907 the foundation of the house of recollection and simply (when I went to his hermitage),250 he wholeheartedly agreed to the plan, offered me both his place and himself. He also convinced a second man, his companion, to [join in] this plan. So much did he seem to zealously desire to put it into action, that he invited me quite frequently by letters to his hermitage and often came, asking and insisting me to agree to be their Superiors.251 He desired to found this new Society in that place, declaring his readiness to embrace all of its laws, even the strictest, which I offered to him to look over.252 12. I, of course, from the beginning, was greatly inclined to make use of this occasion for realizing my plan, but many things prevented me, among them, the independence of this man, who was unaccustomed to obedience, his underhanded attempts to attribute to himself the title of founder, his unstable spirit, his fickle fame, his passionate nature, his uncouth [speech], his cunning, his stubbornness, his incompetence for anything — let these things be stated without defamation. 13. What was I to do? I beseeched God; I did as much as my sins permitted. But in prayer, I received answers to the contrary, and I was firmly prevented from forming companionship with this man. Was I to consult experienced and learned men? They were unavailable. One was found from the Order of St. Francis, and he did not dissuade against it entirely. Another, whom I once asked in Krakow regarding the foundation of a new Society, even commanded it, answering that this is the will of God, that I undertake this work.253 Having gone to Studzianna for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, during confession itself he 250 The context shows that Fr. Papczyński went to the Krajewski hermitage in the fall of 1672. 251 These letters are no longer extant today. 252 This was the Rule of Life (Norma Vitae) in its first edition (probably composed in 1672). Cf. Positio, p. 452 (Doc. XII, I, intr., b). 253 Father Papczyński could have received this advice in Krakow in the last months of 1670, or the first months of 1671. It is impossible to identify these Franciscans who advised Fr. Papczyński about the founding of the Marian Congregation.
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