the Audi filia, or on those words of the Holy Ghost, Psa. xliv,
_Hear me, daughter, bend thine ear, forget thy house,_ &c. The
occasion upon which he composed this book was as follows: Donna
Soncha Carilla, daughter of Don Lewis Fernandez of Cordoba, lord of
Guadalcazar, a young lady of great beauty and accomplishments, was
called to court to serve in quality of lady of honor to the queen.
Her father furnished her with an equipage, and every thing suitable;
but before her journey, she went to cast herself at the feet of
Avila, and make her confession. She afterwards said he reproved her
sharply for coming to the sacred tribunal of penance too richly
attired, and in a manner not becoming a penitent whose heart was
broken with compunction. What else passed in their conference is
unknown; but coming from the church, she begged to be excused from
going to court, laid aside all sumptuous attire, and gave herself up
entirely to recollection and penance. Thus she led a retired most
holy life in her father's house till she died, most happily, about
ten years after. Her pious director wrote this book for her
instruction in the practice of an interior life, teaching her how
she ought to subdue her passions, and vanquish temptations,
especially that of pride; also by what means she was to labor to
obtain the love of God, and all virtues. He dwells at length on
assiduous meditation, on the passion of Christ, especially on the
excess of love with which he suffered so much for us. His other
works, and all the writers who speak of this holy man, bear
testimony to his extraordinary devotion towards the passion of
Christ. From this divine book he learned the perfect spirit of all
virtues, especially a desire of suffering with him and for him. Upon
this motive he exhorts us to give God many thanks when he sends us
an opportunity of enduring some little, that by our good use of this
little trial, our Lord nay be moved to give us strength to suffer
more, and may send us more to undergo. Envy raising him enemies, he
was accused of shutting heaven to the rich, and upon that senseless
slander thrown into the prison of the inquisition at Seville. This
sensible disgrace and persecution he bore with incredible sweetness
and patience, and after he was acquitted, returned only kindnesses
to his calumniator