CHAPTER XXIX - Last Sickness and Death

Summary

‘She gave us a perfect example,’ says the present Superior, ‘in all her great fits of sickness, of the greatest mortification, patience, and obedience to her infirmarians and those who attended her; but in her last most painful and violent illness she carried these virtues to their highest perfection. She seemed to have a certain foresight of her death in the year 1713, when the triennial election was near at hand. She told her director that either she should not be re-elected (she had been Superior the six preceding years), or else that she should die soon after. She spoke this to him with great assurance, but so as if she knew not which of the two would happen. In that election she had all the votes but her own, and was consequently to be declared Prioress. She desired all the religious to retire, and then, on her knees before the Bishop, begged her director (she could not speak herself for want of language) to declare to him the difficulties she found in Superiority, on account of bad health, &c., to which the Bishop replied, “What can I do? they will have her.” Whereupon, at her request (she could not bring herself to be satisfied with the acceptance of the charge without this), he laid a precept of obedience on her to submit to it. After this she said, very positively, she was to die soon, and signified about what time she should die.