To certain holy hermits who had been invited to Rome by the Pope To Brother William of England, and to Brother Antonio of Nizza To Brother Andrea of Lucca, Brother Baldo, and Brother Lando To Brother Antonio of Nizza To Queen Giovanna of Naples To Brother Raimondo of the Preaching Order, when he was in Genoa To Urban VI Letters describing the experience preceding death To Master Raimondo of Capua To Master Raimondo of Capua, of the Order of the Preachers TABLE OF PERSONS ADDRESSED Agnese, Monna, di Francesco Andrea, Brother, of Lucca Antonio, Brother, of Nizza Baldo, Brother Bartolomea, Sister, della Seta Bartolomeo, Brother, Dominici Benincasa, Benincasa Benincasa, Eugenia Benincasa, Monna Lapa Benincasa, Nanna Bologna, Anziani of Capo, Giovanna di Canigiani, Ristoro Cardinals, Three Italian Catarina, of the Hospital Cecca, Monna Colomba, Monna, of Lucca Daniella, Sister, of Orvieto France, the King of Florence, Letters to Giovanna, Queen of Naples Giovanni, Don, of the Cells of Vallombrosa Gregory XI. John, Messer, Soldier of Fortune John III., Master Lando, Brother Lapo, Buonaccorso di Maco, Sano di Maconi, Monna Giovanna di Corrado Maconi, Stefano Malavolti, Monna Agnese Matteo, Messer, of the Misericordia Osimo, Nicholas of Pagliaresi, Neri di Landoccio dei Pino, Lorenzo del Raimondo, Brother, of Capua Religious, A, in Florence Saracini, Monna Alessa dei Scetto, Catarina di Tolomei, Brother Matteo di Urban VI., Pope Usimbardi, Monna Orsa War, the Eight of William, Brother, of England LETTERS OF CATHERINE BENINCASA ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA AS SEEN IN HER LETTERS I The letters of Catherine Benincasa, commonly known as St. Catherine of Siena, have become an Italian classic; yet perhaps the first thing in them to strike a reader is their unliterary character. He only will value them who cares to overhear the impetuous outpourings of the heart and mind of an unlettered daughter of the people, who was also, as it happened, a genius and a saint. Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, the other great writers of the Trecento, are all in one way or another intent on choice expression; Catherine is intent solely on driving home what she has to say. Her letters were talked rather than written. She learned to write only three years before her death, and even after this time was in the habit of dictating her correspondence, sometimes two or three letters at a time, to the noble youths who served her as secretaries.