Life of St Teresa of Jesus | Page 9

too late to be utilised then. Father Luis de Leon, the editor, had to
content himself with the copy already alluded to.
St. Teresa wrote her "Life" slowly. It was begun in spring, 1563, [35]

and completed in May or June, 1565. She complains that she can only
work at it by stealth on account of her duties at the distaff; [36] but the
book is written with so much order and method, the manuscript is so
free from mistakes, corrections and erasures, that we may conclude that
while spinning she worked it out in her mind, so that the apparent delay
proved most advantageous. In this respect the "Life" is superior to the
first version of the "Way of Perfection." This latter work was printed
during her lifetime, though it appeared only after her death. In 1586 the
Definitory of the province of Discalced Carmelites decided upon the
publication of the complete works of the Saint, but for obvious reasons
deemed not only the members of her own Order but also Dominicans
and Jesuits ineligible for the post of editor. Such of the manuscripts as
could be found were therefore confided to the Augustinian Father, Luis
de Leon, professor at Salamanca, who prepared the edition but did not
live to carry it through the press. The fact that he did not know the
autograph of the "Life" accounts for the numerous inaccuracies to be
found in nearly all editions, but the publication of the original should
ensure a great improvement for the future.
St. Teresa's canonisation took place before the stringent laws of Urban
VIII. came into force. Consequently, the writings of the Saint were not
then enquired into, the Holy See contenting itself with the approbations
granted by the Spanish Inquisition, and by the congregation of the Rota
in Rome. A certain number of passages selected from various works
having been denounced by some Roman theologians as being contrary
to the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas and other authorities, Diego
Alvarez, a Dominican, and John Rada, a Franciscan, were
commissioned to examine the matter and report on it. The twelve
censures with the answers of the two theologians and the final
judgment of the Rota seem to have remained unknown to the
Bollandists. [37] The "heavenly doctrine" of St. Teresa is alluded to not
only in the Bull of canonisation but even in the Collect of the Mass of
the Saint.
Concerning the English translations of the "Life" noticed by Mr. Lewis
it should be mentioned that the one ascribed to Abraham Woodhead is
only partly his work. Father Bede of St. Simon Stock (Walter Joseph
Travers), a Discalced Carmelite, labouring on the English Mission from
1660 till 1692, was anxious to complete the translation of St. Teresa's

works into English. He had not proceeded very far when he learnt that
"others were engaged in the same task. On enquiry he found that a new
translation was contemplated by two graduates of the University of
Cambridge, converts to the Faith, most learned and pious men, who
were leading a solitary life, spending their time and talents in the
composition of controversial and devotional works for the good of their
neighbour and the glory of God." One of these two men was Woodhead,
who, however, was an Oxford man, but the name of the other, who
must have been a Cambridge man, is not known. They undertook the
translation while Father Bede provided the funds and bore the risks of
what was then a dangerous work. As there existed already two English
translations of the "Life," the first volume to appear (1669) contained
the Book of Foundations, to which was prefixed the history of the
foundation of St. Joseph's from the "Life." When, therefore, the new
translation of the latter appeared, in 1671, this portion of the book was
omitted. [38] The translation was made direct from the Spanish but
"uniformly with the Italian edition."
Mr. Lewis, whose translation is the fifth, was born on the 12th of
November, 1814, and died on January the 23rd, 1895. The first edition
was printed in 1870, the second in 1888. It is regrettable that the latter
edition, of which the present is a reprint, omitted the marginal notes
which would have been so helpful to the reader.
St. Teresa's life and character having always been a favourite study of
men and women of various schools of thought, it may be useful to
notice here a few recent English and foreign works on the subject:--
The Life of Saint Teresa, by the author of "Devotions before and after
Holy Communion" (i.e., Miss Maria Trench), London, 1875.
The Life of Saint Teresa of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Edited with a preface by the Archbishop of Westminster (Cardinal
Manning), London, 1865. (By