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Catherine of Siena, Letters
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TO BENINCASA HER BROTHER WHEN HE WAS IN FLORENCE
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 BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS
TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA AT AVIGNON
TO CATARINA OF THE HOSPITAL AND GIOVANNA DI CAPO
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 BUONACCORSO DI LAPO IN FLORENCE WRITTEN WHEN THE SAINT WAS AT AVIGNON
TO MONNA LAPA HER MOTHER BEFORE SHE RETURNED FROM AVIGNON
TO MONNA GIOVANNA DI CORRADO MACONI
TO THE ANZIANI AND CONSULS AND GONFALONIERI OF BOLOGNA
TO MISSER LORENZO DEL PINO OF BOLOGNA, DOCTOR IN DECRETALS (WRITTEN IN TRANCE)
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 RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS
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 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 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 QUEEN GIOVANNA OF NAPLES (WRITTEN IN TRANCE)
TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF THE PREACHING ORDER WHEN HE WAS IN GENOA
The Florentines played with Catherine as history shows that subtle folk to have played with more than one of the friends whose services they accepted; the story of their dealings with her strongly recalls the situation in Browning's _Luria_. Having been despatched ostensibly with full powers as harbinger of the formal embassy to be sent later, Catherine carried through her part of the negotiations with expedition, prudence and entire success. It shows how such unconventional democracy and matter-of- fact respect for spiritual values existed in the later middle ages, that no one seems to have been surprised at the situation. Apparently it was considered quite natural that a powerful republic should send as its representative to the papal court a young woman, the daughter of simple tradespeople, whose life had been quietly passed in her father's house. Gregory bore himself to Catherine with compunctious deference. On the third day after her arrival she spoke in full consistory, pleading the cause of peace. The result she records in this letter: the Pope put the whole matter in her hands. To the young Dominican were left the terms of reconciliation between the two rival powers.
All now depended upon the arrival of the Florentine ambassadors; but these gentlemen failed to appear, while Florence continued to pursue a contumacious policy. The insult, alike to the Pope and to Catherine, was obvious. Avignon jested, shrugged shoulders, finally sneered. Gregory gently told Catherine the truth--that her friends had played her false. Few more mortifying situations than that in which she found herself could be conceived.
The spirited letter which follows was written ten days after her arrival. She speaks, as usual, without reserve, but it is noteworthy that the letter contains no word of personal reproof beyond the quiet statement: "You might bring great shame and reproach upon me. For nothing but shame and confusion could result if I told the Pope one thing and you another." When at last the ambassadors arrived, they brought small comfort, for they refused to confer with Catherine. In the second letter, written after they had come to a personal friend in Florence, she tells the situation frankly, and with dignity, but still with remarkable freedom from personal bitterness. In this time of test, no lower element than sorrow for the failure of her cause appears to have been present in her mind.