Rejecting marriage and the convent, the Spanish noblewoman, poet, and religious activist Luisa de Carvajal y Mendoza ( Jaraicejo 1566-London 1614) led an uncommon life of adventure and spiritual devotion. Orphaned as a child, she lived first at Philip II's court, and then with an uncle, the Viceroy of Navarra, who enforced harsh discipline on his ward. Through her contacts with the English Jesuits, Carvajal traveled secretly to London as a self-appointed missionary, where she was jailed twice for preaching against Anglicanism. A tireless writer, Carvajal left a small but impressive collection of spiritual poetry, an autobiography, and over two hundred letters. This volume provides a scholarly introduction and translations of selections from her writings.

Luisa de Carvajal y Mendoza (1566–1614) was a noblewoman who left her native Spain for a life of self-imposed exile and Catholic evangelism in Jacobean England. Her letters provide an unparalleled resource. This edition presents 180 letters, newly translated and set in context.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1873.