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Principia Cœli, how he describes the stages of
spiritual progress? First, an elevated ambition.
Now, my ambition has never led me to
strive after honour, nor to try to impress people
with a sense of my ability. Secondly, love
of happiness and money, in order to profit people.
You know that I seek no gain and despise
money. As regards my gold-making, I have
sworn in the presence of the powers that any
profits I made should be used for humanitarian,
scientific, and religious objects. Finally, wedded
love. Need I say that from my youth I have
concentrated my love of woman on the idea of
marriage, of the family, and the wife. What
in actual experience befell me that I should
marry the widow of a man who was still alive,
is an irony of fate which I cannot explain,
but which cannot be regarded as a serious
misdemeanour when contrasted with the
irregularities of ordinary bachelor life.”
After some moments of reflection, my mother-in-law
replied: “I cannot dispute your assertion;
for I have found in your writings a spirit
of aspiration and endeavour, whose efforts have
been involuntarily frustrated. Certainly, you
must be doing penance, for sins which you
committed before your birth. You must in your
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