“Too often also, they make men languish at the treasury, with long delays, and cunning shifts, or some other captious trick; men, I say, to whom the exchequer is owing, that they may be driven to compound with those sharks of state for half their due, and let them go off with the other half.  This open robbery, this manifest villainy, those gentlemen call, by a mollified name, ‘the fruits of their industry.’  When you have squeezed out of them the confession of these monopolies, and the like, by wire-drawing them, with apt questions, you will come more easily to the knowledge of their ungodly gains, and what they ought to make restitution of to their neighbour, in order to their being reconciled to God, than if in general you should interrogate them concerning their injustice.  For example, demand of them, what persons they have wronged? they will immediately answer, that their memory upbraids them not with wronging any man; and behold the reason!  Custom is to them in the place of law; and that which they see done before them every day, they persuade themselves may be practised without sin.  As if custom can authorize, by I know not what kind of prescription, that which is vicious and criminal in its own nature.  You shall admit of no such right, but shall declare to such people, that if they will secure their conscience, they must restore what they possess unjustly.

“Remember especially, to obey the vicar of the bishop.  When you are arrived at Ormuz, you shall go to wait on him, and, falling on your knees before him, you shall humbly kiss his hand.  You shall neither preach, nor exercise any other employment of our institute, without his permission; above all things, have no difference with him for any whatsoever cause; on the contrary, endeavour, by all submissions, and all possible services, to gain his friendship, in such sort, that he may be willing to be taught by you, to make the meditations of our spiritual exercises, at least those of the first week.  Use almost the same method with all the other priests; if you cannot persuade them to retire for a month, according to our custom, engage them to a retreat of some few days, and fail not to visit them every day, during that recess, to explicate to them the subjects of those meditations.

“Pay a great respect to the person of the governor, and make it apparent, by the most profound submissions, how much you honour him.  Beware of any difference with him, on whatsoever occasion, even though you should observe, that he performs not his duty in matters of importance; but after you perceive, that your demeanour has instated you in his favour and good graces, go boldly to visit him; and after you have testified the concernment you have for his safety and his honour, by a principle of good will to him, then declare, with all modesty and softness of expression, the sorrow you have to see his soul and reputation endangered, by what is reported of him in the world.