Nii'
was the scarlet robe that enveloped the
body, and a silver mask that covered the
face. The relics of La Mere Chantal, or
Saint Jane Frances Fremiot de Chantal, are
deposited in a neighbouring church, and
may be seen, together with the chemise of
that pious lady ; but our curiosity was sufficiently
satisfied.
La Mere Chantal was left the widow of
a French baron at the age of twenty-eight.
Soon afterwards she was so moved by the
preaching of St. Francis de Sales, that she
renounced her children and family, and
united with him in founding the religious
order of the visitation at Annecy. She
also founded, with his assistance, several
new convents; in one of which she died at
Moulins, in 1641. She was canonized in
1767. Her life, with her spiritual letters,
are published in four volumes, octavo.
Pious catholics regard the friendship of
St. Francis de Sales and La Mere Chantal,
as an edifying example of mutual affection
spiritualized and refined from all admixture
with the infirmities that flesh is heir
t o ; but as they lived at a period when the
animosity between religious sects had no
bounds, the character and memory of St.
Francis de Sales were attacked with much
bitterness by the protestants, who described
his attachment to the young widow as
partaking of the frailty and consequences of
earthly passion. It is reported, that a demon
which had taken possession of her
person, was exorcised and cast out of her
in the visible form of an infant. This
little imp, the protestants assert, was no
other than the natural offspring of her
spiritual friend and guide. Had such been
the fact, we may be almost assured that the
secret would have been better guarded from
the knowledge of heretics, than by the
flimsy veil of a Bomish miracle.
From the character given of him by his
biographers, as well as from his writine^s.
It appears that St. Francis de Sales possessed
much ardour and warmth of imamn-
ation and feeling, united with great suavity
of disposition and manners ; soaring above
the superstitious ceremonies and creeds
which at that period engrossed the principal
attention of protestants and catholics,
he regarded true religion as existing only
in the heart, and external forms as merely
the types and shadows of what is spiritually
good.
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