LETTERS

 TO MONNA ALESSA DEI SARACINI

 TO BENINCASA HER BROTHER WHEN HE WAS IN FLORENCE

 TO THE VENERABLE RELIGIOUS, BROTHER ANTONIO OF NIZZA, OF THE ORDER OF THE HERMIT BROTHERS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE AT THE WOOD OF THE LAKE

 TO MONNA AGNESE WHO WAS THE WIFE OF MESSER ORSO MALAVOLTI

 TO SISTER EUGENIA, HER NIECE AT THE CONVENT OF SAINT AGNES OF MONTEPULCIANO

 TO NANNA, DAUGHTER OF BENINCASA A LITTLE MAID, HER NIECE, IN FLORENCE

 TO BROTHER WILLIAM OF ENGLAND OF THE HERMIT BROTHERS OF ST. AUGUSTINE

 TO DANIELLA OF ORVIETO CLOTHED WITH THE HABIT OF ST. DOMINIC

 TO MONNA AGNESE WIFE OF FRANCESCO, A TAILOR OF FLORENCE

 LETTERS IN RESPONSE TO CERTAIN CRITICISMS

 TO A RELIGIOUS MAN IN FLORENCE WHO WAS SHOCKED AT HER ASCETIC PRACTICES

 TO BROTHER BARTOLOMEO DOMINICI OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS WHEN HE WAS BIBLE READER AT FLORENCE

 TO BROTHER MATTEO DI FRANCESCO TOLOMEI OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS

 TO A MANTELLATA OF SAINT DOMINIC CALLED CATARINA DI SCETTO

 LETTERS TO NERI DI LANDOCCIO DEI PAGLIARESI

 TO MONNA GIOVANNA AND HER OTHER DAUGHTERS IN SIENA

 TO MESSER JOHN THE SOLDIER OF FORTUNE AND HEAD OF THE COMPANY THAT CAME IN THE TIME OF FAMINE

 TO MONNA COLOMBA IN LUCCA

 TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS

 TO GREGORY XI

 TO GREGORY XI

 TO GREGORY XI

 TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA AT AVIGNON

 TO CATARINA OF THE HOSPITAL AND GIOVANNA DI CAPO

 TO SISTER DANIELLA OF ORVIETO CLOTHED WITH THE HABIT OF SAINT DOMINIC WHO NOT BEING ABLE TO CARRY OUT HER GREAT PENANCES HAD FALLEN INTO DEEP AFFLICTI

 TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS

 AND TO MASTER JOHN III. OF THE ORDER OF THE HERMIT BROTHERS OF ST. AUGUSTINE

 AND TO ALL THEIR COMPANIONS WHEN THEY WERE AT AVIGNON

 TO SISTER BARTOLOMEA DELLA SETA NUN IN THE CONVENT OF SANTO STEFANO AT PISA

 TO GREGORY XI

 TO THE KING OF FRANCE

 LETTERS TO FLORENCE

 TO THE EIGHT OF WAR CHOSEN BY THE COMMUNE OF FLORENCE, AT WHOSE INSTANCE THE SAINT WENT TO POPE GREGORY XI

 TO BUONACCORSO DI LAPO IN FLORENCE WRITTEN WHEN THE SAINT WAS AT AVIGNON

 TO GREGORY XI

 TO MONNA LAPA HER MOTHER BEFORE SHE RETURNED FROM AVIGNON

 TO MONNA GIOVANNA DI CORRADO MACONI

 TO MESSER RISTORO CANIGIANI

 TO THE ANZIANI AND CONSULS AND GONFALONIERI OF BOLOGNA

 TO NICHOLAS OF OSIMO

 TO MISSER LORENZO DEL PINO OF BOLOGNA, DOCTOR IN DECRETALS (WRITTEN IN TRANCE)

 TO MONNA LAPA HER MOTHER AND TO MONNA CECCA IN THE MONASTERY OF SAINT AGNES AT MONTEPULCIANO, WHEN SHE WAS AT ROCCA

 TO MONNA CATARINA OF THE HOSPITAL AND TO GIOVANNA DI CAPO IN SIENA

 TO MONNA ALESSA CLOTHED WITH THE HABIT OF SAINT DOMINIC, WHEN SHE WAS AT ROCCA

 TO GREGORY XI

 TO RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS

 TO URBAN VI

 TO HER SPIRITUAL CHILDREN IN SIENA

 TO BROTHER WILLIAM AND TO MESSER MATTEO OF THE MISERICORDIA

 AND TO BROTHER SANTI AND TO HER OTHER SONS

 TO SANO DI MACO AND ALL HER OTHER SONS IN SIENA

 TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS

 TO URBAN VI

 TO DON GIOVANNI OF THE CELLS OF VALLOMBROSA

 TO MONNA ALESSA WHEN THE SAINT WAS AT FLORENCE

 TO SANO DI MACO AND TO THE OTHER SONS IN CHRIST WHILE SHE WAS IN FLORENCE

 TO THREE ITALIAN CARDINALS

 TO GIOVANNA QUEEN OF NAPLES

 TO SISTER DANIELLA OF ORVIETO

 TO STEFANO MACONI

 TO CERTAIN HOLY HERMITS WHO HAD BEEN INVITED TO ROME BY THE POPE

 TO BROTHER WILLIAM OF ENGLAND AND BROTHER ANTONIO OF NIZZA AT LECCETO

 TO BROTHER ANDREA OF LUCCA TO BROTHER BALDO AND TO BROTHER LANDO SERVANTS OF GOD IN SPOLETO, WHEN THEY WERE SUMMONED BY THE HOLY FATHER

 TO BROTHER ANTONIO OF NIZZA OF THE HERMIT BROTHERS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE AT THE CONVENT OF LECCETO NEAR SIENA

 TO QUEEN GIOVANNA OF NAPLES (WRITTEN IN TRANCE)

 TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF THE PREACHING ORDER WHEN HE WAS IN GENOA

 TO URBAN VI

 TO MASTER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA

 TO MASTER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS

TO A RELIGIOUS MAN IN FLORENCE WHO WAS SHOCKED AT HER ASCETIC PRACTICES

In the Name of Jesus Christ crucified and of sweet Mary:

Dearest and most beloved father in Christ sweet Jesus: I Catherine, a useless servant of Jesus Christ, commend me to you: with the desire to see us united and transformed in that sweet, eternal and pure Truth which destroys in us all falsity and lying. I thank you cordially, dearest father, for the holy zeal and jealousy which you have toward my soul: in that you are apparently very anxious over what you hear of my life. I am certain that nothing affects you except desire for the honour of God and for my salvation, which makes you fear the assaults and illusions of devils. As to your special fear, father, concerning my behaviour about eating, I am not surprised; for I assure you, that not only do you fear, but I myself tremble, for fear of devilish wiles. Were it not that I trust in the goodness of God, and distrust myself, knowing that in myself I can have no confidence. For you sent, asking me whether or no I believed that I might be deceived, saying that if I did not believe so, that was a wile of the devil. I answer you, that not only about this, which is above the nature of the body, but about all my other activities also, I am always afraid, on account of my frailty and the astuteness of the devil, and think that I may be deceived; for I am perfectly well aware that the devil lost beatitude, but not wisdom, with which wisdom, as I said, I recognized that he might deceive me. But then I turn me, and lean against the Tree of the Most Holy Cross of Christ crucified, and there will I fasten me; and I do not doubt that if I shall be nailed and held with Him by love and with profound humility, the devils will have no power against me--not through my virtue, but through the virtue of Christ crucified.

You sent me word to pray God particularly that I might eat. I tell you, my father, and I say it in the sight of God, that in all ways within my power I have always forced myself once or twice a day to take food. And I have prayed constantly, and do pray God and shall pray Him, that in this matter of eating He will give me grace to live like other creatures, if it is His will--for it is mine. I tell you, that often enough, when I have done what I could, I enter within myself, to recognize my infirmity, and God, who by most special grace has made me correct the sin of gluttony. I grieve much that I have not corrected that miserable fault of mine through love. I for myself do not know what other remedy to adopt, except that I beg you to pray that Highest Eternal Truth, that He give me grace, if it is more for His honour and the salvation of my soul, to enable me to take food if it please Him. And I am sure that the goodness of God will not despise your prayers. I beg you that if you see any remedy you will write me of it; and provided it be for the honour of God, I will accept it willingly. Also I beg you not to be light in judging, if you are not clearly illumined in the sight of God. I say no more to you. Remain in the holy and sweet grace of God. Sweet Jesus, Jesus Love.