[Illustration: MISSION SAN LUIS REY, PARTLY RESTORED.] [Illustration: MISSION SAN LUIS REY. Showing monastery recently built behind the old Mission arches.] The Old Franciscan Missions of California BY GEORGE WHARTON JAMES Author of "In and Around the Grand Canyon," "Heroes of California," "Through Ramona's Country," Etc. _With Illustrations from Photographs_ 1913 Dedication To those good men and women, of all creeds and of no creed, whose lives have shown forth the glories of beautiful, helpful, unselfish, sympathetic humanity: To those whose love and life are larger than all creeds and who discern the manifestation of God in all men: To those who are urging forward the day when profession will give place to endeavor, and, in the real life of a genuine brotherhood of man, and true recognition of the All-Fatherhood of God, all men, in spite of their diversities, shall unite in their worship and thus form the real Catholic Church: Especially to these, and to all who appreciate nobleness in others I lovingly dedicate these pages, devoted to a recital of the life and work of godly and unselfish men. Foreword The story of the Old Missions of California is perennially new. The interest in the ancient and dilapidated buildings and their history increases with each year. To-day a thousand visit them where ten saw them twenty years ago, and twenty years hence, hundreds of thousands will stand in their sacred precincts, and unconsciously absorb beautiful and unselfish lessons of life as they hear some part of their history recited. It is well that this is so. A materially inclined nation needs to save every unselfish element in its history to prevent its going to utter destruction. It is essential to our spiritual development that we learn that "Not on the vulgar mass Called 'work,' must sentence pass, Things done, that took the eye and had the price; O'er which, from level stand, The low world laid its hand, Found straightway to its mind, could value in a trice."