too young to
appreciate. But I can recall the long, bitter winter
nights, when you used to sit over your scrap of fire by
my bedside, bearing it all so cheerfully. When I
remember how, cold and weary as you were, you
used to take off your warmest clothes to cover me, I
could cry for tender love, and with the longing to
make you some return. So lonely as you were, and
yet so unshaken in your trust in God's Providence,
which strengthened you to bear up under all trouble
and discouragement."

Better days were coming : the old American lady
died, leaving some small provision for the widow and
child ; and her relations, who had learnt to value
Madame Besson, offered her an advantageous posi
tion in the family. But she had other views, and,
looking chiefly to her son's truest good, went to live
with the Abbe Leclerc, the venerable Cure of Notre
Dame de Lorette, who had taken a warm interest in
the boy. The good Abbe had been an exile in Ger
many and England during the storm of Revolution ; and
now he filled an honoured position among the most

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highly esteemed clergy in Paris. Madame Besson
delighted to be the helper in his countless charities ;
while the Abbe watched over her son with a fatherly
care, the effects of which probably went far to shape
his future life. The Abbe Leclerc wished young
Besson to be placed in a seminary, with a view to
the Priesthood ; but his mother could not bring
herself to contemplate what at that time seemed a
great sacrifice to her, little knowing that a greater
one was in store for her loving heart. Accordingly
the boy was sent to a private secular school, where he
does not seem to have learnt much except mischief.
During the revolution of 1830 the boys thought it
amusing to set up a private revolution of their own ;
and there was no hand over them strong enough to
hold the reins. The worst crime, however, of which
young Besson was guilty appears to have been ripping
up all the bolsters in the dormitory, in order to make
an artificial snowstorm out of the garret windows,
greatly to the surprise of the neighbours ! His love
for drawing already got him into many scrapes :
exercise-books were filled with various wild com
positions ; and when punished, Jean Baptiste was
wont to satiate his revenge with caricatures of his
masters.

Fortunately this state of things came to an end
when, in 1832, M. Roux Lavergne, a really able man,

8 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

took the head of the school. Quick to perceive and
appreciate character, he soon singled out the slight,
handsome boy, whose temperament combined so
much gentleness and affection with such a deter
mined will, — who was so ready to rush headlong
after whatever notion approved itself to him, that a
less long-sighted professor in the school foretold that
young Besson would soon come to grief. Had he
plunged into politics, the prediction would very likely
have been fulfilled ; as it was, by God's grace, the lad
gave himself up to His service, and laid down his life
therein.

M. Roux Lavergne was a philosopher, a man of
taste and poetic imagination ; in religion and politics
his school was not that in which young Besson had
been brought up hitherto, and the novelty of philo
sophic speculation now opened to him proved a great
fascination. The tutor discouraged his seeking to
repair past neglect of Latin and Greek, and fostered
Besson's passion for art, which seemed the more con
genial expression of his thoughts. Life began to be a
reality to him ; he felt the yearning every healthy
mind must experience for work, for an occupation
which should be at once the delight and toil of a
man's life. This craving seemed to Besson to find
its fulfilment in the painter's career, and he already
began to look to it, not merely as an attractive,

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agreeable profession, but rather as a serious vocation
into which he thought to throw himself, almost as
a sacred calling like the priesthood. Circumstances
made it easier to carry out his wish than had so
far seemed probable. In 1833 the Abbe Leclerc
died, leaving Besson a legacy, which placed him
and his mother in an independent position. Eleven
years later, in a letter to his mother, Besson alludes
to the Abbe as follows — he was then a newly-ordained
Priest, and his first Mass was offered with intention
for his benefactor : "I cannot tell you how cease
lessly I thank God for the grace He vouchsafed to
me through that dear old man. God knows how
he used to hope that the day would come when I
should pray for him ! Oh, my Saviour, grant that
his desires may be fulfilled ! Restore him fourfold
all the love and the blessings he bestowed upon me ;
and that not for my poor sake, but in Thy Holy
Name, dear Lord, and because of the boundless
charity with which Thou didst inspire him !"

Jean Baptiste was now seventeen, and, throwing
aside his school-life, he and his mother established
themselves in the Rue de la Monnaie, she to live
her wonted quiet life of devotion to her son and
the poor, he to pursue the study of art under
Souchon, a painter of David's school. But a more
weighty influence was brought to bear upon the young

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artist's mind, in the society to which he was intro
duced by his late tutor, M. Roux Lavergne. He
too had left his scholastic position, and had joined
M. Buchez in an arduous literary work, the " Histoire
Parlementaire de la Revolution Franchise." Buchez
at this time was wielding no slight power over the
public mind, especially among young and ardent
men, who were fascinated by the depth and earnest
ness of his views, by the straightforward unselfishness
of his character, and the elevating tone of his theories.
His house in the Rue Chabannais became the ren
dezvous and propaganda of a numerous body of
friends and disciples, among whom he encouraged
a free discussion of all the questions of the day;
and although M. Buchez's theories undoubtedly must
be called Socialist, and are wanting in the higher tone
which can only be found within the pale of Christ's
Church, and her unfailing, rock-built dogma, at the
same time France and Europe generally have cause
for gratitude to a school which boldly resisted the
atheistic spirit of the Revolution, and its attendant
materialism. In later years Besson alluded with
sincere gratitude to the impressions he had received
during his intercourse with M. Buchez, as having
influenced all his future life for good. " I have an
abiding attachment to M. Buchez," he wrote, Feb.
2oth; 1842, "and never can forget that he was one

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 11

of the instruments our Lord employed to call me to
Himself."

As this school had an important part to play in
forming Lacordaire's earliest disciples, and thereby in
leavening and shaping the Christianity of not France
only, but that of the world generally, it may not be
useless to examine into M. Cartier's clear and in
teresting account of its teaching.

" Of all the Socialist schools in our times, that of
Buchez is the most Christian," he writes. " Instead
of founding its theories on the intoxicating doctrine of
the rights of man, this school takes its stand upon
duty ; and duty as revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God, it holds to be the true fraternity. Such
duty is the source, the only test, and the only end of
man's rights, and its fulfilment is his final law. God
alone can lay it on us, and in order to this, there must
needs be a revelation of His will — a revelation which
He gave through the teaching and life of our Lord,
Who taught the duty of fraternity, when He died for
His brethren, and when He made the precept of
mutual love to be the very foundation of all society.
Man has no claim to power save in serving his fellow-
men. Let him that would be first, be the servant of
all."

Superior as this theory was to those which had pre
ceded it, there was still much wanting ; its base rests

12 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

rather upon the quicksands of rationalism than the
immovable rock of truth. It puts morals before
dogma, whereas faith must precede works — men do
right because they believe that which is right. True
fraternity can only be the result of knowledge and love
of the Father, without which, as a primary, practical,
element, the love of mankind is unattainable. But
this socialist school did not inculcate such love of
God, and it ignored the Church, which is the embodi
ment thereof. It sought after a social Christ, and
failing to perceive that the Church is the only sure
bond of all, it took reason, and a free inquiry into the
Gospel — as though that were on the same level with
the writings of Plato — for the groundwork of its or
ganization. Instead of the Church, France was to be
the ruling passion of men, and this passion, exceeding
as it did the bounds of a legitimate and noble affec
tion pro patria, became mere fanaticism. France,
they taught, was the mother of nations, it was for her
that our Lord proclaimed the dogma of fraternity, it
was her mission to teach it throughout the world.
But this was not the vocation which Lacordaire attri
buted to her in Notre Dame later on ; he dwelt
eloquently on the position of France as the Church's
eldest daughter, commissioned to protect her heathen;
the socialist school viewed her as a power armed with
truth, which she must enforce on every side — their

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 13

watchword was Fraternity or War. They strength
ened themselves in this position by our Lord's parable
of the wedding feast, and His words, " Compel them to
come in :" — Truth is bound to extend itself, and con
sequently it has a right to strive.

To this theory a new historical system was com
bined, according to which France has ever striven to
fulfil this fraternal duty, to which alone all her struggles,
all her revolutions have tended ; her early Christian
teachers, Clovis and his followers, the Crusades, Louis
XL, the League and Richelieu, in destroying feudal
rights, all were working to the same end. The Revo
lution aimed at establishing fraternity, but for lack of
appreciating history and the Gospel, it failed ; building
rather on rights than on duty. This school proposed
to finish the work which the Revolution had begun,
and to lay the corner-stone of that social organization
which the Gospel inculcates. This corner-stone is
association. The time for compelling men to come in
had not arrived — as yet all association must be volun
tary, and it was among the working classes that the
first nucleus of those who were to convert the world
must be sought. A few men were to unite under the
banner of fraternity, share their tools, their labour,
their possessions, and create a capital which was to
belong to the association. Self-governed, they were
to choose their own ruler, and profits were to be

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shared according to the labour each man accom
plished. It was expected that the fascinating example
would attract many, and spread itself rapidly. The
working classes were to become an organized brother
hood — justice and simplicity were to prevail, the
struggle between labour and capital was to cease, the
despotism of speculation was to die out, and all the
miseries of poverty, sickness, or lack of work were to be
for ever counteracted. Agriculture they believed would
speedily follow in the same track, and in no long time
the whole State would be organized upon this system.
Then only the French nation would tulfil its true mis
sion, and establish true fraternity throughout the world.
It was an attractive theory, and one which was
followed out with energy by Buchez and his dis
ciples. Associations were founded, and the propa
ganda of the Rue Chabannais spread among all
classes. But in spite of the really generous ardour
of its professors, the system did not thrive. Love of
man apart from the love of God is a mere chimera ;
no one can contend against the natural selfishness
of human nature without special grace from the
Saviour, which alone can enable us to conquer the
hindrances original sin and man's ingratitude are for
ever showering upon all self-devotion. Difficulties of
all sorts arose ; the working men in their respective
associations looked first after their own profits, and

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 15

before long a very Babel arose of varying opinions and
theories. " Every one diverged according to his own
view of the subject, and the members of the school,
scattered on all sides, sought the realization of their
dreams of fraternity, some in revolution and on the
barricades, others in the Church and her Sacraments.
Of course there was every conceivable intermediate
shade between these extremes ; nor would it be just to
deny that even those who stopped short of the truth
forwarded the cause of Christianity, by pointing out
the road they themselves failed to follow, and drawing
together those who seemed most entirely divergent :
Catholicity found real friends from out the ranks of
a hitherto unjust and inconsistent liberalism ; and the
great difference, as to religious toleration, which we
see between the Revolution of July and that of
'48, is mainly owing to the influence of Buchez'
school on the "National" party, which led the latter
insurrection. Buchez himself was appointed President
of the National Assembly, an honour which he mainly
owed to his Christian learning, as well as to the
honesty of his character."

Such was the phase of life into which young Besson
entered, as he emerged from the schoolroom; and
who can wonder that his ardent, generous nature fell
under the spell of so high-sounding and generous a
theory, or that he should have been ready to devote

1 6 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

his whole energies to its advancement? His love of
art kept him apart from the less intellectual class of
the school ; and while not acting up to his knowledge,
early impressions, and the training he had received in
Church principles, kept him from straying into the
wilder errors from which all his companions in the
Rue Chabannais were not exempt. His most inti
mate friends were Eugene Bion, Duseigneur, Steneile,
and Boileau, all artists, whose aim was to restore Art
from her debased position, and make her fulfil her
fitting task as the regenerator of society ; while he was
bound with a still closer bond of friendship to Hippo-
lyte Requedat, a youth some three years younger
than himself, whose mind, of a singularly intellectual
cast, was drawn through the often perilous process of
philosophy and speculative inquiry into the true light
of faith. Speaking of him later on, Lacordaire says,
" Many souls of a similar cast joined me in after-times,
but none of more exquisite beauty, none purer or more
self-devoted, none stamped with a higher mark." By
degrees the truth and beauty of the Church system had
penetrated his mind ; and, having entered S. Etienne
du Mont one day, he took his place near a confes
sional, and, when his turn came, approached it for the
only time since his first Communion — thenceforth a
fervent Catholic. Another of the little band of friends
was Piel, a young man of remarkable literary talent,

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 17

who, like Besson and Requedat, was one day destined
to fulfil his vocation as a Dominican. Piel was a
native of Lisieux, and some eight years older than
Besson. After trying various pursuits, he had sud
denly declared, " I will be an architect, or nothing !"
It was his true worldly vocation, and in spite of the
little favour with which Gothic architecture was re
garded at that time in France, he went in heartily
for it. He undertook to build a Gothic Church at
Nantes j and, meanwhile, the study of Holy Scripture,
Origen, and Dante was gradually moulding the mind
which was to embrace Lacordaire''s teaching and his
self-devotion. Piel wrote diligently for the Europeen,
in which he fought a steadfast, untiring battle on behalf
of the higher tone of art ; and Besson asked no better
than to assist in all that was concerned with art, and
tended to establish a higher view of its aims and
obligations than that commonly prevalent in the
world. Art, so they affirmed, is no mere outpour
ing of emotion, no mere means to attain wealth or
repute, by pandering to the passions of the multi
tude. Real art should be the utterance and expres
sion of truth, teaching and preaching morality and
fraternity ; it was bound to cast aside the self-seeking
heathen traditions of the Renaissance, and maintain
Christian tradition only, reviving the Faith which
flourished in the catacombs, and restoring all the

c

j8 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

expansive symbolism of mediaeval times. " Beauty/'
they said, " must be a manifestation of the good and
true, having God Himself for its ideal : this can only
be realized by means of a revelation,, and religious
truth must be its foundation; Catholicism is the
fullest and most perfect revelation of this truth."
Piel maintained, while pleading the unity of art,
that of its three branches architecture was the
queen; that it is the first expression of art, and in
its very nature less subject to the influence and
corruption of passions than painting or sculpture.
" Sculpture," he said, " is never more potent than
when subject to architecture, and adapted to her
lines and proportions ; while painting intensifies the
beauty of both by the harmony of her colours and
lights. God's House is the highest work of art,
inasmuch as it expresses a religious truth, and gives
outward shape to the greatest of all truths. The
beauty of God's truth should be duly set forth in
that of His Temple ; and when this is attained, a
Christian church is the noblest work of art which man
can achieve. A cathedral is the outward expression
of a Divine doctrine, a new world created for the
Christian : externally it is a bold affirmation of truth, a
noble reaching forth towards heaven ; while internally
it sets forth whatever is best fitted to develope the
soul's life, and draw it into closest union with God."

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Besson had chosen painting as his expression of
truth and art; but he delighted in the study both
of architecture and sculpture, and became a practised
modeller. A painter should be familiar with art in
all her branches, he was wont to say. One way
by which he sought to make his favourite pursuit
available for the propagation of principles, was by
a series of popular engravings, breathing only the
spirit of Christian poetry and noble deeds, which
might take the place of the battle-pieces and other
sensational pictures which had become the common
decoration of working men's walls. Accordingly,
Besson made a number of drawings, which were
engraved at Metz and published in Paris. Of these
but a few remain, and they present a somewhat
strange combination of the special doctrines of the
young artist's school, with the higher teaching of the
Faith. But the intention was admirable, and con
sistent with Besson's aspirations after what was true
and noble. Nor was his life out of keeping with
such aspirations : he found enough to satisfy his
wishes in art and philosophy, and was never for a
moment led astray by the temptations and seductions
which Paris offers to a young man, free and inde
pendent like Besson. His mother's society at home
was all he cared for; indeed, his devotion to her
was more than that of an ordinarily loving son ; and
c 2

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

it was remarked in after-years by one of his friends,
that, unconsciously, Besson continually reproduced
his mother's countenance (she was singularly beauti
ful) in the faces he painted best, — adding the touching
comment that it was but natural, since she was the
only woman he had ever loved. It was characteristic
both of this devotion to his mother, and of the steady,
pure life the young artist habitually led, that when,
in 1835, he determined on indulging his art-longings
by a visit to Rome (where his master Souchon invited
his assistance in making a copy of Michael Angelo's
Last Judgment), it was at once decided that Madame
Besson should accompany him. Her presence never
was any restraint upon him, nor did he ever seek to
separate himself from the bondage of a mother's love,
until the day when a higher love called him irresis
tibly from her side, to give himself wholly to his Lord.
In those days railways had not penetrated France
and Italy, as now ; and Besson and his mother spent a
month in the pleasant vetturino journey which took
them by the Riviera to Genoa, Florence, Sienna, Perugia
and Assisi. His visit to this latter place made a powerful
impression on the young artist's mind ; St. Francis of
Assisi opened a new manner of fraternity to his soul,
and as he studied the life of that holy man, whose
large-hearted spirit of brotherhood embraced not only
humanity, but all creation (he was wont to call the

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 21

lambs and birds, the flowers and streamlets, "sorel-
line," and to speak gratefully of the warmth and
brightness imparted by " messer frate il sole ") ; the
social theories of Buchez and his school faded before
a greater, nobler fraternity, leaving only the frame
work of true Christian brotherhood. Besson's pure,
high-toned temperament was peculiarly open to the
impressions of early art, and during this journey he
acquired that devotion to the earlier masters which
permanently influenced his artistic taste, and which
prepared him to take a line of his own in studying the
treasures of Rome. Souchon soon gave up his in
tended labour in the Sistine Chapel ; and after some
brief sojourn in Italy, Besson returned to Paris. Here,
for a time, he studied under Paul Delaroche, in whose
atelier he was a favorite both with the master and
his fellow-students. His professional ardour was
great : he worked diligently at the Louvre, with a
view to attaining the richness arid depth of colours he
had learnt to prize in Italy, and studied anatomy
under the guidance of his friend, Dr. Tessier, who,
once like Besson a frequenter of the Rue Chabannais,
became not only pre-eminent in his own profession,
but remarkable for his Christian and holy life, in the
course of which he did good service to the cause of
Christ and His Church ". Besson also frequented the
3 ' ' Your friendship was a great blessing to me when I was in

22 A DOMINICAN ARTIST .

society of his early friends, Piel and Roux Lavergne,
with whom he spent many hours studying the archi
tecture of Notre Dame, where they found " sermons
in stones," and day after day were more deeply im
pressed with His power and love to Whose Glory
that noble structure had been raised in the days of
a more glowing faith. Piel had taken up his abode
close to Notre Dame in order to feast his eyes and
heart with its architectural beauties; he knew it by
heart, and loved it with the ardent passion of a
youthful imagination. Perhaps these growing convic
tions in the young artist's mind were rather strength
ened than otherwise by the repeated attacks they had
to encounter from his fellow-students, who were chiefly
rationalists, and whose onslaughts required Besson to
be ready to give an answer for the faith which was in
him. He had acquired the habit of logical argument
during the time he frequented the Rue Chabannais,
and had no great difficulty in discomfiting his assail
ants. If, as sometimes happened, the conversation
became blasphemous or licentious, Besson set him
self steadily to stop its course — taking his stand as yet,
it is true, on the lower ground that whatsoever is of

the world, and the thought of you is a blessing to me now. You
are in a good position, and you well deserve it ; but what I am
most thankful for, is the Christian use you make of it. " — Letter
from Pere Besson to M. Tessier*

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

evil repute must of necessity be in antagonism to all
real artistic feeling, of which purity and beauty is the
life. The men around would laugh at his enthusiasm,
thereby confirming his resolution ; — the young orator
waxed warm, and eloquent, until the end generally
was that Besson carried the day, and drew the
greater part of his fellow-students to his side. In
truth he was so genial, so generous, and so free from
that selfish angularity which heeds no bruises save its
own, that he was a general favorite even with those
whose opinions least coincided with his. Indeed,
Madame Besson's only complaint against her son at
this stage of his life, was his almost exaggerated libe
rality ; his purse had a chronic disease of emptiness,
and she, the prudent Chancellor of the Exchequer,
was slow to fill it, knowing what the inevitable result
would be. But one way or another, he generally
got the better of her prudence, and persuaded her,
who was nothing loth to be convinced, of the good
ness of his cause. His mother used to tell of one
such instance, when Jean Baptiste, having seen a poor
artist in the Louvre, who looked the personification
of despair, inquired into his wroes, and found that for
want of respectable clothing, the man was unable to
give certain private lessons, which would set him
straight with the world. Eager to relieve this diffi
culty, young Besson persuaded his mother to give him

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

one of his own coats, somewhat worn, but still respec-
. table, for the poor artist ; and accordingly, the next
day he carried it off under his arm, wearing a new
coat himself. But as he walked along, he was seized
with a pang at thus keeping the best for himself, and
the order of proceeding was reversed. The mother's
quick eye immediately detected the proceeding, when
her son returned ; but her maternal remonstrance was
cut short with a hearty kiss, and the words, " O
mother, if you had only seen the poor fellow ! He
almost cried for joy !"

Such a man could not linger long on the border
land; Christ Himself spoke the " compelle intrare."
Besson and Roux Lavergne had been drawn by an
irresistible attraction to a certain bas-relief in the
choir of Notre Dame, representing the institution of
the Holy Eucharist — in which the Head of the Saviour
combined a manifold beauty and holiness which
preached to them more than many sermons. Besson
secretly made a copy of this head ; and when finished,
he placed it in his friend's room. Roux Lavergne,
coming suddenly, was so struck with it, that he fell
on his knees in prayer, and from that moment was a
changed man. Fresh from his gracious labour, the
young artist, too, received a new impulse towards that
fulness of truth after which he had been feeling his
way. Reading the Gospel of St. John, he came to

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 25

Mary Magdalene's plaintive appeal to our Lord in the
garden after His Resurrection, and his artist's ima
gination vividly depicted the exquisite scene, and the
Lord's making Himself known to His faithful follower
in the single word " Mary," — which re-echoed in his
heart with a silvery tone of personal vocation, until he
too cast himself at his Saviour's Feet, crying "Rabboni,
Master!"

Soon after, May, 1837, the two friends made up
their minds to seek the Cure of Notre Dame des Vic-
toires, the Abbe Desgenettes. Years after, the Abbe
loved to describe this interview in the presence of the
former socialists, one of whom (together with several
friends whom they induced to follow their example)
then had long worn the Dominican robe.

" M. 1'Abbe'," tne spokesman said, " we accept all
the truths of Christianity, and we wish to follow the
practices it enjoins; but, first of all, we feel bound to
tell you that we are Republicans, and that we must be
faithful to our principles."

" Well, my friends," the Abbe answered, " that will
not hinder you from being good Christians ; I confess
Republicans and Legitimists alike."

" Do you really mean to say that you would not
refuse to give us the Sacraments, though we are Re
publicans?"

"Religion has nothing to do with party; she

26 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

respects every man's politics ; and it is quite possible
that you may believe republicanism to be the best
form of government. Only remember, if some day
you should consult me in the hour of strife, when you
are going to rush to the barricades, I should most
likely advise you to let it alone. But, meanwhile,
there is nothing to hinder you from confession and
absolution."

A little more intercourse completely cleared away
the prejudices of the young artists, while the Abbe
Desgenettes became sincerely attached to them, and
lost no opportunity of fostering their religious develop
ment. Under his direction, Besson studied a little
book, called " Pensez-y bien," with such wrapt interest
as to leave his painting for days together, until his
mother grew really uneasy, and though as yet no
thought of embracing the religious life had come upon
him, his day-dreams were all of self-sacrifice and self-
devotion. He now began to marvel how he could
have visited Rome without a more Christian emotion
for her martyr-fed soil ; and his desire to return thither
met with no opposition from his loving mother, whose
sole ambition was to see her son happy. Accordingly,
in the autumn of 1838, the Bessons went to Rome,
intending to make it henceforth their home ; and to
live content with each other's society, and the service
of God. At this time young Besson's enthusiasm for

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 27

his art knew no bounds ; but it was essentially an
unworldly enthusiasm, free from the natural longings
after competition and fame. He was wont to say
that he could not believe in the bliss of Paradise
itself without the power of painting, and that he would
willingly live in a desert and paint pictures on which
no mortal eye was ever to gaze. Painting was for
him at that period the form in which prayer and
worship expressed itself, as the bird's song or the
flower's perfume rises up in unconscious (as we suppose,
perhaps mistakenly) worship of the Father and Creator
of all things.

M. Cartier, a young French artist, who was to
become a very brother to Besson, made his acquaint
ance about this time, and gives a graphic description
of his first visit, early in 1839, to the artist's studio at
the corner of the Via Felice and Via della Purifica-
zione, near to the well-known Capucin Convent in
the Piazza Barberini. Besson's studio on the first
floor was a heap of drawings, sketches, studies, and
casts; and on his chimney-piece, facing him at his
work, was a mediaeval statuette of the Blessed Virgin,
before which a lamp burnt night and day. Louis
Cabat, the landscape painter, lived with the Bessons,
and the two artists worked together, and strove each
to forward the other's progress in their cherished pur
suit, as well as in the higher one of leading a holy,

28 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

Christian life. " Cabat and Besson are living to
gether," Hypolite Requedat wrote to their mutual
friend Piel, — "two angels under the same roof!" Day
by day Besson heard mass in the Capucin church
hard by; and after an unluxurious breakfast, which
was training him for Dominican austerities, he would
set off for the more ancient sites in Rome, or the
Campagna, whence he would only return at nightfall,
bringing back numerous sketches, and too often, also,
a touch of fever, which made his mother tremble.
Who that is not wholly without poetry, or the lo've of
art, could fail to be captivated by the scenery and
picturesque groups which meet one on all sides in
Rome ? or who wonder that at every turn in the
streets, every pilgrimage amid her shrines and ruins,
Besson paused to catch the forms and colours that
met his view ? Sometimes in his wanderings he would
fall in with some religious procession ; and then,
half-artist, half-devotee, he would fall into its ranks,
drawing materials and all. His friend M. Cartier
recalls having seen him thus eagerly following the Via
Crucis in the Coliseum — a scene which none who
have beheld can forget, whether as Christian or
artist

During the summer of 1839, Besson, with Louis
Cabat and a few other friends, made a sketching tour,
which embraced Albano, Aricia, Civita Castellana,

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 29

Foligno ; Besson himself going on to Assisi, from
whence he wrote to Cabat as follows : —

"CASA CARPINELLT, ASSIST,

"July 2C///, 1839.

" I have been here for the last fortnight, and no
words can express how I delight in it. The dear
little town is placed like an amphitheatre on the slope
of a hill, with such a fertile country, and such a
gracious horizon at its feet ! It is so perfectly quiet
and peaceful ! the people are very poor and devout, —
too few strangers come here to spoil their primitive
simplicity ; it suits me beyond measure. All this time
I have only been to one church, S. Francis. Between
my veneration for that great saint, the beauty of the
church itself, and the paintings with which it is
covered, the hours I spend there are so delicious that
I have as yet not had the least inclination to go else
where. I have tried to make a few rough sketches ;
but there is such wonderful dignity and purity in these
paintings, that I feel them much more subjects for
admiration than imitation. If you come to Assisi,
you will see how grand this early Christian art was, the
exquisite taste with which every component part was
put together, and how religion was so at one with
true dignity and beauty, as to raise the external form
to the level of the great subjects treated by art. I

30 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

will not begin upon details,, there would be too much
lo say ; such pathos, such lofty aspiration, such lovely
and pure conception are to be found on these walls,
rendered with such truthfulness, that altogether the
delight and suggestiveness that fill one in gazing on
them know no bounds. I have never seen any thing
which impressed me so much, and I emphatically pre
fer this school of art to all others. But how sadly
conscious one is of the difference between our age and
that ! How weak our faith, how grudging our devo
tion, in comparison ! One fails to find words which
express the love with which all was done. Every
least detail sets forth the large-heartedness of these
artists, how full they were of God's Presence, and how
far more they sought Him than any mere human
praise ! Surely our Lord blessed their labours, and if
He fostered their humility by withholding that scien
tific perfection which the world prizes so greatly, He
gave them an abundant compensation on the spiritual
side, through His grace. How many holy souls have
been helped by gazing on these works ! Surely now
those who produced them have a far higher reward
than any thing which this world's fame can give !
One always comes back to the same point — all true
glory is in our Lord Jesus ; all that is done for love of
Him is good ; all that is done without that is idle and
fruitless. Doubtless, talent is a great gift if well used j

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

but the important thing is to be God's faithful servant.
Our motto should be "All for God," to our very help
lessness. We must store up our treasure with Him,
so that as He Himself teaches us, we may give Him
our hearts. Indeed, dear Cabat, I thank God for
having brought me to Assisi, because sometimes I feel
that I love Him better for it. Pray for me, as I pray
for you, and for our friend Cartier, and M. Page's ; we
have great need to strengthen one another thus, for
one passing moment of devotion, how many cold and
lifeless days one has !"

During this happy visit to Assisi, Besson made
many studies from Cimabue, and Giotto, who were
his favourite masters, as well as others from Puccio
Campana, Simone Memmi, Pace di Faenza, and Fra
Angelico ; and also not a few landscapes from nature.
Day by day, as he worked, his heart seemed to grow
more and more full of love to God and man, and few
as his expenses were (for he had found a lodging
where his whole daily expenses were only if. 50 c.)
he had given away with so free a hand, that when the
six weeks of his absence came to an end, he returned
to Rome without money or clothes, and the vetturino
who took him back to Via Felice would not give up
his portfolios of sketches until Madame Besson had
paid for the carriage. The following winter there was
great suffering in Assisi, and the parish priest at once

32 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

appealed to the young French artist, whose liberality
had been so notable, for help ; nor was he mistaken
in so doing, for Besson immediately set to work to
beg for the poor inhabitants of Assisi, and by this
means, and a heavy mulct laid on his charitable
mother, he was able to send a sum of i5oof. for the
relief of his favourite town.

Passionately as Besson was devoted to art, it is
evident that a stronger passion was developing itself
day by day within him, and God's Grace was drawing
Him onwards to the time when a distinct call from
the Holy Spirit was to sever him wholly from the
things of this \vorld. Even now he was setting forth
God's glory in his life as well as in his paintings. In
the same house with the Bessons there lived a Portu
guese family of high position, and the religious indif
ference of the father was roused by noticing the devout
life led by his young co-locataire. Acquaintance was
made, under pretext of drawing lessons for the younger
members of the family, and Besson had the satisfac
tion after a time of putting his neighbours under good
religious instruction. In later years, some of this very
family became his own spiritual children. Among his
artist friends, too, he revived a marked religious
influence. Thus we find a letter to one of them who
•was in trouble : —

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 33

December &t/i, 1839.

" My poor dear friend, how many unforeseen
troubles have come upon you ! How I wish I were
near you, to try at least and comfort you. Do not be
cast down, but face your adversity with calmness ; the
surest way to relieve our troubles is to accept them all
for the love of God, to offer them one by one to Him,
as they arise, as a willing sacrifice. Can we ever do too
much for Him Who has done so much for us ? Do
not overwhelm yourself with work — you are so neces
sary to your family and friends— it is a duty to con
sider your health. Do what you can quietly, and
leave the results, good or bad, to God, without paying
too much heed to men. Our chief work on earth is to
save our souls and to love God and man — that is the
long and short of all things. . . . But be ready for what
ever may arise — no one can foresee what to-morrow
may bring forth. We are apt to judge from outward
appearance, and in our ignorance we often sorrow
over those very things which are really our greatest
good. But our Lord, Who knows all, and Who rules
all for our benefit, sees otherwise ; and so let us trust
all that is dearest to us in His Hands, with full con
fidence in whatever He may appoint. In joy or sor
row, in sickness or health, in riches or poverty, desola
tion or consolation, let us be wholly His, Who is the
Saviour and Lover of our souls."

D

34 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

"I sometimes marvel at my own blindness," he
wrote that same winter to M. Carrier. "How can
one halt so long between self-love and love of God ;
between death on the one hand, and Infinite perfec
tion on the other? Yet, while I fully perceive this
great truth, why am I so slow to act upon it ? It must
be because of the hardness of my stony heart, which
lacks even a handful of good soil wherein to foster
the gracious seed sown by the Great Husbandman."

Such a mind, surrounded by such influences as
Rome presented, could not fail to appreciate the
religious life. Besson spent more and more time
among the friends he had made in different convents,
and though he said nothing of any intention of him
self becoming a religious, it scarcely needed the quick
penetration of his devoted mother to foresee that,
sooner or later, such would be the case. Poor thing !
she who had refused to let her son be educated for
the priesthood, lest she should in some measure lose
the sole possession of him, which was her one happi
ness in life — was she indeed to have this far sharper
sacrifice laid upon her? The dread was overwhelm
ing, and she used to watch for M. Cartier on the
stairs, when he came to see her son, and implore him
to dissuade his friend from taking a step which would
be so terrible to her. M. Cartier could not withstand
the poor mother's entreaties, and discussed the matter

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

35

with Besson : the result being that the latter promised
never to leave his mother, so long as she herself
should not wish him to do so.

During this winter the Abbe Lacordaire came to
Rome, full of eagerness to restore the Dominican
Order in France, and with him came Requedat, one of
Besson's early friends of the Rue Chabannais; and
naturally the attraction of La Minerva, where they
staid, became great for the young artist. On the 8th
of April Lacordaire and Requedat received the
Dominican habit, — Besson assisting with the deepest
emotion, and no little envy of those to whom it was
given to be foremost in this self-devotion. The next
day the French novices left Rome for the convent of
La Quercia at Viterbo, not without a struggle which
Lacordaire himself describes as " a sacrifice of blood."
" It had cost me nothing," he says, " to leave the
world for the priesthood, but it cost me more than I
can say to add the burden of the religious life to that
of the priesthood. But on the second occasion, as on
the first, having once made up my mind, I had no
misgiving or thought of turning back, but went straight
on to encounter my difficulties." There is a wonder
ful simplicity in Pere Lacordaire's account of his first
arrival at Quercia, and it is surely encouraging to those
who may have felt — who does not, at times ? — weighed
down by the Cross they have sought and accepted
D 2

36 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

voluntarily ? After describing their arrival at La
Quercia at the end of an exciting day, he says, " Then
we went each to his cell. It was very cold, the wind
had gone round to the north, and we had only our
summer habits in fireless rooms ; there was no one in
the house that we knew ; all the excitement and
prestige of the day was over; our friends were no
longer near, but we were alone with God, face to face
with a life the details of which were new to us. That
evening we went to matins, then to the refectory, and
so to bed. The next day it was colder still, and we
only half understood the routine of our duties. Then
a passing weakness came over me ; I thought of all I
had left — the clear prospects and certain advantages
of my life, the cherished friends, the pleasant and
profitable society, the warm hearths, my own cheerful
rooms, the numberless attractions with which God had
blessed me. To lose all these to indulge the pride of
one vigorous action was surely a heavy price ! I
prostrated myself before God, and asked Him to give
me the strength I needed. Before the end of that first
day, I felt that He had granted my prayer, and during
the last three days my soul has been more and more
comforted V

The life was a strict one. " We rise at a quarter
past five o'clock, and in a quarter of an hour we go to
3 a Madame Swetchine, Viet i. 280.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 37

the inner choir, where we sing Prime, hear mass, and
make our meditation. Then we say our own mass.
Before noon, we sing Terce, Sext, and None in choir,
and on great days High Mass is sung. Dinner at
twelve. All our food is maigre, save under dispensa
tion ; and on Friday we fast ; on other days we eat
some bread in the morning, but from Sept. i4th to
Easter the morning fast is continuous. After dinner
we go to recreation or take a siesta, as we will. At
three, vespers and compline. From four to eight
o'clock we are free to go out if we like. At eight we
sing matins and lauds, at a quarter to nine supper, and
conversation in the common room till ten, when we
go to bed. Besides this, the novices make a short
meditation, morning and evening, in their own little
chapel. . . . We can meet in the novices' sitting-room
for conversation at the free hours."

Besson returned to his easel, but he had received a
fresh impetus towards the religious life ; and the first
result was a desire to follow a stricter rule while yet
living in the world, and to form an association of artists
who should pledge themselves to seek God's glory in all
things. With a view to such association Besson wrote
to Pere Lacordaire, asking him to frame a suitable
rule of life. The answer was that many similar appli
cations had already reached the Father, and that he
was about to frame a rule for a confraternity of artists,

38 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

of which the fountain-head should be in Paris. Ac
cordingly, the Confraternity of S.John the Evangelist
was founded on the 2ist July, 1839, under consti
tutions framed by Lacordaire, who begins them
thus :—

" Certain French artists, deeply feeling the present
condition of society, seek to forward its amelioration
by means of Christian art, and, inasmuch as one of the
sorest social wounds lies in the unnatural isolation of
men living in an artificial state, they have thought
good to establish among themselves a confraternity
which shall be, in the Church's pregnant language, a
brotherhood. The rules which follow are an expres
sion of their present resolution, which they hope will
be life-long, of striving together, subject to Jesus
Christ and His Church, for the saving of men. May
God, the only Source of all lasting good, bless their
attempt ! Should they be enabled to win some souls
from the mere interests of this life to those of one
higher, they will in no wise attribute their success to
any merit of their own, but to Him Who can raise the
dead, and Whose Hand is never weary of reaching forth
refreshment to the tired, of filling the empty heart with
heavenly abundance, or of healing the broken in
spirit. This Brotherhood is placed by its founders
under the protection of S. John the Evangelist,
because that Saint, Apostle, Evangelist and Prophet

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 39

was foremost among all the Saviour's disciples to
penetrate the mysteries of Divine love and beauty,
which are the eternal objects of contemplation to all
true artists."

The Confraternity professed as its aim the sancti-
fication of art and artists, and took as its motto,
"Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo
da gloriam." Its members pledged themselves to
lead a Christian life, to pray for the conversion of
artists specially, to have the Crucifix and a picture
of the Blessed Virgin in their rooms, and to dress
simply, in black, grey, or white. They had fixed
gatherings, in order to discuss all that concerned
Christian art and the Church, and festivals for spe
cial prayer and Communion. Further, they under
took to look after the younger members of their
profession, and to place them under right-thinking
masters, as also to endeavour to raise the tone of
their models. Their first Prior was Piel, Besson's
former intimate friend, who had so warmly shared
his early aspirations after the higher tone of art,
and who was powerfully attracted by Lacordaire's
influence, and that of his friend Requedat, to cast
in his lot with them. "It is very fitting for a
future Dominican to end his worldly career with
the inauguration of such a work," Requedat wrote
to Piel, just after he had himself taken the habit

40 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

with which he earnestly desired to see his friend
also clothed.

The Confraternity was immediately joined by a
good many distinguished men, some of whom had,
like Piel and Besson, formed part of the Ecole
Buchez, and others, who had fallen under the spell
— probably the most powerful of the day for the
more refined and cultivated young Frenchmen — of
Lacordaire.

Besson, aided by Charles Hallez, the eminent
pianist and composer, formed a branch Confraternity
at Rome, in which we find the names of the sculptor
Bonnassieux, and Gounod, whose compositions are
the proof that he was a worthy member of the high
aims he and his companions set before them.

Various other guilds followed upon this Artist
Brotherhood : the Confraternity of S. Luke among
the medical profession, headed by Dr. Tessier; that
of S. Yves, for lawyers ; and that of Fra Angelico da
Fiesole, for engravers ; — the principle of each being
identical, i. e. that the members should lead a pious
life in the world, and unite their efforts to promote
the Kingdom of Christ in their respective profes
sions. The natural result was, that men who had a
hidden vocation, developed it under such training;
and sundry of those who began as members of a
guild, passed on to the religious life.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

When the Third Order of Dominicans was restored
in France, these Confraternities ceased to exist — a
matter of regret, inasmuch as there must at all times,
probably, be men whose power to leaven their own
circles with holiness of life would be invaluable in
such a shape, whereas they might as yet be unequal
to the higher demands of the Third Order, which the
guilds would tend to supply.

At this time Besson was working at his first large
picture, the raising of Lazarus. Overbeck used to
criticize and encourage the young painter j and all
but himself anticipated that it would be a noble work.
Besson, however, felt wholly unequal to express on
canvas the conceptions of his heart, and he often
despaired of success. "Thanks to God, and to
your good advice," he wrote at this time to Cabat,
" I am beginning to have somewhat more patience
with myself, and to rest content under all my diffi
culties and infirmities. God knows it is not easy ;
and sometimes I fall into such distress, that I am
forced to recall all the arguments I have already
laid before you, and before our Lord, Who is my
only real succour at such seasons." This picture
was never finished : the artist's vocation was about
to express itself distinctly, and his future course was
well nigh decided.

At the close of the year 1839, Besson had pro-

42 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

mised Lacordaire to go to La Quercia, and make
a copy of a celebrated Madonna, painted by an un
known artist of the fifteenth century, which the Father
wished to place in the first Dominican house he might
be able to found in France. This picture had been
an object of great veneration ; and in early times a
convent was built beside the church which contained
it ; but the Senate of Viterbo was unable to decide
to what Order both should be entrusted. They finally
resolved to send a deputation to the Porta di Firenze,
and there offer La Quercia to the first religious who
should enter. This proved to be a Frenchman,
Martial Auribelle, General of the Dominicans; and
thus the convent came into the hands of that Order ;
and there the first French novices were spending their
novitiate. " I was passing through Viterbo in 1836,"
wrote Lacordaire, "and as I entered by the Porta
Toscana, I was struck by the porch and belfry of
La Quercia, without knowing even its name; and
now it has become my home and shelter, contrary
to all human foresight. How marvellously the future
is hidden from us, and how often we unconsciously
cross the soil where we are destined one day to rest !"
. . . " You remember," he says, writing to Madame
Swetchine, " the handsome, saintly young Requedat ?
He is still more attractive as a religious ; and merely
to look at him is a joy to me. He is a treasure ; and

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 43

were I to die now, I should feel the establishment of
our Order in France safe in his hands. . . . He is a
saint ! and such a tender, devoted friend to me ; a
very precious stone among the holy souls God has
sent to gladden me hitherto ! . . . A young painter,
who is a friend of ours, a Frenchman, and a holy
fellow, is coming here to copy the Madonna della
Quercia for us."

Just before Lent, 1840, Besson fulfilled his promise,
and went to La Quercia, where his overflowing happi
ness, and his clear view as to God's call, left him with
a mind distinctly made up as to the future. While
working at the promised copy, he also sketched freely
in the neighbourhood. More than forty landscapes,
drawn at this time, yet exist. And when his work
was finished, he solemnly laid his brush upon the
altar, and vowed to forsake his dearly-loved pro
fession and become a Dominican, whenever his
mother's consent could be obtained. Only those
who knew him best could realize what a sacrifice
this was, since painting was, as his friend M. Cartier
says, " his very existence and happiness, without which
he could scarcely suppose perfect bliss in heaven."

Meanwhile, that poor mother, who was left behind
at Rome, must have had little doubt as to the sacri
fice she would soon be called upon to make. How
she must have prayed and striven with herself, before

44 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

she could bring her deep maternal love to the last
point of unselfishness, and voluntarily give up her
child to God ! Her son returned to Rome for Easter ;
but he said nothing about his vocation, and perhaps
at first Madame Besson hoped that after all the blow
was really not about to fall. Such hope, if it ever existed,
was not to last long. All his life they had lived in
the closest, truest confidence, — next to God, she had
no love, no thought, no object save her son, and
such love is not easily deceived. The mother's wistful
eyes read his inmost soul ; and after hearing Lacordaire
preach at the church of S. Louis, there was one final
struggle with herself, and she resolved to do as she
had ever done, since her fatherless babe first lay in.
her bosom ; — sacrifice herself to him. Unbidden tears
of reverence rise as one pictures the touching scene,
when trembling, and yet strong in her pious resolution,
striving to fortify herself with the thought of Abraham
offering up his only son — perhaps, poor mother ! in
dulging a half-hope that some good angel might even
yet remove the sharp sword which she was thrusting
into her own breast — Madame Besson went one
morning into her son's studio (where he himself has
told us she rarely penetrated, out of her unselfish
consideration and fear lest she should disturb him),
and voluntarily gave her unasked consent to part with
him. Strong feeling rarely finds many words. " My

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 45

child," she said, " I know your wish, and I will not be
a hindrance to your happiness. You shall be quite
free ; and I myself ask you to follow the religious life.
I have but few years to live ; I only ask to go where
you go, and if you are happy, I shall be happy too."

Besson had not had time to speak when Pere Lacor-
daire rang at the bell. He had come to thank his
young friend for the copy of the Madonna della Quer-
cia. Besson told him what had just passed, adding
simply, " Will you have me, Father ?" The good
Father was taken by surprise, and his ever-ready flow
of sympathy made his tears to flow for the mother,
whose sacrifice he knew how to appreciate. The
three wept together ; but the victory was won for
God, and from that moment Besson never looked
back. On May i3th, 1840, Pere Lacordaire wrote to
Madame Swetchine, —

"The young painter who copied the Madonna
della Quercia has joined us. We had no expec
tation of this at present, on account of his mother,
for he is an only child ; but she herself has urged

him to follow his vocation I went to their

house, all unknowing, and needed but to stoop and
gather this lovely floweret. He is a very miniature
Angelico da Fiesole, with an infinitely pure, good,
simple soul, and the faith of a saint. His name is
Besson."

CHAPTER II

Santa Sabina — Novitiate — Death of Requedat — Dispersion of
the French Dominicans — Besson goes to Bosco — Separation
from his mother — Letters to her — Death of Piel.

PSRE LACORDAIRE'S work was prospering;
and on May i6th, 1840, he and five other
Frenchmen entered the Dominican Monastery of
Santa Sabina, under the special protection of Pope
Gregory XVI. The monastery and church are upon
the Aventine Hill, and command one of those wide-
spreading, solemn-coloured views with which the
lovers of Roman scenery are familiar. The original
church, of Basilican form, was built on the site of
Santa Sabina's house, A.D. 425. Pope Honorius I.
gave the site of the monastery to the Dominicans in
the thirteenth century. S. Dominic himself inhabited
it ; and in the garden an orange-tree, planted by the
Saint, still flourishes. A graceful legend asserts that
the year before Lacordaire gave this new impulse

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 47

to the Order of S. Dominic, a fresh shoot had burst
forth from the venerable stem.

Early on the i6th May, Pere Lacordaire said mass
in the Saint's cell ; and after the festival of the day
— which was joined by many notable persons, both
French and others, sympathizers in the work — was
ended, he gathered his companions together in the
novices' chapel, and spake at length to them of
what they were about to do. His first words were,
"Brothers, we are gathered here to pursue a work
appalling in its difficulty." He did not wish any
one concerned to undervalue this difficulty, or to
imagine that success could attend the " Freres Pre-
cheurs" by any means, save the blessing of God.
Once established in France, he looked with con
fidence to the work they would accomplish for
Christ and His Church ; but at present that esta
blishment was but a hope, and he felt that he and
his companions might not live to see the result of
their sacrifice. These companions were Besson,
Requedat, and Piel, who, after some struggle and
deliberation, had given himself to the work, writing
to his father, on the eve of his departure for Rome,
"Once more, farewell ! before I leave our dear France,
where my heart will ever be, as far as is consistent
with obedience. God has given me grace always
to love my country dearly, and I thank Him for

48 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

it now that He sees fit to send me forth. I leave
a most dear family behind, and many cherished
friends — above all, some very precious graves. I
could not pray beside them as I wished when I
was last at home : you must do it for me. And
when you meet with strangers who are in need,
help them in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the sake
of your absent son V The fourth was Hernscheim,
a native of Strasburg, by birth a Jew, the grace of
whose baptism lay dormant for years. His in
tellectual powers won him a professorship of philo
sophy; but it pleased God to open his eyes to
the truth by means of a simple Sister of Charity,
who nursed him in a severe illness, and from a
disciple of Cousin, Hernscheim became a son of S.
Dominic. Lacordaire's fifth companion was the
Abbe Jandel, the only one of the little band who
had ever studied theology. He had become known
to Lacordaire when the great orator was preaching
an Advent mission at Metz, near which town the
Abbe Jandel was at the head of a petit seminaire,
and being powerfully drawn to the religious life, he
came to Rome with the intention of joining the
Jesuits, but was led by God's good Providence to
the Dominicans instead. Thus three of the novices
had been formed in the Ecole Buchez; and Lacor-
1 Vie du Pcre Lacordaire, i. 346.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

49

daire himself kept up some intercourse with M.
Buchez, who, while approving some part of the
design, would rather have seen his disciples create
a new order, more in keeping with his modern
political and social views, than submit themselves
to a yoke of comparative antiquity. Buchez cor
responded on the subject with Lacordaire, proposing
a compromise with the Church, some of whose pre
cepts he would have abrogated as unsuited to the
existing state of the world, while he would have
substituted others, such as prohibitions against luxury
and idleness. "Pere Lacordaire had no mission to
transact such exchanges on the part of the Church,"
M. Cartier somewhat quaintly observes ; " and, more
over, he thought that the Gospel contained sufficient
injunctions against sloth and luxury already. Dis
cussion on such terms was simply impossible."

Lacordaire wrote at this period, "We are six
Frenchmen now inhabiting the Convent of Santa
Sabina on the Aventine, who have all been led from
the world in different ways, all having lived a life
very unlike that to which God now calls us. We
shall spend some years here, if God so wills it, not
with a view of delaying the struggle, but in order
to serious preparation for our difficult mission ; so
that, returning to France, we may be armed, not
merely with our rights as citizens, but with the rights

E

So A DOMINICAN ARTIST

which always arise out of a well-proved devotion to a
just cause. Unquestionably it is a trial to be exiled
from our country, and leave undone that which even
now we might do ; but He Who required his only
son of Abraham, has made present renunciation the
ordinary condition of a greater good. Some one
must sow, where others are to reap. And for this
reason we would entreat all those who have hopes
for our future to forgive our temporary absence, and
not to forget us, or cease to pray for us. Years pass
quickly ; and when the day comes that we are found
again in the camp o: Israel and France, we shall be
none the worse for having grown somewhat older, nor
will Providence have been passive the while V

At the same time Besson wrote to his friend Dr.
Tessier, " You know how gracious God has been to
me, and that I am at Santa Sabina, where, under
Pere Lacordaire's direction, I live in hopes of one day
becoming a son of our holy Father S. Dominic. How
happy I am ! The Lord has indeed granted the dearest
wishes of my heart, unworthy as I am of so great
grace, but His Mercy is measured by His Own Infinite
Goodness, not by our poor merits. This it is which
makes me perfectly happy, and fills me with hope.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is so loving, and it is so
infinitely sweet to love Him. We are to spend three
2 Vie de St. Dominique.

A DOMINICAN' ARTIST 51

years here before entering upon our work, and mean
while we are studying S. Thomas, for Pere Lacordaire
wishes us all to be ordained priests before we enter
the Order of Freres Precheurs. So we are striving
to prepare ourselves for that privilege, with God's
help/'

The little band did not muster any great amount
of theology: as we have seen, the Abbe Jandel
alone had given any previous attention to this pursuit;
but one and all were enthusiastic in studying the
Summa of the Angelic Doctor, a study in which
their guide and leader was himself making rapid
progress. Those were happy days at Santa Sabina,
spent in study and prayer, relieved by frequent visits
to the countless sites and scenes which afforded such
intense interest to the artist minds of the young
brothers. A glowing letter from Piel to his father
describes such a visit to the Coliseum, whence he
sent a few leaflets as a relic.

A trial was in store for the attached group of
friends, and one of their choicest members was never
to leave Santa Sabina. Requedat — of whom Lacordaire
wrote, " I know all the secrets of his spiritual life, and
I should scarcely dare tell them to any one, so incre
dible would they seem"— had already shown symptoms
of failing health ; — he now became worse, and though
Lacordaire, always ready to take the bright side of

£ 2

52 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

things, hoped against hope, the others felt that they
must make ready to part from their brother. Besson
wrote to Dr. Tessier, — •

"Aug. i6t&, 1840.

" So far from improving, our poor Requedat's health
fails rapidly, and his doctor gives us no hope of
recovery • nothing short of a miracle could save him.
This illness, which is likely to deprive Pere Lacordaire
of his first and dearest companion, and us all of a
dearly loved brother, is a most searching visitation
of God's Providence. Pray for him, dear Tessier,
and ask the Abbe Desgenettes' prayers."

Sept. 3rd Piel wrote also to Dr. Tessier, " Let us
bless God always, and above all when He chastens us,
for then we may be sure that He is near at hand in
mercy. But to-day we are indeed offering Him our
first-fruits ! If I could only tell you how gently He has
dealt with our dear brother, lulling him to sleep like
a child, and causing death to be sweeter than the
sweetest sleep. At half-past four this morning, dear

Requedat fell asleep in my arms You knew

and loved him as well as any of us — his great soul,
his true heart, his large mind, his fine vigorous frame —
who more likely to have lived long, and to have been
foremost among the salt of the earth ! We can but
gaze in silence upon the hidden mysteries of God's
Will What wild and noble dreams we have all had

A DOMINICAN1 ARTIST 53

together in days gone by ! noble they were sure to
be when he shared them. What wonders he thought
to work ! We turned the whole world round our own
way in imagination, changed it, ruled it, what not !
And now the most highly gifted, the youngest, best of
us all is dead — dying, under the monk's hood, obedient
as a little child. He was almost wildly devoted to
his country, yet he has died in a foreign land. We,
dear Tessier, must never forget that God, Who could
thus change one man, can equally change a whole
nation. On the Sunday before his death, Requedat
told me that he wished to be thoroughly prepared
for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, which he
was to receive the next day. * If I live,' he said, * I
pray God that I may serve Him truly as a son of
S. Dominic, and if I die I shall still be a Dominican.'
He gave no heed to any thing but the Extreme
Unction and Communion which he was to receive
the next morning. This was at night ; the following
day he received the Sacraments in a state of glowing
happiness, and then lying down again (for he would
be raised to receive our Dear Lord), he had nothing
more to wish for. He had already asked forgiveness
of all his brothers for any thing wherein he might
have offended them, or given cause for scandal. Two
hours after, he seemed in the last agony, but he had
still so much strength that he rallied, opened his eyes

54 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

anew, recognized me, and kissed the Crucifix. I
cannot tell you how often he did that up to Tuesday
evening. His beautiful face was bathed with a cold
sweat, but he smiled gently at us. That night Pere
Lacordaire stayed with him till one o'clock, when I
took his place, and it was in my arms that he fell
asleep in Jesus. His eyes were raised to heaven,
his hand lay on his heart — there was not a movement,
not a sigh ; he died exactly as he might formerly have
fallen asleep after having finished some good work.
Pere Lacordaire washed his body, and we clothed
him in the habit, and laid him in his coffin. Dear
friend, till he was laid there I had not realized that
he was dead, he looked so much as though he were
only resting on his bed in the choir wrapt in prayer.
And when I felt that he was stiff and lifeless, I threw
myself upon him, and kissed him repeatedly in the
name of ail who love him — then I seized one of the
brother's hands with a loud ciy. I fear that it was an
act of rebellion against God for depriving me of him.
All this I tell you in the strong confidence of your
friendship. You will care to know every thing. . . .
He was and is the link which binds us together, next
to God, the Author of all good ; he was the means
of bringing us together, and he will draw us still
closer."
A few days later Pere Lacordaire wrote, " He died

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 55

after fourteen months' illness, during which he set
forth marvellous courage, patience, and resignation,
and all the other good qualities which you know he
possessed. Although God sends us others to mitigate
the loss, I feel that it is irreparable, and can only
understand it by remembering that all good works
must needs be tried by the fires of tribulation. He
will plead for us in Heaven, he is the first among us
to greet our holy patriarch, S. Dominic, and the many
other holy ones of our Order. Whatever may have
been God's design in taking him from us, our part is
to accept the Divine Will, and persevere in what we
have undertaken."

About the same time, Besson fell ill under the pres
sure of too much study, and an austerity which would
probably have been restrained by Pere Lacordaire,
had he still been at Santa Sabina. For a month his
mother had the happiness of nursing him in her own
home, a happiness somewhat marred by his sufferings.
As soon as these were relieved, Besson returned to
Santa Sabina, where Pere Lacordaire shortly rejoined
his little flock, accompanied by some new brothers.
It was now thought well to begin a real novitiate.
The General of the Order proposed the convent or
San Clemente as more convenient for the purpose
than that of Santa Sabina, and the little French
colony was speedily established there, carrying with

56 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

them Besson's copy of the Madonna della Quercia,
and his unfinished Resurrection of Lazarus. A
Belgian Dominican was chosen as prior, and a
Spaniard as master of novices. Just as the retreat
preceding the clothing was about to begin, a new
novice arrived. This was a young artist named
Danzas, who had known Besson as a member of the
Confraternity of S. John the Evangelist, and who now
came to take leave of him. But a sudden change
came over the youth,' and he suddenly determined to
remain with his friend, and join in the retreat.
Just at this time, when all seemed prospering, Pere
Lacordaire was obliged to announce to his disciples
the unwelcome fact that the superior authorities had
ordained their separation. He had been well received
and made much of, but all the while a presentiment
hung over him that a trifle might disturb this pro
sperity, and now his fears were justified. Enemies in
France had denounced Lacordaire and his followers
as being propagators of La Mennais' doctrine, and
the Roman powers took alarm and sought refuge in
separating the little band. It was ordered that while
he himself remained in Rome, the rest should spend
their novitiate, some at La Quercia, some at Bosco in
Piedmont. At the same time Lacordaire announced
that he left them perfectly free to withdraw while it
was time, if this trial was too great for their strength,

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 57

they being not yet bound, as he was. Not one, how
ever, altered his determination, and at the Mass,
which closed the retreat, each novice, just before
receiving Holy Communion, took from off the Altar
a paper with the name he was to bear in religion.
That of Hyacinthe fell to Besson's lot. Soon after,
the dreaded separation took place.

On May i3th Pere Lacordaire says, "I write from our
deserted San Clemente. This morning at six o'clock our
brothers who are destined for Bosco started, those sent
to La Quercia went thirty-six hours sooner. After having
been surrounded by a large and happy family I am
now alone! We parted with great sorrow, and yet joy
fully, having fall trust in one another, loving one another,
and hoping one day to be reunited in France V

The Pere Jandel, with Hernscheim and three others,
went to La Quercia, and two days later the rest
set out for Piedmont, taking Besson's mother with
them ; for if her son was no longer to be in Rome,
she could not live there either. The affectionate
respect with which Madame Besson was treated by
the French Dominicans is a strong witness both to
her own religious character and to their love for her
son ; and on this occasion, as on many others, every
one's aim and object was to soften as far as might be
for her the pang of parting. They all went together
s Vie, i. 389.

58 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

to Sienna and Florence, and on May 25th, 1841, they
reached Alessandria, where the final separation was to
be. Mother and son slept that night in two rooms
only divided by a thin partition, and each strove
vainly to stifle their sobs, in order to spare the other.
But nature would have her way ; and though the
mother, ever self-forgetting, would whisper through the
wall, " My child, do not weep ; I will be brave, I will
not cry any more," — but a brief moment, and on both
sides the sobs broke out anew. Next morning Besson
went to Bosco, and his mother to Turin. She had
been specially commended to the Director of the
diligence service ; but she forgot all about this, and
when on arriving her boxes were taken off, the poor
solitary woman simply sat down upon them and wept.
It was some time after that she was found in her
lonely grief by the official to whose care she had been
recommended, and he took every possible care of her,
doing all he could to facilitate her journey to Paris,
where she arrived, still incapable of all thought save
one — her precious child, " for he was her only son,
and she was a widow."

M. Cartier very soon took up his abode with
Madame Besson, and continued to fill the place of
a son to her during the rest of her life; and the
constant letters which reached her from the novice at
Bosco were no small consolation. These letters are

A DOMINICAN AR7IST 59

brimming over with tenderness, and with a deep, true,
venerating love such as too many mothers seek in
vain from their sons yet with them. " I think con
tinually of you, dearest mother/' he writes, "I know
all that our separation costs you, and I share to the
full your every grief; but like you, I look for consola
tion to us both from God. Whenever I grow anxious
about you, either because I do not hear from you, or
because I begin to think of all that may befall you, I
lay open my heart before God, and commend you

to Him As to myself, nothing can be desired

beyond our present condition. You saw how kindly
the Bosco Fathers received us, and their kindness is
unaltered, so you may be at rest for that matter. Our
brothers send you many remembrances, and are grate
ful for your thought of them. Be of good cheer,

dearest mother I trust that soon you will

regain that peace and comfort which our Lord grants
to those who love Him, and which can ease the
heaviest woes. I do not bid you not to sorrow — I
know too well how hard all real sacrifice is ; but such
sorrow and tears, if offered to God, are a priceless
treasure, and will be a cause of rejoicing to you at
the Last Great Day."

Every little interest of Madame Besson's Parisian
menage, was duly appreciated at Bosco. Thus the
novice who was deep in S. Thomas Aquinas could

6o A DOMINICAN ARTIST

find sympathy for the death of his mother's pet dog ;
for all the various little annoyances consequent on
her change of abode in Paris ; and for every trifling
detail concerning her health. He writes, " Cartier
tells rne that you take great care of him, but that
you do not take enough care of yourself, and that
he is obliged to quarrel with you sometimes about it.
I am quite ready to believe it, for it was always the
same; you never let me want for any thing, you
foresaw every possible wish of mine, with your bound
less love and forethought ; but you never gave any
heed to yourself, and you know you have sometimes
made yourcelf ill, for want of taking proper care.
Be sure that I do not want to hinder your kind
consideration for our friend ; in truth, I know that
in all you do for him, you are not only fulfilling our
Lord's teaching, in preferring others' welfare to your
own, but that it is your greatest consolation to show
your gratitude to Cartier. So that I entirely approve
all that your dear Christian 'heart does for him, but
that is no reason why you should neglect yourself ;
your health cannot stand all that you have had to
bear, toil and sorrow, without proper care. Now
listen to Cartier, and forgive me for saying it, be
obedient to him. If you only knew how much care
we religious are made to take of our health, and how
watchful our superiors are to enforce due preservation

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 6l

of health ! and yet one might imagine that if any
one has a right to give little heed to such things, it
is a religious, whose very profession calls him to die
to the world. But it is not so, there is a fitting order
and proportion in all things ; and whether in things
natural or supernatural, discretion must regulate even
our good deeds. God gives us health in order that
we may serve Him, and we are bound to do every
thing we can to preserve it ; although at the same
time we should be ready to lose it, if such be His
Will. So please do not suppose that you are as
strong now as you were once. You cannot do as
you used to do. You know that formerly you were
apt to go without food for much too long a time, or
only to take the first thing that came to hand, and
I have not forgotten how ill it often made you. Do
not overdo yourself with household cares, which too
have often knocked you up. In short, pray take care
of yourself; I know well enough that there is no
fear of your ever being too self-indulgent, your
danger is all the other way."

All Besson's letters to his mother are full of a
warm, earnest love which continually reminds one
of S. Augustine and Monica. " You know, dearest
mother," he writes (Nov. 28, 1841), "that although
we are separated, we still share every thing, especially
troubles, if you have any. I am as much your child

63 A DOMINICAN' ARTIST

as ever, and I love you as my precious mother, to
whom, alas, I have caused many griefs and troubles,
and but little consolation. Oh, do not suppose for
one instant that I love you less because I have given
myself to Jesus Christ ! On the contrary, at His Feet
I learn how to weigh the greatness of your sacrifice,
the tenderness and unselfishness of your love ; how
great a claim it has upon me, and the poverty, in
gratitude, and hardness of my own heart. Dearest
mother, forgive me for all the pain I have caused
you ; offer it all to God, He will accept every pang,
and will give you the strength and courage which
you so greatly need, and still more, that peace and
joy which fills the whole being, and which none can
fathom save those who possess it. I pray many times
each day for you ; do the same for me. Let us pray
together, coming to God as poor orphans who put
all our hope in Him, and He will give us all the help
we need; for humble, trusting prayer wins every
possible blessing."

Again, "I thank God for the resignation and
strength He has given you, for I well know how
your poor heart is rent, and I know that God Alone
can enable you to bear your trial. Many times a
day I commend you to Him; I tell Him that He
is your only hope, strength, and consolation now;
that when I caused you to bear a sacrifice so hard

A DOMINICAN- ARTIST 63

to a mother's heart, above all to such a mother, I
left you in His Hands, certain that He would be all
that I could ever be, and far more, to you ; for what
is a frail human being, however dearly loved, com
pared to the Sovereign Lord, Creator of all things,
the Very Source of all that is good and precious,
Who loves us with such tender, comprehensive love ?
Dearest mother, put all your trust in God, He Alone
is our unfailing Friend, and He Alone will protect and
comfort us, come what may ; when all else fails us,
He is sure to abide by us. We may safely cleave
to Him, for neither sorrow, nor difficulty, nor death
itself can separate us from Him and His boundless
love. All else we must leave, but He will never
leave us."

The change from Rome to Bosco was not acceptable
to Besson as far as outward things were concerned.
The monk's vocation had by no means extinguished
the artist, and Besson missed the glorious views and
the venerable associations of Rome, the marvellous
beauty of the scenery, the magnificence of her churches
and ruins. But he gave himself up to diligent pre
paration for taking the novice's habit, which ceremony
took place on the 28th May, 1841 ; and immediately
afterwards a fresh anxiety arose through the serious
illness of another of the little band of friends. Like
Requedat, Piel, who next to him was Besson's closest

64 ~A DOMINICAN ARTIST

friend, was to be called to rest before he had borne
the burden and heat of the day. He had been taken
ill during the journey from Rome to Bosco ; and but
a few days after taking the habit, he became so much
worse as to leave no hope of recovery. Lacordaire
wrote on his return to Bosco, " Four months have
made such ravages, that I should not recognize
him but for his spiritual characteristics. These are
unchanged : he is lively, calm, serene, resigned, in
conceivably cheerful. Frere Pierre (Requedat) was
equally resigned, but there was a certain severity in
his calmness, whereas death seems to smile on Piel,
and he knows neither regrets nor temptation. It
appears that he always expected to die thus at his
present age. We who watched Frere Pierre's long
illness, and who are now called to watch this dear
brother, can only accept God's Will, and rejoice in
the hope that these two sweet souls, so soon lost to
us here, will plead for us in Heaven. Amid all our
trials and crosses, we see God's Hand above us,
training us for His work as He has ever trained all
His servants, through suffering. Doubtless there is
much more in store for us."

Besson wrote of the illness as follows : —

"Bosco, Sept. ifth, 1841.

" Dearest Mother, — Perhaps you know, though I
did not want to make you anxious, that our dear

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 65

brother Piel is ill. He has been suffering from his
chest ever since he came to Bosco, and soon after
we took the habit he went to bed, and has never

been up since M. Tessier writes that his

father is painfully anxious ; and in truth I grieve with
them, without any power to give other consolation
than that which our Lord imparts with every Cross
He lays upon us ; but it is hard to bear nevertheless.
Pere Lacordaire has written to M. Tessier, or I should
have done so myself. Tell him from me that while
God lays on us this trial of losing our dear brother
and his friend, there is every ground of comfort for
one who, like himself, knows that it is by the pathway
of suffering alone that we may hope to follow our
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, and enter with Him into His
Glory. Our dear invalid feels this so strongly that he
daily thanks God for the Cross laid on him, a Cross
which does not seem either too heavy or too lasting,
but one to be cherished as coming from a Hand
Which is wont to prove those He loves, and Which
turns all things to their good. He is perfectly at
rest, quite cheerful, desiring nothing save what God
wills, and only asking patience and courage to be
faithful to the end. We shrink from the thought of
our loss, and yet death must come to all ; and why
should we look that those we love should be spared
when Our Lord and His Mother passed through its

F

66 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

gates? He has warned us that it will come upon
us like a thief in the night ; may it be given us so to
watch that we may be found ready ! ' Blessed are
the dead which die in the Lord/ "

"Oct. 12th, 1841.

"Dear Piel is no better; and there is, humanly speak
ing, no hope. We are looking for the parting, which
is made easier by his courage and trust. Happy
indeed are those who have put all their trust in God.
At such seasons as these one realizes the emptiness
of the things of this world, and one learns to long
after the only real treasures, which are beyond the
reach of death. At this moment our brother's greatest
comfort lies in that he has given up every thing
for the Saviour's Love, Who is his hope and joy.
What one has sowed in life one will reap in death,
and they who sow in tears shall reap in joy. May
God give us grace to die as he dies, in the Love of
Christ ! It is possible that Piel's illness may go on
for some time yet. God could restore him to health ;
but be it as it may, he is ready, and by God's grace
so are we — His Holy Will be done."

On the ipth of December the young novice's
illness was closed in death, and Besson wrote to
Dr. Tessier and his other friends in France, to inform
them.

" On Sunday morning, at four o'clock, after nine

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hours' agony, our brother Piel went to the reward of
his patient sufferings. You who loved him, and were
so truly loved by him, know how heartily he offered
himself up to God when he left the world ; and you
know, too, that nothing bound him to this life; so
that he did not find it hard to leave a world to which
he was in truth already dead. On S. Andrew's Day
(November 3oth) he made his profession; rejoicing to
make this formal offering to God of that which had
practically long been His. From that day he was
increasingly recollected, and gave himself up to a
constant preparation for death, which he looked for
as very near. His body grew daily weaker, but his
clear, strong mind rejoiced to see the gradual crum
bling of the clay wall which alone kept him back
from God. For some time past he had received the
Blessed Sacrament as a Viaticum every week, always
with tears of mingled joy and contrition. On the lyth
he was so weak, and his countenance so changed,
that it was thought well not to delay administering
Extreme Unction. He made ready and received it
calmly an hour after being united to our Dear Lord
in Holy Communion, and from that time his gentle
happiness became still more marked — his words were
so sweet and so holy, we all hung upon them. In
the evening he revived a little, and the doctor thought
he might live till Christmas, but he did not think so
F 2

6S A DOMINICAN ARTIST

himself, and he made all his last preparations, asking
me, among other things, to write to his father and to
you, to say how heartily he loved you to the end.
The next evening the brother who had been watching
by him fetched me : I found him oppressed and
coughing violently. " I do not know what it is," he
said, " but I never felt any thing like this." I asked
if he was in pain. " Yes," he said, " I feel a sort of
heavy pain which will kill me, I scarcely seem able to
breathe." .... The Prior staid with him till mid
night, and gave him absolution several times. After
he was gone, Piel became a little easier, and spoke
freely of the mercies granted to him. "What pain !"
he said, more than once, " what pain ! My God, I do
not murmur, I deserve far more ! What mercy to
have brought me out of the abyss of my past life, to
die here in the bosom of the Church, surrounded by
so many blessings and sacraments. Supposing I had
died while I was an architect !" Then he would kiss
his crucifix, exclaiming " Blessed Jesus, Gentle Jesus,
how gracious Thou art ! When I recount all I have
done to offend God, I marvel that He has taken pity
on me ! My God, my sins are so many, so grievous !'*
I said, "God's mercy is greater, and that has led
you here." "I know it, I know it," he said; "all
my hope is in the Blood of Jesus Christ." And again
he kissed the crucifix, repeating, "Sweet Jesus, I long

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 69

to die, I long to die to-night, but I know I ought only
to wish that whatever Thou wilt may be 4." I asked
him when he should come to the Presence of God, to
remember all of us his brethren, his father, you
Tessier, and all his friends. He raised his head a
little, and said with a look which seemed to touch
my very heart's core, " Do you think that I could ever
forget you any where?" He went on thus, in con
verse with God and us, or rather, in truth, always
with God, until half-past three in the morning, when
his sufferings became easier, and his breathing less
laboured ; he said that he wished to sleep a while. And
seeing his countenance bright, and finding his hands
warm, I thought there was no immediate prospect of
death ; and as there might yet be many hours of suf
fering, I left another brother with him, while I rested
a little while, in order to be with him at the end. But
I was altogether mistaken ; that drowsiness was one
of the last symptoms, and in half an hour two or three
moans were the only sign that soul and body were
severed, so that I had not the sad comfort of closing
his eyes. He was robed in his Dominican habit, the
brethren assembled and said the customary prayers,

4 As another holy man has worded it : —
"I wish to have no wishes left,
But to leave all to Thee ; —
And yet I wish that Thou shouldst will,
Things that I wish should be."

70 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

and at nine o'clock he was carried in procession to the
church, where a solemn Mass was sung, and the Office
for the Dead said. All day some brothers remained
beside his body saying the Psalter. In the evening
the burial rites were performed — the body carried by
his brethren in procession round the church, amid a
crowded congregation, and then, after the last touch
ing service, we saw him we so loved covered with a
handful of earth, and laid in the vaults below the
church. The next morning the grave beneath the
High Altar was closed, and there he awaits the Coming
of the Lord to kindle the dust, and clothe him with
that glory and immortality which He has promised to
His Saints. Let us be comforted, dear Tessier; but
a little while, and we shall be gathered together again
in the Bosom of God, never more to part. Then, as
the Church teaches us, mourning and sadness shall be
no more ; the Lord will wipe away all tears, and all
sorrow shall have passed away for evermore."

CHAPTER III

Profession — Letters to his mother — Pere Besson gives up paint
ing — Ordained Deacon and Priest — Licensed as a Confessor
— Lacordaire returns to Notre Dame — Pere Besson Master
of Novices.

PIEL had been allowed to make his profession
as death drew near, but it was not till the
following spring that the other brothers made theirs.
Besson announced the coming event to his mother
as follows : —

"SANTA CROCE, Bosco, May itf/i, 1842.

" Dearest Mother, — I am afraid you will think that
I have been long in writing, but I waited for Pere
Lacordaire' s arrival, which was delayed owing to his
illness on the road. He came at last well, though
weak, and only wants a few days' rest. You can
imagine how glad we are to have him with us, he is
always such a help and comfort. He confirmed all
that you have told me as to your being comfortable in

72 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

your lodgings; and he says that, thanks be to God,
you are as calm and resigned as is possible after the
sacrifice you have made. I know well that you still
shed many tears over our separation — in truth so do I
sometimes, when I think of you, poor dear mother ;
but they are not altogether sad tears, for I know that
they are not displeasing to God, and that while we
offer up to Him the happiness of living together, He
would not have us love each other less fondly; rather on
the contrary, He sanctifies and strengthens our natural
bond by grace. Yes, dearest mother, now that I am
on the point of being consecrated to God for ever by
the solemn vows of my religious profession, I feel that
I love you more tenderly than ever ; I value more
deeply all that you have ever done for me,— above
all, the costly sacrifice, so hard to a mother's heart,
of consenting to my vocation. You could make no
more precious offering to God, and surely you may
feel that in so doing you have laid up treasure in
Heaven, which ' neither moth nor rust can corrupt.'
Your cross will likewise be your abiding consolation.
Next Sunday fortnight, May 29th, the festival of Cor
pus Christi, we are to take the vows. You will pray
specially that day for us all, and for me in particular.
On such a day no prayers can be so effective, or draw
down so many blessings upon me, as yours, for our
Dear Lord sees your heart, and knows that you are

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 73

giving Him your best earthly treasure. I have a spe
cial favour to beg of you, too ; for I most earnestly wish
that on that day you should receive the Holy Com
munion, joining your intention at the Altar to ours,
that God's Blessing may be upon us. Ask Him that
we may be faithful unto death, that He would make
us religious after His own Heart, truly humble, obe
dient, and devoted to His most Holy Will. Once
more, dearest mother, I ask your forgiveness for all the
sorrow I have ever caused you during my whole life ;
sadly too much it has been. Such a mother deserved
a better son. Forgive every thing, and give me your
blessing, the most precious inheritance a mother can
give her child ; with that every thing which God may
have in store for me will be welcome ; troubles will
lose their bitterness, and it will be my comfort in my
last hour to remember that I had my mother's blessing.
Adieu, dearest mother, write and tell me that you for
give me, and ask God to pour out His Blessing upon
me, of which yours will be a pledge. May God and
His dear Mother keep you, and fill your heart with
strength and comfort."

The 2 Qth of May came, and the young French
postulants took their final vows. Besson, now Frere
Hyacinthe, wrote the next day as follows to his
mother : —

"Dearest loving Mother,— God has completed the

74 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

precious work which He vouchsafed to begin in us.
Yesterday evening, at seven o'clock, after the proces
sion of the Blessed Sacrament, and Benediction, we
took the vows with a joyful soul, and henceforward
we are for ever sons of the holy S. Dominic. The
Lord indeed is our inheritance, and all this world's
treasures seem very paltry as compared to that which
we possess. The Lord Himself is our portion ; what
can we ask save to love Him day by day better, and
to be more and more closely united to Him ? Oh,
dearest mother, if you could but know what intense
happiness there is in our religious profession ! To the
world it seems all sacrifice ; but he who has made it
knows in the bottom of his heart that, while seeming
to give up every thing, in truth he wins every thing ; — •
it is not really he who makes a gift to God, but on the
contrary, he himself receives the gift of gifts, and his
eyes are opened to see the priceless treasure which
was smothered under the worldly dust he has now
cleared away. I thought of you many times during
the day, for I felt that you would be sad at heart, and
were probably shedding not a few tears. I prayed
that God would soften them with His loving consola
tions, rather than that He would check them ; for I
know well that it is not possible but that a mother
should weep on such a day, and in truth the tears we
shed upon our Dear Lord's Breast are a sweet relief to

A DOMINICAN* ARTIST 75

an afflicted soul. I kept your dear letter about me
all day for the sake of the blessing it contains; it made
me so happy. I kissed it with as much love and
reverence as if it had been your own dear self; nor
was it the less precious because I knew well all that
those few lines cost you !

"And now, dearest mother, be comforted ; look for
comfort in our Dear Lord, and put all your trust in
Him. This world's trials are sharp, and often hard to
bear. When I recall all that you have already had to
bear, and still have to bear, I feel that you may in
deed be called a Mater dolorosa, but it is a name in
which you may glory, since it is the name given by
the Church to the Mother of God, and Jesus Him
self is called in Holy Scripture a ' Man of sorrows/
The true Christian finds strength and comfort in the
Cross. Oh, dearest mother, every thing in this world
passes away so quickly ; happiness, pleasure, youth,
health, all flies before us, and then we come to the
time appointed for all men, when we stand literally
naked before God ; with nothing left save that which
we have done for Him. Let us try to do a great deal
for Him, and if our weakness hinders us, let us at
least do what we can ; let us bear patiently the Crosses
He lays upon us, and if they are not such as we should
choose for ourselves, let us bear them all the more
willingly and trustfully, inasmuch as we thereby know

76 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

that they are free from self-will. Above all, dearest
mother, comfort yourself with the hope of that here
after which is our all, and in the light of which all
earthly troubles, however heavy, seem as nothing ;
and remember that God will never forsake you ; we
are never so safe as in His Hands. Be sure that I
love, and shall ever love, you with all the love and
respect I owe to my mother, and to a mother who has
borne and does bear so much for me. Nothing can
ever lessen this love; religion does not loosen the
sacred ties of nature ; on the contrary, it confirms
them, because they are sanctified and rest in God. I
cannot say when we may meet again, that we must
leave to our Dear Lord, the Friend and Father of us
both. Let us leave the disposal of all things to Him,
thanking and blessing Him for all He gives and all
He takes away. Adieu, dearest mother, pray without
ceasing for me, as I for you, . . . especially at Mass,
and during the interval between the Elevation of the
Precious Body and Blood, because I know your great
confidence in prayers offered at that most solemn
time."

On the same day Besson wrote a few lines to M. Car-
tier : " I prayed most sincerely for you," he says, " on
the day of my profession, asking Him to pour out upon
you all such graces as may make you most acceptable
in His sight. Oh, be sure that our Gracious Father

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 77

will never forsake you ; but that, however great the
troubles of this life may be, He will be ever ready to
sustain you. We made our profession before the
Father Provincial, who came that day to the convent.
Pere Lacordaire gave us a brief and loving exhortation
out of the fulness of his heart. It was the brightest
day in our lives, and our profession seemed a climax
to the festival of Corpus Christi, in itself so beautiful.
Oh, my dear friend, if you could but know how happy,
how light-hearted we are now ! Thank all our breth
ren of the Confraternity of S. John for us. We fondly
hope that their prayers have had a part in confirming
the grace we have received."

Some years later, the Pere Besson wrote to congratu
late one of his spiritual children on her profession, in
language which one feels recalled his own experience
of the like occasion. " I share your happiness," he
says, " on the eve of so important a day. May the
Lord, to Whom you are about to dedicate yourself as a
pure and happy bride, abundantly fill you with all the
best and richest blessings ! You know now what
strength and comfort there is in giving yourself up
wholly to Him : His Providence has watched over you
through all the heavy trials through which He has led
you, He has upheld you that you should not sink in
your weakness, and now He gives you a foretaste of
that bliss which He has prepared for them that love

78 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

Him in Heaven. May the remembrance of to-day's
happiness be your stay during the hours of exile which
you have yet to endure before you are called to the
Very Presence of Him Whose own you are henceforth
to be ; however trying that exile may be, you will not
be dismayed while you bear in mind that the Lord is
your Rock and your strong Salvation. The Cross
which you wear on your breast was steeped in that
Blood which He shed for love of you ; and one look at
that will comfort you in every trouble, and rekindle
your sinking heart if sometimes you are half ready to
faint under your burden. Fear nothing, you who this
day are receiving so great grace, but give yourself up
with confidence and joy to Him Who gave Himself for
you. You will never again know so bright a day as this
until the blessed day when Jesus will receive you into
the Company of His Saints ; but this is the dawn of
future happiness, and though your days to come will
not be so joyous as this is, they will not be less sanc
tified. May God fill your heart with peace, courage,
and love ; may you grow in Jesus, and ripen for
Heaven, which is yours already through Him Who is
the glory and joy thereof! "

Shortly after Besson's profession, the French Domi
nicans who had remained a.t La Quercia joined their
brethren at Bosco, and all gave themselves up with
fresh ardour to their theological studies, as Lacor-

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 79

daire's earnest desire was that all his disciples should
receive Priests' Orders before beginning their work
of preaching. At that time, however, Besson had not
made up his mind on this point, his humility made
him wish rather to remain as a lay brother; he thought
himself unequal to grapple with theological studies,
and affection for his old pursuit led him to believe
that he might do more for the cause of Christ and
His Church if he continued to paint than as a preacher.
Pere Lacordaire himself had said in his original
" Me'moire," "Although the principal aim and object
of this Order is to carry out the work of Apostles, and
teach the knowledge of Divine things, S. Dominic
did not exclude any work which might be profitable
to souls ; nor must we marvel to find his disciples
following art, or employed in pastoral ministries,
ecclesiastical government, or a multitude of other
duties which have no seeming connexion with the
Order save the common bond of self-devotion. Thus
no one who has grasped the true view of religious art
need marvel to find artists — ay, and great artists—
among the Freres Precheurs. Art, like eloquence
and literature, is but an expression of Truth and
Beauty, and may well be cultivated by those whose
aim is to raise the souls of their fellow-men to contem
plate the invisible. God Himself not only gave the
tables of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, He also

So A DOMINICAN ARTIST

set before him the pattern of the tabernacle, and of
the ark of the Covenant. In truth the Architect of
all creation is the First and Greatest of artists, and
the more abundantly man is filled with His Spirit, the
more able and worthy he is to aspire to great and holy
achievements of art. The Religious of mediaeval times
were alive to this truth. Great architects, sculptors,
painters, composers, were formed in the Cloister, as
well as great authors and orators. When a Christian
man entered within its shelter, he offered, not his
body and soul only, but whatever talents had been
bestowed on him, to God; and let those talents be
what they might, he was well nigh sure to find that
others had gone before him with the like. Within
the sanctuary, all our brethren were alike, all offered
the same sacrifice of prayer ; but when each returned
to his cell, the prism was dissolved, and every one
sent forth a ray of Divine Light after his own peculiar
fashion1."

Consistently with this expression of opinion, Pere
Lacordaire left Besson absolutely free to decide his
own course ; and after much thought and many prayers,
the Dominican artist resolved to give up painting,
though, as we shall see, the renunciation was not for
ever; and at a later period he resumed his favorite

1 Memoir e pour le Rctablissement en France de FOrdre des
Freres Prick curs, chap. v.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 81

pursuit under the auspices and even the direct com
mands of the holy Father himself. But by that time
Besson was confirmed in his religious vocation, and
probably no longer felt that his passionate love of art was
a peril, or likely to draw him down from his higher aspi
rations. At the present time he was inclined to look
upon the fascinations of art as a snare to his soul, and
accordingly he entreated Pere Lacordaire to destroy all
his sketches and studies. The Father had no mind to
perpetrate such a barbarism ; instead of which he gave
them all to a French artist then in Rome, Claude La-
vergne, who knew how to appreciate them. Madame
Besson naturally wished that they had been given to her,
and when M. Cartier wrote to express her regrets, Bes
son returned the following simple, humble answer: —

" Pray forgive me for not having sent you my draw
ings, which our friend Cartier says you would like to
have had. The truth is, that in disposing of them we
were guided rather by circumstances than by feeling,
although in truth and justice I ought to have had
more consideration for you. After my profession,
Pere Lacordaire, knowing how painful the struggles
I felt between my new state of life and my natural in
clinations were to me, bade me weigh duly before God
which course I ought to follow, and whether I should
give up painting, or stick to it as my occupation. I
would fain have had him decide the question, but he

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refused to do so ; and being thus forced to choose for
myself, I thought it all over before God, and in so do
ing I was struck with the danger of giving Him half a
heart, when I had promised one whole and undivided.
So I determined, as I believe, according to God's
guidance ; and I told the Father that I would give up
painting for ever, and never touch a brush again, un
less obedience should call me to do so. Consequently
I begged him to get rid of all my drawings as soon as
possible, burning or giving them away, because I felt
I should be stronger when they were out of the way.
It would have cost much more than the drawings are
worth to send them to Paris, and Lavergne was at
Rome, so the Father thought we had better give them
to him. And there is the whole history of his having
them rather than you. I am so very sorry that you
and Cartier should have been grieved about it ! please,
both of you, forgive me. After all, those wretched
daubs are not worth a moment's vexation."

All this time Besson's letters to his mother show
how fondly she was still grieving over the separation
from her child. Every one is full of such consola
tion as he could set before her. Her devoted friend
M. Cartier was absent, and Besson writes, —

" Bosco, June 24^, 1842.

" Poor dear Mother, — I was moved to the bottom
of my heart by your dear letter, and I kissed it ten-

A DOMINICAN" ARTIST 83

derly, as if it were your own dear self. So you are
alone for a little while ? Yet not really alone, for our
dear Lord and His holy Mother are with you,
strengthening your heart — invisible to outward sight,
I know, but visible to the soul's eye. I could see it
in every word of your letter. Indeed, who but our
Lord could give a poor mother courage to sacrifice all
that is dearest on earth to her ? When you consented
to our separation, it was not that our love was lessened;
on the contrary, we love each other more closely than
ever, and being apart we find relief in tears, knowing
that He Who joined us in such close, sweet love is
the same Who parts us now. But we know, too, that
this separation is but brief, and we bear it gladly, in
the precious hope of being soon brought together
again, never more to part."

"Bosco, August 2nd, 1842.

" Dearest Mother, — How shall I tell you how happy
your generous, loving letter has made me ! If I could
but give you in return as much comfort as you have
given me ! Poor dear mother, telling me not to fret
about you, because you are satisfied, and quite happy
in my religious profession ! In truth, I recognize God's
All-powerful Hand in this strength and comfort which
He gives you, and I thank Him with all my heart,
for nothing gives me so much pleasure as to know-
that you are calm and satisfied. If you only knew
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what it is to me to think that you are anxious and
sorrowful!"

"Bosco, December gth, 1842.

. . . . " Yes, dearest mother, our Lord said truly that
whosoever should forsake father or mother, son or
daughter, for His Sake, should receive a hundredfold
in this world, and in the world to come life everlasting !
You have given one son to God, and He has given
you several instead, and surrounded you with kind
friends who love you heartily, and do their best to
comfort you. And although all that is but earthly
comfort, on which we must not lean over much, since
the real aim of all Christian sacrifice is not of this world,
and we do not surfer and toil for its poor pleasures,
still it is very precious, en passant, to experience the
truth of our Blessed Saviour's promises, in which alone
all our hopes are fixed. Let us be at rest, dearest
mother; let us go on quietly, day by day, without
anxiety as to the future ; let us accept thankfully all
the blessings God vouchsafes to send us, bearing in
mind that whether He gives or takes away, all is still
goodness and mercy, and that while we accept His
blessings, we should no less accept His afflictions, for
the Lord is a good Father, Who loves us dearly, and
knows, far better than we do, what is best for us,
causing all things to work together for good to those
that love Him. Let us cleave to Him, dear mother,

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 85

and to Him Only, for He is our true Friend, Who
will never forsake us, and Who Alone can succour us
when the time comes, as come it must, in which no
one else, however loving and devoted, can be of any
help. Whether our remaining days be sad or glad,
they have a sure and speedy limit ; every day, every
hour, brings us nearer the Living God : whether we will
or will not, death will before long call us hence, and
we shall taste of His Justice or His Mercy, for ever.
Dearest mother, what are all the comforts or joys
of this world, compared with that blessed eternity?
Every thing good and beautiful which delights us here
is the work of God's Hand, and if the mere reflection
of His Light is so exquisitely enjoyable, what must the
Very Light Itself be ? All joy, beauty, glory, abun
dance — all pure, strong love is wholly of God, and
that in a measure beyond our understanding. But
here no joy is quite unmixed, no possession free from
care, no love from trial, whereas to those who attain
that blessed union with God, it will be far otherwise ;
nothing will be able to deprive them of their inex
haustible treasure, but their hearts will be filled for
ever with a joy which can never fade or pall. Who can
tell the good things which the Lord has prepared for
them that love Him ? Dear mother, let us fix our
hearts on Heaven — our treasure is there, let our heart
be there too. Let us be full of trust. If God so loved

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the world as to deliver up His Only Son Jesus Christ
for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us
all things? Let us often call to mind all our Saviour's
sufferings for us in His Passion : His Blood and
pains are an endless treasure from which we may con
tinually draw all precious gifts. Of ourselves we can
do nothing, but we can do all ' through Christ Which
strengthened us.' Courage and confidence ! so may
we rejoice in Him Who has called us to the inheritance
of Saints, through His Own Merits. Farewell, dearest
mother! Commend me to dear Carder, and beg him to
let me hear of himself as well as of you. Adieu, adieu !
I embrace you both in our Saviour, in Whom I love
you, and to Whose protection I commend you, entreat
ing Him to make you happy by causing you to grow
daily in His love. Adieu, dearest mother, adieu ! "

On September 24, 1842, Besson received Minor
Orders, and during Lent, 1843, he was preparing for
Deacon's Orders. On March 30, he wrote to his
mother, —

" Next week we go into retreat, preparatory to
receiving Deacon's Orders on Holy Saturday. Pray
very specially for me during this season : I never knew
before how much I need it ! How wonderful are
God's ways ! I overflow with wonder and a.we when
I think how God's Infinite Mercy has destined me
to the grace of Holy Oiders. All the circumstances

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of my childhood — especially the fatherly care of the
dear old Cure of Notre-Dame de Lorette — seemed to
point that way out for me, but, far from following it
I gave myself up to the wildest follies of heart and
imagination, drinking deep of them all; and just when
I was in the depths of spiritual darkness, and wander
ing in a labyrinth of weakness and passion, God's
Merciful Hand arrested me, and led me, by secret ways
which I knew not, back to the threshold of His sanc
tuary, which I am now about to enter, and that, too,
with the additional blessing of my religious profession.

0 mother, you who know, in some measure, how
great my faults and wanderings have been, how richly

1 deserved to be forsaken by the God I so continually
offended — you who know, though but little, the terrible
pride of my heart which so often led me to condemn
harshly the trifling faults of others, while I myself was
nothing but a whited sepulchre, full of all uncleanness
— surely you must cry out with me, that God is indeed
Good, and His Mercies past finding out ! After such
experience of them, who need despair ? and how can
one teach those who have not had any personal expe
rience of it, how abundant His forgiveness is, and
how fatherly and loving is the kiss with which He
receives the poor prodigal who returns to Him ? If
men did but know ' the gift of God,' they would in
deed think far otherwise than they do of the things

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of this world. Pray, dearest mother, pray for your
child who loves you fondly in Jesus Christ our
Saviour, to Whom he daily commends you. Adieu V
A little later he wrote, —

"Bosco, Augtistzyd, 1843.

... " I do not know when it may please God that
we meet again : I do not wish either to kindle or
destroy the hopes you entertain — hopes which I should
so rejoice to see realized ! God's Providence is our
guide, we are in His Hands, and it is easier to give our
selves up to His guidance than to foresee what He may
appoint for our future. But anyhow, in all human
probability, I see no very immediate prospect of any
such happy meeting. I shall probably be kept here,
for some time to come, by the studies which are neces
sary before I can set to work in my ministry ; unless
indeed circumstances were to arise which might recall
us all to France. I know this is very hard for your
poor loving heart, but what can we do ? God's holy

2 It must be borne in mind that this language was not justified
by Besson's early life, which, as his mother and all who knew
him testify, was more than usually good and pure for one who
had not as yet opened his eyes to the full beauty of the Faith.
But he looked at his past life in the pure light of God's Love,
and tiny motes became as beams under its searching power.
The "wild imaginations" to which he alludes were probably
his political and socialist dreams, and his passionate devotion to
art.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 89

Will must be done ; and we cannot expect to enlist
under the banner of the Cross without suffering. I
know it is you, poor dear mother ! not I, who are
sacrificed. Your sufferings have been, and are, such as
my hard, unfeeling heart can scarcely fathom. Com
pared to you, I hardly know what love is ! .... My
ordination is fixed for September 23, only a month
hence ! Need I ask you to pray for me ? Of old, the
Church only admitted those who had not soiled their
baptismal robes to the Priesthood, and now she ad
mits even such a one as I am ! Alas, you know my
past life enough to understand how such an awful
grace ought to fill me with trembling and abasement !
Would that I could wash away my stains in tears, but
my hard heart refuses to shed them. Dearest mother,
pray for me. Adieu ! May our Saviour have you in
His Holy Keeping, and soften all your tears by teach
ing you to shed them on His Breast ! "

The Ordination took place at Alessandria, and the
new priest announced it to Madame Besson as
follows : —

"September 2.?>rd, 1843.

"Dearest Mother, — I was ordained this morning, and
I write you one line, just to thank you for your last
letter, and to pour out some part of the happiness
with which I am filled into your loving heart. But,
after all, what can I say? No words can express

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what I am feeling to-day, it is too far down in the
depths of one's soul. I am happy; but it is a happi
ness which will not take shape in words : if you were
here, I should embrace you, and as I pressed you to
my heart, yours would understand the joy which
almost oppresses me. Dear mother, God's joy is
very deep. Your child does not recognize himself : I
love, but I want to love more — our poor human hearts
are too narrow for such great things ! I shall not
celebrate my first Mass until October i, Sunday next.
... I need not say how I shall daily remember you,
my dear Cartier, and my venerable benefactor the
Cure, before the B. Sacrament. I hope God will give
me grace never to be ungrateful any more ! And now
that I possess that great treasure, I mean to draw
largely from it for you, for all my friends, and enemies,
if I had any, but up to the present time no one has
ever wronged me or injured me in the smallest degree
— I am every one's debtor, and have nothing to for
give."

On November yth, he wrote from Bosco, —
" I said my first Mass on the Feast of the Rosary,
as I told you I should— Pere Lacordaire served me
at the altar. It was a great festival in the convent,
for I am the first of our Brothers who has been or
dained. Two French travellers came to spend the
day with us, and join our festival, which was a sort of

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 91

family fete in this foreign land. My next Mass was
said for M. le Cure (Notre-Dame de Lorette), my
benefactor, and that following for you. I knew you
would not grudge giving him the preference. . . . Re
member how he used to say he hoped we should pray
for him ! He was a good Father to us, and we can
never forget him."

Pere Besson had next to pass his examination as a
confessor; and the venerable theologians of his Order
who examined him expressed their admiration of his
clear head and accurate knowledge.

Madame Besson's house in Paris had become the
established rendezvous of any French Dominicans
who might come there, and she found her greatest
happiness in being a sort of agent for all that con
cerned her son's Order. Many of those who wished
to forward the incipient work used to make her their
confidant, and she frequently became the channel of
gifts and other assistance. To her great delight, this
year, when Pere Lacordaire came to Paris for his
Conferences at Notre-Dame, he took up his abode
in her house, where he was an honoured guest. Her
son wrote at this time, —

" December §th, 1843.

" I was very pleased to hear that our good Father
was staying with you : I am sure it will be a great
comfort to you, and I thank God for it. I am quite

92 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

sure that every time you see him, it makes you think
of me ; nor am I, on my part, forgetful of you. God
knows how glad I always am to hear of any thing
which can soften the privation our Lord has laid on
you. You see, dearest mother, that His Providence
never leaves us, but brings gladness out of our very
sorrows. Trust wholly to Him, and be sure every
thing will turn to good. I am not the only one who
is pleased to hear this news : my brethren have re
joiced too, for although the greater part of them have
never seen you, they all know you from hearing us
talk of you. I am well aware that there is no need to
tell you to take good care of our dear Father, or to
watch over his health, — I know you will do more than
I could suggest ; but let me remind you to see that
he is quite free and independent, because, you know,
we religious want to be a great deal alone, with a view
to prayer and the various other duties belonging to
our state of life. I dare say it is needless to say this,
for I well remember all your thoughtfulness for me in
this matter, and how unselfish you were in securing
my quiet hours. I did not sufficiently appreciate that
proof of love then, but now that our Lord has given
me greater light, I feel how generous and considerate
you were. Alas ! I was more of a bear than a man in
those days, and caused you great pain — but why should
I return to that subject, since ycu have forgiven

A DOMINICAN ARTIST ^ 93

every thing ? Cartier, too, will be very pleased. I do
thank God for having given you this pleasure ! you are
now, both of you, quite a part of our little Dominican
family, and sharers in our thoughts and prayers.

" Pere Lacordaire was to preach yesterday : I am
sure your knees shook under you all day ! It was an
important day for us : we prayed a great deal, as we
thought of our friends and brethren, and of our coun
try ; we asked many blessings, above all the fulfilment
of God's Will, which is the real aim of all Christian
hopes. What has happened? we know nothing; but
we are not anxious, knowing that the Lord is Good,
and that, whatever He may have ordered, He will not
forsake us, and that whether in success or defeat we
must alike thank Him."

Mgr. Afire, who was a stedfast and true friend to
Lacordaire, dreaded the result of his appearance in
his Dominican habit in the pulpit of Notre-Dame, and
he accordingly, to Lacordaire's regret, obtained a special
permission from the Pope for the Father to appear in
the dress of a secular priest. It ended in Lacordaire's
wearing the rochet and surplice of a Canon over his
habit, and, as he had himself foretold, after the first few
words he spoke, no one heeded any thing save the sub
ject of his discourse— he had taken that vast congrega
tion by storm. This was on December 3, 1843. The
Archbishop's anxiety was manifest, as was that of all

94 ... A DOMINICAN ARTIST

Lacordaire's friends ; and Pere Besson was quite right
as to his mother's intense feeling on this occasion :
she shared to the full all the suspense of the Domi
nicans as to its result, though from a different motive ;
her uppermost thought, poor woman ! being that if
the Order were once established in France, her son
would return thither, and she might once more enjoy
the blessing of living near him. Her excitement was
so great that she did not venture into Notre-Dame,
but kept walking about outside, listening whether there
seemed to be any stir or commotion within. And when
the bold measure of Lacordaire's return to France as
a monk proved successful, no one was more delighted
than Madame Besson. Her ardent wish for her son's
return to France was not yet gratified, however, though
some of the brethren from Bosco were sent there early
in 1844, and she was not a little disappointed. Pere
Besson was alive to this, and on June 9 he wrote, —

..." I feel how hard it is for you to be alone in
your old age. Poor mother! I am the cause of a
heavy cross being laid on you, just when, according
to the natural order of things, I ought to be lightening
the burden of your latter days. Would that I could
bear all the pain instead of you ! Dear, good mother !
the only thing which gives me the least care in this
world, is the great sacrifice you have had to make. I
know none could be greater ; and when I think of all

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 95

that you have borne for me, and are bearing to the
end, my heart is grieved, and I long to take all that
is sharp and bitter for myself, and give you nothing
but peace and joy. . . Our dear Lord has dealt so
differently with us : your life has been full of sorrows
and scant joys, while, on the contrary, I have scarcely
known any trouble. When I think of this, I am
afraid, for I know that it is the sign of His chosen
ones to bear the Cross with Christ, and that I ought
to atone for all the misuse I have made of God's gifts.
Dear mother, join me, if you will, in the prayer I often
make to Jesus Christ that He would grant me to
share His Sufferings here, so that, as we say in the
Angelus Collect, I may, * by His Cross and Passion,
be brought to the Glory of His Resurrection.'— I do
not know when I shall return to France ; some of our
brethren are there already, but I am still left here — a
proof of our good Father's confidence in me, more
perhaps than I deserve. If any thing could make me
wish to return home, it would be the pleasure which
I know it would be to you to feel me nearer to you.
But you see we must be patient, and submit to God's
Will. I need a great deal of study yet, for I am very
ignorant, and good for very little. My work here just
suits me, and, but for you, I really should wish for no
change. Do believe that God's Providence orders all
for the best, although we cannot see the reason— let us

96 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

give ourselves up to His guidance with unquestioning
trust. The time will come — and that at no such very
distant period — when we shall reap the reward of
perfect trust. Dearest mother, take courage ! I have
a full hope that God will comfort you, and grant your
wish that we should embrace one another yet again in
this world— only I cannot say when it will be ; we
must leave that to Him."

Poor Madame Besson found it hard to wait as
patiently as her son required for her consolation, and
when she found that Pere Lacordaire had actually re
called some of his French Dominicans, among whom
the only one she cared for was not included, her
mother's heart waxed wrath, and, disregarding the
necessity ( of considering the welfare of the Order
before any private matters, she expressed not a little
displeasure towards "Monsieur Lacordaire," as she
called the good Father, in her anger. Yet all the
while (M. Cartier, her devoted friend, tells us) she
could be led to change her tone, if any one would
begin to blani3 her son for having been led away by
Lacordaire. Sooner than allow a word to be said
against him, she would forthwith protest that he had
entered religion with her fullest consent, and that she
was thankful to have him under so holy a man as
Lacordaire. When Pere Besson knew how strongly
his mother felt in this matter, he wrote as follows : —

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 97

"Bosco, August i6//;, 1844.

. . . " One of our brothers writes me word that you
are very much troubled at my prolonged stay in Italy.
Do not grieve about it, poor dear mother. I quite
understand how when other brethren return to France
it makes you long that I should come back, but you
must bear with this trial a little longer. I am here,
because it is God's Will, and that makes my exile, if
it is to be called an exile, easy to bear, — let it also
lighten your natural regret at the distance between us.
It was absolutely necessary that some one should stay
here to represent Pere Lacordaire, and take his place
in the French novitiate ; and as I am both a priest and
a theological student, I was selected for the duty. In
fact, while prosecuting my own studies, I also fulfil the
easy office of Sub-Master of novices, being called upon
to direct persons who are worth a great deal more
than I am, and who are a perpetual source of edifica
tion to me. As all our other Fathers are employed
in France, as confessors and preachers, we do not
know how long our novitiate will have to continue
here ; circumstances, which are God's means of bring
ing about His chosen ends, can alone decide. Any
how, except that I am grieved that you should be
troubled, I am quite content, and have neither wish
nor anxiety as to the future. That is one great bless
ing of the religious life; for having renounced the

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whole world for Jesus Christ's Sake, we have nothing
to do, come what may, but spread our sails in con
fidence, and trust the ship to God's Providence. With
Him for our pilot, we are sure to reach the port safely.
So be of good cheer,, my dear mother ; perhaps God
may grant us the happiness of meeting again sooner
than we expect, though it may indeed be longer.
What is the good of reckoning so much upon the
future, when we know not what a day may bring forth ?
Let us leave all our fears and hopes, our sorrows and
joys, in our Saviour's Breast, hiding ourselves, as David
says, under the shadow of His Wings, knowing that
His Holy Will is all Love and Goodness. I am not
preaching for your sake only, dearest mother, but
still more to myself, because though I know the truth
of all I say, I do not always realize it sufficiently.
The world passes away, and its trifles ; — we all know
it, and yet how little we do to obtain a true spirit of
detachment. Adieu, dearest mother."

But the mother was hard to console; each letter
is full of the same words, a mingling of the son's
tender respectful love, with the Priest's a.ffectionate
admonition. " Love me as your child," he says, " but
still more as the offering which you have brought to
God's Altar. It is but a poor offering in truth, but it
is the widow's mite, you have given all you had, all
that is dearest to you in this world."

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 99

And again, " Poor mother, I am indeed a son of
sorrow to you ! But while you weep over me, recall
ing all that I have cost you, and do cost you still, offer
me up at the Feet of Jesus as your daily sacrifice ; and
in so doing, you will find the strength and courage you
need. Like the poor widow of the Gospel, you have
given ' all the living you had/ for, little as I am worth,
I am your child, your hope, the natural prop of your
old age ; and all this you have given up as an offering
to Jesus Christ when you let me go to Him. Your
store is now with Him, and He will both use it, and
restore it with usury, when the Great Day comes. . .
In Him we can hope and love on, for we know that if
we remain united to Him we shall meet to part no
more. Nothing of holy and pure earthly love but
will abide, and be continued in Heaven, purified and
raised by His transforming glory. There friend will
love friend, the mother her child, the son his mother
— and amid the overflowing joy which will fill every
heart, all will love each other with a boundless, end
less love.

" Blessed are they who now sow in tears, for they
shall reap in joy. . . O dearest mother, we are in
deed happy in the knowledge of whence we came, and
whither we go, and, by God's Grace, we know the
vanity of all perishing things. Let us duly weigh the
greatness of our blessing, let us know Jesus Christ,

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love Jesus Christ, be wholly His ! He is wholly ours,
it is but just that we should be His. Ask this grace
for me, as I ask it daily for you.

" Pere Lacordaire tells me that he thinks of sending
me back to France this year. I leave all in his hands,
as in those of God, concerning this matter. But above
all else which makes me rejoice in the thought of
returning to our country, comes the certainty of your
happiness. I enjoy it already in anticipation, asking
our Dear Lord to give us both grace to wait with
patience and resignation for the perfect fulfilment of
His Will. We say it daily in the ' Our Father,' let
us henceforth say it with this special intention.

"How soon the days which now seem long and
wearisome, become a thing of the past ! and the day
still afar off, will soon be past too ; each night is the
knell of another day, gone to the reckoning of the
past, which together form the chain held in God's
Hand. Every thing passes away, and passes so quickly !
It is fifteen years since the July Revolution, and
although that seems but as yesterday, here I am in
my thirtieth year !"

CHAPTER IV

•

Pere Besson at Chalais — Visit from his Mother — Letters — Death
of his Mother — Letters — Pere Besson goes to Paris.

npHE Pere Besson's belief that God's Good Pro-
JL vidence would restore him before long to his
country, was not mistaken. The first Dominican
settlement in France at Nancy was placed under the
care of Pere Jandel, who was summoned from Bosco
to take charge of the small community in the summer
of 1843 j and having gained this point, Pere Lacor-
daire's next object was to find a suitable spot wherein
to install his little company of brothers still at Bosco,
as they were now sufficiently numerous to begin an
independent novitiate — which could not be formed
without a certain number in the community. While
preaching at Grenoble in 1844, he visited the deserted
Convent of Notre Dame de Chalais, which had be
longed to the Grande Chartreuse, and had been used
by the Carthusians as a refuge for their weak and aged

102 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

brethren. Its position is singularly beautiful, and
Lacordaire was so delighted with the whole thing —
the old Convent and its cemetery, the Romanesque
church surrounded with trees and overhung with rocks,
and the glorious view over plain and valley, bounded
by blue mountains — that he determined, if possible, to
restore the Convent to its original purpose ; and accord
ingly, not without some difficulty, and strenuous oppo
sition from the secular authorities, through which Mgr.
de Bouillard, Bishop of Grenoble, was his staunch
friend, he bought it. Early in April, 1845, ne went
there. "The Church," he says, "has a religious beauty
of its own, in its noble simplicity, choir, altar, painted
glass and all, and I rejoice to feel that at last we have
a real Church — one that has been deserted for fifty
years, in its mountain solitude, and now once more
restored to God's service. I was very uneasy as to
how I was to pay for Chalais, and now the publication
of my Conferences brings in 24,000 f. in the course of
four months, not to be paid immediately, but certain.
What a providential thing ! But do not speak of this,
or it will be supposed that we roll in riches, which
God knows is not the case ! We shall be able by and
by to live very economically at Chalais, but at present
the necessary repairs will cost a great deal ; it will be
several years before we shall be able to finish them.
We have six cows and three or four calves, but these

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 103

petits freres allow us to have milk, butter, and cheese.
We have sown corn, oats, colza, potatoes — hay and
wood we have in plenty, and even bee-hives ! Oh,
you must come and see Chalais !"

As soon as the General of the Order had authorized
the establishment of a Dominican novitiate in France,
Lacordaire appointed the Pere Besson Master of the
novices, writing to him in the following terms : —

" I know this will be a heavy burden upon you, my
dear friend, but you will receive it as laid upon you by
our Lord in behalf of His Church. Let me urge upon
you, my dear son, great gentleness with the Brothers,
and respect towards the Fathers. Avoid too much self-
assertion in your intercourse with them ; strive to tole
rate and enter into other men's opinions j be all things
to all men, so as to render the yoke of obedience light.
Firmness is a necessary element of government, but so
are flexibility, patience, and tenderness1."

Pere Besson's first letter from Chalais to his mother
was full of quiet happiness at being once more in
France, and of his enjoyment of the place, of his work,
and of all around him. He proposed that M. Cartier
should bring Madame Besson to see him. " If we
have fine weather while you are here, I think you will
appreciate this charming place, with which I can find
no fault save that it is too beautiful and too delightful,
1 Vie, ii. 22.

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though indeed I know that the beauty of our scenery
will not be your first consideration ! "

Madame Besson and M. Carrier lost no time in
journeying to Chalais, arriving at Voreppe (a little
town at the foot of the Val Gresivaudan, one of the
loveliest valleys in France) just as the sun was rising.
" We started at once along the mountain paths which
lead to Chalais," says M. Cartier, " without any idea
which was the right way, or any fear of losing ourselves.
Pere Besson had set out before daylight to meet us,
and we had not got farther than the churchyard wall
when we saw his dear form coming through a little
pine wood. His mother almost broke down, but she
was soon held tightly in her son's arms. Silence and
tea'rs at first were the only possible expression of so
much happiness. We sat down a while to gain com
posure, and then followed the mountain ascent, all
unconscious of fatigue."

There is something very touching in the warm
welcome given by the Dominicans to Madame Besson,
as though they appreciated the sacrifice the widowed
mother was making in their behalf. " They treated
her as if she had been the mother of all." That was
a happy fortnight ; the visitors spent the day, and had
their meals, at Chalais, joining in the recreation hours
often passed beneath the noble woods which surround
the Convent, and sharing in all the hopes and aspira-

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 105

tions of the Brotherhood. One of the monks took a
portrait of Pere Besson for his mother, and during the
intervals of sitting the former artist used to take his
brother's palette, and thus painted a beautiful little
picture of the meeting of S. Dominic and S. Francis,
now in the possession of the Comtesse de Mesnard.
It was the first time he had taken up a brush since his
profession, and he felt the inspirations of art so power
fully attractive, that he was half regretful at having
exposed himself to the temptation.

Madame Besson slept at a somewhat distant farm
house, and every evening her son and his friend used
to take her there, returning in the July twilight, and
enjoying this rare opportunity of intercourse, all of
which turned upon the subjects both had nearest at
heart — the Church generally, the Dominican Order
in particular. But all earthly bright days must set,
and the hour of separation came only too soon.
Madame Besson, however, had seen her child once
more, and realized for herself that he was happy, and
she had nothing more to ask. She returned to Paris,
where with M. Cartier she occupied an apartment
belonging to the Carmelite Convent, No. 89, Rue
Vaugirard, taken on purpose that it might be the rest
ing-place of such Dominicans as should visit Paris.
It was God's Will that she should never more see her
son on earth, but the knowledge that each was gazing

io5 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

on the face so dearly loved for the last time was spared
them, and the Pere Besson wrote cheerfully of the
happy meeting.

" Are you quite rested after all your fatigue on our
mountains, dear mother ? It was really hard work at
your age ; all the same, I hope that the change of air
will have done you good, and that, together with the
great enjoyment we have both had during this short,
happy fortnight, will tend to improve your health, and
confirm your mind in peace and quietness. You have
seen with your own eyes how the Saviour fulfils His
promise of rendering a hundredfold, even in this life,
to those who forsake all to follow Him. Everlasting
life is before us, we hope through His mercy, but the
* hundredfold,' as you have seen, we enjoy already.
What are all the poor trifles we have left, compared to
the peace, the happiness of dwelling in His courts ?
If there was any thing to complain of it would be that
our lot is too easy, so that we might almost fear
having our good things in this life. The only real
sacrifice is separation from relations and friends, for
a while it seems as though we had really lost them,
and yet ' but a little while/ and we find them again
for ever in the Bosom of our Lord. Oh, if one could
but make people realize all the blessedness which
there is in suffering for Jesus' Sake, how much balm
and honey there is in that seemingly bitter cup, surely

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 107

all men would come to Him Who is meek and lowly
of heart, and Who can give rest to the weary soul, and
heal the broken heart ! His burden is indeed light,
for He supports those who carry it ; His yoke is easy,
and those who bear it are the freest of all men.
Those who only stand without and gaze upon the
Cross, see nought save our Lord's cruel, bleeding
wounds ; but if we do but enter in through the pre
cious wound of His Heart we shall not be long in
perceiving the ineffable sweetness of that mystery, we
shall understand all that is summed up in those words,
to love and to suffer. Good-bye, dearest mother, I
have no time for more to-day. All the novices are
well and happy, indeed wre are all that ; would to
God that the many poor suffering hearts throughout
the world were as happy ! "

The Pere Besson was devoted to his novices, and
gave himself up to them, it might be said, day and
night. His rule was one of extreme gentleness, and
at all times he was anxious to impress upon those
under his direction that austerity was but a means to
perfection, not perfection itself. "When you are
tired," he said to some of his spiritual children at a
later period, " give yourself some rest, and never wait
till you are driven to extremity. Health is soon de
stroyed by persisting in a manner of life which all the
while may not be really severe. No doubt great saints

Io8 A DOMINICAN' ARTIST

have done with very little sleep ; but then great saints
have a superabundant grace which enables them to do
what we cannot. S. Dominic used to pass whole
nights in chapel; but it is reported, too, that he
sometimes fell asleep in the refectory ! When I
began my novitiate, I was wild about mortification;
I had the greatest possible enthusiasm for the life
led by the Desert Fathers, which was very attractive
to my temperament. So I used to get up in the
night to pray before the Blessed Sacrament ; — I got
up at two o'clock, and did not go to bed again after
matins. What was the consequence ? Why, I used
to fall asleep during my meditation ! Then I took to
making that in a long corridor at Bosco, walking up
and down to keep myself awake, instead of which I
used to knock my head against the wall like a tipsy
man. I persisted in trying to do without sleep, and
I became almost idiotic ; — I had not proper command
over my faculties ! No, our Good God has not framed
us as we are framed, that we should injure our con
stitutions by depriving ourselves of sleep, or by any
similar excesses : — He created us in order that we
might love Him with all our heart. Insufficient sleep
is one of the most dangerous of all austerities, because
it is insidious — there is nothing very alarming in it,
but all the same it is ruin to the soul's strength."
To another, he says> " In your present state of

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 109

health, I cannot allow you to think of bodily austeri
ties. Just now your mortification must be in obedience
to your doctor, and submission to your parents. You
may rest satisfied that you will lose nothing by this ;
nor will your penitential spirit grow less in conse
quence of such indulgence, if used properly. Strive
to exercise great self-control, and do not be hard and
stiff, or restless. Do what you can do quietly and
gently, without fretting about what you are unable to
do at present. Make up for all seeming deficiencies
by faith and love, and remember that Christian per
fection is simply a perfect love of God and man, all
else is no more than the means to this ; and you need
not mind about the means if you can attain the end.

The Pere Besson's view of what was required of
those charged with the direction of novices may be
gathered from a playful, and yet very serious letter
which he wrote from the East in 1861, to a nun,
whom he had known well, on her appointment as
Mistress of the novices in her Convent.

" My dear little Sister, — God does all things well,
and so here you are, Mistress of the novices in that
dear community! You will say that I am very
naughty ; but I really am most heartily glad ! After
all it is not my fault if I feel sure that the authorities
have made a good choice, and I suspect that all your
novices would agree with me. Of course I know that

1 10 A DOMINICAN' ARTIST

you will never be of this mind ; but you may have
what opinion you please, God has willed it so, and
there you are ! and since it is by His Will, He will
give you all that is needful for the welfare of the souls
entrusted to you. Above all, He will give you a
mother's heart, so that you may love your children in
Him with a holy, tender love, — all the real art of direct
ing souls lies in possessing a holy love for them.
God's help will make you gentle, firm, kind, and wise ;
He will show you the way to their hearts, especially
as they see that yours is ever open to them ; and thus
you will easily train them in that loving simplicity
which is so acceptable to God, and which makes
goodness so attractive to all around. Let the heart
be trained before all else ; if that is good and pure, if
God is enthroned there, ever present, all the rest will
come of itself, and you are sure to do well. All reli
gious perfection lies in a perfect heart, that alone
kindles true life, and produces all that is substantially
good. All perfection which does not come from this
source, is a mere shadow; and your utmost efforts,
and your novices' most fervent desires, will go for
nothing unless our Lord Himself co-operates with His
tender, powerful grace. And you must continually
ask His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love, the Infinite
source of all charity, to help you ; and with such help,
dear little Sister, you will achieve what now seems

A DOMINICAN ARTIST in

impossible. While you teach without, our Dear Lord
will teach within, and give a divine impetus to all
your words. Put all your trust in God — expect every
thing you want from Him — you may sow, but He
only can give life and growth. Poor little Sister ! it
is indeed rather hard upon such a little body to turn
suddenly from housekeeper into novice mistress !
Well, Providence orders these things very often as we
least expect, does He not, my dear little Sister?
though to be so little, and yet have to direct great big
novices, is no trifle, I am bound to confess ! but I am
sure that our Dear Lord will make it all right, by
giving great grace to the little Sister, so that all will
be well."

The notes of an address given to his novices on
taking the habit, are among the few written papers
(letters excepted) which the Pere Besson has left.
It is simple and characteristic.

" My dear Brothers, — When this day you ask for our
holy habit, you practically ask for the Cross of Jesus
Christ, His poverty, His humiliations, His labours and
sufferings,— for those, as you well know, are the sacred
heritage the Bridegroom has left us. If you accept
these, come and be our brethren. We will work
with one aim, and mingle our hearts in one Love.
Come among us, and behold. We are neither
numerous nor powerful; but rather we are weak as

Ii2 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

new-born babes, and devoid of all which, humanly
speaking, gives stability and strength. We are but a
little flock, slowly moving on towards a mysterious
future by an uncertain and stormy light. We know
not what our destiny may be. We only know that none
who trust in the Name of Jesus can perish. That
All-powerful Name is written in our hearts, and on our
brows, and though of ourselves a breath of wind might
sweep us away, through It we dare and hope all things.

" The nations of the earth are disturbed, all crea
tion is moved ; infidelity has shaken the world to its
centres, and as we gaze on the manifold sufferings
around us, we turn to Calvary, to the Cross, and in it
we see a bright star of hope, whence we gather cou
rage to believe that all this suffering is but as the
travail pangs whence the Kingdom of Christ shall
arise, and the triumph of His Church — Behold, the
Bridegroom cometh !

" Then we, soldiers of Jesus Christ, draw more
closely beneath the sheltering wings of our Mother
the Church, and pressing His Cross to our hearts, we
accept the stamp of His sacred Wounds. We cry
aloud to our distant brethren, Come, in the Saviour's
Name, Come. Let us mingle our toils and our blood
in healing the deadly wounds before us. Let us put
on the strong armour of Christ. Let us go forth, and
preach Him every where ; let us kindle the world

A DOMINICAN' ARTIST 113

with the fire of His Love, and fill it with our sacrifices.
Let us glory in the foolishness of the Cross ; let us set
before the world a sight which, old as it is, yet seems
ever new, till no sorrow, no pain, be found on earth,
for which we have not a tender, ready compassion.
Let us go forth, fearing nothing \ we are victims, and
as such, we ask no better than to fall beneath the
sacrificial knife. This is what we say to our brethren,
this is what to-day we say to you whom the Lord
has guided hither.

" Would you look into the future ? would you know
what lies before us ? Wherefore ? The Lord says to
us, as of old to His Apostles, * In the world ye shall
have tribulation ; but be of good cheer, I have over
come the world.' Yes, assuredly we all have to suffer;
but what of that ? May we not count ourselves happy
if, through suffering and death, we can in any degree
glorify God ? or shall we draw back if we are called
to tread in the bleeding Footsteps of Jesus Christ,
before we enter into the blessedness of His saints ?
Let us cast aside all fearfulness, and throw ourselves
heartily into His open Arms ; our only thought how
to love and serve Him daily better. Let us leave all
that concerns ourselves to Him — whether He lift us
up or cast us down, all one to us. * Though He slay
me, yet will I trust in Him.'

"But it is not enough merely to cast away fear, when

I

114 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

you draw near to the holy Altar ; you must seek, my
brethren, to bring hearts rilled with a confidence
which cannot be shaken. Jesus, our Saviour, over
came the world, and He overcame it even as you are
now overcoming it — by offering Himself for it. Self-
sacrifice is a mighty cry going up from earth to Heaven,
it is that ' Bread of the strong' which was the daily food
of Jesus, and with which He feeds His chosen ones.

" How was it with the holy men of old, confessors,
doctors, hermits, virgins, martyrs, with the Apostles
themselves? What did they do for the saving of
souls, the conversion of nations, the confirmation of
the Faith ? You know well — the whole world knows —
how they endured hunger and thirst, nakedness, toil,
privation, persecution. The prison, the desert, the
scaffold — such was their portion; but their work
abides, and will abide for ever.

"Weigh it well, Brethren; God accepts you as
favoured children, He marks you with His own seal
and stamp. When He admits you this day to carry
the Cross of Christ, receive it gladly, cherish it fondly,
and during this short year of probation which is before
you, clasp it firmly to your heart, seek your wisdom
and strength in it. You will find sweetness beneath
the sharpness, and you will learn to cry out with the
Apostle, ' I am exceeding joyful in all our tribula
tion ' " (2 Cor. vii. 4).

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 115

Besides his conventual duties, the Pere Besson was
now frequently sent out to preach and give retreats,
and he was also much occupied as a confessor. On
the 28th April, he wrote to his mother apologizing for
an unusually long silence, caused by his work.

" And now you see I have taken the biggest sheet
of paper I can find, because I know how mothers like
long letters ! . . . . During Eastertide I was very
busy; and, indeed, now I have not much time to
spare. In spite of bad weather and our mountain
heights, a great many people came here for con
fession, so that we often had to spend seven or eight
hours a day in the Confessional — which, after all, is
little enough compared to the work of parish priests
at this season, but that added to our conventual exer
cises, and my charge of the novices, left me little
leisure. Then, too, I had to preach the Passion on
Maundy Thursday 2 at Voreppe ; by God's Grace I

2 In many parts of France it is usual to preach the Passion at
a very early hour on Good Friday morning, which is probably
what Pere Besson means. Few things can be more solemnly
impressive than this service ; the sermon being usually little
more than a vivid setting forth of the Passion, often preached
to a dense mass of people, among whom men are usually the
most numerous ; beginning, perhaps, long before the dawn of
day, which only creeps in — cold and chilly, — upon the wrapt
listeners — towards the conclusion of the long discourse, showing
the bare, stripped altar, and the empty tabernacle, whence the
Blessed Sacrament was taken on Maundy Thursday.

I 2

ii6 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

was able to do it, and spoke for two hours, so as to
be heard, without being unusually tired afterwards. I
tell you this to prove that I am well, and stronger
than I look, though I am not going to boast of my
strength, or indeed of any thing. We are overrun
with workmen now, and smothered with brick and
mortar, trying, if possible, to get the most important
part of the works done by the time Pere Lacordaire
comes, that is, on the 4th May. Every one is well,
and no one has suffered from the Lenten fast ; our
meadows are covered with flowers ; — there is still
some snow on the top of the mountains, but it is
scarcely visible, and the little there is serves as a
pleasant contrast which enhances the delight of fine
weather; and for your satisfaction, let me add that
I am both happy and really well. We have good
tidings of the brothers at Nancy. Pere Jandel was
ailing, but is better. He has had a great deal of
extra fatigue this Lent ; but God has given him
strength. Pere Danzas, too, is well — he has been
preaching a Retreat in preparation for Easter, near
Nancy ; that is all our news. . . . Now as to your
self — How are you? what are you doing? are you
calm and happy, or sad ? Sometimes one, and some
times the other ; is not that the truth, dear mother ?
and perhaps more often sad than glad. You think
about your child, and say to yourself, ' If he were but

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 117

here ! What is he about ? perhaps he is ill. Why is
he so long without writing? and a hundred other
things which rise up in a mother's heart ; and then
come the tears ! Well, I suppose it must be
so, and that God is not displeased by such tears,
especially when offered up to Him. He Himself
shed tears over His friend Lazarus, to teach us that
He would not condemn, but sanctify our grief. He
wills us to love Him above all — and that is but just,
since He is more worthy of love than all else, and all
we have comes from Him. But He would also have
us love one another, and that very dearly — even as
He has loved us ; and little as we can understand it,
we know, nevertheless, how much He loves us : His
pierced Hands and Feet, His wounded Side are for
ever telling us this, and will tell us through all eter
nity. Alas for the many sorrowful hearts which are
for ever wearily seeking after happiness, not knowing
that it is to be found only in Love ! Dearest mother,
if we did but know how really to love God, and how
to love one another in Him, we should be perfectly
happy. .... But why should I go on saying all this
to you ? in truth I have been rather preaching to my
self than to you. I have long been saying that I want
to love God ; but all the time I have not acted up to
what I said, and have given my love to less worthy
objects; yet all the while I know that this one Love,

Ii8 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

which includes all other love, is the one joy which in
cludes all other joys. Because we are religious, we
are supposed to be saints : we ought to be such, or at
all events we ought to be striving earnestly to become
saints ; but we shall not be sanctified by what other
men think of us. As S. Francis used to say, what
we are in God's Eyes, that are we, and nothing more.
The habit and tonsure are worth little, or less than
nothing, if our hearts are not clothed with purity and
detached from the love of this world's vanities. What
will it avail us to leave the world with our body only,
if the world still lives in our hearts, and we cannot
detach ourselves from self? How much need we
have to dread the good opinion of men, and what a
burden their trust in us lays upon our weakness ! A
peasant who was journeying with S. Francis of Assisi,
said, as they went, * If you are this Brother Francis of
whom such wonders are told, take heed that you are
not a deceiver, but that you are in the Eyes of God
what you seem to those of men.' It is said that S.
Francis fell at his feet, and embraced them, so joy
ful was he to hear such words of truth ; and though
perhaps S. Francis did not need the lesson, other
men do. Worthless as we may be, we are always
tempted, each in our own little sphere, to believe our
selves of some consequence. Well for those who are
saved by the world's rebuffs or neglect, from pride

A DOMINICAN- ARTIST 119

and self-satisfaction. We shrink from this salutary
grace, and yet it really is a grace, inasmuch as humi
lity is the essential foundation of all true Christian
life. When our Saviour Jesus ' gave His Back to the
smiters, and His Cheeks to them which plucked off
the hair,' it was not alone as an expiation for our pride,
but also an important lesson for all who would follow
Him. The result of all this, dear mother, is, that you
must pray earnestly for your son, and that all the
more as he may be thought not to need prayers. S.
Paul's words will remain to the end of time as a warn
ing to all who are placed in authority over others, to
guide and teach, ' I keep under my body, and bring it
into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.'
After that what are such as we to think or fear for
ourselves. Many a time when I meditate on Para
dise, I think how different our relative positions there
will be. How many of high estate here, will be low
down there, while others who have been last and least
here, will take the first place there."

The Pere Besson's allusions to his own health arose
from the anxiety his mother felt at his spending the
winter in a place so much colder than he had ever
been accustomed to. In fact he suffered considerably
from the cold, used as he had been for long to the
more genial sky of Italy. And though he never com-

120 A DOMINICAN" ARTIST

plained, he was sometimes livid and almost paralyzed
with cold, so that the Prior was obliged to order him
to go to the fire " to thaw himself." At this .time he
had begun to draw again in recreation hours, with a
view to the embellishment of the church at Chalais.
Some of the brothers there were more skilful in wield
ing the brush than in preaching, and Pere Besson was
anxious to turn their talents to account in decorating
the church. Sometimes, too, he sent very exquisite
little sketches to his mother and friends; the fear lest
love of art should lure him from his higher love
seems to have passed away as that love ripened. The
last letter which we have addressed to his mother is
dated May 27, 1843. He writes in glowing language
of the love we all should bear to the Blessed Sacra
ment, of Pere Lacordaire's return after a long absence
to Chalais, of the exquisite spring beauty surrounding
him, the flowers which covered the fields, above all
the lovely narcissus ; closing with a few earnest words
as usual, and an entreaty for his mother's prayers, as
well as those of some ladies with whom she was inti
mate, and "who must, I am sure, be very near God's
Heart, from all you have told me of their sufferings."
Pere Besson's numerous duties did not allow of his
writing very frequently, and this was probably the last
letter he wrote to that much-loved mother. She had
said, after seeing him at Chalais, that she could die

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 121

content, and now God was about to close her time of
watching and waiting, and to take her to her rest.
On July ist Madame Besson was seized with cholera,
and M. Cartier, who was fully alive to the danger,
wrote at once to Pere Lacordaire, entreating him to
send her son at once to her. The communication
between Chalais and Paris was not then as rapid as it
is now, and even had the Pere Besson's duties as
Master of the novices allowed of his immediate de
parture, he could not have arrived in time to see his
mother alive. Her illness was very brief; she her
self felt sure it would be fatal from the first, and lost
no time in preparing for death. Pere Lavigne, her
Confessor, gave her the last Sacraments, and she re
tained perfect consciousness and calmness throughout,
talking constantly of God's Love, and of her son, fol
lowing his daily occupations in thought from hour to
hour ; and when the last moment came, she passed
away without suffering, embracing her crucifix, and
gazing on her son's portrait, as though realizing that
he who had been the source of deepest sacrifice to
her, would also be the source of an abundant reward.
" Crux mea, Lux mea."

On July pth the Pere Besson wrote thus to M.
Cartier: —

" My dear Brother,— Perhaps this will be too late,
and if it be so, may God's holy Will be done. Per-

122 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

haps I have by this time lost the only earthly treasure
He had left me, that tender mother whom He so
graciously gave me. Nor can I grieve if He has per
mitted her to fall asleep on His Breast ; rather I would
bless Him for it, however sore the aching of my heart
is at this moment. Ever since I left her, I have asked
but one thing, that He would fill her with His own
peace, and take her to His own Almighty Arms. Poor
dear mother, if it is not too late, dearest brother,
be to her more even than I could be, give her a son's
last kiss for me, and tell her that I do not cease to
cling to the Feet of Jesus in prayer for her. Duty
keeps me here, but my whole heart is at her bedside,
sharing every pain she has to bear. Hold up before
her the Precious Wounds of her Saviour, His pierced
Heart, pierced with a more than earthly love for her.
Bid her in this last most solemn moment of her life
offer the sacrifice of my absence, as the crowning point
of the complete surrender she has already made of all
that was dearest to her. To-morrow I will offer the
Blessed Sacrifice for her. Write directly • you know
how I shall long for further tidings. O my dearest
mother, I clasp you in a last embrace on the Heart of
Jesus Christ, in His Bleeding Wounds."

Before this letter reached Paris, the mother's heart
was at rest, and she was laid in her grave ; her burial
was attended by a large gathering of friends of Lacor-

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 123

daire and the restored Dominican Order. Madame
Besson had been loved for her own sake, her gentle,
unassuming goodness, and unselfish piety, — and there
were many who knew how to appreciate the sacrifice
she had made to the Order, in giving up her only son
to it. Pere Besson's grief was simple and loving, and
as he said, almost a rejoicing sorrow. On July i4th
he wrote to Pere Danzas.

"My very dear Brother, — I thank you and dear
Pere Jandel with all my heart for your kind letters,
comforting me under the loss of my mother. I am
now altogether without earthly ties, and like S. Francis
I may say in every sense, " Our Father Which art in
Heaven." In truth, dear brother, the Lord has laid
His Hand heavily upon me, in taking away that dear
mother, whom I loved perhaps overmuch, but He has
upheld me the while, and my sorrow has not been un
mixed with joy ; my heart has been filled with loving
hope, and even while I wept, it was with a deep mys
terious sense of inward calm and peace and happiness.
I feel that my mother is nearer to me now than before ;
I can pray for her with a confidence and an inde
finable rest which is more precious to me even than
her actual presence. I believe that she sees me, hears
me ; I feel that we no longer need words or letters,
but that now there is a communion of heart between
us which can only be felt, not defined.

124 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

"The night after I had received the sad tidings, after
saying the Office of the Dead for her, I had laid my
self on my bed. I could not sleep ; but as I lay there
in a sort of half trance, I was conscious of such a
sweet, delicious, indescribable sensation as I have
rarely experienced, a sense of perfect rest and peace,
not altogether free from sadness. I suppose it was
my Guardian Angel comforting me, and leading me
to pray more earnestly.

"I am very grateful to you all for having offered the
Blessed Sacrifice for her dear soul ; it is the greatest
kindness you can do me. Dear brothers, pray for her,
and especially that God may forgive her excessive love
for me, and that His Precious Blood, our only hope,
may purify her soul from all lingering earthly stain."

To M. Cartier he wrote, —

"July 22nd, 1846.

. . . "We are both orphans. Our mother has
been the first to set forth on that journey. The part
ing has cost me many tears, but they are free from
all murmurs or bitterness. I felt that this blow from
our Saviour's Hand was rather meant to heal than
wound me ; it has stilled the only anxiety which I had,
and fulfilled my one remaining wish, that my dearest
Mother might die in His Peace, might fall asleep on
His Bosom. That is such an infinite and precious grace ;
from the first moment it was my inexpressible conso-

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 12$

lation. I knew that sooner or later that dear mother
must die, and my daily prayer was that she might die
in the faith, love, and hope of Jesus. Now He has
accepted, granted my prayer ; and I thank the Gracious
Father Who hearkens so lovingly to His children's
shrinking prayers over and over again. . . I was only
anxious that one day during which I knew of my
mother's illness. When I heard in the evening that
the Lord had taken her, and had given her a blessed
end, I wept, but my tears were so peaceful, they were
almost a happiness. Sometimes I dwell upon those
dear arms which so often carried me, the lap in which,
as a child, I loved to nestle, the bosom where I
rested, the loving eyes which used to watch me so
fondly, and are now closed for ever, the dear white
hair, the mouth which spoke such tender words, —
all these cold in death ; and my heart begins to sink ;
but a truer thought arises, SHE, MY MOTHER, is not
dead. I must seek her in the Bosom of God, her
Saviour, and I rise up gladly to find her there ; I pray
for her, I ask her prayers, and I feel that she is
far nearer than lever she was in this life. O dear
brother, how all-powerful the love of Jesus Christ is !
how precious our hope in Him ! Is it not wonderful
that this great grief should be my very strength, and
that what might seem to be a sorrow past comfort
should bring such indefinable peace and consolation ?

126 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

"Madame Bourard and her two daughters are
here ; it does so remind me of your visit last summer,
every detail of which is fresh in my memory ; but it
is a happy, soothing remembrance. When will you
come again? when shall I see you, who watched
over the last hours of her I loved so dearly ? when
shall I grasp the kind hand which closed her eyes ? I
know not, since you cannot come here this year; but,
meanwhile, let us meet constantly in the Heart of
Jesus. May God bless you, and reward you accord
ing to the greatness of His Love ! that is my daily
prayer. Dear friend, I pray, too, that when your
mother's last hour comes, she may have as tender, as
loving a friend by her pillow, as you have been to
mine — to comfort her as you comforted my mother,
to be to you what you have been to me. Thank you
for sending me my dear mother's crucifix, — it is very
precious to me to kiss it, and feel as though I were
once more kissing her who pressed it to her dying
lips. Farewell, kind brother ! Pray thank all the
friends who ministered to my mother in her last
hours. I know them not, but God knows them, and
I pray Him to reward them out of the treasures of
His Love. Once more, farewell ! May our Dear
Lord have you always in His Holy Keeping."

As soon as it was practicable, Pere Lacordaire sent
Pere Besson to Paris to see M. Carder, to hear from

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 127

his lips all the details on which affection delights to
linger, and to visit her grave. His arrival was unex
pected. " I found him in my house, one evening, on
my return from bestowing some last attentions upon
his mother's grave. Next morning, very early, we
went there together. As soon as we reached the spot
where his mother's body waits its joyful Resurrection,
Pere Besson sprang over the little inclosure, and
threw himself down upon the earth which covered
her whom he loved so well. He remained there some
time motionless, — his thoughts and prayers known
only to her blessed spirit, and to the Angels. After a
while he got up, and threw himself into my arms, and
we wept together. Then we went home together,
unable to say a word."

Pere Besson remained a week at Paris, during
which time he saw many old friends, and presided at a
gathering of Sisters of the Third Order, to whom he
spoke of his mother in the most touching manner.
Then, "with nerves new braced and set," he returned
to his post at Chalais, announcing his arrival there
to M. Cartier as follows : —

"September nth, 1846.

..." How thankful I am for those few days we
have had together ! Short as they were, they are
enough to fill me with calm gladness, their peaceful
influence abides with me ; indeed I seem more able

128 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

to enjoy the unexpected comfort which God granted
us, now that I am again in the peace and silence of
our mountain retreat, than while we were actually
together. God knows whether we shall ever meet
again. All that I leave to His good Providence,
which orders all things so wisely for us; but sup
posing we never meet again in this life, that week
of affectionate intercourse over our dear mother's
grave will serve to brighten and refresh such weary
days or years as may yet be our portion. Hence
forth, our meeting-place must be the Sacred Heart of
Jesus Christ through prayer; and there, too, we shall
meet that dear mother — not in her grave, but living
and bright, as I fondly believe. Meanwhile, let us
both strive to sanctify our lives by following the lead
ings of God's Grace whithersoever He wills ; let us
remember that He grants such intervals of blessed
ness in order that we may gain fresh strength to offer
ourselves up for His service. The Transfiguration
on Mount Tabor was a preparation for the Cross of
Calvary. Let us dwell stedfastly on this truth. S.
John leant upon his Dear Master's Breast at the Last
Supper ; but it was in order that he might follow on
to Golgotha; and as he shared the joys of friendship,
so did he share the bitterness of his Friend's Suffer
ings. Do not be long without writing to me, my very
dear brother ; remember how my poor heart clings to

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 129

you. How much I owe you, and what a comfort it is
to tell you so sometimes !"

Just before All Saints' Day Pere Besson wrote again.
" How can I write at this special season without
dwelling on the uppermost thought of my heart ! My
dearest mother, who was as yours too, I think con
tinually of her, and yet I sometimes reproach myself
because I do not dwell more upon her memory. . . .
What mother in the whole world ever did more for
her child than mine for me ? who ever loved better or
suffered more, who ever gave herself up more entirely
for a son, than the dear mother I have lost ? and how
the thought of her should kindle me to exertion, how
it rebukes me for my indolence and carelessness in
my duties ! I ask myself, ' Was it for this that you
laid such a sacrifice upon her? was it for no more
earnest a life than you now lead that you left her for
ever, pleading that you must needs follow God's call ?
She consented to give you up, you who were her
very life, to promote God's Glory, she accepted her
portion of loneliness and tears, she died daily to her
warmest affections, her strongest love, she even ac
cepted the deprivation at her last hour of her son's
presence. All this she bore in order to give you
to God, that you might live for His Service and that
of His Church, and now — wretch that you are, selfish,
ungrateful, forgetful man — you are living for your-

130

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

self! You can use fine words indeed, but what are
your inmost feelings ? Is not your heart full of vain
wishes, and mere wilfulness, rather than of the true
spirit of self-sacrifice ? When the day comes, and it
cannot be very far off, in which you will pass through
the gates of death, and appear before your Saviour,
and meet her again, how will you be able to meet her
gaze ? Will she not ask whether all her tears, her self-
denial, her lonely death, could do no more than this?'
Such thoughts as these beset me often. I have entered
upon a holy way of life, but I do not live holily there
in ; I do not grow in grace, — through my fault, my own
most grievous fault. If any human being could see
me as God sees me, as I see myself, he would indeed
pity me for having made so little use of the num
berless mercies I have received, and do receive daily
in my sacred calling. I am happy in being the object
of so much grace, but in truth I deplore my own in
gratitude deeply."

On the anniversary of Madame Besson's death, M.
Cartier sent her son a flower gathered from her grave.
" I thank you from the bottom of my heart," he
answers, " for the little flower ; I have laid it at the
foot of my Crucifix. How many things it recalls, and
what a touching symbol of resurrection the flowers
which grow upon the graves we love are ! Dearest
mother, how many tears she has shed for me ! I

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 131

cannot tell you how great a comfort it is that you
watch over her grave. I cannot think of her without
thinking of you. I wished to write to you that very
day, just when you were writing to me, for I knew
that our hearts were full of the same thoughts, and it
would have been a relief to share them. Let come
what may, nothing can ever loosen the bonds which
unite us. However far apart, we are bound together
through my dear mother. How mighty a power death
is, and how its touch consecrates all around ! It is
through that power that our hearts are knit together
for ever ; you in the world, I in the cloister ; wherever
we may be, scattered east or west, we can always re
member confidently that each has a brother who loves
and prays for him."

K 2

CHAPTER V

Nancy — M. de Beaussant — Pere Besson preaching Retreats at
Langres — Revolution of 1848 — Chalais — He becomes Prior of
Nancy.

IT has been said already that Chalais was not the
first Dominican home in France. Pere Lacor-
daire had taken Lorraine by storm when preaching
there in 1842 and 1843; the Bishop of Nancy be
friended him, and a valuable theological library was
offered him for the convent he hoped to establish in
the diocese. Accordingly he was contemplating a
settlement at Luneville, when God's Providence
decided otherwise, and Nancy became the scene of
his first convent, where accordingly the Pere Besson's
copy of the Madonna della Quercia found its home.
The circumstances which led to this were somewhat
remarkable. A well-born, wealthy inhabitant of
Nancy, M. Thiery de Saint Beaussant by name, was
leading a life of mere luxury and self-indulgence,

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 133

moral and intellectual, when one evening, happening
to be in Marseilles, a violent storm made him seek
shelter in a church, where at that moment a priest
was speaking to his flock of that search after happi
ness common to all men, a search which, he said,
could nowhere be effectual save when it reached to
God, and His holy religion. Perhaps the sermon —
which apparently was nothing special as to eloquence
or novelty— made no extraordinary impression upon
the general congregation, but to use Pere Lacor-
daire's own words, " Whenever God touches a sinner,
let the touch of His Hand be ever so light on head
or heart, that sinner is forthwith converted." M. de
Saint Beaussant felt that gracious touch, and he
returned to Nancy an altered man ; from that time he
gave himself up to good works, and being altogether
fascinated by the holiness and eloquence of Pere
Lacordaire, he threw himself into the Father's work,
bought and furnished a house for the Order, and, in
course of time, himself joined it1. It was on Whit

1 M. de Beaussant died at the Dominican College of Oullins,
where Lacordaire placed the following touching Inscription over
his tomb : —

HIC

DOMINUM EXPECTAT

FT. AUGUSTINUS THIERY DE SAINT BEAUSSANT,
ORDINIS FRATRUM PK^EDICATORUM,

QUI

POST MULTOS ULTRA JUVENTUTEM ANNOS
IN S^GCULI ERRORIBUS ET FLORB DUCTOS,

134 A DOMINICAN' ARTIS7

Sunday, 1843, that Pere Lacordaire took possession of
this house. In December, 1846, Pere Lacordaire
sent Pere Besson there, in order that he might lead a
more active life of preaching than he had hitherto
done at Chalais. He had perhaps been an over-
indulgent novice-master. "I am not fit for the
office," he said himself, " I never can reject any one,
I always expect people to improve, and it won't do."
In a few farewell words, written to his late novices,
Pere Besson expresses his pleasure at hearing that his
friend Danzas had succeeded him, adding, " I am all
the more glad because I hope that his zeal will undo
all the mischief my carelessness has done. If it had
been allowed me, I would fain have knelt before you
all to ask forgiveness for my negligence, before I left
Chalais. The Prior indeed thanked me for the edifi
cation I had caused you, but I felt keenly how little
I deserved any thing save blame ; — in truth I have
always been indolent and careless : you must all

LUCEM .(ETERNJE PULCHRITUDINIS, IMPROVISO ICTU,

ASPEXIT,
ET FRATRIBUS PR^EDICATORIBUS K FRANCIA EXULIBUS

PRIMAM DOMUM IN PATRIA DEDIT,

CORPUS DEINDE SUUM, ANIMAM ET NOMEN,

DONO FAUSTIORI,

ET TANDEM,
POST BREVE, SED MIRABILE, RELIGIONIS STADIUM,

ANNO SALUTIS MDCCCLII.
DULCITER HIC AD DEUM TRANSIENS,

MORTEM SUAM ILLIS PIISSIMAM,

t'LTIMUM ET JETERNUM DONUM,

RELIO.UIT.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 135

have felt it, but like faithful sons you cast a cloak
over your father's shame. Pray for me, for after all
it is to God that I must answer, and His judgment
is not to be set aside."

Writing to Pere Danzas, he says, " I want to tell
the novices through you how much I think of them,
and ask that God may give them the grace of per
severance to the end. There is no lack of work to
do ; every religious of our Order should do his best
to fit himself for his vocation, in all ways best -cal
culated to increase his knowledge and love of God.
There is a great deal to be done in the sphere of
labour assigned to us, and those who are best pre
pared will do most. Those few quiet years of retreat
pass quickly by, but the result of what is acquired
during those years does not pass away; and every
day I see more clearly that whoever aims at attaining
a powerful Christian influence over the minds of
others, must himself be filled with the spirit of self-
sacrifice, and of entire forgetfulness of self. There is
an infinity of souls waiting and seeking some one to
guide them into the way of truth, some one who will
lead them on, himself foremost in the way ; but before
a man can do that, he must die to himself. Such
mortification is a real science, and the years spent at
Chalais are a precious opportunity for our novices to
acquire it. A man whose whole heart was filled with

136 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

God Only, would draw the whole world after him.
We must love before we can persuade men ; love
solves difficulties, and reveals mysteries which many
words do but render more confused. O dear brother,
who will give us this gift of true love, our real voca
tion, our loving, beautiful calling. Blessed are they
who are taught of the Lord Himself, in whom He
speaks, the really pure in heart !"

In spite of all his self-accusations of sloth and negli
gence, no one who knew him but felt that such words
as these aptly described Pere Besson himself, and that
he had the gift of drawing men to walk in the paths of
holiness, through that very spirit of transparent unsel
fishness in which he believed himself to be so deficient.

The life at Nancy was a complete change from
Chalais and its peaceful retirement. Pere Besson's
own letters are the best description of it.

" I have no novices to teach, but I am myself an
arch-novice in the work before me. In another week I
must set to work in good earnest, after a very apostolic
fashion, for in truth I know not what I shall say. To
morrow, Sunday, I have to say a few words in a girls'
school here, on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a nice
beginning. Oh if some grace from that adorable
Heart might kindle mine, so that loving the Only True
Love myself, I might know how to lead others to find
all that the heart of man can desire in Him ! Next

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 137

Saturday I am going to a place near Pont a Mousson,
to preach a fortnight's retreat with Pere Hernsheim.
Pere Jandel will help us the first day or two, but he
will leave us plenty to do nevertheless. Then I shall
be for a fortnight at Nancy, and after that go alone to
give another retreat ; so you see I shall be fully occu
pied till Easter. However, I shall not wait till then
to write. You shall share my first campaigns, through
your prayers : while we work without, grace must work
within; the preacher indeed speaks, but it is God's
Holy Spirit Who touches and convinces men's hearts.
You are quite right, dear brother, not to ask eloquence
for me, rather ask God's Grace and Love, without
which all the rest is useless. Ask Him to impress
deeply upon me that all my thoughts, hopes, and affec
tions must be in and for Him, that He Alone must fill
my heart, and be my life, my all. It is of little use
merely to know this ; the thing of importance is to
feel it. It is easy enough to see that the world and
all external things are nought, and that God Who gives
us life, strength, love, is our All ; that without Him,
all is vanity. All this is easily perceived and said, but
it is not so easy to act upon it ; that involves self-
renunciation and death to the world and to self. We
are fascinated by the unreal life around us, which
keeps us back from our true Life, and we can scarce
bring ourselves to leave it, even while we know thaj

138 A DOMINIC A iV ARTIST

the life to which Jesus Christ calls us is the best ;
partly perhaps because while we feel the wrench im
mediately, the ineffable blessings of union with Him
are not as yet known to us. May He Who has made
us, draw us powerfully to Himself, so powerfully that
we may be set free by Him from ourselves, because of
ourselves we can in no way loosen or burst the bonds
of self-love, and if all who would love God and His
Truth need self-detachment, how much more do they
need it whose business it is to teach others !"

"NANCY, May \^th, 1847.

" I am now stationary again till autumn, perhaps
till winter. ... I am looking forward to this time as
a season in which, without neglecting study, I may re
new my soul within me, and refresh it with recollection
and prayer."

He studied Holy Scripture and S. Thomas Aquinas
diligently at this time, in preparation for preaching,
and sent to Chalais for a copy of the Summa divided
into small volumes, which were easily carried, because,
as he says, " One finds a Bible every where, but not

always a copy of S. Thomas."

"June \$th, 1847.

"Since the beginning of May my time has been
spent between the Confessional, prayer, and study; and
in truth it passes so quickly, and is so short compared
with all I have to do, that I grow very stingy of it ! I

A DOMINICAN AATIST

139

am only now beginning to understand how much
knowledge and how much love they ought to possess
whose mission it is to preach and direct others."

Pere Besson took great pains with his sermons, think
ing them well out first, and then writing notes which
were afterwards to be expanded as thoughts presented
themselves to his mind. He was never a great orator,
but his sermons were artist-like in their clearness of
outline, their abundant imagery, and their warmth of
colour and feeling. His action, in which the great
charm of his oratory lay, was peculiar, and consisted
more in an indefinable humility and gentleness, in the
purity and sympathy expressed in his countenance,
than in energy of gesture. There was something en
thralling in his calm manner and his sweet voice,
which seemed to tell of habitual close communion with
God. A Lorraine peasant once expressed this by
saying, " He needn't talk, he converts one by looking
at one V Later on, when preaching at Rome, people
who did not understand French, used to come to his
sermons " to look at him ;" and a French soldier was
overheard exclaiming to his comrades, " That man is
just a speaking Crucifix!" But Pere Besson never
accepted any credit to himself when, as often hap
pened, his sermons wrought powerfully on men's

2 ' ' Celui-la n'a pas besoin de parler, il convertit en vous
regardant."

140 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

hearts. Thus after a mission, he writes to Pere Dan-
zas, " I have been often amazed at the easy access I
have found to people's souls, and to tell you the truth,
it has half frightened me ; for though it is a gift of God's
Grace, like all else, there is so little corresponding
grace in me. Pray for me, dear brother, that I may
grow in grace, and that, while converting others, I may
be converted myself.

" As time goes on, I realize more the shortness of
life, and I marvel more that perceiving Eternal Truth
as I do, it does not stamp my heart more deeply.
How is it thj.it one clings so tight to that which one
knows to be worthless, all the while doing so little to
possess oneself of what one knows to be the only real
good ? . . . Every day one says, I will begin to-day,
and then at night one finds that one has not really
begun to love Christ. There are souls who say little
and love much, how blessed are they ! "

Mission sand retreats followed closely one upon the
other — it was a life of constant hard work. Sometimes
Pere Besson found himself in places where infidelity
and immorality were rampant. On one such occasion
his first sermon was attended only by a few old
women and some curious and evil-disposed critics, but
the next night the church was crowded, and before
the mission ended, the preacher's Confessional was
surrounded till midnight by men who had neglected

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 141

their religious duties for years. At other times per
sons whose past life had been wholly unsanctified
were drawn to the gentle monk, whose words breathed
so much love and pity ; and by God's blessing, he was
able to bring many wanderers home. But the work
he liked best, and which was most congenial, was
when it fell to his lot to give retreats to religious
communities ; several times he gave a retreat to the
Dominican Sisters at Langres. After one of these he
writes, " I have been greatly edified in this retreat.
Nothing does one so much good, or so tends to refresh
and strengthen one, as coming in contact with pure,
generous, simple souls ; and God Only, Who can read
the heart, knows how many such hidden treasures are
to be found within the Cloister. I cannot tell you how
small and poor I felt myself beside such refined, noble
souls ! It has been a prosperous retreat; God blessed
the prayers of His servants, and rilled us all with His
choicest consolations. Perhaps it is the contrast
which I perceive in myself that now saddens me.
Without presuming to compare myself to S. Augustin,
I feel in a measure what he felt at the time of his
conversion — I seem to be far away from God. How
these poor earthly hearts of ours rise and fall with
hope and fear, zeal and sloth — never the same —
always fluctuating ! When shall we put an end to all
this, and cleave solely to God for ever ? Happy he

I42 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

who sees, desires, longs for but one thing, who realizes
that one thing alone is necessary, and gives himself up
wholly to God. All is peace for him — he has built
upon a rock ; the winds may blow, the rains fall, the
floods overflow, but he is unshaken in his strength.
Why is it so hard to detach oneself from what in truth
is leaving one day by day ? Why so difficult to die
once for all to that to which one inevitably dies daily ?
Why are the threads which bind us to self and to the
world so subtle and elastic ? why do they unite again
almost before one has snapped them? I thought
I was dead for ever to the world, and now I find that
I am wholly alive to every thing ! O Jesus, without
Thy precious gift and calling, how should I ever con
quer my weakness and instability ? without the three
nails of poverty, chastity, and obedience, to fix me
irrevocably to Thy Cross, where should I be ? Blessed
Jesus, it is good for me to be here, here will I abide
for ever. Those sacred nails which fasten me to
Thee keep my hands and feet from straying as my
heart strays, while they call back that same wandering
heart, and stay it on Thy Cross. What should we be,
but for Jesus, and for Jesus crucified? Whither would
our weakness and our troubles carry us, without Him
to support and comfort us ?"

One of the Sisters of Langres writes thus of the Pere
Besson's visits to her community: "Whenever Pere

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 143

Besson came among us, we were always struck with
his simplicity, his angelic gentleness, and the purity of
soul which seemed the atmosphere he lived in. It
would hardly be possible to convey the impression
which he made ; one might have applied to him the
words used by S. Vincent de Paul of S. Francis de
Sales, and have said, 'How good God must be, if
Pere Besson is so good!' He was kindness and
gentleness itself; there never seemed to be the least
change or unevenness in his outward manner, which
was a reflection of his pure and calm soul. When he
was among us, it recalled what we read of our Father
S. Dominic among his nuns at San Sisto ; there was
the same open heart, the same simplicity, the same
transparent truthfulness. One felt that Pere Besson
was at home in his Dominican family : he used to
make our recreations so pleasant with his cheerfulness
and his little anecdotes, though sometimes he would
reproach himself afterwards with a fear lest he had
made us dissipated ! During a retreat he and Pere
Jandel gave us in 1847, he could not sleep one night
for fear he had hindered our edification in this way,
and at last he got up and went to Pere Jandel to con
fide his anxiety to him. The next day at recreation,
Pere Jandel told us, laughing, of this nocturnal visit,
and all the time Pere Besson was plucking his gown,
and looking at him beseechingly, as though to stop

144 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

him, hanging his head like a naughty child ! The
* dissipation ' had only consisted in recollections of
his novitiate, and he never left out any little details
which seemed to tell against himself; it was above all
at such times as these that his exceeding humility was
seen.

"When the community was assembled in order to
discuss serious matters, and Pere Jandel was explain
ing the constitutions or any customs of the Order to
us, Pere Besson would remain silent and recollected ;
but often Pere Jandel would break off suddenly and
say, ' After all, Pere Besson knows infinitely more
than I do about all this — he has practised it himself,
and taught it to others as novice-master ;' and then
Pere Besson would give the required instruction, so
gently and so clearly. We always noticed that, however
animated his conversation — and he was very cheerful
— he was always charitable and indulgent to others ;
and if any one spoke unfavorably of another, whether
absent or present, he would always take up their
defence, and find something to praise in them. His
spirit of obedience used continually to edify us. One
day at our mid-day recreation, Pere Jandel turned
suddenly to him, saying, ' Father, you must give this
evening's instruction on the Judgment.' Pere Besson
was not prepared, and he considered himself inca
pable of preaching without considerable preparation,

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 145

so that this requisition took him by surprise. c I shall
have nothing to say, mon Pere] he answered ; ' I
fear I shall be unequal to being of any edification
to our Sisters, being quite unprepared/ ' Never
mind, do your best/ Pere Jandel replied. ' Besides,
there are some hours for you to think over your
subject/ Pere Besson said no more ; but as soon
as recreation was over he went to the chapel
where he remained for long, kneeling before the
Blessed Sacrament, seemingly altogether absorbed
in prayer. When he entered the pulpit his first
words were upon the solemn subject allotted to him,
but he soon passed from that to the subjects which
more habitually occupied him : trust in God, loving
confidence, and the blessedness of Heaven. After
wards some of us said to him, ' Well, Father, your
Judgment was not very long or very severe ! you
soon led us on to Paradise !' l Que voidez-vous ?'
he answered. 'I cannot help it, I do not think
I shall ever be able to preach those great and awful
truths/"

While at Nancy the Pere Besson was largely occu
pied in direction, a work in which he probably
excelled more than in preaching. He had a great
gift of reaching other men's hearts, more as it seems
through his quick and loving sympathy, than through
any special penetration. If any thing his defect was

L

146 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

an excessive indulgence, and he was some times ac
cused of attaching his penitents too closely to him
self. " Que voulcz-vous 1" he would answer, "What
can I do if it seems to help them ?" His reproofs
were so kindly, and his patience so great, that the
most timid souls took courage under his guidance, and
those who were by nature self-sufficing, readily sub
mitted to his obedience. Where the need of souls
was in question, nothing was allowed to interfere ;
however great the distance, or whatever his occupa
tions, Per* Besson was always ready to spend and be
spent for those who needed him.

" It will be long before his gentleness and kindness
are forgotten here," writes a friend from Nancy, " or
the marvellous gift he had of sympathising with and
comforting all who were in trouble. His vocation in
Nancy seemed to be that of giving universal comfort
and encouragement. He never spared himself, but
gave time, words, heart, all full of the grace of Jesus
Christ to any who needed his help. If he gave the
preference to any, it was to the poor and lowly, to
servants out of place, unfortunate people in the hospi
tal, to all such as had no other friends or protectors, —
what he was to such as these only those can tell who
knew what his personal holiness was. After he went
to Italy, he used still to remember his poor friends
here, and when he wrote to the Fathers of this Con-

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 147

vent it was generally about some of them whose sor
rows or frailty made him yearn over them from afar."

We have seen how, even as a young layman, Pere
Besson's almsgiving reached to the verge of impru
dence, and in this respect he never amended. As
long as he could lay hands on any thing — money or
food— it was sure to be given away; and when in 1849
he succeeded Pere Jandel as Prior of the home at
Nancy, the unlucky Pere procureur was often reduced
to great straits owing to his Superior's generosity.

Before the end of 1847 another brother from whom
much had been hoped was taken away — the Pere
Hernsheim, who from a disciple of Cousin had
become an earnest and able son of S. Dominic. He
made his profession at the same time with Pere
Besson, and was one of the first of the Dominicans
who were sent to Nancy. His power of speaking was
remarkable, and Pere Lacordaire, after slipping unper-
ceived into the Church where he was preaching, and
listening from behind a pillar, thanked God for having
sent him so able and apostolic a colleague, one pos
sessing " such a vigorous, clear, powerful mind, with
so great a gift of expressing himself, at once com
bining so much imagination with such tender and
heart-searching beauty of expression."

Pere Hernsheim's health had been feeble for some
time past, and on his return in May, 1847, fr°ra some

L 2

148 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

laborious missions, he could no longer fight against
the inroads of disease. Pere Besson devoted himself
to the sick man, and soothed his last weeks of suffer
ing. On Nov. 1 4th, 1847, P^re Hernsheim entered
on his rest. He was buried at the Chartreuse de
Bosserville, near Nancy.

The year 1848 and its manifold troubles and
anxieties will not soon be forgotten. Before the revo
lutions which convulsed Europe had actually burst
forth, there was a strong under-current of insecurity
and storm which prepared the minds of thoughtful
men for what was at hand. Pere Besson wrote to M.
Cartier, —

"NANCY, January ytih, 1848.

" We expect ypu here for the Congress, and I look
forward to having you among us for a few days ; till
then we must pray for one another, and often meet in
the Heart of Him Who binds us together, the Lord
Jesus. What shall I ask for you ? that you may love
Him more and more, that He may detach your heart
from the things of this world, and strengthen your
trust in Him. How happy one is to be able to lean
solely upon Him amid all the surrounding agitation,
to remember that He governs all things, that He holds
the destiny of the world and of His Church in His
Hand, and that neither storm, darkness, nor tempest
can prevail against His all-powerful Will ! When one

A DOMINICAN' ARTIST 149

sees the sky lowering, the floods threatening, and the
earth ' reeling like a drunken man ' in the language
of Holy Scripture, how blessed it is to know that one
is safe within the ark of Christ's Church ! and how piti
fully one grieves for those who persist in refusing to
hearken to His threats and promises, unheeding the
coming deluge ! I often muse over such thoughts as I
watch what is going on all around. There are troublous,
stormy times before us, but God can build up His
own House amid surrounding ruin, and I look confi
dently for the deliverance of His children. If at times
my heart sinks under the prospect of a temporary
triumph of the Evil One, I take comfort in the cer
tainty that our Lord Jesus will come, and ' will not
tarry.' . . . Who can penetrate into the future, and
foresee what will be our position at the end of this
century ? I doubt not but that God and His Church
will triumph, but there will be sharp struggles before
victory, and we shall have to mourn over many a
fallen warrior. How I pity those who in such days
as these are without Christian faith, hope, and love !
Shall we live to see the troublous times that are at
hand? Shall we be called to confess the Name of
Christ on the scaffold, in prison, or in exile ? I know
not, but I wait trustfully, asking that I may be found
ready for the time of trial whenever it comes, and
that God will give both to me and my brethren grace

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

and strength to fight for Him with our last breath.
' Blessed are they who die in the Lord/ it is written ;
and more blessed still they who die for the Lord and
His holy Church. I am unworthy of such grace, but
if He grants it me, I should indeed esteem it precious."
There is no need to recapitulate the events of that
troublous February, which are a matter of history ; we
are chiefly concerned with them in so far as they
affected, or were affected by, the Order of S. Dominic.
The streets of Paris were still barricaded when the
appointed time for the Conferences at Notre Dame to
begin arrived. Pere Lacordaire sent word to this
effect to the Provisionary Government, and was told
in reply that he was not only at liberty to resume his
post, but that they requested him to do so, and
thanked him for the trust in them to which his mes
sage bore witness. Lacordaire had no sympathy with
the fallen dynasty, but neither was he a republican.
Nevertheless, as is well known, he accepted the re
public, believing that he could best serve his country
by a loyal adhesion to the form of government she was
about to try, while he steadily refused to pander to
uny of the popular fallacies of the day, or to yield in
any thing which he believed the duty of a Christian
or a Churchman. Pere Lacordaire's share in the Ere
Nouvelle, his election as the representative of Marseilles,
and his single appearance in the National Assembly

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 151

in the long proscribed monkish habit, are all well
known facts, as are the motives which led him to re
sign his seat on May i6th, convinced as he was that
the republic was entering upon a fatal and suicidal
career. The French Dominicans, though of course
none were prominently before the public like their
leader, followed in his line of opinion • while leaving
politics aside, they continued their labours of prayer
and preaching. Vivid memories of the enthusiastic
days of the Rue Chabannais must have come upon Pere
Besson, but politics and social theories had no longer
any claim upon him save in so far as they concerned
Christ and His Church ; he still indeed was ready to
take Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity as his watch
word, but his definition of their true meaning was
drawn from the Gospel of Christ, and thence alone did
he expect to find a remedy for all social wrongs. His
former friend, M. Buchez, raised to the post of Pre
sident of the National Assembly, was constrained to
see his more noble theories perverted and degraded,
while his former disciple was on the other hand carry
ing them to a higher perfection than Buchez had ever
dreamt of, under the transforming light of the Gospel.
Pere Besson's opinions on the subject that so largely
occupied the minds of men at this time, may be
gathered from the notes of a sermon he preached on
the Sacred Heart

152 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

"Suffering," he said, " has a large share in the life of
man. Of old, Christians submitted to this inevitable
suffering with resignation and love, because they
could fathom its mystery; they wept, but without
bitterness, and that because their gaze was fixed on
Heaven, the Cross was in their hand, Christ Jesus was
in their heart. But now men have ceased to lament
after this fashion, and their mourning savours of recri
mination and blasphemy. Physicians have arisen who
sought to probe our social wounds, but far from heal
ing, their rough, unknowing hands have but made
those wounds deeper and sorer. We have turned a
deaf ear to the Voice of Jesus Christ, and have heark
ened to the siren delusions which would fain seem
more soothing than Himself, — we have trusted to false
and hollow hopes : — hence has poured forth an ocean
of untold troubles.

" The social life of our day has fallen into its present
deplorable state wherein it lies grovelling, because it
has ceased to believe in the Saviour, and has given
itself up, body and soul, to rationalism. Rationalism
has led on to sensuality, sensuality to egoism, and
who can wonder if, thus undermined, society is in
danger of plunging into an abyss of anarchy? There
is no hope, no comfort, no life for it, save in what it
has rejected, the Heart of Jesus. Of a truth our age
is crushed with these great and hopeless troubles

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 153

because it has forsaken the Arms of Jesus Christ, and
has ceased to seek life and impulse from His Heart ;
like the prodigal son, it has grown weary of its Father's
house, it has given ear to the promptings of pride, and
has thought to find happiness in absolute indepen
dence. It has said, Why need I crave of others that
which I possess myself? Have I not reason to en
lighten me, a heart tending naturally to that which
is good, and a conscience guided by an internal reve
lation of truth ? I will cast aside my swaddling bands,
and take possession of my heritage. Thus modern
society has forsaken God its Father, and the Church
its mother, to seek a self-created happiness, — it has
ceased to be Christian, and has become rationalist.

" But rationalism leads to sensuality ; it cannot set
aside the natural aspiration after happiness which is
inherent in man, a happiness towards which all our
faculties must tend, whether in a right or wrong
channel. Far from denying that happiness is our
true destiny, reason proclaims such to be the case, and
rationalism, which is reason abused, reiterates the cry,
and would fain make it the ground of its warfare
against Christ and His Church. Rationalism abhors
us because we would keep the human race fixed in
adoration before the Cross and its mysteries, and put
it as a barrier between man and the indulgence of his
material inclinations. Rationalism would have us

154 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

believe that it possesses the real key of happiness, and
holds out the promise of a wondrous age in which
man is to enjoy absolute happiness under its rule.
But what is this happiness ? It must be spiritual or
material ; now rationalism, severed from God's Provi
dence as it is, can give no spiritual happiness, it can
offer nothing save a material happiness, one appre
ciated through the channel of the senses, and that is
sensuality.

" Sensuality must lead to egoism for two reasons.
First, because the good things of this world are insuffi
cient to satisfy all claimants, and the few must of
necessity sacrifice the many, enjoying their sensual
indulgences at the expense of others; and next be
cause sensuality stifles the higher instincts of the soul,
— it degrades and corrupts men's hearts. Nothing so
hardens men as luxury and selfishness, the inevitable
result of rationalism ; and sensuality is the most
boundless source of social suffering that exists ; it is
the supremacy, the autocracy of the individual who
thinks of himself before all, above all, to the exclusion
of all. He is to take the very place of God in the
things of sense, of the affections, of the intellect.
Egoism is a false, destructive principle ; it is opposed to
all the realities of life, and consequently it leads to every
possible form of delusion and suffering; and everything
that is false is of necessity destructive. Truth must

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 155

needs be the foundation of all that endures, it is,
thanks to the element of truth which lurks in most
errors, that they exist at all. This false and destruc
tive egoism attacks society with all its might and
main; and if it conquers, it is but over a ruined
society, — anarchy must ensue ; the hand of every man
is raised against his neighbour, men's desires, hopes,
longings, clash on all sides ; and peace will never be
attained save by a return to Gospel truth and the love
of Jesus Christ.

" Christianity had installed a new order of things ; it
had enlarged and exalted man's heart, which ratio
nalism has depressed. The crying evil of our day is
that men have learnt to consider enjoyment the object
of their existence. It is not true ; we are here that
we may reach on to Heaven ; suffering will always
encompass us, and holiness alone will diminish that
suffering.

" The true object of association is not increased pro
duction with a view to increased consumption, but
an increased mutual love. As it is, the words Liberty
and Fraternity are borrowed from Christianity to be
applied after pagan fashion ; for to what end is a mere
union of strength where there is no union of hearts ?
and hearts cannot be united save through the Sacred
Heart of Jesus Christ. Now men separate religion,
which is God's law, from that liberty by which it should

156 A DOMINICAN' ARTIST

be fulfilled, as though liberty belonged solely to this
world, and religion to the other ; thus riches are the
result of labour, labour of capital, capital of slavery.
So long as liberty is not conjoined with faith we must
have revolutions. Man's earthly life has an end be
yond this world, and the true object of all social com
binations is to lead the human race to God in a happy
eternity."

Scarcely was there a lull in the political world and
its manifold troubles, when a fresh visitation came
from God's Hand, to lay all classes low, an awful and
practical lesson in the equality of sickness and death.
Cholera appeared in an aggravated form, and all the
country around Nancy was laid low beneath that fatal
scourge.. Politicians and demagogues fled before its
approach; but those whose theory was Liberty to
serve God and man, Equality in sickness and death,
and Fraternity wherever a suffering mortal needed a
brother's help, came bravely to the rescue, and there
was no lack of the true spirit of self-devotion either
among the parochial Clergy, the Sisters and Associates
of S. Vincent de Paul, or the Dominicans. One parish
especially, Hauraucourt, was devastated in a most
terrible way ; and finding himself wholly unequal to
meet the call upon strength and time, the parish
priest applied to the Bishop of Nancy for help;— the
result of which was that Pere Besson went immediately

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 157

to the scene of suffering, where directly on his arrival
he was summoned to a poor dying woman, whose only
nurse was her idiot son, and who was utterly destitute
of every alleviation, bodily as well as spiritual. Pere
Besson took upon him the office of nurse as well as
priest, which was the more difficult as he had to beg*
such food as his patient required. The mother died,
but the son recovered, and attached himself devotedly
to the good Father, who indeed was well appreciated
on all sides, and the " Prctre blanc" was in universal
request. It was impossible for him to carry on the
work single-handed ; he wrote to Nancy for reinforce
ments, and Pere Jandel speedily arrived with two other
religious and two members of the Conference de S.
Vincent de Paul. They further obtained the help of
four Sisters of Charity, and by means of good organi
zation, secured fitting attention to body and soul
among the poor sufferers. Pere Besson continued
the good angel of the place, and whenever he was not
occupied in his directly religious functions among the
sick and dying, he might be found carrying soup or
other food to their homes, or assisting to bury the
dead, for so great was the panic that it was difficult to
find any one to render those last offices.

Some of the people likened him to Joseph of Ari-
mathasa, as they watched him tenderly and reverently
laying those in the grave whose parting moments he

158 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

had soothed and helped. His companions used to
assert that Pere Besson only had one night's rest
while at Hauraucourt, and that was because once while
making a sick man's bed he upset the lamp sus
pended from the low ceiling and deluged himself
with oil, a performance which obliged him to remain
wrapped up in a blanket while his habit underwent
such purification as was practicable. Far from strong
as he was, Pere Besson went through the hardships of
this time without betraying any serious consequences
from them ; worst of all these hardships, perhaps, to
his sensitive nature, were the numerous and unwel
come insects which the Fathers brought away from the
filthy cottages in which they ministered. But he used
to say, laughing, that, after all, even fleas were an
exercise of patience from which something might be
gained ! Some of the inhabitants who had fled at the
first sign of danger, leaving others to minister to their
neighbours, affected to believe that the religious were
taking their ease at Hauraucourt, and these stings
were treated like those of the material vermin. " Let
us pray for them," was the only answer Pere Besson
would give when told of the calumnies put forth.
When the danger was gone, and there only remained
some convalescent patients, the Dominicans gave a
mission, which at such a moment, as might have been
hoped, had great success. As they were returning to

A DOMINICAN' ARTIST

159

Nancy, one of the religious observed that Pere Besson
looked sad, and inquired the reason. "No," he
replied, "I am not sad, but perhaps I am a little dis
appointed that God has not accepted the sacrifice I
offered of my life. I am not worthy of being buried
among these poor people we have so gladly tended,
but it would have been an honour to the Order if a
Dominican had been laid beside them." The same
labours were renewed at Chateau Voue, and other
villages ; and though Pere Besson never complained
of fatigue, and never even alluded to the exhausting
toils he was undergoing to his friend Cartier, he was
well-nigh spent when, in October, 1849, Pere Jandel
was removed to the Priorate of Flavigny, and was suc
ceeded at Nancy by Pere Besson, who thereby gained
increased liberty for self-devotion. But with winter
weather the cholera diminished, and he was able to
give himself again more to preaching missions and
retreats than to actual nursing. One of the missions
took him to the neighbourhood of Domremy, where
he made a pilgrimage to the scenes connected with
Jeanne d'Arc, for whose memory he had a special
veneration. He sent M. Cartier a flower gathered
from beneath her window, a twig from the cypress
growing by the door of her house, and a scrap of
wood from a beam in her own room. Domremy, it
seems, bore but a bad reputation at this time for.

i6o

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

religion and morals; and Pere Besson says, "This
contrast with former times, and with the simple,
earnest faith of La Pucelle, made me feel very sad, for
it is a type of the distance there is between our
modern France and that of our forefathers. Where
is the faith or hope of modern France? She no
longer clings to Jesus Christ, or realizes what it is that
alone can save her, and give her peace ; and how can
one help looking anxiously to the future where such
is the case? Life and death are before us, but
it seems as though we had not strength to choose
life : Faith is necessary for such a choice, and the
spirit of self-sacrifice, and we, alas, reject both 1"

CHAPTER VI

Pere Besson is recalled to Rome— Reform in the Dominican
Order — Pere Jandel appointed General — Interview with Pio
Nono — Life at Santa Sabina — San Sisto Paintings — Visit from
the Pope — Friendship with Overbeck — Eastern Missions —
Pere Besson volunteers as a Missionary — Sails for Constanti
nople—Smyrna — Aleppo— Journey to Mossoul — Difficulties
there — Pere Besson practises as a Doctor — Visit to the Holy
Land — Return to Rome.

PfeRE BESSON was not destined to remain long
Prior at Nancy ; he was soon called to leave it,
never to return. While Lacordaire and his little band
were striving to restore the Dominican Order to its origi
nal vigour and usefulness in France, the Italian houses
of the same Order were slackening their ardour and
their toil ; in many cases the Rule was greatly relaxed,
and the Fathers more generally gave themselves up to
a quiet studious life, which did but little towards ful
filling their professed task of teaching and kindling

M

1 62 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

men's hearts through the agency of missions and re
treats. Pope Pius IX. earnestly desired to alter this
state of things, and to bring back the Order of S.
Dominic to its primitive purity and usefulness, and for
this end he resolved to employ the French Domi
nicans, whose self-devoted earnestness had made no
small impression on him. No doubt Lacordaire him
self was the leading mind and most commanding
intellect among the little company, but he had a dis
tinct \vork to do in France, and perhaps, too, the
Pope's keen penetration saw that he was better suited
for his present labours, in which his wonderful gift
of eloquence served so great a purpose, than for the
weight of administration which must fall upon the
General of so important an Order. Accordingly the
Holy Father summoned Pere Jandel to Rome, and
Pere Lacordaire writes, " Our chief news just now is
that the Holy Father has sent for Pere Jandel con
cerning the affairs of the Order, which engross him
much. He has reserved the appointment of a new
General for himself, and before filling the post, he
wishes to inquire more precisely into our work of re*
storation in France. For this purpose he has sum
moned Pere Jandel just because he is not the Superior,
and between ourselves, perhaps with some idea of
making him General of the Order. It would be a
great honour to our province, and a great joy to

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 163

me1." Nevertheless when it came to the point, Pere
Lacordaire regretted the appointment, and even under
took a journey to Rome with the hope of retaining
so valuable a member of the Order for France. " He
is invaluable," Lacordaire says in a letter, " the very
man I need : I can do the outer work, and he the
inner, — for although I make some advance in the
spiritual life, the eager activity of by-gone days has
not disappeared in me as yet."

But Pius IX. had resolved that it should be so, and
on September 27, 1850, the Pere Jandel became
Vicar-General of the Dominicans, the seal and symbol
of his dignity being a Crown of Thorns. One of the
first steps taken by the new General was to summon
the Pere Besson nominally to represent the French
province at Rome ; practically still more to avail him
self of the services of his dearest friend, whose fervour
and self-devotion he well knew how to appreciate.
Moreover, Pere Besson was already familiar with Italy
and the Italians, and had many friends among the
Roman Dominicans; his gentle, conciliatory character,
not unmixed with firmness, was likely to be invaluable
in the work of reform, and the friends had not worked
together all these years without fully entering into and
sharing one another's aspirations after the primitive
spirit of S. Dominic, from which the Order had un-
1 Lettre a Mdme. Eudoxie de la Tour du Pin.
M 2

, 1 64 A D 0 MI NIC AN AR TIST

questionably fallen. Pere Besson announces his
departure to Frere de Saint Beaussant thus : —

"NANCY, August 2&th, 1850.

"Pray for me, dear brother; 1 need it more than
ever, for I am just about to leave Nancy and join Pere
Jandel at Rome. He wishes me to be ready to come
as soon as his nomination is definitively settled, and
that I suppose, from what he writes to his own family,
is pretty well certain, in spite of all his reluctance. I
am very far from being fit for such a task, for though
of course mine will be nothing to our poor Father's
burden, still it is far too heavy for such as I am, and
I shall indeed need God's most special help to sus
tain me under it. So I would most urgently commend
myself to you and our brothers : I only ask one grace,
that I may give myself unreservedly to God : that in
cludes all else ; and if I could but attain to that, I need
fear nothing !"

On October 8th, 1850, Pere Besson left Nancy, and
wishing to take leave of the Dominican Sisters at Lan-
gres, he hurried to their Convent during the time in
which the diligence stopped for the passengers' break
fast. The officials amused themselves with a practical
joke, as they considered it, and hurried the diligence
off before the proper time, carrying on Pere Besson's
luggage, and even his breviary, in order, as they said,
"to have the fun of seeing the Jesuit in a passion."

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 165

But they were surprised, and vexed at their own im
pertinence, when they saw how gently and patiently the
object of their petty spite bore the annoyance.

M. Cartier met the Pere Besson at Flavigny, where,
as usual, there was a continual demand upon every
moment of his time ; he then went to Toulon, from
whence his journey was by sea, and the night hours of
his passage were spent in earnest conversation, result
ing in the conversion of one of the ship's officers.

Pere Besson's first return to Rome, so full as it was
of associations, was very touching ; but he had no time
to give up to mere feeling, there was too much real
work to be done. Almost immediately after his
arrival he was presented by the Pere Jandel to the
Pope. His own account of the audience, written to
Frere de Beaussant, is interesting : —

" The Holy Father received us alone in his cabinet, '
and remained standing, talking with us for more than
a quarter of an hour, so that I was well able to study
the holy expression of his countenance, the indescrib
able calm and peace stamped on every feature, and
to listen to his kindly, courteous words. He took my
scapulary and cloak between his fingers, to examine
the stuff, and pronounced it good. His chief conver
sation was with the Very Reverend Father, but he also
said some kind words to me. I could not tell you
what an impression the interview has made upon me.

166 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

But the most touching part of it was when the cannon
of S. Angelo announced the Angflus, and Pius IX.
knelt down before his table, and repeated the wonted
prayer aloud, we making the responses. Then he gave
us his blessing, and we kissed his hand ; after that I
asked him to bless the Crucifix which I wear on my
breast, telling him that it was the same which my
mother had embraced in her dying moments. ' We
must hope,' he said, 'that it was her guide to Heaven.'
Then he took it, and blessed it, and then I knelt down
and kissed his feet with the deepest veneration and
love. My heart is full of the sacred remembrances of
this time, and it will ever be one of the most precious
moments of my life."

The new General had no easy task before him;
the very facts of his youth, his being a foreigner, and
• the unusual way in which he was appointed, were cal
culated to excite opposition, and he had to deal with
men whose age and intellectual capacities were in many
cases entitled to all respect. However, Pere Jandel
set to work cautiously, inquiring first into the general
condition of the Order, through the Provincials — an
inquiry which laid bare the decadent state of things,
and proved that the great work to which the Domi
nicans were destined — Mission preaching — was almost
totally neglected. From the time of his own novitiate
Pere Jandel had studied the subject of reform, and he

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 167

now put forth a circular, stating his views and inten
tions. " We are the children of saints," he says, "and
•we glory in our forefathers, but let us bear in mind
that if on our side we do no credit to them, our glory
will be turned to shame. If a degenerate son is a
shame to his father, so the glory of ancestors is the
shame of degenerate children, who lose all right to
their heritage when it becomes a mere shadow, devoid
of substance. S. John Baptist warned the Jews,
1 Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abra
ham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able
of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham ;'
and our Lord Himself said, 'If ye were Abraham's chil
dren, ye would do the works of Abraham / and S. Paul
says, ' For they are not all Israel which are of Israel :
neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they
all children.' Let us beware, lest the kingdom of God
be taken from us, and given to those who bear more
fruit. . . . We hope better things of you, brethren."

The most effectual way of regaining the true spirit
of S. Dominic seemed to be the establishment in
every province of a house in which the original
Rule should be strictly observed — which was very
far from being the existing state of things in Italy.
The General determined on making the Convent of
Santa Sabina at Rome a model for the rest, and to this
end he appointed Pere Besson its Prior. He went

i68 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

there at once, and wrote as follows immediately after
wards to Fere Danzas : —

"SANTA SABINA, October zyd, 1850.
"I reached Rome four days ago, but I have not had
a moment at my own disposal till now. Yesterday even
ing I came here as Prior • we shall be about twenty in
all, novices and fathers, and our aim is to live more
strictly in accordance with the spirit of our Order,
though we shall still come short of the perfect fulfilment
of our constitutions, short even of what we have been
able to do in France. The Italians are frightened at the
idea of an exact observance of our Rule, and it will not
do to lay upon them more than they are willing to accept
at present. We must be content to do what we can
now, and look on to the time when we may aim at
better things; nevertheless I hope that time may not
be far off, and that we shall ere long return to our real
bounden duty and practice. I shall take the measure
of my companions, and see who can be trusted, and
whenever there are as many as four who heartily wish
it, we will go in for the great work of reform. I am
certain we shall never do any thing really lasting until
we go back fully to the life our predecessors led. . . .
I do not know whether S. Dominic's stem will flourish
anew in our day in Italy ; any how it certainly thrives
in France. . . . Let us be filled with the spirit of
self-sacrifice, and we shall be true men of God, real

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 16$

Apostles. Let us adhere diligently to the practice of
our Rule — neglect of that has been the cause of all our
ills ; our Rule is our life — let us never lose sight of
that truth. Let us strive to be religious, not merely
in name and habit, but really and truly, and to that
end let us study to imitate our saintly forefathers in all
things. . . . This is what our Very Reverend Father
thinks about the Order; he would have us seek
strength by internal regularity and external activity,
and that activity will be in proportion to the inward
vigour from which it emanates. . . . Let us each strive
to be ourselves what we should be, and then our
aspirations will not remain mere sentiment, but they
will take shape in real work."

On December ist, Pere Besson wrote to one of
his spiritual children, " I am at the head of a
community in Santa Sabina, a Convent given by
Pope Honorius III. to S. Dominic. Every thing
around reminds us of our forefathers, and one seems
still to hear the echo of S. Dominic's sighs, as
he knelt within this church, offering himself for the
salvation of sinners — the spot where he was wont to
pray is still pointed out. . . . There is one cell where
he, S. Francis of Assisi, and the Blessed Angelo de
Carmi once spent a whole night together talking of
heavenly things ; and it was in the Chapter-room
that my patron, S. Hyacinthe, received the habit from

170 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

S. Dominic. Numbers of holy men have gone forth
from these ancient walls to evangelize the world, and
how many lie beneath the pavement we tread under
our feet, whose souls we believe to be with God !
God's Providence has cast my lot in a pleasant place,
and I am sustained and strengthened by so many
saintly memories ; nevertheless I do not forget Nancy,
and daily at the Holy Sacrifice, I go over the names
of all the souls God entrusted to me there, entreating
Him to give them fresh supplies of His Grace, and
through His Mercy to make up for all my many defi
ciencies towards them."

There were many difficulties to be encountered,
and much opposition, sometimes even from the very
men who had wished to see the Order reformed, but
who were not prepared for such downright reform.
The opposing party nick-named Pere Jandel "the
great Tiger," and Pere Besson "the little Tiger" ! but
nevertheless, they both worked quietly on in the spirit
of the words which Pere Besson had inscribed on the
Convent walls : " In silentio et spe erit fortitudo
vestra " (" In quietness and confidence shall be your
strength"). " Our house," he wrote, " consists almost
entirely of young religious who are either novices or
students, and who cannot as yet serve the Order as
we hope they will do hereafter ; but their hearty good
will is an encouragement to us, and we trust that God

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 171

will continue to bless our small beginning. The
Reverend Father has an immense burden resting on
him, of which the weight increases daily, and he does
indeed need many prayers. His task is so difficult
that he can only hope to perform it with the help of
God's special Grace. Mine is easy in comparison,
having only to deal with men whose will is all in the
right direction, and but for the share I must of course
take in our dear Father's Cross, I should have nothing
to trouble me. All the while our work prospers, in
spite of all the opposition of the devil; it advances
but slowly of course, but the spirit of reform gains
ground, and begins to show some result ; above all,
we are upheld by the unquestionable tokens God has
given us of His protection. These are so clear, that
we cannot fail to see His Hand in all that has occurred,
and so we are strong in hope ; no such undertaking
ever was made without great difficulties to encounter.
God would have man feel how powerless he is, before
He blesses the work, so that we may realize that all
good comes from Him Alone, and may be humble in
success, giving all the glory to Him Who Alone is
worthy of glory.

"The work of reformation goes on, though but
slowly, and day by day the burden presses more
heavily on our Reverend Father-General; as his
sphere of action grows larger, his anxieties necessarily

172 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

increase, and at times he is very much oppressed by
the difficulties he has to encounter. Still his courage
does not fail, feeling as he does that he is upheld
almost visibly by the Hand of God in all that con
cerns the Order. Such difficulties are inevitable ; no
great work was ever yet accomplished without a great
deal of suffering.

" Since you left us, we have sent a brother and three
novices from hence to Santa Maria at Florence, the
Fathers of that Convent having resolved to begin a
strict observance of the Rule, and having conse
quently asked us for some one to guide them. This
has been a great cause of thankfulness to us. Tus
cany used to be a land of saints, and in former days
our Order reaped a great harvest of glory there :
S. Catherine of Sienna, S. Antoninus, S. Catherine of
Ricci, S. Agnes of Monte Pulciano, and the Blessed
Angelico da Fiesole, not to speak of many more,
came forth from thence, and we cannot think that the
spirit which called forth such saints is altogether
extinct. Let us hope, rather, that the Order has only
been slumbering, and that now it is about to wake.
God has not forsaken us ; His Mercy is too evidently
leading us, for us to be hopeless : perhaps our very
humiliation is one of His best gifts. Our wounds were
concealed, but He has laid them bare that we might
seek their remedy from Him Who Alone can heal us."

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 173

All this time the artist spirit was rising strong in
Pere Besson, and while toiling at the spiritual restora
tion of his Order, he was most anxious to bestow
some labour also upon the material defects of his
Convent. Among other things, he discovered and
opened the long walled-up windows of the Chapter
house, and himself designed some cartoons for the
painted glass with which he hoped to fill them.

" You know," he wrote to M. Cartier, " that I am
doing what I can towards the restoration of Santa
Sabina j I feel as if restoring the sanctuary was a type
of what we seek to do for its moral condition. As
you offer to do what you can to help me, I will ask
you to get me any information you can about glass-
painting, the proper colours one should use, and the
right way of baking the glass. I don't know whether
I shall find time to use your information when I get
it, for in truth I have little enough at my disposal, but
still it may be useful."

Indeed, Pere Besson had no time for art, and still
less money. It was hard enough to meet the daily
calls, and the econome of the Convent had too much
difficulty in paying the baker to have any surplus for
brushes and colours ! The revenues of Santa Sabina
were not more than sufficient for four or five religious,
and now there were more than fifty to be fed. Never
theless, thanks to God's Good Providence, the brethren

174 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

struggled on, and were even able to continue their
accustomed liberal alms to the poor, not however with
out episodes wherein their faith was severely taxed.
Thus, one day the baker announced his determination
not to supply any more bread to the Convent, unless
his bill was paid before sunset. The Father in charge
of these matters came to the Prior with the tidings.
" Well," replied Pere Besson, " he has a right to his
money— we must pay him."

" But, Father, there is not a scudo in our purse."

" Very well ; go into Church, and kneel before the
Altar of the Blessed Virgin until the money comes."

The Procuratore obeyed willingly, and in about three
quarters of an hour the porter called him to see a
person, who brought money enough to defray half the
debt. Immediately he went to tell the Prior, saying,
"I should think the baker will be satisfied with this,
and wait for the rest."

" Do you suppose that the Blessed Virgin does
things by halves in that way ? " asked Pere Besson.
" Go back into Church, and wait for the rest." And
not long after, more than the required sum was brought.

The Procuratore became an adept in inventing all
manner of wondrous salads and frituras, so that his
extraordinary dishes became a standing joke in the
convent, and "he was wont to assist Providence by the
most unheard-of culinary inventions ;" unmoved alike

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 17$

by praise or blame from those who depended upon his
cares, but highly delighted when, as often happened,
timely gifts of eatables arrived at the Convent, to help
out his inventions. The Holy Father himself not un-
frequently contributed to their supplies, and many a
fine fish from the Tiber or the Mediterranean found
its way to his " cari figlioli di Santa Sabina," to help
them through their abstinence2. Pere Besson conti
nually received offerings from France for the Convent.
Many of those who had benefited by his direction re
joiced in this opportunity of showing their gratitude,
and not unfrequently when he was behindhand in his
correspondence, his spiritual children played him the
trick of extracting a letter by sending money, which
must needs be acknowledged, hoping at the same time
to obtain a few words of counsel and help.

" Your alms have come opportunely," he writes to
one, "for the poor Padre Sindaco is at his wit's end,
with fifty religious to feed ! He makes his cabbages
go as far as he can, but that is sorry work with
an empty purse, and whatever comes in has no time
to spare — it is soon gone again." And again, " I
ought sooner to have thanked you for the 460 francs
you sent me, but I do so now in the name of the whole
community. It was a very welcome gift, for our num-

2 One point in the reform which the French Dominicans were
striving to effect was a return to total abstinence from meat, save
in cases of illness.

176 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

bers and consequent expenses are increasing. Novices
come in from all sides, so that soon we shall be puzzled
where to stow them, but these are not troubles to
complain of; God, Who brings them upon us, will un
doubtedly help us through them. The Holy Father
is most kind to us, and has lately presented us with a
chalice. Providence sends us help from various quar
ters according to our needs, much to the amazement
of those who are not accustomed to look to God for
every thing, and who are always anxious to have good
security for the supply of their temporal wants."

Much of Pere Besson's time was spent at La Minerva
with the General of the Order, whose constant counsel
lor he was. Pere Jandel's health was bad, and the heavy
cares of his office did not mend it, so that frequently
the Pere Besson had to undertake all his correspond
ence, and to see "all those who desired interviews with
the General ; while on the other hand, if well enough
to move, Pere Jandel was often absent, visiting distant
houses of the Order, so that the work which fell upon
his friend became really incompatible with the office
of Prior of Santa Sabina. Accordingly when his term
of office expired, it was not renewed, and he writes, —

" October 29^, 1852.

" I have no news to tell you to-day, except that my
Priorate is at an end, and for a week past I have
resigned the responsibility of my dear community.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 177

Pere Amanton has been elected, and I think the work
will prosper in his hands, for having no other occupa
tion he will be able to devote himself to strict ob
servance of rule."

The Pere Amanton had been in the East as a mis
sionary, and now he had returned to Rome to study
Oriental languages, with a view to extending his use
fulness. He subsequently returned to the East, where
he became Bishop of Mossoul, and was once more
associated with Pere Besson, who had the highest
esteem and affection for him.

A few months after Pere Amanton's election, Pere
Besson wrote, " Santa Sabina is going on well ; the new
Prior is more precise than I am, as well as firmer and
more observant, and he has made great progress in
the regularity of the house."

Pere Besson had been reluctantly compelled to give
up his plans for the restoration of Santa Sabina, but
now that he had more leisure, he transferred the
design to a less extensive enterprise, and undertook
the decoration of the Chapter-hall of San Sisto, the
spot where S. Dominic had first established his work
in Rome. San Sisto is on the Via Appia, not far from
the Porta Capena, and when Pope Honorius bestowed
Santa Sabina upon the Order, the earlier foundation
was given up to a community of nuns, trained by S.
Dominic, Malaria, however, proved too powerful an

N

178 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

enemy to be resisted, and the Sisters removed to
the Quirinal Hill. Later on some Irish Dominicans
came there, but for some time past the Convent
has been deserted owing to its insalubrity, and
no part of the buildings used save the Chapter-
hall, which is specially associated with the memory
of S. Dominic. The Irish Prior of San Clemente,
to which San Sisto belongs, was himself warmly
devoted to art, and gladly accepted Pere Besson's
offer to paint the hall, which is so sacred to all the
sons of S. Dominic, undertaking to provide for all
necessary expenses. This had all been arranged
before the expiration of Pere Besson's Priorate. Some
time was occupied by the workmen who prepared the
walls, but even in May, 1852, he snatched occasional
spare moments in which to visit San Sisto, and to
study the work he longed to undertake. When once
able to give himself to it, he became greatly absorbed
— early in the morning he would descend from the
Aventine, accompanied by a certain little lay brother,
Fra Angelo by name, who was his attendant, assistant,
and model (for which latter office his personal beauty
specially adapted him) ; and once upon his scaffolding
he would remain praying and painting, forgetful of
meals and all beside, until failing light obliged him to
come down, faint and weary, when he would return to
Santa Sabina, pondering over his next day's work. One

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 179

day while thus working at the highest point of his
scaffolding, he was called down in his painter's apron,
his palette and brushes in hand, to receive no less a
visitor than the Holy Father himself, whose special
interest in the young Dominican artist had brought
him to inspect the work. Pere Besson was too much
absorbed to hear the arrival of the Pope's carriage and
suite within the deserted court, and little Fra Angelo
was the only person ready to receive Pio Nono, who
rather enjoyed the amazement of the artist, and after
inspecting his painting, entered into a conversation of
some length with him. " You Frenchmen are full of
zeal," the Holy Father said on this occasion; "you
are first-rate in action, but you lack prudence. We
have the gift of prudence in Rome; we receive that
from God Himself. As a man, I am not worthy
to grind your colours, or to be your lay brother
here at San Sisto ; but as Pope, I feel very differ
ently, ' sento in me un pezzo enorme.'" And turning
to the crucifix he added, "I live, yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me." From this time Pio Nono took
the warmest interest in the progress of these paintings,
often inquiring about them, and himself giving the
order for the work to be continued, when at a later
period it was at a standstill. Pere Besson wrote, —

"August 20/7; , 1853.
"Tell Cartier that when I saw the Holy Father

N 2

i8o A DOMINICAN ARTIST

lately, he asked about my painting at San Sisto, and
desired me to go on with the work."

And later still when the artist was in the East, it
was proposed to Pio Nono that he should be appointed
Bishop of Ispahan, but the answer was promptly given,
"No, Pere Besson must come back and finish his
painting at San Sisto ; besides, he does too much good
in Rome to be spared, — I shall keep him near me."

He had numerous other visitors : at first, only some
few who were really interested in art; but his fame
soon spread, and it became the fashion in Rome to
go and see the Dominican artist and his work. Pere
Besson suffered not a little both from the often
irritating waste of time involved, and from the
ignorant admiration lavished on his work; but he
was always patient and gentle, and the most vexa
tious visitors generally went away charmed with his
courtesy. Towards the close of 1852, M. Cartier
went to Santa Sabina; and we must give his own
account of his visit : —

..." I had the happiness of occupying the cell
adjoining his, and of watching his active mortified life,
as also the great empire which his gentleness had ac
quired both within and without the Convent. It was to
him that the religious came in all their doubts and diffi
culties ; it was he who was perpetually called to the
parlour and the confessional to receive strangers of

A DOMINICAN ARTIST iSi

every description ; and few indeed were the moments
during which he was left at peace in his cell. The
sole furniture of this cell was a deal table, on which his
theological books were generally lying open, two com
mon chairs, and in one corner a coffin-like box, which
was his bed— the bottom covered with stones and
pieces of wood, a folio volume of S. Augustin his
pillow, and a rough blanket which served to hide his
discipline and to cover him at night. Ill or well, he
had no more luxurious resting-place.

"In January, 1853, we went, with Fra Angelo as
our attendant, and took up our abode at San Sisto,
in the rooms where formerly the Dominican Pope,
Benedict XIII., used to spend the Carnival in retreat
Our object in this was to give Pere Besson more time
for his work, both by escaping visitors and by saving
the daily walk between the Convents ; he now only
returned to Santa Sabina on Saturdays, to hear con
fessions, remaining there over Sunday. What pleasant
memories I have of those months spent in this peace
ful enjoyment of his saintly friendship and intercourse!
Appropriately enough, I was at that time writing the
life of Fra Angelico da Fiesole, and I could not but
frequently compare the living and departed artists.
Our rooms were only divided by a thin partition.
He used to wake me every morning, having already
said his office and made his meditation. At five

1 82 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

o'clock we used to go down to the deserted Church,
where he said Mass; and while he was making his
thanksgiving, I used to prepare his colours and
brushes, so that he might set to work at once. Nor
was it easy to drag him from his painting at noon,
when our dinner was brought to us from San
Clemente. After that, he reluctantly consented to
rest for half an hour, returning then to his scaffold
till evening, when we met again for supper and prayer.

" But such days of unbroken work were rare, after
all — not often more than two or three in a week. Not
to speak of the more frivolous interruptions of visitors,
he was often called for hours to the confessional, and
directly that any one required his priestly offices, he
would leave his painting even at the most critical
moments of inspiration."

In August, 1853, he wrote, "I have been working
all the winter and till June i5th at the San Sisto
Chapter-hall, but my work does not get on fast,
because after all I spend more time in the confes
sional than with my palette. In spite of its solitary
position, San Sisto is a place of considerable resort,
partly from the novelty of a painter monk, and
partly owing to my spiritual connexions, which are
very extensive in Rome — there are so many strangers
here of every nation who, for the most part, speak
French, and consequently seek for French confessors.

A DOMINICAN AXTIST 183

We might find work of this kind, and that most valu
able work, for several religious — it is a place more than
most where there is a great work to be done for souls.
At present my chief work is as confessor to one of our
Convents, Santa Caterina di Sienna — where I am taking
the place of the usual confessor, who is ill. That,
with other confessions from without, and the letters I
write for our General, occupy me entirely."

"These constant unforeseen interruptions" (con
tinues M. Cartier) "would not allow of his painting in
fresco, and moreover he would have been hampered by
the necessity of preparing cartoons, and of being con
stantly assisted by other people. He painted in oil
and wax on stucco, and was for ever improving his
compositions, painting some of his figures over and
over and over again. To make up for the lack of liv
ing models, he was in the habit of making clay models
for himself, and he had a marvellous power and
rapidity of moulding beautiful statuettes, which he
would drape in wet linen, fixing the folds with pins.
. . . When he was evidently spent with his work, I
used to persuade him to walk with me, and taking the
Porta San Sebastiano, we used to wander about the
Campagna, studying the tomb of Cecilia Metella, the
Egerian fountain, or those noble lines of aqueduct
glowing against the purple sky, which Poussin loved
to draw. As we walked, we used to discuss the past

184 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

glories of the Order, and its future hopes. Pere
Besson's favourite day-dream was that it should be a
very Art mission — and he built many a castle in the
air which restored San Sisto to life, and filled its clois
ters with studios for Dominican artists, affording like
wise a retreat for seculars who by degrees might form
a Confraternity of painters, sculptors, and artists, under
the Dominican wing, promoting the decoration of
churches and the general development of Christian
art. These dreams actually became so definite, that
I was about to take the Convent on lease, and make
the necessary arrangements ; but unforeseen difficulties
arose, and I was obliged to return to France, leaving
the scheme a vision only — but who knows ? the seed
may yet take root, and with God's Blessing it may
some day bring forth fruit.

"No one would have been better fitted than Besson
to direct an Artists' Association, not only from his
peculiarly attractive gentleness which drew men to
gether in a remarkable way, but from his keen percep
tions and his power of appreciating whatever came
before him of talent or beauty. He entered deeply
into the principles of artistic beauty, and was fond of
defining his theories, but he was ready to allow every
separate mind to conceive and express it after its
own fashion, just as in nature the sun's rays arc
variously reflected by varying objects. He had no

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 185

wish to bind men to a system, and so long as they
would take truth as their rule, and that which was
good as their aim, he was ready to admit all kind of
talent, and all individual tastes with regard to design
and colour. His opinion was that the best guidance
for artists was that of the heart ; and he held that the
true theory of Christian art is to love God, and to pro
mote His Love in all possible ways. At a later period
he wrote to me, ' I would urge you not to hesitate
about publishing your life of Fra Angelico; — even if
all your views of art are not correct, that is no reason
for withholding it. One thing is certain, namely, that
the tone in which you have written the book is alto
gether good and Christian, and that the general im
pression made on those who read it will be the same ; —
that is what matters most, for the only way to make
art dignified and useful is to impart a high and holy
feeling to it. Take my advice, finish your book and
publish it, and others will add what may be wanting
hereafter."'

In June, 1 854, Pere Besson was sent to rest awhile
at La Quercia (where, however, he was still occu
pied in painting), and as on his return to Rome
he was again elected Prior of Santa Sabina, the work
at San Sisto was suspended till 1858, after his return
from the East, when he completed it. The sub
jects of these paintings are chiefly taken from the

iS6 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

life of S. Dominic, and whatever fault critics may find
with their design or execution, the high Christian tone
is unquestionable. Overbeck, whose judgment is not
to be lightly weighed, pronounced Pere Besson fit to be
the master of all his contemporaries, himself included.
As might be expected, these two artists had the
deepest admiration for each other. One Sunday,
when, as usual, the public was admitted to Overbeck's
atelier (and who that has ever enjoyed the privilege
of entrance can forget the dignified gentle courtesy of
the venerable Christian artist?), Pere Besson met the
young Princesses Bonaparte and some other ladies by
appointment there, and became eagerly interested in
showing and explaining his friend's works. He was
dwelling with enthusiasm on the cartoons representing
the Sacraments, their composition and symbolism,
when Overbeck himself came in, unperceived by Pere
Besson, and took his place quietly among the listeners,
It was not till afterwards that the Dominican artist
discovered that the master himself had been present,
and began to apologise for having usurped his place.
But Overbeck thanked him warmly, assuring the Father
that his had been a far more able exposition of the
cartoons than he could have himself given 3.

3 As these words are written, the tidings have come of that
venerable man having entered into his rest, at the age of eighty.
Eternal light shine upon him 1 May he rest in peace !

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 187

During Pere Besson's second Priorate, some archaeo
logical discoveries were made at Santa Sabina, where
the brethren began to make a garden on the slopes
which extend down to the Tiber. Pere Besson hoped
for some important results; the government investigated
the " avanzi," and M. de Rossi wrote a paper upon
them ; but there the matter ended, and the Prior's
attention was soon occupied with matters more near
to his heart. Among these was a journey to Corsica,
with a view to the foundation of a Dominican home
there, which was accomplished at Corbara, near
Bastia, in the spring of 1855. A more distant journey,
however, was in prospect for him. The Eastern Mis
sions in Persia and Armenia had originally been in
the hands of the Dominicans, and in spite of hin
drances and scanty results, had never been wholly
abandoned. Their head-quarters were at Mossoul,
and at Mar-Yacoub, a convent founded by Padre
Marchi, at no very great distance from it, after the
former place had been pillaged, and the monks mur
dered, in an outburst of Mussulman fanaticism. The
General of the Dominicans proposed that the French
province should undertake this mission ; but those
who were first sent to Mossoul were not successful in
their work, and when Pere Besson forwarded the bad
tidings to the General, who was inspecting his houses
in Germany, he offered to go himself to Mossoul, and

t88 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

devote his energies to that mission. It was an act of
great sacrifice on his part, for he was warmly attached
both to Rome and to those among whom he lived,
while, as we know, his artist spirit was not smothered
under the monk's habit, and he would fain have
completed his paintings at San Sisto. But all such
considerations were not worthy to be put for a
moment in competition with God's Glory ; and though
on his side it was no small loss to the General, Pere
Jandel decided on sending his best friend to the East,
and Pere Besson was accordingly appointed Apostolic
Visitor of the Eastern Mission. Before leaving Rome
he was to take his Doctor's degree, during which
ceremonial the custom is to place a gold ring on the
finger of the new-made doctor. But Santa Sabina could
not supply any such article, and at last the want had
to be met by substituting a bit of the brass wire used
for hanging lamps !

On Sept. 25th, 1856, the General and some few
intimate friends went as far as Civita Vecchia with
the Pere Besson, whence he sailed for his Eastern
destination. He writes to M. Cartier as follows : —
"ON BOARD THE 'SiMOis,' September 30^, 1856.

"My dearest Brother, — Before this reaches you,
you will probably have heard that the Reverend
Father-General has sent me on a Mission to our
Convent at Constantinople, and then to Mossoul,

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 189

where I am to remain as long as may be necessary
for the reorganization of the Mission, which is hence
forth to be entirely French. I thought not a little of
you while preparing to start, and had hoped to write
before I left Rome, but there was so much to do, and
so many letters to answer, as in a measure to hinder
me. I say in a measure, because there were times
when I might have written, but that I hardly felt
sufficiently calm to do so. I take Frere Augustin
and good Frere Midan, whose unchanging devotion
you know well, with me. This journey is a fresh
proof of his devotion, for which I am heartily grateful.
Pere Schaffhauser will follow in a week, and join us
at Aleppo, so that we may cross the desert together.
I scarcely need to tell you how earnestly I feel to
want the prayers of all who love us, or how specially
I count upon yours. We began our voyage uncom
fortably enough, with a heavy sea which made every
body ill, but now all is prosperous. We are at
present going from Malta to Syra, where, with God's
Blessing, we ought to arrive in the course of to
morrow. The motion of the ship makes it difficult
to write, but I hope you will be able to make me out.
This morning the sea was like a mirror, and nothing
could be more beautiful than the boundless horizon
lit up by the rising sun. ... I am very happy, and
am able to throw myself heartily, without any arriere

190 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

pens'ee, into my new work, in which I hope God will
give me grace, weak as I am, to serve Him."

Having touched at Smyrna, where he said Mass at
the Franciscan Convent, Pere Besson arrived at Con
stantinople on October 4th, and remained there until
the i yth, when, armed with a firman which styled
him and his two companions "distinguished phy
sicians," they continued their route by sea to Rhodes
and Alexandretta, thence by land following the line
of Aleppo, Nisibis, and Diarbekir, whence they were
to descend the Tigris to Mossoul. It was a trying
journey to unpractised travellers ; — Frere Midan had
been in Palestine, but the rougher experiences of
Asia were new to him, and the little party were
not properly provided with coverings for the night,
with necessary provisions, or with fire-arms, which
were required to keep off the predatory natives who
hang about the skirts of travellers. Moreover, the
long days on horseback were very tiring to one not
used to riding, and Pere Besson soon became quite
ill with fever. He describes their journey, and how
they missed the way to Antioch, in very simple,
unexaggerated language ; the last night, when he was
really ill and exhausted, was spent in a little hut,
where, he says, they found " all that was necessary/1
— in other words, a crust of hard bread and a handful
of hay ! During the eleven weary hours spent on

A DOMINICAN ARTIST IQI

horseback, he comforted himself with repeating Psalms
and passages from the Lamentations.

At Aleppo, Pere Schaffhauser met his brethren
according to appointment — and here, under the in
structions of MM. Marcopoli and Bentivoglio,
representatives of France, Pere Besson learnt, not
without some discomfort, the use of the chibouque, so
necessary for visitors to the East. On All Saints'
Day, after saying High Mass at the Franciscan Con
vent, the Dominicans started again in Eastern cos
tume, not very similar to that ordinarily worn by the
Freres Precheurs ! Their horses were but indifferent,
and that day's journey was long. During the neces
sary halts, the brethren said their Office together, and
it was Frere Augustin's duty to be purveyor ; — tea
and coffee, with hard eggs, being their chief food ;
varied occasionally by a chicken or some dried fruit,
bought in the native villages. Of course the rule of
total abstinence from meat was suspended during such
severe travelling, and at times when perhaps no other
food might be attainable. At night their tent was
pitched, one while beside some pleasant brook,
another time within the precincts of an old cemetery
or of a ruined village. They reached Orfa on the yth
of November.

" There we made a triumphal entry ! I had sent
our guide on with the Consul's letter, and we were

192 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

met and taken to the Consulate, where great hospi
tality was shown us. When we went out, the Consul's
dragoman accompanied us, preceded by his janissary,
who, as the wont is, cleared our way forcibly, driving
camels, mules, and people alike before them with his
sticks. It is the Eastern custom, so no one seemed
astonished ; but we would gladly have dispensed with
such honour ! Orfa is an interesting place ; and the
spot where S. Ephrem the Syrian was buried is still
shown. The Turks have built a mosque over the
house where they affirm Abraham to have been born,
and they have a reservoir which they call Abraham's
lake. It is full of fish, which are so tame that they
follow you in troops as you walk along the shore. . . .
These fish are held sacred by the Turks."

On November nth the travellers went on towards
Diarbekir, accompanied by the Superior of the Capu-
cins at Orfa. It was a weary and perilous journey,
by roads little better than stony water-courses ; and
though the Dominican party was not molested by
robbers, they passed the bodies of two murdered men,
scarcely covered with stones, by the way. From
Diarbekir the travellers descended the Tigris in
kellecks, a kind of raft-like boat, to Mossoul. The
voyage occupied ten days, and but for the cramped
condition in which they were, the boat being too
small for the party, this was the pleasantest part of

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 193

their journey; the scenery beautiful, so that Pere
Besson often sighed for his drawing materials, and
the climate delicious. At a later date he introduced
various recollections of the Tigris into his paintings
at San Sisto, and he frequently urged artists to leave
the more beaten tracks, and seek fresh inspirations in
the glowing East. They reached Mossoul on S. An
drew's day, and on December nth Pere Besson
writes, —

" Mossoul is more like a tomb than a town, it is
so full of ruined or forsaken houses. I was rather ill
when we arrived ; but we found a most kind Italian
doctor here, who is a great friend of our Order, and
thanks to his care, I am all right again. The climate
is said to be generally good, and people are supposed
to grow very fat here; so they tell me that I shall
soon begin to grow into a ball ! I cannot say that I
see any prospect of it at present !"

The difficulties of a long journey were not the only
ones, or the most trying, which Pere Besson had to
encounter. On arriving at the Dominican Convent
at Mossoul, he found that Padre Marchi, the Superior,
had taken offence at the mission of an Apostolic
Visitor, as casting some reflection on himself, and
accordingly he had gone to Mar-Yacoub, leaving a
young French monk in charge, who went even beyond
his instructions, and rejecting the Visitor's authority

o

194 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

entirely, declared that if it was asserted in any degree,
Padre Marchi and all his community would instantly
depart. It was a trying position, — Pere Besson had
come expecting to be welcomed by his brethren, and
here was open war instead ! With his characteristic
gentleness, however, he refrained from asserting his
rightful authority, and until such time as he could
communicate with Padre Marchi, Pere Besson put up
with the impertinence of the young monk, who con
tinued to be as disagreeable as he could make himself.

Padre Marchi was an able, active man, quick-tem
pered, but well-meaning, and on receiving Pere Bes-
son's conciliatory letters, he returned to Mossoul. and
was speedily on excellent terms with the Apostolic
Visitor. But before this, he had had differences with
the Propaganda as to the management of the Mission,
and he now persisted in returning to Europe with his
community, leaving the whole burden upon Pere Bes
son, who found himself almost alone in this half-barba
rous country, unacquainted with Oriental languages, and
surrounded with dangers ; amid which he would have
to reorganize the Mission, make up to the Christians
for the loss of Padre Marchi and his religious, and
conciliate, as best he might, the Chaldean clergy.

Out of the 80,000 inhabitants of Mossoul, 1200
were Christians of different ritual, all equally despised
by the Mussulmen, and not a little divided among

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 195

themselves. The Chaldean and Syrian Christians are
united to the Church of Rome ; but they abhor the
Latin ritual, and accept the protection of her mission
aries unthankfully and grudgingly. Pere Besson could
not preach to those around him, he could do little
but afford general protection to all Christians who
were oppressed, by appealing to the French consul ;
and by degrees he won the confidence of the Chris
tians, and of the Chaldean clergy, while devoting as
much energy as possible to the schools already esta
blished by the Dominicans, from which it might be
hoped that a more intelligent, advanced generation
would issue forth, as also that they would afford subjects
for a seminary in which to train a native clergy of a
higher character than existed at the present time.
The Chaldean priest was often no more than a worthy
labourer, who after a few weeks' technical training,
received Holy Orders, and then administered the
Sacraments among his people, without discontinuing
the daily labour by which he supported his own chil
dren. Yet to touch the Chaldean ritual would be
fatal to all success. Pere Besson's hope was that in
time there might be a branch of Chaldean Domini
cans who, while maintaining their own ritual, would
follow the Roman rule, and be the most effectual
missionaries among their own people.

Meanwhile, the good Father lost no opportunity of

O 2

196 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

giving physical relief where he could do no more ;
and profiting by his supposed medical knowledge, he
soon was in great request as a doctor, all the more as
the ordinary Mossoul physician fell ill himself, and
was unable to practise. Many members of the pro
fession have a less active business than was Pere
Besson's. By five in the morning he had said Mass
and finished his private devotions, and from that time
till the mid-day heat made it impossible for the sick
to come out, he was besieged with patients. Then
he would set forth with a young interpreter, and go to
all who needed him, Christian and Mussulman alike,
coming home at night, worn out and weary, to his
uninviting supper, which was shared by his only
companion, a lay-brother (Pere Schaffhauser was at
Mar-Yacoub). Even his night's rest, taken after
Oriental fashion on the roof of the house, was often
broken by a summons to persons who had been stung
by scorpions, or were otherwise taken suddenly ill.
Faith in the doctor is perhaps generally an important
element of success ; but Pere Besson had really some
considerable medical skill. He had learnt a good
deal during his anatomical studies at the Hotel Dieu
in Paris, and his intimacy with Dr. Tessier had
brought him among medical men, in whose profes
sional pursuits he was always interested. Then, too,
his work during the cholera season in Lorraine had

A DOMINICAN' ARTIST 197

taught him a great deal, and before leaving Rome he
had procured sundry medicines and corresponding
instructions from Dr. Mayer, as well as certain homoeo
pathic books and remedies, all of which he used as he
best might. Later on, at Mar-Yacoub, the sick were
often brought several days' journey to the Dominican
doctor, as many as a hundred patients sometimes
coming in one day — poor Christians, rich Mussulmen,
Nestorian priests and bishops, native chieftains — all
alike claiming his care. Sometimes he would be sent
for from great distances, and if possible, Pere Besson
never refused to go. Occasionally he worked most
successful cures, but when asked if he had not effected
some that were miraculous, he would smile, and say,
" Certainly, if k bon Dieu would perform miracles, I
should be very glad to make use of the opportunity."
He used to tell, laughingly, how once he really
thought he had worked a miraculous cure by means
of homoeopathy. A native woman brought her child to
him, with its gums grievously affected by scrofula :
he gave her certain remedies, and at the end of a
week, the mother returned with her little girl, all fresh
and rosy, without a symptom of disease. The Father
was delighted, he called his brethren together to see
the wonderful cure, and it was not until the un
welcome intervention of his interpreter that the truth
was discovered. Through him, the poor mother, who

A DOMINICAN ARTIST

was perplexed at the general excitement she occa
sioned, explained that this child was the twin sister
of the one she had brought before, and had never
been ill !

A letter of Pere Besson's to the General gives some
idea of his position during this first year of his sojourn
in the East

"MossouL, Jtme 1st, 1857.

" Most Reverend Father, — There is but little to tell
you, expecting the immediate arrival of Mgr. Amanton
as we are still ; what there is, is satisfactory. On the
whole the mission has not suffered from the departure
of the former missionaries. Padre Marchi is much re
gretted, but it is quite understood that he did not go
because the management was altered, and that on the
contrary, it was his determination to go which involved
this change. I receive all the usual visits, and there
are many proofs of increasing confidence on the part
of those around. In many quarters regret is expressed
that our Sisters are not arrived, because they might do
so much good. I hope that this may be managed
when Mgr. Amanton is here, they would be invaluable
both for nursing the sick and teaching the girls. I
visit the schools, and do all that lies in my power to
foster this confidence, which is a first step towards
effecting any real good. It is evident that all the ori
ginal opposition to our having Sisters here to work arose

A DOMINICAN' ARTIST 199

from Padre Marchi's reluctance to employ them. . . .
I quite understand the reasons for his opposition, but
I think the objections were overrated, and that if
rightly managed, the establishment of Sisters here
would be of great spiritual advantage to the mission.
. . . Pere Daruis writes me word that those he took
into Persia answer admirably ; — they have a school of
one hundred girls, they teach older girls on Sundays,
and visit the sick— the Mussulmen often consult
them, and show them great respect. It would be well
that the Sisters destined for this mission should go for
a time to the Sisters of S. Vincent de Paul, to be
trained in nursing the sick, as well as in the manage
ment of schools for the poor.

" The Patriarch's man of business, a highly respec
table ecclesiastic, comes often to me. I talk of Mgr.
Amanton to him, and have imbued him with confidence
in the Bishop, so that I hope all will go right as regards
the Patriarch. At Mar-Yacoub Pere Schaffhauser re
sumed his religious habit on Ascension Day. He tells
me that no one seemed to notice it. He is well, and
busy doctoring, but he is very anxious to get Frere
Lion, whose medical knowledge would be much more
useful here than in France, he says, and would greatly
strengthen the influence of our mission. Frere Augus-
tin is with Pere SchafThauser, he has not been well,
but is better now. Frere Midan and I are well — the

200 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

great heat has not as yet come on. Give me your
blessing, Reverend Father, as your most devoted son

in our Lord.

" FRERE HYACINTHE BESSON."

Amid all these cares and occupations, Pere Besson
found some stray moments for art. " I have been
painting a Madonna on a gold ground," he writes; " it
is nothing very marvellous in itself, but it suits the cha
racter of this country, where, as you may imagine, art
has no great success. ... I have said nothing of the
scenery ; when I return I shall have plenty to tell you,
and you will see that the glowing East is not altogether
such as poets make it out to be ! But there are great
beauties in it all the same, and a painter might make
very valuable studies. I have made a few sketches,
but on too small a scale, and too much hurried to give
any fair idea of the country V

When at last Mgr. Amanton reached Mossoul, ac
companied by two French religious, he found Pere
Besson quite knocked up with work and heat, and his
first act was to send him to rest at Mar-Yacoub.

This Convent is in the Kurdistan mountains, about
sixteen hours' journey from Mossoul, beyond the
ruined Nineveh, and the Dominican Fathers liked to
trace a resemblance between its position and that of
Chalais. It was founded by Padre Marchi, and en-
4 April 30, 1857.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 201

larged by Pere Besson — both looking upon Mar-
Yacoub as the best central point of the mission. The
Chaldean Christians are in a low state of cultivation
both intellectually and morally, and the mountains of
Kurdistan are full of Nestorians, under the rule of a
Patriarch, whose tone is not a very high one, judging
by the French Missionaries' reports. Pere Besson
made various journeys among these mountains with
a view to winning back the Nestorians, if possible,
to the Catholic Faith — roughing it to a degree which
required all the austere training of conventual life to
render bearable, and not unfrequently exposed to real
danger. As a specimen of the people he was among,
the Nestorian Bishop Mar-Elias introduced one of his
priests to Pere Besson with the commendation, " He
is really worth something— he has already killed several
men/' After a difficult and perilous journey the Do
minicans reached Mar-Saona, where the Nestorian
Patriarch Mar-Schimoun lives, and where they re
ceived a questionable hospitality, for the servants
who accompanied them overheard a chieftain who
belonged to the Patriarch's escort discussing with his
companions the desirability of disposing of the " white
dogs " who presumed to intrude upon their territory !
However, no more came of the threat, and they were re
ceived the next day by Mar-Schimoun, who resembled
a military chief more than a Bishop, as it seems. He

202 A DOMINICAN1 ARTIST

was cold and haughty at first, but Pere Besson's
warmth and geniality won him at last, and they
parted good friends, the Dominican expressing his
hope that they might one day be reunited in the Faith,
to which Mar-Schimoun would give no answer save
" God is merciful."

In the spring of 1858, Pere Besson was recalled to
France. He had established the Dominican Mission
in Mossoul and Mar-Yacoub, and brought about a
good understanding with the Chaldean clergy, and
Pere Jandel greatly desired his presence and co-opera
tion in Rome once more ; — the Holy Father himself
had also expressed a wish that Pere Besson should re
turn. Much as he loved Rome and his work there,
the Father did not leave the East without reluctance.
It was his characteristic to throw himself heartily into
whatever he undertook, and already he had taken
strong root at Mossoul and especially at Mar-Yacoub,
where his departure was a cause of unmixed regret not
only to his own countrymen, but to all the Christians,
and even to many Mussulmen, who had proved his
charity and helpfulness. On April 20th he started
from Mossoul, accompanied for the first stage by the
four Dominican Fathers who were left behind, and by
M. Barre de Lancy, from the French Consulate.
Frere Augustin and Frere Midan were to return with
Pere Besson to Europe, and the party was increased

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 203

by a Jacobite Bishop and priest, and one or two other
travellers. They journeyed across the desert to Aleppo,
Pere Besson enjoying himself like a schoolboy, amid
the scenery and vegetation (now in its full spring
burst) of the Mesopotamian plains, the towns and
villages raised upon the ruins of more ancient cities,
among which he was specially interested in Nisibis,
which stands upon a world of fallen columns and sculp
tures. When the party encamped, Pere Besson used
to take his gun and provide their supper with as much
eagerness and energy as if shooting were his natural
vocation, and Frere Augustin's journal is a regular
gamebook, duly entering the pigeons, partridges, wood
cocks, or ducks bagged by his Superior, who was no
contemptible shot. Pere Besson had received per
mission to visit the Holy Land on his way back to
Rome, and accordingly he and his companions went
by sea to Beyrouth, and thence through the ancient
Sidon, and Saint Jean d'Acre, visiting the Convent
on Mount Carmel, where he found time to descend
to the shore in order to sketch the sacred moun
tain.

Continuing their route we find Pere Besson dis
mounting, and kneeling down in a burst of almost
ecstatic devotion at the first sight of Nazareth, and
one can imagine the devotion and reverence with
which he visited the hallowed scenes of Cana, the

204 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

lake of Tiberias, and Mount Tabor; returning to
Nazareth for the Feast of Corpus Christi. He reached
Jerusalem on June yth, where he remained until the
24th, entering into the sacred associations of the place
with all his characteristic fervour, and filling his port
folios with sketches which are said to be of a higher
tone than any that he made at Rome or elsewhere.
A night spent in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a
visit to Bethany and to Bethlehem, were among his
choicest privileges, and it was while sorely longing to
linger yet amid such deeply-interesting scenes, that
duty compelled him to say his last mass in the Holy
City, and resume his homeward journey. Pere Besson
arrived at Rome on July 8th, 1858, and almost
directly had audience of the Holy Father, to whom he
had brought a stone covered with cuneiform inscrip
tions. The Pope had some conversation with him
concerning the East. " We add to our museums from
its source/' Pio Nono said, " but in my heart I have
little satisfaction in that quarter, and I sometimes ask
myself why there is so poor a result from all the
labour and money spent in the East ? I suppose it is
owing to the state of servitude in which the people are,
without energy to raise themselves : — What can I do
for them ? " And then he quoted the Prophet Isaiah,
" Quid est quod debui ultra facere vinae meae, et non

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 205

feci ? an quod expectavi ut faceret uvas, et fecit labrus-
cas?5"

5 "What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I
have not done in it ? Wherefore, when I looked that it should
bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes ?" — Isaiah v. 4.

CHAPTER VII

Divisions in the Order — Pere Besson sent to France as a Peace
maker — Return to Mossoul — Dangers in the East — Massacres
of Libanus — Fever at Mossoul — Pere Besson goes to Mar-
Yacoub — Last Illness — And Death.

THE Dominican family had not been altogether
without troubles during the two years of Pere
Besson's absence; and on his return to Europe he
found two parties, each equally desirous of God's Glory
and the perfection of the Dominican Order, but taking
a different view of the manner by which these results
were to be obtained. Lacordaire, whose strong earnest
nature was largely moulded by his contact with and
knowledge of the world, had always thought it wise
not to press the strictest observance of Rule at first,
whereas Pere Jandel believed that the strength and effi
ciency of the Order lay in that very observance, and as
we have already seen, on becoming General of the Order,
his attention and efforts had been devoted to bring

A DOMINICAN- ARTIST 207

this about. There were many men ready enough to
resist the pressure of a strict Rule, who were animated
by more selfish motives than those of Pere Lacor-
daire ; and the contest between the two parties waxed
warm. The Pope referred the matter to Cardinal
Orioli, who had full power to decide upon the disputed
points. He died soon after, and difficulties continued
to thicken. Lacordaire's term of office expired, the
Constitutions required that the Province of France
should pass into other hands; and the General
desired to establish a second province, having its
head-quarters in Lyons, where a community of brethren
devoted to the Rule should attempt the strictest
observance of the Constitutions. In their ardour, the
brethren at Lyons went too far, and offended many
friends of the Order, by the seeming slight thrown
upon Lacordaire and his work.

Things were in an uncomfortable position, and an
appeal being made to the Pope, he decided on sending
PereBesson into France, to investigate the general condi
tion of matters, and to endeavour, if possible, to reconcile
the differing parties. He went almost immediately on
his return from the East, and Pere Lacordaire wrote, —

" August 26tkt 1858.

"I am satisfied at the turn things are taking. I
saw Pere Besson at Lyons. He was acting in the
most sincere desire for peace, and with the most con-

208 A DOMINICAN' ARTIST

dilatory intentions. He has also been to Chalais,
Toulouse, and Bordeaux, and is now at Paris ; — the
letters I receive prove that his visits have had a good
result every where."

In September, Pe're Besson assembled the Priors
of all the French Convents and their delegates at
Flavigny, and the result was that Lacordaire was
re-elected as General of the province of France, and
peace was made, not without a considerable sacrifice
of his own opinions on Pere Besson's part, and much
blame laid to his door by those who did not fully
understand alike his difficulties and his motives.

" The affairs of our province are put right at last,"
Pere Besson wrote, "and Pere Lacordaire is con
firmed as Provincial ; Lyons being under the imme
diate jurisdiction of the General, so I hope all
will do well. I was very much pleased to find Pere
Lacordaire so like his old self in all these trying
circumstances. He was so full of moderation, and
showed such a conciliatory spirit, and such a high
tone, that I could do nothing but give God thanks.
Nothing short of that could have brought about
peace, but now I hope it is restored, and for good,
with the help of God.

" The day after my return to Rome I had an inter
view with the Holy Father, who received me with his
wonted paternal kindness. But prejudiced as he is

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 209

against Pere Lacordaire, he thought our election ill-
advised, and gently reproached me with weakness,
not realizing that I had really acted with thorough im
partiality, and solely with a view to the welfare of the
province. I was not astonished at the Holy Father
taking this view of the matter, and I explained every
thing fully to him, assuring him that so far from re
gretting what has been done, I felt sure he would have
felt as I did, had he seen Pere Lacordaire under these
difficulties, so generous, so conciliatory, and so firm."

The Pope was satisfied ; but there were many ready
to blame Pere Besson, and accuse him of wrong-doing
in his delicate task. Above all, he feared that the
long-standing friendship between himself and Pere
Jandel might suffer, since although in the abstract his
opinions entirely agreed with those of the General,
the exigencies of the present time had obliged him not
to follow them out. They had been as real brothers,
and while at Rome Pere Besson was the General's con
fessor, his counsellor, and chief stay. Was this friend
ship to suffer ? Pere Jandel did his utmost to prove
that his affection and confidence in his friend was no
ways diminished ; and he wished to draw him from San
Sisto, where Pere Besson had retired to soothe himself,
after his trying mission, with painting, and place him
at San Clemente as Prior. But Pere Besson declined
this post, unless peremptorily called to it by obe-

p

2io A DOMINICAN ARTIS7

dience, as also the proposal that he should take up
his abode at La Minerva, feeling unequal to the stir
and unrest of that house — the head-quarters of the
Order. His earnest desire was to retire to some
quiet convent in France; but God's Providence had
another destiny in view for him.

Since Pere Besson left the East matters had not
prospered at Mossoul. Mgr. Amanton had been
called away, and in their perplexities the Fathers of
this Mission intreated the General to send Pere
Besson back to them, pleading that nothing but his
gentle wisdom could cause their work to thrive, and
influence the Chaldean clergy, who were always difficult
to manage. Pere Besson's heart was touched by the
appeal — the East had a powerful attraction for him,
both as an artist and as a Christian, and it seemed as
if he might do better service for the Church there
than at Rome. Accordingly he offered to return to
Mossoul. The General felt that his presence would
sustain the Mission, but shrank from parting with so
valuable a labourer in the European field. Fresh
entreaties, however, from the East induced him to
refer the question to the Pope, who at first altogether
refused his consent ; but upon the representations of
Cardinal Barnabo of the Propaganda, the Holy Father
desired Pere Besson to go into retreat, and then
decide on the course most pleasing to God. There-

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 211

upon, the Father went for this purpose to a Convent at
Marino ; and the result was that, having fully faced
the subject, he became more desirous of returning to
the East, " even if he were to die there alone in some
lonely village, far from all his brethren." But even
then his renewed offer to go was not at once accepted,
and he wrote, April 22nd, 1859, as follows : —

"I have delayed writing to you; but though I
really have been very busy, especially trying to finish
my painting, that was not the only reason for my
silence, which arose rather from my own inward
sadness — a feeling which seemed to shut me up. It
still clings to me, but to-day — Good Friday — I am
better, and I will devote the time after office to you.
You were not mistaken in your conjectures as to what
would happen about me. So far it appears to be
decided that I am to remain here, unless certain fresh
difficulties should alter the decision, which however is
not likely. It has cost me 'a great deal, and does
still, to be calm and contented under this, for I have
the strongest drawing to our Mossoul Fathers, whose
position in that far-away land is likely to become
daily more difficult. If the French Government
carries out the present proposal to withdraw our
Consul, their personal safety as well as the prosperity
of the Mission will be in great danger. We are
petitioning, but I know not what will be the result
p 2

212 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

The moment that there is an attempt to settle the
Oriental question, which cannot be done save by
driving the Turks out of Europe, and from the Asiatic
coasts — that moment will, I fear, see an outburst of
fanaticism, of which the Christians who inhabit the
interior will be the first victims, — nor can European
artillery save them. What will become of our Fathers
if France withdraws her protection? I know too
much of those countries not to feel that we have
every reason to be alarmed."

A little later, the Pope determined to grant Pere
Besson's request, and he received permission to share
the dangers and trials of his brethren at Mossoul.
He announced this in a few touching words to one
of his spiritual children, which sufficiently show that
he had counted the cost.

"ROME, May 22nd, 1859.

" My dear Daughter in our Lord, — The serious
position in which our Mission is placed, especially
since the French Consulate in Mossoul was with
drawn, has decided the Holy Father to send me
there, according to the request of our Fathers. I
have been appointed Superior, and am to join them
in the autumn. Meanwhile, I am going almost
directly to France, in order to push the efforts about
to be made, with a hope of inducing Government to
retract their fatal measure. I shall hope to see you,

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 213

and speak of the things which concern your soul, for
the last time, for I do not expect ever to return.
Farewell, daughter, may God bless you 1"

On the same day Pere Besson wrote to M. Cartier,
" The alarming position of our mission, owing to the
suppression of the French Consulate, which is equiva
lent to the withdrawal of protection from our Fathers,
and indeed from all the Christian population of those
districts, has led the Holy Father to decide on sending
me to Mossoul. I have received my papers, and in a
few days I start for France, in hopes of promoting the
efforts made by Rome and the Eastern Christians to
obtain the revocation of a step which I feel sure would
never have been taken if the disastrous consequences
it involves had been foreseen. I do not know if I can
do any thing — it is no easy matter to obtain the recall
of a Government measure— but come what may, I
shall rejoin our Fathers this autumn, and bear the
brunt of the battle with them. I count on seeing you
while I am in France, to say a last good-bye, for when
once I go, it is not likely that we shall meet again in
this world."

Early in June, Pere Besson went to Paris, where he
laboured indefatigably in behalf of the cause he had
come to plead. Just at this time M. Walewski was
succeeded as Minister for Foreign Affairs by M.
Thouvenel, who had been French Ambassador at

214 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

Constantinople, and had himself pressed the necessity
for retaining a French Consul at Mossoul. This
settled the question favourably, and Pere Besson left
Paris, visiting Nancy, Neufchateau, Langres, Flavigny,
Dijon, Lyons, and Toulouse, — a welcome visitor in
every community. He also went to take leave of
Pere Lacordaire at Soreze, to whom he always clung
with the warmest affection. His tour was extended to
Belgium, where he visited the Dominican Convents of
Louvain, Ghent, Tirlemont, and Bruges ; at the latter
place all his keen artistic feeling was kindled by Hem-
ling's works, — but as he said himself, his painting
days were over, and he could not linger even where
the greatest temptations offered themselves.

All his farewells were made as being the last, and
he seemed to take it for granted that he would never
again see any of the friends he was leaving, save in
Paradise. One of his spiritual children thus describes
his leave-taking in a letter to a friend : —

" Pere Besson was all love and charity. It made
one think of our Dear Lord when at the last Supper
He poured out all His Heart to His disciples ; — our
good Father seemed to be so full of love and
so ready to give himself wholly for his children.
And, alas, this is the last farewell before he goes
—perhaps to meet a martyr's death ! I cannot think
of any thing else. Oh, how ripe his soul is — nothing

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 215

of self seems left, he is God's only ! I never saw
such transparent purity and humility, or such a
deep spiritual life and love, producing such calmness
and patience and devotion. He is indeed * conformed
to the likeness of the Saviour,' from Whom all his
strength proceeds. His is certainly a life * hid with
Christ in God/ — and one longs to be ever so little
like him, while he goes on in his gentle, unassuming
way, quite unconscious that he is drawing hearts
to him, seeking nothing but to serve God humbly.
After he had said mass and made his thanksgiving, I
saw him leave the chapel, bowing as he passed the
tabernacle with an expression which seemed to say,
'Yes, my Saviour, I am going for Thy service, I
leave for love's sake, I am wholly Thine.' That day,
as before, there was a crowd waiting to see him ; every
one wanted to get a few words of that kindly, helpful
direction, which seems to come out of the depths of a
loving heart, and to bring one so near God. What
must Jesus be, if those who carry about the mere
reflection of His Love and Grace are so infinitely
winning and attractive ! The dear Father preached
several times, and saw various people for direction
while he was here, and, as I say, there was a crowd
always wanting him. I was specially favoured by
God; — I cannot say much about it, but He gave me
grace to pour out my whole heart . . . Pere Besson

2i6 A DOMINICAN' ARTIST

spoke of the Heart of Jesus so tenderly and with
such emotion. ... I understood as I had never
done, the heavenly element which seems to mingle
with his earthly being in so remarkable a way. It
was a father teaching his child, referring to his own
spiritual experiences, all was love and compassion.

" How can I speak of the parting ? He had taken
leave of the Convent, and came in trembling with
emotion. I was waiting to say a few last words.
' They wanted me to stay another day,' he said, ' I
could hardly get away — perhaps I ought to have staid/
Then he sat down, saying, ' I am so tired.' ' I will
not keep you,' I said ; and then I knelt down, adding,
'You will pray for me, will you not?' His thin
hands trembled as he said, ' Farewell, farewell; fare
well in the Lord, I leave you in His Hands/ and then
rising, he gave me his blessing. I was going away,
when I remembered he had promised to give me his
address. This he wrote down, and then I knelt again
for another blessing. l Do not grieve,' he said, ' we
shall meet again in the Bosom of our Lord ; whither
we are both journeying, I hope/ he added earnestly.
' Father/ I said, ' if you die, do not forsake me — be
my director still.' But he made no answer, and I was
forced to leave him. He went to the end of the corri
dor with me, and I departed, deeply moved, but calm,
and more than ever longing to learn of that Divine

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 217

Master Whose disciples are thus holy, unselfish, and
loveable."

To another of his children, Pere Besson wrote in
leave-taking from Paris, —

"Let us leave all things to God; I hope He will
give me grace to serve Him more profitably in the
East than I do here. As to you, my dear child,
resign yourself wholly to Him. He will make up to
you for my absence, and give you a hundredfold more
than I can give, through some other channel. You
can always write to me, and I will make it a duty not
to leave your letters too long unanswered. Let us
leave the future to our Master ; it is all in His Hands,
and this life's future is so uncertain, that the only true
wisdom is to give oneself up to Him Who overrules it
all, with no thought save to do His Holy Will day by
day." . . .

Pere Besson's departure was fixed for Sept. i8th;
and just at that time the Pope's health made it
doubtful whether he would be able to grant a
farewell audience to his Dominican missionary.
However, on the i4th, Mgr. Merode summoned
Pere Besson, with Pere Rouard de Card and a
Belgian Dominican, to the Holy Father's presence.
Pere Rouard de Card describes the interview
thus : —

" It was late, after the Ave Maria, when we were

218 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

taken to the Holy Father's own room, for he was
confined to his bed. As we entered, he said, ' Here
is Pere Besson, who is determined, come what may,
to go to the East. I should have liked to keep him
in the West, but what is one to do ? Spiritus Dei ubi
vult, spirat? We remained half an hour with his
Holiness, who talked about the Mossoul Mission,
France, Belgium, Holland, and the Church generally.
* I feel,' he said, ' as though our Lord were saying to
me, as He said to S. Peter, "Due in attum;" for like
him, I am in the midst of the sea, a prey to every
stormy wind, and like him I am tempted to cry out,
"Save, Lord, I perish." But our Lord sustains me,
and seems as though He bade me walk upon the
waters. Poor S. Peter began to sink, and I think I
should have done the like. But after all, if one's
faith is strong, what matters ? If our Lord does not
succour His Vicar, who will? "The gates of hell
shall not prevail against you." '

" At the conclusion of this audience, the Pope gave
the Fathers a hearty Benediction. ' I bless the Domi
nicans at Mossoul, in Belgium and Holland, I bless
all the Order of Saint Dominic. I bless the weak
brethren that they may become strong, and the luke
warm that they may become fervent. I bless the
strong and fervent that they may grow in strength
and fervour. I bless all, and pray that the Holy

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 219

Spirit may confirm their hearts in the unity of the
Faith and in perfect love.' "

Sept. i8th, 1859, saw the last leave-taking; the
General Pere Jandel and a few other attached
friends went on board the ship "Quirinal" at Civita
Vecchia with Pere Besson, and there parted from him,
never to meet again in this world. He and his two
lay-brothers reached Mossoul on Nov. 7th, and pro
ceeded shortly to Mar-Yacoub, which Pere Besson
wished to make the central point of the Mission.
His intention was to study Chaldean with diligence,
in order to facilitate his intercourse with the Nesto
rians ; but he found no time for quiet occupations.

"You ask about the paintings you fancy I am
making," he writes to a friend, " but in truth I have
never touched a brush. I am continually going to
and fro my mountain home and Mossoul, under the
pressure of troublesome matters which leave no time
for thinking of art I have begun to learn Chaldean,
but for the same reason I make no progress. There
are plenty of thorns and briars here; not that I
regret on that account having come. Where do we
escape them? or who knows which are hardest to
bear? The only thing to be done is to expect
them to the last. Our good General has the largest
share." . . .

In February, 1860, a fresh trouble came in the ill-

220 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

ness and death of the French Consul, whose appoint
ment had been obtained with so much difficulty.
Pere Besson ministered to the sufferer, both body
and soul, as well as to the poor widow, who was left
in a far-off land with two little children. His tender
heart was deeply touched by her sorrow, and he also
felt that the difficulties of the Mission were increased
by this event. He wrote, —

" April i#h, 1860.

. . . "The Cross awaits us here as everywhere, and
I meet with opposition in quarters from which one
would not expect it, from the Christians to whose
service we are devoted. . . . This unfortunate East
is a prey to contentions, a very Babel of strife. One
must make up one's mind to that, and do what one
can, without heeding the rest. The suppression of
the Consulate first, and then the death of the Consul
who was appointed, have been serious blows to us,
and the poor Christians in the mountains are pillaged
and assassinated without our being able to help them.
The Kurds know that we have no Consul, and even
after a successor arrives, it will take some time to re
gain our lost influence. Personally, we are unmolested,
but we mourn over the woes which we are powerless
to avert. God, Who permits these things to be, has
His own designs, and we can but submit, and ask
His Mercy."

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 22 1

The massacres in Libanus which took place about
this time were not reassuring.

" Libanus is in a flame," Pere Besson wrote, July
27th, 1860, "and the Druses are committing frightful
havoc; but we are far from thence. Nevertheless,
the Mussulmen are uneasy at the line taken towards
Turkey by our European Cabinets, and the general
fear is that they intend to divide the Ottoman empire
among themselves. If the day should come when
their fears seem about to be realized, it will un
questionably be one of great danger to us ; but we
are not uneasy, we are in God's Hands, and do not
feel our situation more perilous than that of our bre
thren in Italy. Oriental fanaticism is not so much to
be dreaded as revolutionary fanaticism, and moreover
religious, above all missionaries, ought to be at home
in danger, and without exposing ourselves rashly, we
should not shrink from it, when placed there by
God's Providence."

"August 17 th, 1860.

" The sad events at Damascus will have made you
anxious about us. Of course it is impossible to fore
see what may be in store for us, if this fanatical move
ment spreads ; but so far we are not uneasy. There
are some ill-conditioned men in Mossoul, who would
gladly come down upon the Christians here, as in
Damascus; but the Pasha keeps them in check by

222 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

means of the police and increased military force.
Outwardly, things are quiet, though there is doubtless
fire beneath the smouldering ashes. In a little while
we shall know better what to expect. A great deal will
depend upon the effect produced by what has hap
pened in Syria. We do not pay much attention to
these future possibilities ; but go on in our ordinary
quiet course. If the explosion once reaches our
neighbourhood, we can scarcely look to escape, so far
off as we are from help ; but we shall hold on to the
last, and not be alarmed. All will be as God wills."

" September 2.2nd, 1 860.

" Things are quiet just now ; and the fanatics are
restrained by the measures taken by Turkey — thanks
to European intervention. But no one can say how
long this will last. Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof. The Church in Italy is in still greater
danger than we are ; and her children cannot count
on to-morrow. Surely Providence never made it more
plain that our home is not in this world, and that we
must fix our hopes and affections beyond it !"

" November \2th, 1860.

" We continue in much the same state — outwardly
quiet ; but the storm broods over us, as, I believe,
over the whole Turkish empire. ... A single spark
would suffice to kindle the flame, and rouse the furious
spirit of vengeance which possesses most of these

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 223

Mussulman. They abhor the existing government of
Constantinople, and sooner or later it seems certain
that some fanatical attempt will be made to overthrow
it, and that will probably be the signal for a more or
less general massacre of Franks and Christians. Such
an event would put an end to the Ottoman empire,
for it would inevitably bring all Europe to the rescue ;
but not until Christian blood has been profusely shed.
This seems to me the prospect at present, under the
seeming calm."

Meanwhile the attempts made by the Dominicans
to reconcile the Chaldeans, and raise their tone, were
unsuccessful^ in spite of every effort.

"It took me some time," writes Mgr. Amanton, "fully
to appreciate Pere Besson's firmness and resolution. I
used to know him in Rome, but I had never seen him
save under peaceful conditions, and I did not know what
he could be in battle. Then he came out firm, where
most men would have wavered ; his usual gentleness,
which finds an excuse for every one, disappeared, and
directly that he saw the need for vigorous measures, he
was resolved to use them, and nothing could move him."

All these cares pressed heavily on Pere Besson, and
the death of Pere Schaff hauser in the end of Novem
ber was an additional trial. Moreover, he did not feel
that sufficient encouragement under their troubles was
sent from Rome.

224 A DOMINICAN' ARTIST

" Would you believe," he writes, January 28th, 1861,
" that we have not yet had one word of encourage
ment from the Propaganda? It is mere forgetful-
ness, but at such a time that is much to be regretted.
Surely they ought to know at Rome what surprise
and pain such forgetfulness causes. My heart has
been so full, so weighed down by the many trials
we have experienced, that I have had no energy to
write save what was absolutely necessary. . . . OUT\
position as regards the Chaldean Christians does not
improve, but rather grows worse, . . . and amid all
these troubles we have lost one of our youngest and
ablest Fathers, . . . another was seriously ill, — and
Rome seemed to have forgotten us. ... Alas, what
sorrowful days there are in one's life ! We think much
of man's ingratitude to us ; why do we not dwell more
on our own ingratitude to God ! . . . O Father, infi
nitely patient and tender, give us grace to forgive others
as freely as Thou forgivest us. Root out from our
hearts all false zeal and bitterness, and fill them with
Thine own true love and charity, so that we may love
our enemies, and strive earnestly for the salvation of
those whom duty forces us to contend against. It is
well for us to cast a glance upon ourselves, when we
are obliged to condemn others, and gently to learn a
healing self-humiliation which may drive out all the
hardness and sharpness of pride."

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 225

Pere Ligier had been sent to Rome with a view to
setting things to rights as regarded the Mission and
the Chaldeans ; the result being a conciliatory letter
from Pio Nono, inviting the Chaldean Patriarch to
come to Rome, and personally discuss their position.
This was assumed by their enemies to be a condem
nation of the Dominican line of action, and fresh
attacks were made upon them. They were even ac
cused of luxury and secularity, the latter from the
inevitable necessity they were under of keeping horses,
their only means of locomotion, and firearms, which
were necessary for their personal security, as well as
for occasional supplies of food. The native diet of
rice or millet, and a very strong-flavoured oil, made
the use of animal food a necessity ; fish and potatoes
being unattainable, and all kinds of vegetables exceed
ingly rare. The only real luxury in which the Fathers
indulged was the cleanliness of all their personal
arrangements, which were certainly unlike those of
their neighbours, the Chaldeans. Yet relaxation ot
rule was made a subject of complaint against them,
and though not credited at Rome, Pere Besson was
informed of the accusation, and received a recom
mendation to be more strict in its observance ! It
was rather hard, all things considered, and he wrote
in confidence, " There are trials harder to bear than
death— things which wound one's heart and soul ; and

Q

225 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

such things as these are now our daily portion. What
will be the end, I know not; all I can tell you is
that we stand greatly in need of your prayers that
God may give us patience, and keep us safe in His
great Mercy."

Pere Besson was under the impression that the
authorities at Rome had no longer their original
confidence in him; and this it was which he felt
"harder to bear than death." Under these circum
stances he thought that his usefulness in the East
must be hindered; and he sent in his petition to
be recalled from his onerous post. But the call
to quit it was not to come through man : God
Himself was about to give His faithful servant rest.

Typhus fever broke out at Mossoul that spring
with violence ; and with the pressing need for exer
tion, Pere Besson forgot all that harassed him, and
gave himself up as formerly — in the cholera season —
to the sick and dying. Rich and poor, Christian and
Mussulman, alike received his care — the former need
ing spiritual as well as material assistance. It was
too much for the powers of a stronger man ; he used
to come home at night to the Convent too exhausted
to eat, and almost unable to write necessary letters,
prepare the remedies which would be needed the next
day, and say his office. The brief rest he might look
for when these duties were performed, was often

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 227

broken by fresh calls upon his charity. Uncon
sciously to himself, Pere Besson's strength failed day
by day : all around could see that so it was ; but
he was absorbed in his work, and thankful to be
consumed on behalf of the Chaldean Christians, who
had been the source of so much care to him. Pere
Lemee heard that the Superior was breaking down,
and went to Mossoul in order to persuade him to
go and rest at Mar-Yacoub — which was accomplished
with some difficulty. But it was too late.

On the 22nd of April Pere Besson went with Mgr.
Amanton and Pere Leme'e to their new house at
Raban Ormez ; and on the 24th the two Fathers
proceeded to Mar-Yacoub.

"He had been slightly feverish," Pere Leme'e
writes, "which we attributed to the journey; but
that day he was better and quite cheerful. We rode
side by side, talking of many things. There had
always been great sympathy between us : he was
like a most affectionate father to me ; but at this
time I cannot say how closely I felt drawn to him.
His conversation was so loving and yet sad ; there
was such gentleness in all he said, and he seemed
to find such comfort in talking freely and fully, that
I could not help saying, ' O Father, do you not
think that there is a real pleasure in suffering with
those one loves ? ' As we talked on thus, we reached
Q 2

228 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

the torrent of Maltai, and rested there. The servant
found us some cresses, and Pere Besson ate with
something like appetite. In the afternoon we reached
Mar-Yacoub."

Pere Besson was very weary, but he was pleased
to be with the brothers, to whom he was attached,
and to find himself once more in the convent for
which he had a special affection. He examined
the improvements which he had ordered, and which
were just finished, and remained some time in the
chapel. The next day he said Mass for the last
time; and he dined with the community, but he
could scarcely eat any thing ; and in the afternoon,
violent headache forced him to go to bed. From
that moment he grew rapidly worse. No one could
deceive themselves as to the serious character of the
illness; nor did the Father himself wish to do so.
He at once accepted the coming suffering and
death with his wonted gentle, loving submission,
and offered all to God. Death to him was only
gain, not because he looked confidently to his re
ward, but because, in his great humility, he thought,
with a holy Bishop of the English Communion, that,
"as he added day to day, so he added sin to sin."
As he lay on his bed of pain, he could see the
Kurdistan mountains, where he had hoped to labour
for Christ, and the resting-place in which so recently

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 229

he had helped to lay his comrade and friend Pere
Schaffhauser, beside whom he was himself about to
be laid. His own room was divided by a partition ;
where in the outer half a bed had been placed for
those who nursed him ; — and in the restlessness of
fever he often went from one bed to the other,
seeking a relief which he was not to experience
here. Already he vras too weak to go alone even
this short distance. Amid his pain, he kept his
eyes fixed on his crucifix, and on the pictures of
S. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin, which were near
him, often pointing to them, when speaking was too
great an effort, as though to show what comfort he
found in the thoughts they suggested. While still
able to talk, he dwelt chiefly on the concerns of
the Mission, the perplexed state of which was his
only earthly regret; and he also spoke lovingly of
his friends in Europe, and of his spiritual children,
regretting that he had not been able to do more
for them. On the third day of his illness he made
his confession to Pere Leme'e, saying that he felt
himself getting rapidly worse, and knew not how near
the end might be.

During the night of April 28th he was getting fast
weaker, and the next day, when the French Consul
and a physician from Mossoul arrived, a different
treatment was tried, but it only had the effect of

230 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

bringing on delirium. Even this was a fresh witness
to his habitual purity and holiness of mind, for
through all his wanderings there was never an im
patient or unloving word ; he was solely occupied
with thoughts of duty and the wish to promote the
welfare of the mission. Every sound which reached
his room he took to be the arrival of Mgr. Amanton,
and he wanted to go and meet him to discuss mission-
business. It was difficult to keep him in bed; and
at last he almost forced the lay brother in attendance
to give him his clothes, and with the unnatural
strength of fever he got as far as the convent terrace.
This was his last effort ; stupor soon followed, and
Pere Leme'e administered Extreme Unction, and was
then obliged to leave him, being himself seized with
the fever. Pere Rose remained with their departing
brother, whose last hours were perfectly calm; his
eyes alone retained any power of motion;— they
showed that he followed the prayers said by those
around, and to the last they were fixed in loving
adoration upon his Saviour on the Cross. On May
4th, at 3 p.m., the hour hallowed as that of our Dear
Lord's giving up the ghost, His faithful servant was set
free for ever from the burden and heat of the day,
and entered upon his blessed rest.
• Pere Rose wrote of the closing scene as fol
lows : —

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 231

"MAR-YACOUB, May $th, 1861.

" My dear Father, — Our Mission has been sorely
tried this year; it is barely five months since Pere
Schaffhauser died, and now we have lost the head of
our Mission, our dear Pere Besson. This dearly loved
brother died yesterday of typhus fever, after a fort
night of great suffering. His health had been visibly
failing for some time past, but he did not realise it,
and although he was urged to take care of himself, he
neglected to do so, thinking more of the edification of
those around than of his own needs. Although his
digestion had suffered considerably from the bad food
which is all that these mountains afford, he would
keep the strict Eastern fast of Lent, which tried him
too severely ; especially when, following his Master in
devotion to the suffering and needy, he gave himself
up to very hard work for the sick. His last months
at Mossoul were spent in the relief of fever-stricken
patients of all classes. He was indefatigable in his
labour for body and soul, and his gentle tenderness
cheered and soothed many a bed of suffering. Every
one loved and respected him ; the Mussulmen them
selves, when brought in personal contact with him,
overcame their prejudices against Christians, and
reverenced his unselfish goodness. This ripe saintly
life was soon to have its reward ; and as we saw him
sinking under the weight of toil, we realised that he

232 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

was not to be much longer spared to us, and entreated
him to come and rest awhile in the fresh air of Mar-
Yacoub. He came, but it was only to sicken of
typhus fever ! From the beginning of his illness, Pere
Besson felt that he was dying, and he waited his
summons with full confidence in Jesus his Saviour,
and the calm hope which God vouchsafes to His
chosen ones.

"How can I describe his unchanging patience
through the severe suffering of those days ? There
was never a murmur, never one word save of perfect
resignation to God's Will. It seemed as though he
was thankful to accept his pain. As usual, he never
thought of himself, but as long as he could speak he
was always comforting us, regretting the trouble he
gave us, and planning for the welfare of our Mission.
Except for one day and night, when he was delirious,
he retained perfect consciousness throughout, and he
received the last consolations of religion with all his
wonted angelic devotion. When keen suffering or
weakness hindered his speech, we still saw the motion
of his lips in prayer. His eyes were continually fixed
upon his crucifix, from which he would turn to us
with a gentle smile which seemed to bid us be of
good cheer, for we should soon meet again in
Heaven.

" At last the hour came in which our dearly loved

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 233

Father was to leave us ; I was kneeling by his bed
saying the prayers for the dying, and at the end he
pressed his lips to the crucifix, and as he did so, his
pure soul passed away. You know how we loved
him, and you know how he won the love of those
around him ; you can understand the sadness with
which Frere Antoine and I closed his eyes, and per
formed the last offices for him. His death is an irre
parable loss to the Mission ; — I know not how it can
be supplied among the young missionaries who leant
upon him, and learnt their best lessons from his ex
ample. There is no need for more. It is sufficient
to say that his last hours were in keeping with his
saintly life. Pray for our dear Father, or rather pray
for us who stand in so much need of prayers, and for
our Mission, so sorely tried of late.
" Your sincerely devoted

" FRERE MARIE AUGUSTIN ROSE."

On Sunday, May 5th, Pere Besson was laid in his
grave. Pere Lemee was ill, and Pere Rose was too
much overcome with grief and fatigue to say the Ser
vice, and moreover there was no other priest of the
Latin Ritual at hand ; so some of the neighbouring
Chaldean monks performed the last offices, at which
the Consul of France was present. A little later Mgr.
Amanton and the Fathers of the Mission built a

234 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

chapel near the Convent, as a memorial to Pere
Besson, moving his body, with those of Pere Schaff-
hauser and another Dominican, Padre Garignani, to
the vault beneath, where they rest in sure and certain
hope of a joyful resurrection.

Over the altar are the words, " Beati mortui qui in
Domino moriuntur ;" and around the walls, " Hie sunt
expectantes beatam spem et adventum Domini nostri
Jesu Christi."

The tidings of Pere Besson's death was received in
Europe with thankfulness for the warrior who had con
quered in the battle of life, but with tender regrets for
the friend lost to sight. The Holy Father, who had
so reluctantly allowed him to depart, grieved patheti
cally over his " Monachella," as he was wont to call
the refined, pure-minded young religious ; and the
Dominican General, Pere Jandel, mourned his earliest
and dearest friend, fiom whom no passing differences
of opinion had detached him. Writing to one who
mourned Pere Besson deeply, Pere Jandel says, " I
firmly believe that that good and faithful servant has
entered into the joy of his Lord, and that he would
say now to us, in the words spoken by his Master to
the Apostles, 'If ye love Me, ye would rejoice, because
I go unto the Father. ... It is expedient for you

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 235

that I go away. ... I will not leave you comfortless : I
will come to you.' You had not much hope of see
ing him again in this world, and he is far more power
ful to help you now by his intercession with your
Heavenly Father than while he was yet in this land of
sorrow and tears. Comfort yourself with this thought,
and do not sorrovr as one without hope. The hope of
the righteous is immortal."

Throughout the Order Pere Besson was sincerely
mourned; Pere Lacordaire sent a circular to all the
French Dominicans announcing his death, and though
so ill as to be unable to write with his own hand, he
dictated one of his warm hearty outpourings to M.
Cartier, in sympathy for their common loss \

" He was certainly among those who did most to
further our first foundation," Lacordaire says, "by
means of his devotion, his clearness of mind, and his
personal holiness. Especially he was God's chosen
instrument to draw hearts together and heal our
wounds, when we were so harassed by internal
divisions ; and amid the many griefs I have had, I
look upon his faithful friendship as one of the bless
ings and comforts of my life."

The spiritual daughter whose touching account of
their last earthly meeting has been given above, was

1 Pere Lacordaire was already fast failing. He died on No
vember 21, 1 86 1, just six months after Pere Besson.

236 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

ill at the time of Pere Besson's illness. One day
she came accidentally upon a prayer to the expiring
Heart of Jesus, which she had lost, and vainly
sought for. She felt drawn to say it daily, feeling a
presentiment that Pere Besson was dying. But on
May 4 she forgot to say the prayer, and though at the
time she owed the Father a letter, she could not make
up her mind to write, so strong was her belief that he
was dead. " Do you know that somehow I have left
off praying for him," she wrote, "and I rather ask his
prayers. Of late I have often caught myself talking
to him as if he were present, and asking his prayers ;
and I do not think it can be wrong:— perhaps the
angels will carry my words to him at Mossoul if he
is still there."

CHAPTER VIII

Pere Besson's Direction — Spiritual Letters.

THIS sketch of Pere Besson's life would be
incomplete without some reference to what,
after all, was probably his most effectual work for
God, — his direction of souls. No one can read his
letters, simple and unstudied as they are, without
feeling how helpful the guidance of such a man must
have been to souls struggling upwards towards the
life of grace. Madame Swetchine used to say that
she had never seen any one who bore so distinctly
the outward stamp of holiness, and this was in a
great measure, doubtless, the result of his deep humi
lity, which was so intuitive, so entirely a part of
himself, that like all true humility, it was unconscious ;
and while it gave a special charm to his manners,
which were naturally gentle and refined, it had
nothing forced or obtrusive. He always used to
wonder why people loved him so much, and drew to

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him so quickly ; — too unselfish to know how attractive
his total freedom from self was. Love of God led him
as a natural consequence to love of men. " On, ever on
towards God," in his own words, "Jesus must be the
stamp of our souls. When I want to learn more
of His Heart, I recall the moments in my life when
I have felt and understood Him best, for it is only
in meditating and dwelling upon Him that one can
attain any patience, humility, gentleness, detachment
or love of souls, and of holy poverty. Oh, these are
moments when one seems to feel one's own heait
beat against His Sacred Heart." It was noticed
among his friends that Pere Besson's habitual and
most natural action was a little movement of his
hand towards heaven, which was specially significa
tive to those who knew him well. A religious who
asked for some remembrance of Pere Besson, re
ceived the following characteristic prayer : " O Jesus,
Saviour, only Physician of my soul, I cast myself all
laden with sins and weakness into Thy ever ready
Bosom, trusting to Thine infinite mercy. Humbled
as I am at the sight of all that I am, I know that I
do not yet see myself as Thou seest me, do Thou
look upon me in pitying love. Lay Thy healing
Hand upon my wounds, and fill my heart with the
precious balm of Thy life-giving love. Do for me
that which I dare not seek or ask for myself. Let

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239

me be Thine only, wholly Thine, at all costs ; in
humiliation, in poverty, in suffering, in desolation ;
Thine as I must be before Thou wilt be wholly mine.
Thou art my Master, my Lord, my Saviour, and
my God. I am Thy poor weak creature, who has
nothing, and can have nothing save what Thou,
Jesus, my only hope, vouchsafest to give me."
Lacordaire used to say that when he found himself
among brother priests, his test of them was the
mental decision as to which he would choose as
his confessor? and there was something in Pere
Besson's look and manner which seemed to draw
many to seek spiritual consolations at his hands.

" When we went to Rome," a lady writes, " I took
a letter from a priest to Pere Besson, asking him
to see and confess me. I went the very first day to
Santa Sabina, accompanied by my husband, who for
long had not received the Sacraments, the sole draw
back to my happiness. Somehow I had a hope that
Pere Besson might do something lor us, even before
I saw him. He received us with his own special
kindness, read the letter, and said in the gentlest way
that he was at my service. I was full of thankfulness
at receiving such help ; but I longed for my husband
to share the privilege ; I hesitated, and at last I said,
' Thank you, Father, but I would fain not absorb
all your kindness myself.' He understood me, and

240 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

going up to my husband, took his hand. He could
not withstand the charm of that peculiarly loving,
gentle face — he felt himself touched and subdued:
tears came into his eyes, and in a few minutes we
were both on our knees receiving Pere Besson's
blessing, having made an appointment for the next
day, which was to be the means of uniting my
husband and me more closely than ever in the
Sacred Heart of our Dear Lord. It was the happiest
moment of my life."

The personal guidance of souls was an absorbing
interest to him, before which all other occupations
yielded ; he felt what Lacordaire has expressed, that
" intercourse with souls is the one real happiness of
a priest who is worthy of his mission ; the one thing
which prevents him from regretting all that he has
cast aside of earthly links, friendships, or hopes."
Pere Besson was always studying and fitting himself
more and more for this branch of his duty, by prayer
and meditation, and whatever instruction he gave to
others was always from the innermost depths of his
own heart; he sought earnestly and sincerely to
follow the precepts which he laid upon other men.
When any person sought his guidance, he would put
aside all other occupations, and go patiently and care
fully into their needs, and from the time he accepted
the charge, it was fulfilled as faithfully as though he
had no other claim upon him.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 241

" Henceforth " (he wrote to one newly coming
under his guidance) " I shall consider your soul as
committed to me by God Himself, and whatever I
can do to promote your advancement in the path of
faith, hope, and love, I shall do as in His Presence,
by the help of His Grace. Do you look on me as
your Father in Christ, as I shall look on you as a
child entrusted to me by Him, for whom I must one
day give account."

He required, as the following extracts from his
spiritual letters will show, a full trust and confidence
from those who were under his guidance ; but it was
with a remarkable freedom from any desire to obtain
influence or power. Ready to spend and be spent
for those who needed him, Pere Besson never thought
of self in his dealings with souls, and we find him
constantly suggesting other spiritual help to his
children, or reminding them that some other priest
might be better able to guide them.

"I would always encourage perfect liberty in the
choice of a director," 'he writes, " nor can I bear to
take charge of souls who do not feel voluntarily drawn
to me. Remember that I am no more than a ladder
by which you are to mount up to God. If you feel
that I am a suitable guide for your soul, be at rest ;
but if, on the other hand, you feel that I do not reach
your real wants, that I do not understand you, or give

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242 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

you such counsel as your soul requires, then do not
hesitate a moment, but seek some more helpful
director. There is nothing to be considered in the
matter as regards me ; your spiritual benefit is the
only thing to be thought of. I have no wish that you
should belong to me, but that you should wholly
belong to God ; and whether you attain to that
through my guidance or that of any one else, is
immaterial ; the only important point is, that you
should indeed be God's child, and that as thoroughly
as possible. This is what I have always felt with
regard to direction of souls. I cannot understand the
petty feeling which would lead one to prevent them
from seeking guidance from any but oneself. Write
to me fully and without restraint, even of the tempta
tions you may feel to reject my guidance. I do not
mean to constrain you to tell me all such matters, but
rather I would encourage you to tell them when you
think it profitable to yourself, in order that I may
better understand the position of your soul ; such
temptations are not voluntary. But if you are really
troubled by them, the straightforward course is to tell
me ; you would not be more free from restraint in
concealing them; and the best way of overcoming
3uch troubles is to make them known to the director
concerning whom they arise ; so once more, always be
quite open with me, and do not harass yourself with

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 243

misgivings as to whether you say too much, or express
yourself badly.

"I am always ready to help you, but do not
distress yourself if you should not find in me all
you need for your sanctification. I have often told
you that I am very weak, very incompetent; and
when you find that my words are true, you must
think with compassion of me, and seek from our
Dear Lord that help which His unworthy servant
is not able to give you. I feel as a father
towards you, and I look for a child's confidence
from you."

It was probably this fatherly feeling, which was
no mere form of words with him, that gave him
so much insight into the secrets of the heart. Pere
Besson had the gift of perceiving what men could
not see for themselves, and of unfolding their own
thoughts, and weaknesses, and wants in a way which
often amazed those with whom he dealt. "He
seemed to see the souls as well as the bodies of his
penitents," it has been said ; and the remarkable
recollection with which he gave himself to the
work of direction, whether in speaking or writing,
confirmed this impression.

He had no set system ; patience, gentleness, and
discretion were his chief rules.

" I think," he said once, " that I go less and less

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244 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

by set rules as time goes on, for I grow more afraid
of acting upon my own opinion rather than God's
Will. I would always rather wait than hurry on.
Of course one must not let souls fall asleep; but
neither must one hurry them, or there is great risk
of deceiving oneself as to what are God's real in
tentions concerning them; and one may easily lose
sight of the fact that all true perfection lies in ful
filling God's Will in that special position to which
He has called us, although that position may not
in itself be the highest we could attain to. My
leading principle as regards a religious vocation is,
that the first call should come from God; and that
we must not hinder the workings of His Providence
by any impatience of ours. It is sometimes His
Will to retain souls for long in what may appear
a state of great imperfection, in order to lead them on
through it to a more true perfection."

A short paper concerning direction gives Pere
Besson's summary of its obligations.

I. Direction requires that one should lay bare one's
natural inclinations ; how far one yields to them ;
and how far one strives to overcome and mortify
them.

II. One's prayers and meditations; whether one
gives the due time allotted to them ; and their prac
tical results.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 245

III. Self-examination ; one's progress or back
sliding.

IV. One's faithfulness to the light of conscience,
to direction, to the workings of grace within us, and
to God's blessings and mercies.

V. The beneficial results of one's confessions and
communions.

VI. How far one is honest in acknowledging one's
temptations and difficulties, concealing nothing from
one's director.

I. You are bound to confess every sin of com
mission or omission against God's Law, all resist
ance to grace; in short, all that weighs upon the
conscience.

II. When you have accused yourself of all you
remember, do not begin hunting after forgotten
faults ; the time between your confession and absolu
tion is a most precious one, which should be given
solely to seeking deeper contrition.

III. If past faults come back to your mind, they
must not keep you from Communion; tell them at
your next confession.

IV. Under some forms of temptation, go on as
if you were unconscious thereof; the best way to
drive them away is to despise and treat them as of
no moment.

246 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

V. If you are really troubled with temptations,
raise your heart to God, protesting that you desire
and love Him Alone, and seek to love all else in
and for Him Only ; that you are ready to give up
every thing for His Love ;— this will promote detach-
ment, and unite you more closely to Him. Then
go back to your usual occupations ; but never try to
regain composure by arguing with yourself.

VI. If you want to decide whether you are failing
under temptation, and there is no evidence against
you, the decision should be in your favour (when
the sun shines we know that it is light). Then do
not begin to reconsider the question, but be at rest.

VII. When you feel overwhelmed, and know not
what to do, or how to seek counsel, remember what
S. Francis de Sales says: "I know what I wish to
do, but I don't know what I shall do." If immediate
decision is necessary, do your best, and be honest
with your director afterwards.

Pere Besson always sought to impress upon those
he dealt with that bodily mortification is a means,
not an end ; and that where discretion was lacking,
it might easily hinder instead of forwarding spiritual
growth.

"I grant," he says, "that bodily mortification,
combined with the spirit of prayer, is most profitable ;
but a thing may be good in itself, and yet not always

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 247

expedient. Great discretion is necessary in dealing
with the body, because it is subject to laws which
do not always allow the soul to have full empire
over it. It must be chastened, not ill-used; sub
dued, not crushed; it must be treated as subject to
the soul, and punished if it rebels ; but we must not
refuse to supply its real wants, or it will be unequal
to its duties ; and bodily weakness often seriously
affects the soul. The true spirit of mortification is
one which expands the soul in heavenly things, while
it checks the overflow of self-love and creature-love;
so that by its means we may learn to love all things
in and for God Alone.

"When the soul prostrates itself before God, it
ought to come forth filled anew with life given by
Him before Whom it has cast down its burden ; and
therefore we ought to arise with fresh warmth and
energy from the confession of our wretchedness. It
is of the very essence of hurnility to set the soul free
from all self-esteem and self-confidence, so that it may
prize nothing in itself, save that which is of God, and
lean solely upon Him. The result of this is true
peace and tranquillity of mind — the certain test of
a really humble heart. A humble heart will rejoice
in the knowledge of its own weakness, because by
that knowledge it has grace to perceive the infinite
Mercy of God — a perception which grows with all

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such self-knowledge ; and thus true humility thankfully
accepts the consciousness of imperfection, thereby
realizing more intensely the goodness of God.

" My one desire for you is that you may be wholly
and entirely God's ; and I think that your weaknesses,
your imperfections, and faults may promote that, if you
sorrow duly for them. As you become more humble,
you will grow in the holy Love of Jesus, and so you
will be more closely united to Him ; but too frequent
and too fretting self-inspection are a greater hindrance
to this than people generally suppose. We must be
in peace before we can win light, and peace involves
sincere and hearty humility, which expects nothing of
itself, and every thing of God. Humility trains the
soul in quietness and confidence, so that God's Spirit
may have free entrance therein, and work His good
pleasure. We may define humility as a real love of
setting self aside, and what we love we accept rest-
fully. I do not mean that the humble soul rests in its
own unworthiness, but that in accepting the conscious
ness that it is unworthy it rises up more lovingly to
God, and takes stronger root in Him from the con
viction that it has no strength in itself. It is
in the depth of our own weakness that we realize
the depth of His Mercy, and when the soul realizes
that Mercy, it rests therein, and finds to the full
how wholly God is its life, and how the more it can

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be free from self, the more truly it lives in Him.
Such a soul does not affect to possess any thing,
while yet it possesses all things, for it is raised
above all that is earthly when it can see and desire
God's Holy Will in all that occurs — that Will Alone
being its life, its light, its hope, strength, and joy.
Then we learn to rejoice that we are nought, and God
All in all — and thus humility becomes love. It is for
love's sake that Jesus has done so much for us ; and
for love's sake we should do all we can for Him.
Love is the source, the key of all heavenly mysteries,
into which we can enter by no other way. Love is
our only light. Simplicity is the soul's attraction to
wards God, a humble, tender, generous approach to
wards Him; and Him Alone. It detaches us from
external things, and love attaches us to God ; they are
but different names for the same thing. Simplicity
helps us to refer all to God, and thus to reduce the
multiplicity of this world's cares to a divine unity.
By means of simplicity we learn detachment and self-re
nunciation, and mortification is inseparable from these.
Our three vows forward this. Poverty separates us from
this world's goods; chastity guards our senses, our
eyes, and ears ; and obedience sets aside the will."

Pere Besson was pronounced to be an over indulgent
master of novices, and the whole tone of his direction
is one of great sympathy and tenderness ; but he

250 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

could reprove and administer bracing words when
they were required. Thus we find him writing to one
of his children : —

"LA QUERCIA, September yd, 1854.
. . . "When, my poor child, will you become
reasonable? I have often told you that I am spe
cially interested in all that concerns your soul, and
that I will never forsake you ; why cannot you be at
rest, instead of harassing yourself with all these utterly
groundless fears ? . . . You write as though there were
no one to consider save yourself, and as though I
could give you the relief which God sees fit to with
hold. Read over what I have said before now to you,
and you will find an answer to all you say to-day. I
know your difficulties, and I pity you from the bottom
of my heart ; but I also know that God allows you to
meet with these troubles in order that by bearing them
patiently and humbly, you may offer your whole being
in perfect sacrifice to Him. You say that your pride
is wounded, and I answer, so much the better, I am
very glad of it, for you can never make any pro
gress in perfect charity until your pride is mortified.
If you were full of conscious love to God, without
any struggles and temptations from self, I should be
afraid for you, but while I see you fighting with Satan,
and writhing, so to say, under what is laid upon you,
J am in good heart, for this is the royal road of the

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Cross. Put your whole trust in God, my daughter,
cast yourself unreservedly into the gulf of His bound
less Compassion ; do not parley with the devil, but
when temptation assails you, take instant refuge in
that stronghold, where he cannot touch you. Let
your maxim be to die in all things to yourself; you
cannot go far wrong while that is your rule, but strive
that love of God be the paramount motive of all your
self-sacrifice. Do not be impatient and fretful with
yourself; and however you may fall, rise up trustfully,
and correct yourself firmly but gently. You may be
certain that all our impatience, however cloaked, is a
form of self-love, and that true humility will deliver us
both from impatience and discouragement. Put your
confidence in God only, for it is He Alone that can
give you strength. I expect to return to Rome on the
1 4th. Be quiet till then, and for the future do not let
yourself be thus taken by surprise by Satan's sugges
tions that you are forsaken. He only seeks to dis
hearten you, and lay you open thereby to all manner
of temptations."

To a Dominican nun he writes, —

"My Daughter in the Lord, — Be at rest, do not
torment yourself thus ; seek only to meet the grace
you have received with corresponding love and faith
fulness, and time will set things straight. Over-
anxiety is worse than useless; it only distracts and

252 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

hinders one. When a difficulty, a temptation, or
any other trouble comes upon you, reflect quietly
what you ought to do, and then carry out the resolu
tions you have come to at your Saviour's Feet, in a
firm, tranquil spirit. . . . Give yourself unreservedly to
Him, and learn how sweet He is to those who love
Him ; learn it through a faithful performance of all
your duties, and in the seemingly hard practice of
mortification and penitence. Jesus is sweet even
now to your soul ; what will He be when you know
Him better, when you know Him so well that you
will have wholly lost sight of yourself? Before we
can be His, we must die to ourselves ; but what a
blessed death it is of which we can say, ' Hence
forward I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me/
.... Self-renunciation, mortification, and humilia
tion are difficult matters, I know well ; nor do I
wonder that you find them such ; the cup is a bitter
one, but it is the cup of which Jesus drank, and that
takes away the bitterness and infuses a sweetness
which you will taste in course of time. But it requires
time — Samson slew the lion before he tasted of the
honey ! and your Bridegroom Jesus was crucified and
crowned with thorns before He entered into glory. . . .
Do not be afraid; the alarm you experience at the
very mention of mortification is profitable, because it
teaches you how weak you are, and you will realize

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 253

all the better that whatever there may be in you of
good, is not your own, but comes from Jesus only.
You will turn to Him with more true sincerity when
you have realized that of yourself you can do nothing,
you will be grateful to the very weakness which
constrains you to lean on Him for every thing, and
thus you will become more than outwardly humble, —
humble in heart, for that consists in love of God's
Mercy as seen by the light of our own nothingness.

" God has given you great grace during your retreat ;
you are beginning to see light, and as that enters into
your soul you will find that Jesus is there in truth
and love. You are beginning to understand His
gracious dealings with your soul, and to appreciate
the grace of your vocation, you realise more the
powerful drawings of His Ineffable Grace, and your
heart is expanding joyfully to hope and happiness, to
a loving, generous gratitude. Yes, my daughter, you
know now that Jesus is your All, and that whoso
possesses Him, possesses all things. I cannot say
how thankful I am to see this change working in you.
Do not hinder it, but daily offer yourself, as a poor
little flower, to the Sunshine of Grace, which will
tinge and warm and strengthen you with its rays.
Give yourself up to Him, for life and death without
any reservation ; let it be your sole study and happi
ness to follow Him, and draw Him to yourself,

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seeking Him in all things, and doing all for love 'of
Him. This Advent season calls us to make ready to
receive our Saviour's Coming— a coming so gracious
and comforting, specially to us poor sinners, who so
greatly need His Grace. He comes to share our
sorrows, to share our hardships, and to mingle His
childish tears with ours, until the time when He will
shed all His Blood for us on the Cross. I write on
the feast of S. Andrew, and it is not without meaning
that the Church appoints his Commemoration at the
beginning of Advent; the thought of that fervent
lover of the Cross calls us to higher and nobler
thoughts, till we are able to cry out with the Martyr
Apostle, ' Hail, O good, O blessed Cross.' Even so
should we hail the Manger and the Cross, we, more
than others, who have been called by our Dear Lord
to a closer union with Him, in our religious life.
He Who called us has said, ' If any man will be My
disciple, let him take up his Cross and follow Me,'
and that is the whole summary of our vocation, the
secret of our life, the mystery of our calling, to follow
Jesus, bearing our Cross for love of Him. Thrice
blessed they who understand it, for it is not revealed
to us by flesh and blood, but by God's Holy Spirit,
Which reveals all hidden things, and Which teaches
the true followers of Christ that if they would rise
and reign with Him, they must first suffer and die

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with Him. May God, Who has led you on so lovingly,
add yet more to His Grace, and fill your heart with
the Love of Jesus and His Cross. That is your all
in all, the treasure of your soul. Love it, and draw
others to love it likewise. What could be a more
blessed, a nobler mission? God has been very
gracious to you; bless Him hourly for it, and ask
that I too may become wholly His, for indeed I
come sadly short."

To a nun after taking the habit.

"My dear Sister, — I rejoice to hear that you have
taken our holy habit — you were preparing for it when
last I wrote, and now it is done — and you have laid
aside the trappings of the world for the garb of S.
Dominic. Henceforth you must strive after that
inward clothing, which lies in putting aside your own
mind and will, to clothe yourself with the mind of S.
Dominic, or rather, with the mind of Christ. And
this clothing is not, like the other, to be done in a
day. The outer garments of the world are easily laid
aside, and the white tunic, the scapulary, cloak, and
veil are soon put on ; but it takes many a day of weary
toil before we can put off self, and put on the Lord
Jesus Christ

" And now, my dear sister, you must set yourself
heartily to work ; you have made a good beginning,
go on bravely, and without self-indulgence. The

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heart which aims to be blended and united with the
Heart of Jesus, must be ready to endure all things, it
must know how to bear both the outward piercings of
the lance, and the inward sores of desolation, con
tempt, loneliness, anguish, and sorrow, which are
harder far to endure. One while you will suffer
through your external surroundings, and another time
you will be weighed down by your own inward self;
on all sides you must die to that self, renounce it, and
carry your cross silently, step by step, after your
Saviour to Calvary. Say often within your heart
the Apostle's words, ' I am crucified with Christ. I
am nailed to His Cross ; yes, nailed there.' Do not
seek to draw away hand or foot from those piercing
nails ; abide steadfast under the trial, or if that cannot
be, if nature bows beneath the burden, seek no other
consolation than Jesus Christ, Who bears it with you
and for you. Let Him be your stay, your strength.
Rejoice to be despised with Him, to suffer like Him
and with Him. Be willing to be told of your faults,
believe that they are great, and not well seen by you,
and be sure that there is no truer kindness than that
which points them out to you, and helps you, through
pain and humiliation, to overcome them.

" Give yourself up fully, like a little child, to your
mistress of the novices ; let her deal with you as she
sees fit, and do not be too curious as to the why and

A DOMINICAN' ARTIST 257

wherefore of every thing. It is good for you that
sometimes you should seem to be forgotten, not con
sidered or helped; even, as it may appear, coldly treated.
Bear such trials patiently, if God sends them ; they do
not really arise from want of love, but their object is
to purify your devotion and obedience from the mere
earthly element of human love. Give yourself up
unreservedly to your guides ; and always be perfectly
simple, trusting, and open in your dealings with them.
Straightforwardness is a royal road ; a straightforward
heart never gets far wrong, for if any thing turns it
aside, there will be a sure re-action which will set it
right. This is a short but true summary of perfection.
But while I am preaching thus to you, I know full
well the weakness of our hearts, for whatever the
things may be which trouble you, I find no less within
myself. We are weak, and we would fain be strong;
what is to be done ? The answer is plain ; we must
pray ceaselessly that He Who is All-powerful and Who
loves our souls would Himself be our strength, that
He may sustain us, and by His Gracious help enable
us to reach thither where His Love has called us; and
grant us everlasting bliss after our long and weary toil ;
we must ever gaze on Jesus crucified, press Him daily
and hourly to our hearts, and in that purifying em
brace we shall win the heavenly strength we need alike
for life and death. May our Lord be ever with you."

s

258 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

"You must aim at that patient courage which
overcomes all difficulties ; remember that your first
object should be to conquer self, and your too lively
imagination. . . . That peace which is promised you,
and to which I hope you will attain by and by, will
be full in proportion to the fulness of your victory over
self. Calm peace and joy are the fruits of sincere
mortification ; all other is a false peace, and its unsub
stantial foundations will crumble and leave you more
troubled than before. . . . Do not be disheartened
at the prospect of difficulties ; work on bravely. . . .
I ,ife at the longest is soon spent ; its joys and sorrows
pass rapidly away, and eternity will restore fourfold
whatever we have forsaken here. One moment in the
Bosom of God will outweigh all possible pleasures in
this world of sin. Be of good cheer, for as each day
shortens the troubles of this life, so each day brings
that blessed eternity nearer. A few more tears, a few
more cares, a year or two more or less, — and the end
will come. We shall see God, and the things of this
world will have passed away. Farewell ; may God
give your heart all the strength you need! Pray
for me."

"My Sister in our Lord, — You know that I did
not answer your letter at once, because I was in re-

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 259

treat. I only came out yesterday, and now I hasten
to reply. I am thankful to hear you are enjoying
such peace; it is the 'hundredfold' promised in this
life to those who forsake all, themselves included, to
follow Jesus Christ. Up to the present time this peace
has been a hidden treasure for you. You were in pos
session of the field where it lay hid, or rather you
had entered within the field, but you had not found the
treasure. Now you have discovered it ; see that you
guard it watchfully, keeping your heart solely for Him
to Whom you have pledged it for ever, your Saviour
Jesus, Who Alone can give you real happiness. . . .

"If you use them aright, your past faults will be as
a ladder whereby you may ascend to a deeper spirit
of detachment, and a fuller love. Always contem
plate your own wretchedness through the medium of
Divine Mercy — that Mercy which is the Refuge of all
men, but specially of us, who have escaped from the
world's tempest. God, Who originally rescued us from
the sin wherein we were born, has had still greater
pity upon us. Jesus has called us, and His Word
raised us anew. We live through His Grace; we live,
but not without fear, until our final victory over death.
Who will sustain and strengthen us against our mani
fold enemies, above all, against ourselves ? Who but
Christ Jesus, Who has called us and cleansed us, and
Who is All-powerful to keep us unto the end?
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260 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

"Trust yourself henceforward wholly to your Sa
viour ; a mother does not carry her child lovingly in
her arms a while, and then let him fall as he may !
And you know that He loves our souls more than the
tenderest mother loves her child. When He lifts us
up, it is not to forsake us again, but to gladden us
with the light of His Countenance, and to feed us
with the abundance of His Love. Unquestionably
we may quit His enfolding Arms through our own in
gratitude; but the child which feels itself falling cries
out to its mother, and will she not hold him up?
Even so do you cry out to Him, "O Jesus, Thou
art Father and Mother, Husband and Brother to me,
Thou art my only Hope. I give myself up to Thee,
for I am weak and helpless, unable to save myself,
nor were I able to walk alone would I stir without
Thy guiding Hand. Thou art my Treasure, my De
light, my only Good.

"You ask whether that can be called our ruling
passion which most often besets and assaults us,
although we do not consent to its suggestions?
There are different kinds of ruling passions. Just as
we are under the influence both of nature and grace,
so there are some passions which have a powerful
hold upon our natural temperament, although they
do not get the mastery, because we resist them ; and
there are others to which we have less natural pre-

A DOMINICAN' ARTIST 261

disposition, and which nevertheless gain so great hold
over us, because we do not resist them sufficiently,
and allow them to take root in us. Thus you see
there are two kinds of evil tendencies ; those which
we inherit and those which we contract by yielding
to bad habits. The subject is too long to discuss
fully. I will only say that the most dangerous of
these tendencies are those to which we offer least re
sistance ; and they become the greatest source of
ultimate evil to us. Farewell ; I have no time for
more. May God keep you ever in His fear, and
hope, and love ! Pray for me."

. . . "This anxiety of which you complain, is
really nothing but a temptation;— the restless desire to
ascertain how far you were to blame in past events, is
a useless wish, arising out of self-love, which seeks to
justify itself, instead of leaving all to the judgment of
God, Who reads our hearts. Whether you were wrong
or right, cast yourself unreservedly into His Merciful
Arms, leaving past, present, and future to Him ; do
not indulge a restless desire to know exactly how far
you have done right, but own from the bottom of your
heart that you have sinned, and that more deeply than
you can estimate ; and make an act of perfect hope in
Jesus, Who died to save your soul. Do not seek justi
fication or peace within yourself, but in Jesus, where
Alone they can be found. Never allow the remem-

262 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

brance of your faults, or your daily increasing self-
abhorrence and mistrust, to lessen your confidence in
Him, but rather, as you realise your own weakness
more and more, so should you realise His Mercy. It
is only in an absolute surrender of yourself to Him that
you will find rest, and when you have done all that
lies in your power, and feel that you have been faith
ful to your trust, do not presume upon it, but say
humbly, * We are unprofitable servants.' If, on the
other hand, you have failed in your duty, and are
stung with repentance, after the first pangs of sincere
sorrow, lift up your eyes to Him Who is the Refuge of
sinners, cast all your sorrow at His Feet, crying out,
* I can do all things through Him Which strengthened
me.' In truth you can do all in Him — nothing is
impossible to him whose heart abides in lowly self-
mistrust, and unreserved confidence in God. I would
earnestly exhort you to strive after this confidence,
there is no way more profitable for those who seek to
follow in the footsteps of our Dear Lord. May your
soul grow daily in His trust alone 1"

To a religious.

... "I think you give too much weight to pass
ing words, which are often spoken without an un
kind meaning, or at all events without the importance

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 263

which we are apt to give them. Try to take a broader
view of things, and not to dwell upon such trifles as
these. The great evil in communities of women is
that they pay too much attention to trifles, and do not
know how to forget. Nevertheless this largeness of
heart and of mind is very necessary for those who
would be really at peace. . . . Try to persevere in your
good resolutions as to sisterly charity, and never com
plain of any little troubles among your sisters, save to
the Superior, or to me. Do not stop short in outward
appearances, but look at the heart within. Many a,
time, in spite of weakness and faultiness, you will find
more good there than you thought for. Strive to put
away and crush all the susceptibilities of self-love ; by
so doing you will be at rest yourself, and help others
to be so too. . . . Let all your consolation spring from
the Cross of Christ, do not seek to find any from the
hidden sources of self-love. Strive to turn both ex
ternal and internal suffering to good, accept all that
tries you as specially necessary and helpful, and let
your sole desire be to please God, rest satisfied if you
are doing His Holy Will, bear the consciousness of your
infirmities patiently, resist all temptations to be dis
couraged bravely, and cast yourself upon God, firmly
resolved, come what may, to be wholly His. Avoid
useless retracing of the past, do not remember it save
as a stimulus to make up by present exertions for lost

264 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

time. In short, let the few days or years you have to
pass on earth be worthy of your holy vocation, which
is to have no hope, no aim, no will, no desire save
God. ' God, and God Alone ' should be the motto of
a true religious; and if faithful to that, you cannot fail
to be victorious in the end.

. . . "The kindly care of your Sisters will doubtless
render the practice of your duties easier, but that will
not do alone, our greatest difficulty is from within.
Our heaviest cross, that which we are forced to carry
ever about us, is self, and we need much humility,
patience, and gentleness to bear it. You must expect
to find it every where, at Toulouse as at Rome !
. . . When you are specially troubled, try to remem
ber what I have so often told you, that first of all you
must be patient with yourself, and learn to bear with
yourself, being humbled, but never discouraged by
your faults. In this way only you will be at rest, and
you will make a real progress, although it may not
always be a conscious one. Try to keep a quiet heart,
avoiding a multitude of aims and wishes — you need
have but one, that you may serve God humbly ; all
the rest will come of itself. Let others seek what they
will, but do you confine your longings to one thing,
Humility. It is a great gift, and humiliations are our
truest good. We cannot always understand this; and
because we do not understand it, we are always aim-

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 265

ing at things which we fancy to be greater and more
desirable. But what can be greater or more desirable
than that which our Divine Master has bid us learn of
Himself, as His own special attribute? * Learn of Me,
for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find
rest for your souls.' Blessed indeed is the gift of
humility — the very source of peace and of all holy
love to God and man."

To a member of the Third Order.

..." May God give you grace to be more and more
wholly His, uniting your will more closely to His
Holy Will — that is the main thing; and then it
matters little what our position may be in this world.
All earthly conditions are but for a brief while. God
places us therein that through them we may attain a
blessed eternity. Do not fret, therefore, because you
are obliged to live in the world, rather than, as you
would wish, in the cloister. God's Help is none the
less yours, and you will equally attain to everlasting
salvation, if your daily aim is to do His Will where
He has placed you. God's faithful servants are to be
found every where, He appoints our respective posts
to all alike, and what He looks at is not the difference
of our position, but the faithfulness of our service in
that position, whatever it be. . . . No one is safe in

266 A DOMINICAN" ARTIST

any position whatsoever, unless it be that which God
intends him to fill. Of course where we have a
choice in the matter, we ought always to strive after
the best and most perfect way, but even that should
be done with an entire submission to God's Will, for
the most perfect abstract way may not be such for us,
if God has chosen some other for us. All happiness
depends upon a dutiful heed to His Holy Will, but
He sometimes sees fit to veil that Will in seeming
mystery ; and then, be sure, the very darkness which
we think to be a hindrance, is in truth but part of the
gracious dealing by which His Providence leads us on
to the end He has in view. We need to learn subjec
tion of our own minds and hearts, and very often
nothing tends so much to teach it as our ignorance of
the Saviour's intentions as to our earthly future. We
know that we are in His Arms, and no more ; whither
He means to lead us we know not, but all must be
well, inasmuch as we are safe in His Bosom Who is
All-powerful, All-wise, All-good ; and though we may
ask whither He would have us go, in order to more
perfect conformity to His Will, we must ask so trust
fully, as to run no risk of losing a full and peaceful
sense of His guidance, apart from all impatience and
self-seeking. When He sees fit, He will make all
plain to us. . . . ' As the eyes of a maiden unto the
hand of her mistress, even so our eyes wait upon the

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 267

Lord our God, until He have Mercy upon us.' This
will be your greatest comfort; wait humbly, wait
patiently, and the time will come when you will know
all that is needful for you. You will say that it is easy
enough to say all this, but not so easy to do it. I
know that ; nothing is harder than to curb our wishes,
especially when they are right and lawful. But, be
lieve me, that which is so difficult to self alone, will
become easy if you remember that it is God's doing, to
chasten you for past faults, and to try your real love
for Him. Formerly, when you knew His Will, you did
not obey it as heartily as you might have done, and
now that you long to know His Will and follow it,
He tests and strengthens your faith by making you
wait a while. Remember that S. Peter, who had
denied Him thrice, was thrice asked, ' Lovest thou
Me?'

..." You need confidence and love, to rest more
fully on the Sacred Heart of your Saviour Jesus. It
is there alone you can gain strength ; and while you
learn how to love, learn also how to suffer. You are
almost crushed, because you shut up your heart, and
allow your sorrow to eat into your soul, instead of
pouring it out, like Magdalene, at the Feet of Jesus
Christ. Have you forgotten how He said, ' Come
to Me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take My yoke upon you, for My yoke is

268 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

easy, and My burden light ; and ye shall find rest to
your souls' ? Why then, dear sister, do you shut your
self up with your troubles, instead of heeding that
Loving Voice which bids you come and find comfort
and rest ? ' Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God,' our Saviour says : words full of
precious meaning, especially teaching us that whoso
would see God, must have a simple, pure heart. Now
your heart is pure, I am sure ; but it is not sufficiently
simple. You create difficulties and raise mountains,
and then busy yourself beneath the structure you
have raised ! Do try once for all to turn to God like
a little child, heartily, simply, without scruple or
reserve, but with the same generous straightforward
ness which you have in other matters. Do not be
entangled in such cobwebs, go straight to God in all
simplicity; never fear; if you are weak, He is strong;
what can you fear if you give yourself up freely into
His Hands ? He is gentle and pitiful, He came to
heal the sick, and bind up their bruises ; He opens
His Hands and scatters blessings, graces, strength,
and joy upon all, save those who will not open their
hearts to Him. Would that I could take your heart,
and give it wholly to Christ ! Do, I entreat you,
drive away all these anxious thoughts which hinder
your soul, and try to serve God cheerfully — that is
what I would have you do now. Sadness will only

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 269

overwhelm and keep you from making any progress.
Love and confidence in Him'Who loved you so well
that He died for you — that is what you want. No
blessing can equal that of feeling and knowing that
one is His for ever, of being able to say, ' I am His,
and He is mine. Nothing on earth can separate me
from Him ; in Him I live, in Him I will die. Jesus,
my Saviour; mine forever.' Farewell; I commend
these thoughts to you, and pray God to comfort and
strengthen your heart."

..." Be resolute in overcoming self, and in bear
ing with your mental troubles whatever they be, leaving
all to God, and doing whatever you know to be His
Will, quickly and heartily ; be gentle, patient, humble,
and courteous to all, but especially be gentle and
patient with yourself. I urge this the more, because
I think it is a very important rule for you. I think
that many of your troubles arise from an exaggerated
anxiety, a secret impatience with your own faults ; and
this restlessness, when once it has got possession of
your mind, is the cause of numberless trifling faults
which worry you, and go on adding to your burden
until it becomes unbearable. I would have you
honest in checking and correcting yourself, but at the
same time patient under the consciousness of your
frailty. Remember that Jesus our Lord loves to
dwell within a quiet heart, and to come to those who

270 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

are at peace with themselves ; restlessness and anxiety
hinder our seeing Him/ even when He is beside us
and speaking to us. For the present I shall give you
no other rule than this. Will you make it your special
aim to apply it to your whole life, as the surest way
to attain the perfection you seek after?"

... u It is easy enough, my child, to say that one
is miserable and weak; but to feel it gently and pati
ently is a hard matter, and only to be accomplished
by steadfast gazing upon the Cross of Christ. As we
look upon that, we learn what we really are. And the
reason that only Saints are really humble, is that
nothing, save a hearty search after perfection, reveals
man's wretchedness and God's Greatness. I have
always found that the holiest souls I knew were most
conscious of their own weakness, and that in propor
tion to their growth in holiness. It was a great thing

for you to have been silent with N . With your

character, that was a real victory. Perhaps, however,
you thought he meant more than he did, and probably
after all his opposition was honest. People may
differ as to a point, and yet both may have really
good intentions. . . . There are few persons from
whom one cannot learn something, if, instead of being
on the watch for blemishes, one would try to find out
good qualities : in so doing, we should generally
discover something which might be a wholesome

A DOMINICAN" ARTIST 271

lesson to ourselves, and enlighten us as to our own
infirmities." . . .

. . . " Now you are again in the midst of your
work. When I remember how little time you can
claim as your own, I feel that I, whose calling is to
be at the disposal of others, have no right to com
plain. I would rather ask both for you and myself
grace to give ourselves wholly to God, in giving
ourselves up to our neighbour's service. That should
be our continual aim, we can never really devote
ourselves to our fellow-creatures unless we are first
wholly God's. We are often greatly hindered in the
fulfilment of our duties by an unconscious clinging to
self, which holds us back from God, and which leads
us to seek our rest in something other than the simple
fulfilment of His Most Holy Will. We are apt to
forget that the one thing essential to all good works
is much more a thorough self-renunciation than any
possible success in our undertakings ; self-sacrifice is
an indispensable element of true zeal, and we cannot
serve God fitly except through dying to self. If
we honestly sought nothing save His Will, we should
always be in a state of perfect peace, let what may
happen. But very often, even when we ask that
God's Will may be done, we still wish it to be done
ofter our own fashion ; and our eagerness to do right
often springs more from natural impetuosity than from

272 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

the workings of grace; thence arise all manner of
troubles and vexations. I have studied this in my
own heart, and if you watch carefully, you will find it
in yours too. Indeed it strikes me as a point for
your special watchfulness and care, because with your
naturally eager temperament you are less likely to fail
in having good intentions than in following them out
rightly. There is but one way to accomplish this,
i. e. in every thing to seek God's Will so entirely and
solely, that however eagerly you may strive to effect
what you think right, it may always be in absolute
subjection to that Holy Will. You must find your
rest and satisfaction in that, not in apparent success.
This is the way to attain true freedom of heart, inas
much as it raises you above all earthly wishes ; and
your peace springs, not from visible success or failure,
but solely from the oneness of your will with God's,
which cannot change. This is equally applicable to
all the circumstances of life, and not only to the
practice of good works."

"My dear Daughter in the Lord, — I thank God
that He has kindled in you so fervent a desire to live
in Him, for Him, and by Him, and I pray that He
may accomplish the work He has begun in you, so
that what as yet is but a matter of feeling, may

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 273

become a very deep and blessed reality within you.
In saying this, I have no intention of feeding the
dangerous self-love with which you have to struggle.
That which is good in you is not of you, it is but
the promise of an early flower which may be withered
and destroyed by a single blast of wind. Do you,
my child, hold fast to the Feet of your Saviour, ever
remembering that you are less than nothing of your
self; you need Him every instant, even as your lungs
need air to breathe, your eyes light to see. Without
Jesus you are helpless and blind; through Him Alone
you have any power of well doing, and it is only in
union with Him that you can have it. ' I am the Vine,
ye are the branches : as the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye,
except ye abide in Me.' Let these words of our
Divine Master be ever present to your mind, as a
strong buckler against the treacherous assaults of your
enemy — pride. But do not harass yourself with a
perpetual dread of pride and self-seeking ; no doubt
self does creep into every thing, even that which
seems wholly good ; but the best way of defeating it
is to fix your mind on God, and strive to do all things
for Him, and then to go on steadily and calmly, not
turning to the right or to the left, but working on in
quiet trust. There are some temptations which are
best shunned by resolutely ignoring them, and this is

274 ^ DOMINICAN ARTIST

a case in point. Do what you have in hand simply
and heartily, always bearing in mind that when all
is done in the best possible way, you are still poor,
weak, and unprofitable.

" In the same way, if temptations concerning the
faith arise, it is best merely to say the Creed, and not
give any heed to them. By degrees these wounds
will heal, and your faith will be all the stronger for
having done battle with your enemy. I approve of
the resolutions you wish to add to your rule of life.
It is easy enough to write them down ; the real diffi
culty lies in keeping them, and that will cost you
many a struggle yet. I would have you, without ne
glecting general considerations, give special attention
to the particular points which you feel are most im
portant just now to your spiritual progress. Examine
yourself carefully, and tell me what you think is your
greatest hindrance. If it be pride, make some prac
tical resolution to combat it, and let that be your
principal aim for a time. You may receive Holy
Communion three times a week, besides Sunday.
You have determined to give yourself wholly to God,
and it is above all by means of this Heavenly Food
that you beaome one with Jesus, and find rest to your
soul. You know and love Him too well now to fear
any lessening of your reverence through such fre
quent Communion ; you are too deeply convinced of

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 275

the value of your heart's treasure ever to part with it.
Although outwardly in the world, your heart is not in
it, but wholly given to Jesus. . . . Farewell, my child,
farewell in the Lord ; may He be your light, your
strength, your consolation, and your treasure, hence
forth and for ever."

..." I fully grant that bodily mortification com
bined with a spirit of prayer is most useful to the
soul ; but many things which are admirable in them
selves, are not always expedient, and great discretion
is needful as regards the body, because it is subject
to laws which will not allow the soul always to
assert its entire superiority. The body must be
chastened, but not overwhelmed ; subdued, not
crushed ; it must be treated as a slave and kept
under, punished when it rebels, — but nevertheless it
must not be denied that which is really needful
to enable it to fulfil its tasks ; bodily languor
often impairs the soul's vigour. I will give you a
rule, which you must use with discretion, with the
help of God.

" You were quite right to obey the inward impulse
which moved you to humble yourself by telling me all
the weakness of your heart. In truth, my poor child,
you only tell me somewhat of that which I feel daily
within myself. We should indeed be miserable if our
very troubles did not draw down God's pitying Mercy
T 2

276 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

upon us. If our blind eyes can see so much to de
spise and shrink from within ourselves, what must we
be as seen by the piercing light of His All-seeing
Vision ? Farewell, my child. Go on steadily in the
path wherein God leads you, and do not inquire
anxiously as to the future which He withholds.
Rest content with being all He would have you to
be now, that is, wholly and unreservedly His. Pray
for me ; I need it. It is so easy to speak of God's
Love ; but it is not so easy to practise that which
is involved therein."

..." Do not be so anxious as to what may be my
opinion of you ; go on as you have done hitherto, in
perfect frankness and simplicity. I know what is
nature and what is grace in you, and I know too that
all comes from God, and ' if there be any praise,' I
thank Him for His gifts. Try to be more and more
convinced that you can. neither increase in self-
knowledge or in love of God save through humility.
The further you advance, the more helpless and'
unworthy of all His manifold graces you will feel
yourself to be. Do not be surprised at this, ac
cept the knowledge of your own weakness, and go
straight on, keeping your eyes fixed on Him Who
will be gracious in proportion to your need . . .
Obey the leading which draws you to find your only
comfort in trouble at the Feet of Jesus. It will be

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 277

a source of light, strength, and peace to you. The
heart becomes empty when it is poured out upon
creatures, but the more it is poured into Jesus' Heart,
the fuller of love it will be. You will never go forth
from that resting-place without finding yourself more
gentle and patient, more tolerant of the defects of
others, more humbled by your own infirmities. You
were too much excited in what you did lately ; — less
human respect would have promoted your peace. If
such circumstances recur, do what you believe to be
right firmly, but try to retain your self-control, and
leave success to God. Do your duty, and give no
heed to what others may say; knowing that God may
set forward His own Glory in His child's humiliation
as well as in her success. Be gentle, and kindly ; re
member what S. Francis de Sales says somewhere
about Jacob's ' leading on softly ' because of the little
children and tender lambs in his flock. We must
strive to be all things to all men, that we may win
them to Christ. In a word, let your religion be such
as may make others love you, and wish to be religious
too ; not in order that you may be loved, but that God
may be loved in and through you. Adieu, my child,
pray for me. Be sure that I offer you daily at the
Altar to our dear Lord, and ask Him to make you His
own for ever. Your faithful Father in our Lord."
. . . "You say most truly that our Lord is the

273 A DOMINICAN- ARTIST

great Director, and indeed you must refer any good I
can be to you to Him. Seek Jesus every where and
in all things, and every thing will lead you to Him,
every thing will be a means of union with Him. . . .
A true spirit of mortification tends to expand the soul
in the things of God, while it contracts and withdraws
it from earthly things. . . . Do not give way to so
much disturbance at the sight of your own weakness —
a calmer, more entire spirit of trust in God, would pro
fit you more. No doubt it is well from time to time
to reflect upon your own inward weakness, but as a
habit it is better to fix your thoughts upon the Heart
of Jesus. These constant self-contemplations and
self-inspections will tend to distract and weary your
soul, I fear. A more even, simple, peaceful state of
mind would help you more towards real recollection.
Confess your weakness to Jesus in all humility, but do
it in a spirit which dwells more on His Infinite Mercy
than on your own imperfections, and strive always to
rise up from your confessions at His Feet impressed
with the former rather than the latter. A Christian
soul draws its life from Him before Whom it prostrates
itself, and it should gather fresh strength and earnest
ness from a full and free confession of its own weak
ness. True humility strips the soul of all self-esteem
and false confidence, teaching it to rest solely on God,
and prize nought in itself save what is of Him; and

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 279

thence arises that tranquillity and repose which are
sure signs of a really humble heart. ... I think, my
daughter, that just now you have nothing to do but to
strive to serve God heartily in the position wherein He
has placed you. Let all your care and efforts be to
become more worthy of Him, and to grow in His
Love. ... If He requires further sacrifices of you,
He will make it plain hereafter, and leave no doubt as
to what He would have you do. Circumstances and
your own conscience will show it, but meanwhile it
would be a risk to go out of your way to discover
what He withholds."

..." Write and tell me all about yourself. I am
afraid that my departure has been a source of pain to
you, and perhaps also it has disheartened you. I say
this, not because I think myself necessary to you, but
because of the great confidence you have put in me.
I know how much you require to pour yourself out
freely, and how difficult it is to you to do so. I shall
not cease to pray, my poor child, that you may be
enabled to open your heart as is best for you. You
must ask the same for yourself; the more lonely you
are in this world, the more you must trust and lean on
your Heavenly Father, Who ever watches over His
child, and sends no trial, save in Love. . . . The dis
tance at which I now am will never hinder me from
doing all I can to comfort and help you ; and when I

280 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

cannot speak any words of consolation to you, I speak
of you to God, asking Him to give you His special
help, and to draw your heart to Him. . . . Let there
be no mistrust of your Heavenly Father; be perfectly
humble, trustful, and hearty in seeking Him. He
watches over you, and all the repeated sacrifices He
has required of you are but so many proofs of His
Love j with each fresh stroke He has taught you
more and more to see that there is but one rest, but
one comfort for the faithful soul, — perfect union with
Him. Nothing is worth much heed save that which
affects our blessed eternity. You must look at all the
sorrows and joys of this life in this way, my dear child.
.1 know that there are more thorns than flowers on
your path ; our Dear Lord has long placed His Cross
between you and the seductive pleasures of this life,
and your bread has been often moistened with tears.
You have learnt in the school of sorrow what some
only learn at the hour of death ; life has been shown
to you in its true sense, and a gentle loving voice has
called you forth from its snares. You thought you
were hanging upon the Cross ; but behold, your eyes
were opened, and you saw that in truth you are
resting on your Saviour's Breast. He has withdrawn
you from the fleeting joys of this world by suffering,
but He has taught you to turn that suffering into joy,
by uniting it with the pains He bore for you."

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 281

... "I rejoice to hear what you tell me of the
vigorous efforts you are making to restrain your natural
impetuosity. It is hard work, but the result will be
a great blessing to you, and your very efforts are
pleasing in God's Sight, if made for His Sake. Self-
restraint is a real sacrifice for Him, a sign that one
loves Him better than oneself. Do not be dis
heartened if you do not succeed all at once, you
cannot accomplish your object without many a trial,
because self-restraint must be a habit, and that can
only be the result of repeated efforts. I would
impress this on you because I know myself how easily
one is discouraged by one's own weakness ; and the
more anxious one is to do right, the harder it seems
to be so long before one succeeds. But the saints
did not conquer their passions without many a hard
fight, and patience under the struggle is a good step
won towards your end. Try to be very patient with
yourself, checking yourself vigorously of course when
you fall, but still with gentleness, and so you will learn
to be gentle with others. For the most part other people
try us from without only because we are wanting in
peace within. Often call to mind our Saviour's words,
' Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called
the children of God.' And remember the gentleness
and meekness of the Blessed Virgin. . . .

282 A DOMINICAN ARTISi

" When I want to find the best, truest of comforts,
I can find none to compare to the dear Name of
Jesus, that Blessed Name which calls to our memory
all He has been, all He is, all He ever will be to us.
The Name of Jesus combines in one word all our
hope and all our joy, — God made Man for His
creature, dying for us, giving Himself eternally to
us. O my child, call upon that Blessed Name con
tinually, above all when kneeling at the foot of the
Cross ; call upon It when you think over your faults,
and what you would be without Him, what you are
through Him. ... Be of good cheer. Go on perse-
veringly in the attempt to gain real gentleness, and
never be discouraged by the difficulties your natural
eagerness raises up. Every one has their own special
natural difficulties : some have to contend against
indolence, whereas your trouble is impetuosity. God
sees all our efforts to overcome, and judges us rather
by the purity and good intention of those efforts than
by their results. May God guide and comfort you."

"My dear Daughter in Christ, — Your letter has
touched me deeply. You were very much tried by
my silence, and you accepted the trial as sent by
God, and laid your sufferings at the Feet of Him Who
suffered for you. This is the way, my child, to meet

A DOMINICAN ARTIS7 283

all sorrows, great or small ; for when thus borne, trial
purifies the soul and lifts it up while teaching, with a
reality nothing else does, where alone we must seek
comfort and rest. Nothing so leads us on in the know
ledge and love of God as suffering. We may read, and
meditate, and listen to sermons, but suffering is the
real teacher. The science of the Cross is the only
real science. . . . Go on patiently, my child, this
life will probably never have much to offer you ; all
that are dearest to you are in Heaven, and thither
your heart must continually tend. Each day, as it
passes, carries away so much of our trial, and brings
us so much nearer to the Haven where we would be.
Life seems long to those whose lot is a tearful one ;
but how short it will seem when the blessed day comes
in which the Lord will comfort those that are His !
Then, for the first time, we shall really know what
those words mean, ' Blessed are they that mourn, for
they shall be comforted.' But a little while, and we
shall have done with tears for ever, and rest in His
Bosom Who is the Fulness of joy, re-united to all
whom we loved here in His holy love. May God
ever strengthen and comfort you."

. . . " Of all the ministrations of our office, none
ever seemed to me so grateful as that of comforting
the afflicted. The priest seems then to take up our
Blessed Master's words and say, * Come to Me, all ye

284 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,' a rest
and relief not like this world's, which can but palliate,
whereas Christ's touch turns suffering into pure joy,
by teaching us to sanctify our sorrow, through the
healing of the Cross. . . . You will never find your
rest in the absence of suffering, but you will find rest
and even happiness in a holy unquestioning submis
sion, in a close union with Him Who suffered for you,
in diligent meditation on His Passion. You will find
rest in His outstretched Arms, happiness in clinging to
His Cross. You will gather fresh strength there, and
as you accept His Will in all things you will attain a
true freedom from care — perfect rest of heart is the
result of perfect self-abnegation. . . . The heart which
truly loves Jesus is never free from suffering."

" My dear Daughter in Christ, — There are times in
the spiritual life when nothing, however good, in books
or words, seems to bring any comfort to the soul.
One feels hemmed in and crushed by an indefinable
suffering which cannot find relief. The heart is
oppressed, and yet it knows not why. This inward
trial is one which requires great courage and patience,
for not only every thing from without tries one, but
one is a sore trial to oneself. Turn where we will, we
find no rest; even God seems to have forsaken us.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 285

None can tell the bitterness of this trial, save those
who have experienced it. If this is what God is
laying on you now, my poor child, do not be cast
down, rise up through Him. You may feel as though
you had no love for God, but He is full of love for
you, however it may seem otherwise just now to you.
Try to see in this trial a means of self-detachment,
and your love will be confirmed and strengthened.
There are many hidden sources of self-love in a lively,
sensible devotion, and we are apt to mistake self-
satisfaction for fervour, so that sometimes it is well
for us to be called, like the Israelites, out of Egypt
into the wilderness. Only have full trust in God, and
do not look back regretfully. You have been bap
tised into His Cross, and the closer you come to it,
the more acceptable you are to God. Do not marvel
if it is sharp to the touch. Our Lord Himself would
not slake His thirst save with the gall of bitterness ;
and He gave Himself up to be forsaken, not by men
only, but by His Father. 'My God, My God, why
hast Thou forsaken Me?' There is the example for
us in our desolation, as in His last words, ' Into Thy
Hands I commend My Spirit.' Let yours be the
same mind ; if you seem to be forsaken of God, go on
committing yourself into His Hands, offer yourself
unreservedly to Him, say ' Though He slay me, yet
will I trust in Him.' These trials will pass away.

286 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

'Buried with Jesus Christ/ you will rise again with
Him, and how will you then rejoice to have been
made a partaker of His Cross, wherein you are
partaker of His glory ? . . . The day will come when
you will understand what now seems only a sorrowful
mystery, and you will forget all past sorrows — they
will be turned into joy."

" My dear Daughter in Christ, — You were right to
have recourse to me in these troubles. Never fear
but that my heart is ready to share all your griefs j and
whenever you need me, turn to me as a child to its
father. If I am not always able to afford that rest and
consolation you seek, at least I pray that God will
enable me to help you to bear up until He turns your
sorrows into joy, for there is none save He Who lays
the Cross upon you that can turn it to sweetness.
Until such may be His Holy Will, do you resign your
self and leave all to Him. Try to find comfort, not
in what He withholds, but in the very sacrifice which
He asks of you. There is no way of attaining His
most Blessed Peace save through entire unquestioning
self-renunciation ; and so far from being alarmed be
cause you are in a state of utter desolation, you must
take comfort in the thought that such desolation is the
means whereby to attain that heavenly union after
which you crave.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 287

"When you feel overwhelmed by the sense of your
own spiritual weakness, take fresh courage from our
Lord's words, * Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of God,' and the kingdom 01
God is God Himself. Nor is it only that He will
belong, He does already belong, to those who, deeply
conscious of their own wretchedness, give themselves
up wholly to His most Blessed and Holy Will. Do not
be led to suppose that your service is unacceptable
to God, because of the disinclination you often feel
to fulfil your duties. Whenever we are really striving
to crucify the flesh, we are sure to feel this disinclina
tion, which is in truth a test of the sincerity of your
sacrifice. If you could fulfil your duties without any
effort, you might doubt whether you were not deceiv
ing yourself, for the way of purification is necessarily
a way of suffering. Comfort will come later on, as
the reward of your hardly-won victories. I hope this
thought will help you to conquer the temptation to
be impatient which troubles you now. Resist it
heartily ; but do not be surprised at it ; — you would
not feel the temptation so urgently if you were not
carrying on a vigorous struggle against your natural
weakness. It is nature's attempt to escape from
restraint, and you must be firm, humble, and patient,
bearing with these revelations of your own infirmities,
which, by and by, will grow less and less.

288 A DOMINICAN ARTIST

"In the same way with the other temptations of
which you speak ; — meet them humbly and patiently,
frequently offering yourself up anew to our Lord, body
and soul; and remember that one of God's most
frequent dealings with the soul He is leading to per
fection, is to permit it to be tried and proved with
temptations. The efforts to resist and overcome
which the soul makes at such seasons, have a marvel
lous purificative grace ; we are not conscious of it at
the time, but afterwards we realize the truth, and give
God the glory. As to meditation, persevere in this
holy practice, although just now you find nothing but
difficulty in it. In His Own good time God will make
His Face to shine upon you, and then you will forget
all that has troubled you. Farewell, my daughter;
above all, try to keep your heart resigned and peaceful.
You are God's, wholly God's, be assured. It is He
Who keeps you where you are at this moment. Do
not be distressed because He appoints your place in
the world. He has His own intentions for you,
hidden from your sight, but none the less gracious.
When the right time comes, you will have double joy
in quitting that which you have so reluctantly endured.
Leave all cares for the future to your Heavenly Bride
groom, and be content with seeking to serve Him
faithfully and steadfastly. The more you give your
self to Him, the more He will give Himself to you,

A DOMINICAN ARTIST 289

and the test of this will be your withdrawing increas
ingly from all that is not of Him. The more full of
thorns your worldly path is, the more you will die to
the things of this life ; but for this you might be led
to seek rest elsewhere; as it is, you know that there
is no refuge for you save in His Heart; be diligent
in seeking that refuge, and strive ever to abide at
the foot of the Cross. If the shadow of Him you
love does but fall upon you, what more need you
ask?

" Once more, my child, farewell ; may our Lord
speak that peace to your heart which I am unable to
convey. His words are heavenly, mine are but weak
human words ; He is your Master, your God ; I am
only the guide who is to help you to find Him. Pray
for me, I need it much."

THE END.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

THE SPIRIT

OF

S. FRANCIS DE SALES.

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.
/;/ the Press.

THE SPIRITUAL LETTERS

S. FRANCIS DE SALES.

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.
Crown Svo, 6s.

RIVINGTONS, LONDON, OXFORD, AND CAMBRIDGE.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

S. FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP AND PRINCE
OF GENEVA. Crown 8vo. ^.

OPINIONS OF THE PKESS.

"To those who have read the previous works by the author of
this ' Life of S. Francis de Sales,' it is unnecessary for us to say a
word in commendation of the present volume. It is written with the
delicacy, freshness, and absence of all affectation which character
ised the former works by the same hand, and which render these
books such very much more pleasant reading than are religious
biographies in general. The character of S. Francis de Sales,
Bishop of Geneva, is a charming one ; a more simple, pure, and
pious life it would be difficult to conceive. His unaffected humility,
his freedom from dogmatism in an age when dogma was placed
above religion, his freedom from bigotry in an age of persecution,
were alike admirable." — Standard.

" We are delighted to receive this charming biography, and still
more delighted to learn that it will shortly be followed by a trans
lation of his ' Spiritual Letters.' What is here given is a portrait
of the Saint in himself rather than of the Bishop in his work, and a
most exquisite and winning portrait it is, though of course as it
cannot avoid showing at least the principles on which his work was
carried out, so neither can it avoid abundant illustrations of them
from his actual labours. And, indeed, it is just in this that we
think the great beauty of the book lies ; and we must congratu
late its readers on the felicity with which the writer has managed
the not very easy task of balancing the space given to the inner
portraiture with that devoted to illustrations of its several features
drawn from outward work and activity. The result is a most enjoy
able and readable book, thoroughly natural, with nothing strained
or forced about it." — Literary Churchman.

"We can bear otir willing testimony to the beautiful picture
which is given us in this ' Life of S. Francis de Sales.' The writer
has evidently studied carefully the best biographies of the Saint,
has visited the Convent of the Visitation at Annecy, seen its pre
cious relics, and conversed with the Sisters who still occupy the
cradle of their Order."— Tablet.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

" One cannot, wonder at its having been thought desirable to in
troduce so excellent a work as this to English Churchmen. We say to
English Churchmen, because it must be especiallyacceptable, although
to all who can appreciate sanctity of life, and that amiability which
ought ever to be its fruit, this is a work which can scarcely fail
to have more or less attraction. ... Of the high religious cha
racter of S. Francis some idea may be formed from these allusions ;
and they are fully borne out by the details of his holy and useful
life which are given throughout the pages of the work. We have
shown enough, we trust, of so interesting a volume to excite an
earnest desire to read and study it, and to do so without unreason
ing prejudice, but with charity and humility." — Church Herald.

' ' The accomplished author to whom we owe the recent Life of
Pere Besson, the Dominican, has laid us under a fresh debt of grati
tude by a later work, a biography of S. Francis de Sales, Bishop
and Prince of Geneva. It is not a translation or adaptation, but an
original work, and a very charming portrait of one of the most
winning characters in the long gallery of Saints. And it is a
matter of entire thankfulness to us to find a distinctively Anglican
writer setting forward the good Bishop's work amongst Protes
tants as a true missionary task to reclaim souls from deadly error,
and bring them back to the truth." — Union Review.

"The author of 'A Dominican Artist,' in writing this new life
of the wise and loving Bishop and Prince of Geneva, has aimed
less at historical or ecclesiastical investigation than at a vivid and
natural representation of the inner mind and life of the subject of
his biography, as it can be traced in his own writings and in those
of his most intimate and affectionate friends. The book is written
with the grave and quiet grace which characterizes the produc
tions of its author, and cannot fail to please those readers who can
sympathize with all forms of goodness and devotion to noble pur
pose." — Westminster Review.

"A book which contains the record of a life as sweet, pure, and
noble as any man by divine help, granted to devout sincerity of
soul, has been permitted to live upon earth. The example of this
gentle but resolute and energetic spirit, wholly dedicated to the
highest conceivable good, offering itself, wi^h all the temporal uses
of mortal existence, to the service of infinite and eternal benefi
cence, is extremely touching. . . . It is a book worthy of accept
ance."— Daily News.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

A DOMINICAN ARTIST ; A SKETCH OF THE
LIFE OF THE REV. PERE BESSON, OF THE ORDER
OF ST. DOMINIC. Crown 8vo. s.

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

"The author of the life of Fere Besson writes with a grace and
refinement of devotional feeling peculiarly suited to a subject-matter
which suffers beyond most others from any coarseness of touch. It
would be difficult to find ' the simplicity and purity of a holy life
more exquisitely illustrated than in Father Besson's career, both
before and after his joining the Dominican Order under the auspices
of Lacordaire. . . Certainly we have never come across what
could more strictly be termed in the truest sense ' the life of a beau
tiful soul.1 The author has done well in presenting to English
readers this singularly graceful biography, in which all who can
appreciate genuine simplicity and nobleness of Christian character,
will find much to admire and little or nothing to condemn." —
Saturday Review.

" It would indeed have been a deplorable omission had so exqui
site a biography been by any neglect lost to English readers, and
had a character so perfect in its simple and complete devotion been
withheld from our admiration. . . . But we have dwelt too long
already on this fascinating book, and must now leave it to our read
ers." — Literary Churchman.

' ' A beautiful and most interesting sketch of the late Pere Besson,
an artist who forsook the easel for the Altar." — Church Times.

' ' A book which is as pleasant for reading as it is profitable for
meditation. "— Union Review.

' ' We are indebted to the graceful pen of the translator of ' Madame
Louise de France ' for another Catholic Life, beautifully written, and
full of the spirit of love."— -Tablet.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

" This tastefully bound volume is a record of the life of Pe"re Bes-
son. From childhood to his premature death in April, 1861, at the
age of forty-five, he was pre-eminently suited to a life of self-denial,
and so full of love and charity, that his saintly character calls forth
the warmest admiration, and we feel sure the perusal of it will give
pleasure to our readers." — Church Herald.

' ' Whatever a reader may think of Pere Besson's profession as a
monk, no one will doubt his goodness ; no one can fail to profit who
will patiently read his life, as here written by a friend, whose sole
defect is in being slightly unctuous." — Athenceum.

' ' The life of the Rev. Pere Besson, who gave up an artist's career,
to which he was devotedly attached, and a mother whose affection
for him is not inaptly likened to that of Monica for St. Augustine,
must be read in its entirety to be rightly appreciated. And the
whole tenour of the book is too devotional, too full of expressions of
the most touching dependence on God, to make criticism possible,
even if it was called for, which it is not." — John Bull.

"The story of Pere Besson's life is one of much interest, and told
with simplicity, candour, and good feeling." — Spectator.

' ' A beautiful book, describing the most saintly and very individual
life of one of the companions of Lacordaire." — Monthly Packet.

"We strongly recommend it to our readers. It is a charming
biography, that will delight and edify both old and young." — West
minster Gazette.

" There is much to attract and interest in this biography. Jean
Baptiste Besson was a posthumous son, and received early religious
training from a loving and attentive mother, noted for her beauty
and worth, from whom, doubtless, he inherited much of that gen
tleness and sensitive humility which distinguished him." — Examiner.

' ' We should advise all who would cultivate the gentleness which
is eminently characteristic of the Christian example, to read this
earnest adaptation of an earnest art-book." — Daily Telegraph.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

THE LIFE of MADAME LOUISE DE
FRANCE, DAUGHTER OF Louis XV., KNOWN ALSO
AS THE MOTHER TE'RESE DE ST. AUGUSTIN. Crown
Svo, 6s.

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

"Such a record of deep, earnest, self-sacrificing piety, beneath
the surface of Parisian life, during what we all regard as the worst
age of French godlessness, ought to teach us all a lesson of hope
and faith, let appearances be what they may. Here, from out of the
court and family of Louis XV. there issues this Madame Louise,
whose life is set before us as a specimen of as calm and unworldly
devotion — of a devotion, too, full of shrewd sense and practical
administrative talent — as any we have ever met with." — Literary
Churchman.

' ' This is a highly interesting volume, giving an account of the
religious life of Madame Louise de France, daughter of Louis XV.,
who joined the order of Carmelites at the Convent of St. Denis, and
was subsequently known as the Mother Terese de St. Augustin.
The memoir is taken from a Life of Madame Louise, compiled by a
Carmelite nun, and printed at Autun. The facts are very interesting,
from the truly Christian character of Madame Louise, a character
that must have been rare in such a profligate court as that of her
father ; ' a monarch,' as the author observes, 'whose name fills the
imagination with visions of diplomatic falsehood, courtly cabal, and
sensual profligacy, rather than those of self-devotion and holiness, —
whose memory suggests a Pompadour, a Chateauroux, and a Du
Barry, rather than a St. Theresa, whose period at once brings before
us the school of Voltaire, Diderot, and D'Alembert, whose most
notable and best remembered royal saying was, " Apres moi, le
deluge ! " ' Those who delight in reading religious biographies will
be specially delighted with the present one." — Public Opinion.

" On the i5th of July, 1737, Marie Leczinska, the wife of Louis
XV., and daughter of the dethroned King of Poland, which Prussia
helped to despoil and plunder, gave birth to her eighth female child,
Louise Marie, known also as the Mother Te'rese de St. Augustin.
On the death of the Queen, the princess, who had long felt a voca
tion for a religious life, obtained the consent of her royal father to
withdraw from the world. The Carmelite convent of St. Denis was

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

the chosen place of retreat. Here the novitiate was passed, here
the final vows were taken, and here, on the death of the Mere Julie,
Madame Louise began and terminated her experiences as prioress.
The little volume which records the simple incidents of her pious
seclusion is designed to edify those members of the Church of Eng
land in whom the spirit of religious self-devotion is reviving. The
substance of the memoir is taken from a somewhat diffuse ' Life of
Madame Louise de France,1 compiled by a Carmelite nun, and
printed at Autun." — Westminster Review.

"This ' Life ' relates the history of that daughter of Louis XV.
who, aided by the example and instruction of a pious mother, lived
an uncorrupt life in the midst of a most corrupt court, which she
quitted — after longing and waiting for years to do so — to enter the
severe order of Mount Carmel, which she adorned by her strict and
holy life. We cannot too highly praise the present work, which
appears to us to be written in the most excellent good taste. We
hope it may find entrance into every religious House in our Com
munion, and it should be in the library of every young lady."-
Church Review.

"The life of Madame Louise de France, the celebrated daughter
of Louis XV., who became a religieuse, and is known in the spiritual
world as Mother Terese de St. Augustin. The substance of the
memoir is taken from a diffuse life, compiled by a Carmelite nun,
and printed at Autun ; and the editor, the author of ' Tales of Kirk-
beck,1 was prompted to the task by the belief that 'at the present
time, when the spirit of religious self-devotion is so greatly reviving
in the Church of England,' the records of a princess who quitted a
dazzling and profligate court to lead a life of obscure piety will meet
with a cordial reception. We may remark, that should the event
prove otherwise, it will not be from any fault of workmanship on
the part of the editor." — Daily Telegraph.

"The annals of a cloistered life, under ordinary circumstances,
would not probably be considered very edifying by the reading
public of the present generation. When, however, such a history
presents the novel spectacle of a royal princess of modern times
voluntarily renouncing her high position and the splendours of a
court existence, for the purpose of enduring the asceticism, poverty,
and austerities of a severe monastic rule, the case may well be dif-
feren t . ' ' — Morn ing Post.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF THE SOUL.
FROM THE FRENCH. Crown 8vo. 5.9.

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

" ' The Hidden Life of the Soul,' by the author of ' A Dominican
Artist,' is from the writings of Father Grou, a French refugee
priest of 1792, who died at Lulworth. It well deserves the charac
ter given it of being 'earnest and sober," and not 'sensational.' "•
Guardian.

"Between fifty and sixty short readings on spiritual subjects,
exquisitely expressed, and not merely exquisite in expression, but
presenting a rare combination of spiritual depth, and of strong
practical common sense. We have read carefully a large number of
them, for, after reading a few as texts, we could not lay it down
without going much further than was sufficient for the mere purpose
of reporting on the book. The author was one Pere Grou, a native
of Calais, born in 1731, who in 1792 found an asylum from the
troubles of the French Revolution at Lulworth Castle, known doubt
less to many of our readers as the ancestral home of the old Roman
Catholic family of Weld, where he died in 1803. There is a
wonderful charm about these readings — so calm, so true, so
thoroughly Christian. We do not know where they would come
amiss." — Literary Churchman. .

" From the French of Jean Nicolas Grou, a pious Priest, whose
works teach resignation to the Divine Will. He loved, we are told,
to inculcate simplicity, freedom from all affectation and unreality,
the patience and humility which are too surely grounded in self-
knowledge to be surprised at a fall, but withal so allied to confidence
in God as to make recovery easy and sure. This is the spirit of
the volume, which is intended to furnish advice to those who would
cultivate a quiet, meek, and childlike spirit." — Public Opinion.

"The work bears internal evidence of being that of a spirit which
had been fed on such works as the ' Spiritual Exercises,' the- ' Imi
tation of Christ,' and the ' Devout Life of S. Francis of Sales,' and
which has here reproduced them, tested by its own life-experience,
and cast in the mould of its own individuality. How much the
work, in its present form, may owe to the judicious care of the
editor, we are not aware ; but as it is presented to us, it is, while
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