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 cipally in  view  to  promote  the  advancement  in  solid  virtue  of  the entire body  of  the  society,  he  wrote  those  admirable  Treatises  on Christian  Perfection,  to  which  the  Holy  Ghost  has  imparted such unction,  that,  read  again  and  again,  they  never  tire. Having gone  to  Seville,  in  the  year  1606,  to  assist  at  a  provincial congregation,  he  was  ordered  by  his  superiors  to  remain there, and  was  placed  once  more  over  the  novices. He continued at  Seville  till  his  death,  devoting  his  leisure  moments  to the  revisal  of  his  writings  previous  to  their  publication. Unceasing labour had  by  this  time  greatly  impaired  his  strength  ; and, during  the  last  two  years  of  his  life,  he  became  so  decrepid, that he  was  no  longer  able  to  support  himself  on  his  limbs  to celebrate  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  mass  ;  but  the  saintly  old  man received daily  from  the  hands  of  another  the  adorable  sacrament of the  eucharist. At last,  loaded  with  years  and  merits,  he  slept in the  Lord,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety,  in  the  70th  year  of his  religious  life,  and  46  years  after  his  solemn  profession. He expired on  the  21st  of  February,  1616.

He was  a  man  who  never  failed  to  illustrate  in  his  own  person, and by  his  own  example,  those  lessons  of  virtue  and  sublime perfection which  he  inculcated  in  his  works. His union  with God was  most  intimate;  he  found  a  heaven  in  his  cell,  and seldom left  it  unless  at  the  call  of  charity  or  obedience. During the last  years  of  his  life,  being  released  from  those  obstacles which are  inseparable  from  offices  of  authority  over  others,  he used  to  devote  four  hours  each  day  to  prayer. He took  no pleasure  in  walking  about  the  garden  attached  to  the  college  ; his delight  was  to  remain  alone  with  God. He was  the  first  at every  public  duty,  most  punctual  in  the  least  little  observances of religious  life,  and  a  strenuous  assertor  of  evangelical  poverty. Even in  the  last  stage  of  his  long  life,  he  would  admit  of  no singularity  in  his  diet ;  and  when  he  happened  to  be  helped  to something  likely  to  gratify  his  palate,  he  would  contrive  to  spoil its flavour  with  water. To the  very  last,  he  never  omitted  to crawl  to  the  church  to  hear  the  confessions  of  the  people,  and, in his  turn,  threw  himself  daily  at  the  feet  of  his  own  confessor to obtain  absolution  himself. It was  a  most  edifying  sight  to behold  this  venerable  man,  at  the  age  of  ninety,  with  the  most profound sentiments  of  humility,  stooping  to  kiss  the  feet  of  his religious brethren,  as  though  he  was  the  last  and  lowest  amongst them, and  only  fit  to  be  trampled  under  foot  by  all  around  him.