Who is Joseph de Beaufort from The Practice of the Presence of God and what is their importance?

The conversations that open this volume occur between Beaufort and Lawrence during Lawrence's later years in the monastery. Lawrence begins by saying that he will only continue the conversations if Beaufort's intentions remain pure. He also voices his desire for them to be private, and Beaufort holds off publishing the letters until after Lawrence's death. In these conversations, Lawrence describes his relationship with God, and it sound much like a man's relationship with a friend or mentor. Beaufort offers not opinions in the conversations and little else of himself in this volume.