5St. Francis of Sales, the Bishop of Geneva, wrote these letters of spiritual encouragement to his cousin Madame Marie de Charmoisy, whom he addressed as Philothea (The Lover of God).

This superb classic is useful both as a spiritual guide for Christians in the modern day, and as a historical account of how monastic orders operated during the late Renaissance period. We hear of how St. Francis developed and honed his affinity to God through reading the spiritual texts, praying daily, developing virtues and resisting the many temptations of life.

The contents of the letters are wide-ranging; lessons on the immortality of the soul; instructions upon how to live in a moral and upstanding way; avoiding and defeating dalliances and temptations; best practices one can undertake before, during and after prayer time; and various meditations upon the divine are comprise a few of the topics St. Francis discusses.

As their correspondence was regular, cordial and an evident wellspring of spiritual insights and guidance, a monastic colleague of St. Francis suggested that they be published. Francis agreed, and in 1609 these correspondences made their first appearance in their native French. The spiritual authenticity and richness proved popular with readers at the time, and the work was duly translated into many languages.

This translation of the text, first published towards the end of the nineteenth century, renders the French in a more modern form of English. Although anonymous, it may be observed that the translator took the utmost care in preserving the holy sentiments and exhortations of St. Francis, with none of their poignant advice and guidance diluted or lost in the process.