The Autobiography of Madame GuyonGuyon, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte
Religion
The Autobiography of Madame Guyon
Guyon, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte
Catholics -- France -- Biography; Guyon, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de La Motte, 1648-1717
Beside the above, the Marchioness of Prunai, who, since my departure
from her, had been more enlightened by her own experience, having met
with a part of the things which I thought would befall her, had
conceived for me a very strong friendship and intimate union of spirit,
in such a manner that no two sisters could be more united than we. She
was extremely desirous that I would return to her, as I had formerly
promised her. But I could not resolve upon this, lest it should be
thought that I was gone after Father La Combe. There had been no room
given to anybody to accuse me of any indirect attachment to him; for
when it depended on myself not to continue with him, I did not do it.
The Bishop of Geneva had not failed to write against me to Grenoble, as
he had done to other places. His nephew had gone from house to house to
cry me down. All this was indifferent to me; and I did not cease to do
to his diocese all the good in my power. I even wrote to him in a
respectful manner; but his heart was too much closed to yield to
anything.
Before I left Grenoble, that good girl I have spoken of came to me
weeping, and told me that I was going, and that I hid it from her,
because I would have nobody know it; but that the Devil would be before
me in all the places I should go to; that I was going to a town, where
I would scarce be arrived, before he would stir up the whole town
against me, and would do me all the harm he possibly could. What had
obliged me to conceal my departure, was my fear of being loaded with
visits, and testimonies of friendship from a number of good persons,
who had a very great affection for me.
I embarked then upon the Rhone, with my maid and a young woman of
Grenoble, whom the Lord has highly favored through my means. The Bishop
of Grenoble's Almoner also accompanied me, with another very worthy
ecclesiastic. We met with many alarming accidents and wonderful
preservations; but those instant dangers, which affrighted others, far
from alarming me, augmented my peace. The Bishop of Grenoble's Almoner
was much astonished. He was in a desperate fright, when the boat struck
against a rock, and opened at the stroke. In his emotion looking
attentively at me, he observed that I did not change my countenance, or
move my eyebrows, retaining all my tranquillity. I did not so much as
feel the first emotions of surprise, which are natural to everybody on
those occasions, as they depend not on ourselves. What caused my peace
in such dangers as terrify others, was my resignation to God, and
because death is much more agreeable to me than life, if such were His
will, to which I desire to be ever patiently submissive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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