{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_6367/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_6367","id":"gutenberg_6367","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6367","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: History - Religious","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Francis, of Assisi, Saint, 1182-1226","Miracles -- Early works to 1800"],"text":"Produced by Scott Pfenninger, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks\nand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.\n\n\n\nTHE LIFE AND LEGENDS OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI\n\nTRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF FATHER CANDIDE CHALIPPE, O.F.M.\n\nREVISED AND RE-EDITED BY FATHER HILARION DUERK, O.F.M.\n\nImprimatur FATHER SAMUEL MACKE O.F.M. _Min. Prov._ St. Louis\nSeptember 1, 1917\n\nNihil obstat ARTHUR J. SCANLAN, S.T.D. _Censur Librarum_\n\nImprimatur JOHN CARDINAL FARLEY _New York_\n\nThis Jubilee Edition of the Life and Legends of St. Francis of Assisi\nis Respectfully Dedicated to all Members of the Third Order in the\nCity of Cleveland and Vicinity, above all, to the Nobel Patrons and\nZealous Workers of Our Tertiary Branches.\n\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTORY NOTE\n\nThe Life and Legends of St. Francis of Assisi by Father Candide\nChalippe, O.F.M., need no apology. The work was first published at\nParis in 1727. It is not only well written and reliable withal, but\nalso instructive, elevating and inspiring. The facts and legends\nmentioned are drawn from the oldest and most reliable sources. The\nabundance of incidents and anecdotes not to be found elsewhere make\nthe volume eminently interesting, while the reflexions and applications\nwhich the author now and then interweaves with the narrative are so\nreplete with practical hints on spiritual life, that they will\nundoubtedly produce the best spiritual results in the reader. The style\nthough simple, at times graphic, is very pleasing; the narrative flows\non with equal ease and freedom.\n\nIn 1852 a priest from the Oratory of St. Philip Neri made a translation\ninto English from what was then the latest French edition. This French\nedition came from the press in 1850. With the English translation the\noriginal work appeared in an abridged form. The original work is divided\ninto six books, the English translation contains but half of these,\nso rearranged for the sake of clearness that they form five books.\nMost elucidations of the original work regarding characteristics of\nSt. Francis, events and dates that are doubtful, are omitted, likewise\nmost of the writings of St. Francis. The former were and still are\nundergoing changes, owing to new historical researches and discoveries\nmade by students of Franciscan sources, while the latter were but\nlately again newly translated into English and edited as completely\nas possible with many critical notes and references of great value by\nthe scholarly Father Paschal Robinson, O.F.M.--The Writings of St.\nFrancis of Assisi by Father Paschal Robinson, O.F.M. The Dolphin Press,\n1906.\n\nThe marvellous progress the Third Order of St. Francis is making in\nthis country causes the story of the life of St. Francis that is\nherewith presented to the public in a newly revised edition to be\nespecially welcome. For all Tertiaries know that mere devotion to St.\nFrancis is of itself not sufficient to acquire the spirit of their\nSeraphic Father; all are aware that membership in the Third Order does\nnot necessarily argue the possession of this spirit--and yet, every\nreal Tertiary desires nothing more than to acquire the poor, humble,\nloving spirit of St. Francis. This spirit can scarcely be acquired,\nunless the life of St. Francis be well known, meditated upon and\nimitated as far as practicable. The Life and Legends of St. Francis\nof Assisi by Father Candide Chalippe, O.F.M., is peculiarly adapted\nto help Tertiaries to perform this task; the spirit of St. Francis\nbreathes in every page. Not once, but several times may Tertiaries\nread this book to great advantage. With every reading new items of\ninterest will be discovered, new lessons will present themselves to\nbe learnt, new inspirations will be imparted to the soul from above.\nThe more this book is read, the more it will be loved; the more it is\nstudied, the more it will be admired. For Tertiaries a book of this\nkind is a necessity; it is as necessary for them as a text-book is\nfor a scholar.\n\nMay this wonderful work spread in the future even more rapidly than\nbefore, may it receive the hearty welcome it deserves among the\ninnumerable Tertiaries and clients of St. Francis of Assisi and be to\nthem a sure guide to God's abundant graces in this world and to life\neverlasting in the next.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE BY THE AUTHOR\n\nWHEREIN THE PREJUDICES OF CERTAIN PERSONS AGAINST MIRACLES WHICH ARE\nRECORDED IN THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS ARE SHOWN TO BE BOTH UNREASONABLE\nAND DANGEROUS, AND THAT THE MIRACLES ATTRIBUTED TO SAINT FRANCIS ARE\nVERY WELL AUTHENTICATED.\n\n\nA very common failing amongst men is to adopt one extreme in the\nendeavor to avoid another, and sometimes not to perceive that the\nextreme into which they fall is greater than that which they had sought\nto flee from. To insure themselves against weak incredulity, some have\nimbibed such prejudice against the miracles in the Lives of the Saints,\nthat they cannot endure to hear of them; the very ideas of miracles,\nrevelations, ecstasies, visions, apparitions, are hateful and disgusting\nto them; all that is said on these subjects they look upon as fabulous\nand incredible; they call in question the most undeniable evidence,\nor attribute these wonders to natural and unknown causes. The wonders\nwhich are recorded in the Life of St, Francis, afford an opportunity\nof grappling with these prejudices.\n\nIn the first place, no man using his right reason will reject the\nwonders recorded in the Lives of the Saints, because of their\nimpossibility. Miracles are extraordinary events, which break through\nthe laws of nature, and exceed the force of all natural causes; it is\nonly necessary to make use of our reason to be aware that God, whose\npower is infinite, having freely established these laws, may, whenever\nHe thinks fit, break through them Himself by the ministry of His\ncreatures, whom He makes use of as He pleases; that these suspensions\nmay enter into the external designs of His wisdom and providence, and\nthat they occur by successive acts, without there having been any\nchange in Him, because it is an act of His will which causes them, as\nit does every other thing. Now this proves that miracles are possible,\nand that there is no impossibility in the wonders recorded in the Lives\nof the Saints.\n\nIn the second place, these wonders ought not to cause an incredulous\nsurprise in any sensible person who pays due attention to the wonders\nof nature. \"Man,\" says St. Augustine, \"sees extraordinary things happen,\nand he admires them, while he himself, the admirer, is a great wonder,\nand a much greater miracle than any things which are done by the\nintervention of man. There is nothing more marvellous done in the\nworld, which is not less wonderful than the world itself. All nature\nis full of what is miraculous; we seem unconscious of it, because we\nsee those things daily, and because this daily repetition lowers them\nin our eyes. And this is one reason why God has reserved to Himself\nother things out of the common course of nature, on which He shows His\npower from time to time, in order that their novelty may strike us;\nbut when we consider attentively, and with reflection, the miracles\nwe constantly see, we find that they are far greater than others,\nhowever surprising and uncommon these may be.\"\n\nThe holy doctor admits that the prodigies which are out of the common\ncourse of nature, and which are properly called miracles, are to be\nviewed with astonishment, since they are works of God, worthy of\nadmiration; he only requires that the surprise they cause shall be\nqualified by a consideration of the wonders of nature, to which he\nlikewise gives the name of miracles, in a more extended sense: on the\nsame principle, and _a fortiori_, what there is surprising in them\nshould not make them appear to us incredible. An enlightened mind\ndoes not believe in miracles which are communicated to him, unless due\nproof of them is adduced; but it is not because what is wonderful in\nthem renders him incredulous, because he sees more marvellous things\nin the universe and in himself. If men who apply themselves to the\nstudy of nature, are pertinacious in refusing to believe in the miracles\nof the saints, it is because they do not make use of the light they\nhave received, and do not reason deductively; they have only sought\nto gratify their curiosity, or to gain credit for their discoveries;\nand do not some of them lose themselves in their speculations, and\nbecome impious, even so as to recognize no other God than nature itself?\n\nIn the third place, faith in the great mysteries of religion must\nincline us to believe in the wonders we read in the Lives of the Saints.\nAre we, then, not called upon to say to those whose prejudices we\noppose: \"As you belong to the society of the faithful, you not only\nbelieve that three Persons make only one God; that the Son of God was\nmade man; that the dead shall rise again; but also, that Jesus Christ\nbecomes every day present on our altars, under the species of bread\nand wine, at the words of consecration; and you believe all the other\nastonishing wonders that are proposed to you in our holy religion:\nwhy, then, do you find such repugnance in believing those of the Lives\nof the Saints, which are far inferior to the former\"?\n\nIt is useless to say in answer, that these last are only based on human\ntestimony, which we are not obliged to receive; that the mysteries are\npropounded to us by Divine authority, to which we are bound to submit;\nfor this is not the question before us. We only compare one wonder\nwith another, and we maintain that the belief in the one should\nfacilitate the belief in the other. In fact, if we believe with a firm\nand unshaken faith what God, in His goodness, has been pleased to\neffect for the salvation of all men, and what He continues daily to\neffect in the Eucharist; may we not easily convince ourselves that He\nmay have given extraordinary marks of His affection for his most\nfaithful servants?\n\nIn the fourth place, similar wonders to those which are found in the\nLives of the Saints are also found in the Holy Scriptures. Raptures,\necstasies, frequent visions and apparitions, continual revelations,\nan infinity of miracles, miraculous fasts of forty days, are things\nrecorded in the Old and New Testaments. We believe all these wonderful\ncircumstances, and we are obliged to believe them, although they far\nsurpass our understanding; on what, then, shall we rely for maintaining\nthat the wonders recorded in the Lives of the Saints are improbable,\nand that we may reasonably call them in question? Reason, on the\ncontrary, marks them as so much the more probable and worthy of credit,\nas we know and believe similar ones which we may not doubt of.\nChristians should be accustomed to what is marvellous, and require\nnothing but proofs for the most unusual prodigies.\n\nIn the fifth place, the promise which Jesus made that the power of\nworking miracles should be given to true believers, gives authority\nto the belief in miracles in the Lives of the Saints. \"Amen, amen, I\nsay to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do he shall do\nalso, and greater than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.\nAnd whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, that will I do.\" \"And\nthese signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast\nout devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up\nserpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt\nthem; they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.\"\n\nOur Saviour, according to the doctrine of the Holy Fathers, has promised\nthe gift of miracles, not to each one of the faithful in particular,\nbut to the Church in general; and His promise is for all times, when\nthe good of religion requires its accomplishment. Heretics pretend\nthat it only related to the days of the apostles, and that miracles\nwere only required for the establishment of the faith. What right have\nthey to limit the words of the Son of God? Do they imagine that they\nunderstand the Scriptures better than the holy doctors? How will they\nprove that since the time of the apostles there have been no\ncombinations of circumstances in which the good of religion shall have\nrequired that miracles should be performed? They were required for the\ninfidels, to whom the Gospel has been preached in different centuries,\nas well as for the Greek and Roman idolaters, to whom it was first\nannounced. The Church has required them to silence the heretics who\nhave successively endeavored to impugn her dogmas, and to strengthen\nthe faith of her own children. They have been always useful for\nmanifesting the eminence of virtue, for the glory of God, for the\nconversion of sinners, for reanimating piety, for nourishing and\nstrengthening the hopes of the good things of another life. We are,\ntherefore, justified in saying that the promise of Jesus Christ is for\nall times, in certain occasions, and that the belief in the miracles\nin the Lives of the Saints is authorized thereby.\n\nIn the sixth place, that there have been miracles in the Lives of the\nSaints are facts, the proofs of which are unquestionable. The Acts of\nthe Martyrs, which have always been read in the Church, and the\ngenuineness of which has been admitted by the most talented critics,\ncontain recitals of the most wonderful events: the confessors of the\nfaith instantaneously cured, after having undergone the most cruel\ntortures; wild beasts tamed and crouching at their feet; lights and\ncelestial voices, apparitions of Jesus Christ and His angels, and many\nother wonderful circumstances.\n\nIn the first six centuries there are scarcely any ecclesiastical writers\nand Holy Fathers who do not record miracles worked by the servants of\nGod, and by their relics; and they speak of them as of things which\nthey have either seen with their own eyes, or were of public notoriety.\n\nSaint Justin Martyr, in the second century, speaking of the power of\nJesus Christ over the demons, in his Apology, addressed to the Emperors\nMarcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, and to the Roman Senate, says: \"You\nhave proofs of what passes before your eyes, and in your city, and in\nall the rest of the world; for you know that many of those possessed,\nnot having been able to be delivered by your exorcists, enchanters,\nand magicians, have been so by the Christians who have exorcised them\nin the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate.\"\n\nSaint Ireneus assures us that in the same century some true disciples\nof Jesus Christ had received supernatural gifts, which they made use\nof advantageously for other men: \"Some,\" says he, \"drive away devils;\nand this is certain, that often those who have been delivered embrace\nthe faith, and join the Church. To others it is given to know the\nfuture, and to have prophetic visions. Others cure the sick by the\nimposition of hands, and restore them to perfect health. Very often,\neven in every place, and for some requisite cause, the brethren solicit,\nby fasting and fervent prayers, the resurrection of a dead person, and\nobtain it; these dead, thus revived, have lived with us for several\nyears afterwards. What shall I say further? It is not possible to\nenumerate the extraordinary gifts which the Church receives from God,\nand what she operates in every part of the world, in favor of the\nnations, in the name of Jesus Christ crucified.\"\n\n\"We can,\" says Origen, writing against Celsus, \"show an immense\nmultitude of Greeks and barbarians who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ;\nthere are some who prove their faith by the power of working miracles.\nThey cure the sick by invoking their God, the Creator and the Sovereign\nLord of all things; and the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, of whose\nGospel they recite a part. We ourselves have seen several sick persons\ndelivered from the most formidable maladies, and the cured are too\nnumerous to be counted.\"\n\nTertullian, in his Apology, and in another work, records plainly the\nmiraculous fall of rain which was obtained from heaven by the prayers\nof the Christian soldiers, which saved the army of the Emperor Marcus\nAurelius, which was reduced to the last extremity. He proves the truth\nof this fact by the very letter of the emperor. We have also authentic\nproofs of this event in the authors and records of paganism itself.\nTertullian, likewise, tells us that the pagans received extraordinary\ngraces by means of the Christians, some of which he quotes, and he\nadds: \"How many persons of distinction, without mentioning other people,\nhave been thus delivered from the devil, and cured of their evils!\"\n\nSt. Cyprian upbraided an idolater in the following terms, while refuting\nhim: \"The gods whom you adore we exorcise in the name of the true God,\nand they are compelled to leave the bodies which they possessed. Oh,\nif you chose to see and hear them, when suffering under the power of\nour words, as if they were spiritual scourges, and feeling the secret\noperation of the Divine Mastery! They howl terrifically, entreat of\nus to spare them, declare, in presence of their adorers, whence they\ncame, and confess a future judgment. Come and be convinced of the truth\nof what we say; to be at least moved. Those whom you adore, fear us;\nthose to whom you pray, entreat of us to spare them; those whom you\nrevere as sovereigns, are as prisoners in our hands, and tremble as\nso many slaves. We interrogate them, and in your presence they declare\nwhat they are; they cannot dissemble the impostures which they make\nuse of to deceive you.\"\n\nSuch are the miracles which many of God's servants operated in the\nsecond and third centuries, and which cannot be called in question.\nHow many different kinds are recorded in subsequent times by St. Basil,\nand by St. Gregory of Nyssa, in the life of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus;\nby St. Athanasius in the life of St. Anthony; by Sulpicius Severus,\nin the life of St. Martin; by St. Chrysostom, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose,\nSt. Augustine, St. Paulinus, in many parts of their works; by Theodoret,\nin his religious history; by Pope St. Gregory, in his dialogues; by\nSt. Hilary of Arles, St. Ouen, and very many others worthy of credit!\n\nThese saintly and learned Bishops, Avitus, Metropolitan of Vienne,\nStephen of Lyons, Eon of Arles, conferring with the Arians, in presence\nof Gondebauld, King of the Burgundians, after having proved the\nconsubstantiality of the Word, by the testimony of the Scripture, and\nby powerful arguments, offered to give additional proof thereof by\nmiracles, if the heretics would promise to acquiesce in consequence;\nand quoted the example of St. Remigius, Apostle of the French, who was\nthen living, and setting up the faith on the ruins of idolatry by a\nmultitude of prodigies.\n\nThe miracles operated by means of relics are neither less well\nauthenticated, nor less celebrated; they were known to the whole world.\nSt. Augustine was an eyewitness of them; being at Milan when St. Ambrose\ndiscovered, by means of a revelation, the spot where the bodies of SS.\nGervasius and Protasius reposed. He saw a great many miracles performed\nin Africa by the relics of St. Stephen, of which he makes mention in\nhis book of the City of God, written for the confutation of the most\nlearned of the pagans, wherein he says that, to quote only those\noperated in the Dioceses of Calame and Hippo, several books would not\nsuffice. Nicetius, Bishop of Treves, writing to Clodosvinda, or\nGlotinda, Queen of the Lombards, to exhort her to solicit the conversion\nof King Alboin, her husband, advised her to make use of the visible\nmiracles which were operated at the tomb of St Martin, and by the\ninvocation of St. Germanus, St. Hilary, St. Lupus, St. Remigius, and\nSt. Medardus. They were so evident, that the heretics dared not call\nthem in question, and could not deprive them of their splendor. God\nmade use of these for the conversion of kings, and of the entire\nnations.\n\nIn all ages after the six first centuries, the prodigies of the Lives\nof the Saints are noticed by numerous authors of all countries, whose\ntalents, learning, probity, holiness, and dignity, render them\nrespectable to the most searching critics. They are supported by\nincontrovertible evidence, by juridical depositions, by authentic acts,\nand by splendid monuments which have been erected to their memory by\nbishops, princes, magistrates, cities and kingdoms to perpetuate the\nrecollections of these splendid achievements. We find that the saints\nhave made numerous predictions, which have been justified by the event;\nand that, either moved by the Spirit of God, or compelled by obedience,\nthey have admitted the supernatural operations which they felt in their\nsouls. Finally, the prodigies which are found in the Lives of the\nSaints have always been considered as indubitable facts amongst the\nfaithful; the Church recognizes them, and they form one of the objects\nof their piety and devotion; no one is placed in the catalogue of\nsaints whose sanctity has not been attested from heaven, by means of\nmiracles; and she takes such rigorous precautions, and carries their\nstrictness so far, that, according to all human prudence, it is\nimpossible she should be deceived.\n\nWe now ask whether it can be permitted to think and to say that such\nfacts are absolutely false, and should only be looked upon as fables\nunworthy of credence? In such case it would be necessary to abrogate\nthe rule judiciously and universally received in the world, that facts\nwhich have nothing incredible in themselves are not to be controverted\nwhen duly proved; it would be also necessary to refuse credence to all\nthat is related in sacred and profane history; to lay down as a maxim\nto believe nothing but what we see, and to refuse to receive the\ntestimony of the honorable people with whom we live. Now, this is what\nis requisite to prove and convince every man of good sense that the\nprejudice against the miracles of the Lives of the Saints is quite\nunreasonable; but this does not point out its quality sufficiently;\nit is senseless and ridiculous, it is rash, and, what is more, it is\ndangerous.\n\nWhoever denies what the Fathers of the Church attest as having seen,\nor having been authentically informed of, must conclude that they were\neither very credulous, or deceived the people. To refuse to believe\nthe marvels which have reached us by an uniform and universal tradition,\nis to call in question all tradition; to render all its channels\nsuspicious, and to cause it to be looked upon as a questionable\nproposition. What can be thought of the saints, if the miraculous\ngraces, which they certify that they have received from God, are to\nbe treated as chimeras; if the accomplishment of what they have\nforetold, is to be attributed to chance? What even can be thought of\ntheir most heroic victims? What opinion will be formed of their acts?\nWill they be deemed more trustworthy in other matters? When it is\nasserted that there have been no miracles since the days of the\napostles, it must be said, by a necessary consequence, that the Church,\nwhich grounds canonization on miracles, makes use of falsehood in that\nmost solemn and religious act, and that the public worship which the\nChurch directs is uncertain. Now this very much resembles heresy; for\nthe great principles of religion teach us that on these occasions the\nChurch receives peculiar enlightenment from the Holy Ghost, by which\nshe can neither be deceived herself, nor can she deceive others.\n\nThese miracles, it is said, are not articles of faith, and the Church\ndoes not oblige us to believe them. As if nothing was believed in the\nworld but such things as are of faith; as if it was not dangerous\nobstinately to reject those things which are sanctioned by the authority\nof the Holy Fathers, by reason and by piety, by tradition and by the\nChurch, and which cannot be rejected without fatal consequences!\n\nThis incredulity attacks, moreover, one of the proofs of the divinity\nof Jesus Christ, which the fathers adduced against the pagans. St.\nChrysostom having asserted, on the subject of the miracles of the\nmartyr, St. Babylas, that our Saviour, on the night of His Passion,\nhad promised to those who should believe in Him, the power of working\nthese miracles, adds: \"It had been antecedently seen that many had\ntaken upon themselves the character of masters, who had disciples, and\nwho boast of performing wonders; nevertheless, we do not hear of any\nwho had ventured to promise their disciples the same power. The\ninsolence of their impostures did not go so far, because they knew\nthat no one would believe them; all the world being convinced that it\nis only given to God to make a similar promise, and to fulfil it.\" On\nthis principle the holy doctor proves that Jesus Christ is God, since\nHe has given to those who believe in Him the power of working miracles,\nwhich His disciples actually did, and which His servants now do. St.\nAugustine makes use of the same proofs, in his book of the City of\nGod. Thus the miracles of the saints have in all ages been adduced as\nproofs of the Divinity of our Saviour; and this is what those endeavor\nto do away with, who, without reflection, consider them as fables.\n\nAnother danger is, that they speak of these marvels according to their\nown prejudices. They openly say that they do not believe them, and\nthat persons ought not to have the weakness to believe them; they speak\ncontemptuously of the books in which they are recorded; they cannot\nendure that they should form part of panegyrics of the saints. They\nmake use of impious derisions, and turn into ridicule the faithful who\ncredit them, and they censure the conduct of the Church which\nconsecrates them. Such discourse sanctions heresy and licentiousness;\nworldlings and the indevout applaud it, the tepid seem to consent to\nit, and the falsely devout approve it; it is a scandal to the weak,\nand a dishonor to religion.\n\nIt is also to be feared that prejudices against what is wonderful in\nthe Lives of the Saints may spread to other subjects, if we only judge\nfrom the principles which are the cause of them. For, in what do these\nprinciples consist? They are not grounded on reason or religion; they\nmust, therefore, have a basis of incredulity for everything which they\ndo not understand: the foolish vanity of being thought singular;\nignorance, which boldly repudiates what it knows nothing of; keeping\ncompany with libertines; a conformity of feeling with heretics, and\nthe spirit of the world, which is the enemy of all piety. Such\ncalamitous causes give room to fear the most fatal effects.\n\nIn general, the liberty only to believe those things which we choose,\non points in which religion is concerned, is very dangerous; it often\nmakes a destructive progress, for its first attempts embolden it.\nPersons are easily persuaded that all miraculous narratives are false,\nthough the Church guarantees the truth of many; and when this same\nChurch pronounces on dogmatical facts, declaring: such and such\npropositions to be heretical which are in such and such a book, and\nexacts an interior submission of heart and mind, do these doubters\nshow more docility? Do they not cloak their disobedience by a respectful\nsilence, always ill kept and finally broken through by open rebellion?\nDo we not see persons in the world speaking irreverently of relics,\npurgatory, indulgences, and even of the holy mysteries, after having\ntreated contemptuously the marvels of the Lives of the Saints?\n\nCertain critics admit these marvels, but have imbibed the idea that\nfalsehood is so mixed up with the truth, that they cannot be separated\nbut by using certain rules, which they take upon themselves to lay\ndown. This prejudice is not less dangerous, nor less unreasonable than\nthe other.\n\nBecause some inconsiderate writers, who cannot be too severely censured,\nhave given scope to their imagination in certain legends, and have\nemployed fiction for the embellishment of their narratives, the doubters\npretend that the whole history of the saints is full of impostures;\nnevertheless, pure sources have been the basis of their authentic acts,\nin the works of the Fathers, and in an infinity of authors well worthy\nof credit, and in the Bulls of Canonization. An Asiatic priest, as\nrelated by St. Jerome, who quotes Tertullian, composed false acts of\nSt. Thecla through an ill-understood sentiment of devotion:--does it\nfollow from that that the truth of many other acts which were there\nread, and which we still possess, is to be set aside? Moreover, the\nChurch has remedied the evil; she has rejected the false prodigies;\nshe has expunged from the legends the indiscreet additions; a new\nedition has been long since placed in the hands of the faithful, which\nonly contains the well-authenticated and certain miracles.\n\nA learned man has demonstrated that the rules of these critics for the\nelucidation of these miracles are not judicious; that they are\nextravagant, and that it would be risking too much to follow them;\nthat they are contradictory, and not in unison with each other; that\nit often happens that they reject or admit miracles against their own\nprinciples. If they find splendid ones, and many of them in the same\nlegend, they hold them to be suppositions or altered, although, the\noldest and most authentic documents contain similar ones; they reject\nthem as false, without assigning any reason in proof of their having\nbeen falsified; they pretend that the authors who have recorded them\nwere too credulous, though they received other articles on the testimony\nof these same authors. In order to believe them, they require perfect\ncertainty, although they give credit to many circumstances in\necclesiastical and profane history on mere probabilities. One of them\nprofesses not to omit a single miracle which is vouched for by good\nauthority, nevertheless, he suppresses many of the most considerable;\nand many of those which he feels compelled to bring forward, he does\nso in terms which mark doubtfulness, to say nothing more.\n\nThus, the ultra-critics while admitting the wonders of the Lives of\nthe Saints, reduce them to nothing by rules, which they invent for\nseparating truth from falsehood, as those who profess to believe an\ninfallible authority in the Church make that infallibility to depend\non so many conditions, that they may always maintain that the Church,\ndispersed or assembled, has never come to any decision in opposition\nto their errors.\n\nIt is, they say, the love of truth which induces them to examine most\nscrupulously the miracles of the saints; nothing should be believed,\nor be proposed to belief, but what is true. But Bossuet said of bad\ncritics: \"They are content, provided they can pass for more subtle\nobservers than others, and they find themselves sharper, in not giving\ncredit to so many wonders.\" The love of truth does not consist in\ndenying its existence, where so many persons of first-rate genius have\nfound it; it does not depend on rendering obscure the light it sheds,\nnor in giving to the public Lives of Saints accompanied by a dry,\nbitter, and licentious criticism, calculated to throw doubt on all\nthat is extraordinary in them, and thereby to give scandal. The learned\nJesuits, the continuators of Bollandus, show, by the precision of their\nresearches, that they are sincere lovers of truth, but we do not see\nthat they endeavor to diminish the number of miracles: \"They have no\nidea of taking them for fictions; nothing astonishes them in the lives\nof the friends of God, provided it be well attested.\" Father Thomassen,\nof the Oratory, in his treatise on the Celebration of Festivals, speaks\nof a miraculous event which occurred in the sixth century, and which\nis reported by Bollandus, and he adds: \"These sorts of miracles are\nby no means articles of faith, but nevertheless, they are not to be\nrejected by sage and considerate persons. Upon reading the works of\nSt. Cyprian, St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, and St. Jerome, and those of\nSt. Gregory of Nyssa, of St. Basil, and St. Athanasius, we can have\nno doubt that these fathers had no difficulty in believing similar\noccurrences, similarly attested. St. Augustine, indeed, has related\nseveral much more incredible; and it is greatly to be feared that to\nset one's self above the Augustines, the Jeromes, the Gregories, and\nthe most learned Fathers of the Church, must be the effect of a most\ndangerous pride.\"\n\nIt is objected that the multitude is credulous; that it likes the\nmarvellous, and should not be exposed to believe untruths. But credulity\nis far less dangerous than incredulity; the one admits of cure much\neasier than the other; the former, in proper limits, may be very useful,\nthe latter engenders nothing but evil. Some one has said, that the\nlove of the marvellous is the ancient malady of mankind; it would,\nperhaps, be more accurate to say, that it is a remainder of their\noriginal greatness; and that, being created to witness the marvels of\nthe Divinity, they are impelled, by an interior impulse, to believe\nwhatsoever seems to them to approach to them, until such, time as their\nvisions shall be fully gratified. This impulse only becomes a malady\nwhen it receives wonderful things which are absurd, or without any\nfoundation. Aversion from the marvellous, which has its origin in the\nweakness of a mind oppressed by sin, is a much greater malady, and may\nhave most dangerous consequences, in a wholly marvellous religion which\nwe must love. These marvels are displeasing in pious narratives, where\nthey are fully proved, and they are sought for in theatrical\ncompositions, where they are mere fictions: the distinction is\ndishonorable to Christians. Finally, as to the falsehood: What risk\ndoes the pious multitude run, in believing the miracles of the Lives\nof the Saints? They find nothing in them which is not proved, or worthy\nof belief; nothing but what may very prudently be believed; nothing\nbut what is edifying; and this, according to St. Augustine, is a\nsufficient guarantee from falling into any dangerous credulity.\n\nWe should be very dangerously credulous, if we put our faith in false\nand deceitful miracles, which only tend to seduce the mind, and corrupt\nour belief. We are warned in the Gospel, that \"there shall arise false\nchrists and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders,\ninsomuch as to deceive (if it be possible) even the elect;\" and St.\nPaul teaches us that Antichrist, \"that man of perdition, will come\naccording to the working of Satan in all power, and signs, and lying\nwonders.\" The father of lies has often inspired the heretics to produce\nmiracles, which they have asserted to have been performed by persons\nof their party, living or dead, from whence they inferred that God\nauthorized the doctrines they taught. Ecclesiastical history furnishes\nmany examples of this, and there are some very recent ones.\n\nBut Jesus Christ has furnished us with a sure and infallible rule to\navoid the contagion: it is to hear the Church; it is to consider those\nonly as true miracles of which she approves, and of which she sanctions\nthe publication; it is to believe firmly that no one who is in revolt\nagainst the Church will ever perform a miracle favorable to his sect,\nwhatever appearance of austerity, piety, charity, or sanctity, he may\nput on; which St. Thomas bases mainly on this principle: that it is\nimpossible that God, who alone can give the power of working a true\nmiracle, shall ever communicate that power to confirm a false doctrine;\nfrom whence it follows, that all the miracles produced by sectarians,\nnotwithstanding all their evidence, and all their pretended\nattestations, must neither be examined nor listened to, and must only\nbe looked upon as purely natural effects, or as impostures, or as\ndelusions and diabolical operations. This is the way in which St.\nAugustine expresses himself on the subject of the miracles which the\nDonatists claimed to have performed, and claimed as evidence in favor\nof their schism. Let Catholics, therefore, reject with horror the false\nprodigies of sectarians, but let them piously give credit to the\nmiracles of the saints, without paying attention to the ultra-criticism\nwhich strives to throw doubts upon them; and let them be intimately\npersuaded that the Church, which approves of them, has founded that\napproval on evidence irreproachable.\n\nThe marvels which are found in the Life of St. Francis are perfectly\nwell attested. That Life was first written by Thomas de Celano, one\nof his companions, who was directed by Pope Gregory IX. to compile it,\nand who afterwards added a second part on additional memoirs. John or\nThomas de Ceperano, Apostolic Notary, who was a staunch friend of the\nSaint, published at the same time what he knew of his actions.\nCrescentius de Jesi, General of the Order of the Friars Minors, gave\ndirections, by circular letters, to collect and transmit to him whatever\nhad been seen or learnt, relative to the sanctity and miracles of the\nblessed Father. He addressed himself particularly to three of his\ntwelve first companions: Leo, his secretary and his confessor; Angelus\nand Rufinus: all three joined in compiling what is called \"The Legend\nof the Three Companions.\" The others noted separately what they had\nthemselves seen, and the things which they had learnt from others.\nSaint Bonaventure, being at the head of the Order, was urgently\nentreated, by the general chapter, to write the life of their holy\nPatriarch. With the intention of learning, with certainty, the truth\nof the facts, he went expressly to Assisi, \"There,\" he says, in the\npreface to his work, \"I had frequent and serious conferences with those\nwho had been in the confidence of the great man, and who were still\nliving; and principally with those who were most intimately consociated\nwith him, and who have become the most faithful imitators of his holy\nlife, to whose testimony we must undoubtedly give credit, because their\nacknowledged sanctity assures us that they have spoken truth.\" Now,\nwhat can the most exact and severe criticism wish more, in order to\ngive warranty to the marvels in the Life of St. Francis, than\ncontemporaries, ocular witnesses, holy persons, his own companions,\nwho lived with him and enjoyed his confidence?\n\nThe legend of Saint Bonaventure was spread everywhere, as soon as it\nappeared, and was everywhere highly approved: there are many manuscripts\nof it. Lipoman, Bishop of Verona, caused it to be printed in 1556. No\none ever attempted to call its accuracy in question. Octavian quoted\nit, in his petition to Pope Sixtus IV. for the canonization of the\nholy doctor, in 1482.\n\nThe first legends have been preserved in manuscript; the celebrated\nannalist of the Order of Friars Minors, Luke Wading, saw them and made\nuse of them. He was one of the most learned men of his time, and all\nother learned men have been loud in his praise, not only on account\nof his profound erudition, but because he was so ardent a lover of\ntruth, which he sought for with great care, and having developed it,\nnothing could hinder him from publishing it and committing it to\nwriting.\n\nThe uprightness of his heart was conspicuous on a certain occasion,\nwhich is too honorable to him for us to pass it over in silence. He\nhad been one of the examiners nominated by Pope Innocent X. to inquire\ninto the writings of Jansenius, Bishop of Ypres, and he had convinced\nhimself that the five propositions which appeared to be censurable in\nthose writings might be tolerably explained in a certain theological\nsense. Those who are themselves upright are not easily brought to think\nill of others, particularly in difficult affairs, and they sometimes\nendeavor to justify them, through charitable feelings, which are\npraiseworthy in principle, but which may have evil consequences, when\na doctrine is in question which has been widely spread, and which is\nsupported by a cabal. Wading, seeing that the five propositions were\ncensured by various constitutions of the Pope, made a report on the\nwhole affair, with the following beautiful declaration, worthy of a\ntruly Catholic Doctor: \"If, before this decision, any one shall have\nbeen of a different opinion (as to the five propositions) on whatever\nreasonings, or whatsoever authority of doctrine, he is now obliged to\nbend his mind to the yoke of faith, according to the advice of the\napostle. I declare it to be what I do with all my heart, condemning\nand anathematizing all the aforesaid propositions, in all and every\nsense in which His Holiness has proposed to condemn them, although,\nbefore this decision, I thought they might have been maintained in a\ncertain sense, in the manner I have explained in the suffrage which\nhas been just seen.\"\n\nWe may feel assured that a man of this upright character, such a lover\nof truth, and, moreover, one of such eminent talents, would not have\nmade use of the two Legends of Thomas de Celano and that of the Three\nCompanions, without having ascertained their correctness. Moreover,\nthe critics of his time, who were particular, and in great numbers,\nhad it in their power to examine them as those of our times have, also,\nsince they are still extant in the convent of St. Isidore at Rome.\n\nThe first, which was composed under the Pontificate of Gregory IX.,\nwas quoted by Luke, Bishop of Tuy, when he wrote against the Albigenses,\nin 1231. It is to be found in the Abbey of Longpont, of the Order of\nCiteaux, in the diocese of Soissons, and in the Abbey of Jouy, of the\nsame order, in the Diocese of Sens. The Legend of the Three Companions\nis in the king's library, at the Recollets of Louvain, and in their\nconvent at Malines.\n\nThese are the principal sources which were consulted by Wading for\nwriting the Life of St. Francis, which forms part of the first tome\nof his Annals. He also consulted the acts and public monuments, the\nconstant tradition, and some manuscripts of the thirteenth century,\nwhich contain other testimonials from the companions of St. Francis,\nand were published by contemporaries who lived with them, who collected\ntheir very words, and who are worthy of credence. But the most\nmarvellous thing which he relates, relative to the actions of the\nSaint, he has taken from the legends, as well as a great number of the\nsplendid miracles which were operated by his intercession after his\ndeath, and of which Pope Gregory IX. was fully informed, as he declares\nin the Bull of Canonization.\n\nAll modern authors who have given the Life of St. Francis in various\nlanguages, have adhered mostly to Wading; in this work, also, we have\nmade a point of following him; and the learned, who have so much esteem\nfor that great man, will agree that we could not have taken a better\nguide. Baillet admits that, among the writers of the Life of St.\nFrancis, Luke Wading is one of the most careful and most accurate; and\nyet he taxes him with not having written methodically, when he adds:\n\"After all the labors of so many persons, who have been zealous for\nhis glory, we are still compelled to wish for a methodical history of\nhis life.\" Whoever may read the Annals of Wading, and his notes on the\nworks of St. Francis, will find in them as much method as research and\naccuracy; but according to some ultra-critics, it is not considered\nwriting methodically, when marvels which they dislike are permitted\nto find their way into history.\n\nBaillet might have said that it has been long a subject of complaint\nthat we have not in our language a complete and methodical Life of St.\nFrancis. This complaint is the more just, as the saint had a particular\nliking for France; he had learned the language with so much facility,\nand spoke it so readily, that they gave him the name of Francis,\nalthough he was baptized John. Paris was one of the first objects of\nhis zeal; he would even have gone thither, if a cardinal had not\ndetained him in Italy for reasons which related to his Order. Not\nhaving it in his power to undertake this mission, which he had much\nat heart, he destined for it some of his principal followers.\n\nThere are some who affect to think that, in the Lives of the Saints,\ntheir example should alone be proposed to the public, imagining that\nthe miracles they have performed can nowise contribute to the\nedification of souls; and two authors of this century have ventured\nto suppress all miracles in the Lives of Saints which they have\npublished. The Church, nevertheless, causes them to be recited in the\nDivine Office, and they are carefully related by the holy fathers;\nneither does any author of repute, of the centuries preceding, fail\nto bring them forward. In fact, no one can deny that they add great\nresplendency to the merits of the saints, and, consequently, give great\nweight to the example they afford us. They uphold and increase the\nidea we have of the power of God, of His providence, His justice, His\nbounty, and His mercy, by which they excite us to glorify, love, and\nserve Him; and, in showing His special good-will to His servants, they\ninduce us to invoke their mediation with confidence. Moreover, miracles\nstrengthen the faithful in their faith, because, being performed in\nthe bosom of the Catholic Church, they confirm the truth she teaches.\nNow, it is not of less consequence to strengthen faith, than to propose\nthat which tends to the correction of morals, particularly when\nincredulity makes as much progress as licentiousness. Moreover, the\nmiraculous actions of the saints frequently contain most salutary\ninstructions, and are always accompanied by virtues which may be\nimitated, which will be very apparent in the Life of St. Francis.\n\nSome may, perhaps, think that his virtues are too transcendent for\nimitation, and content themselves with admiring them, without gathering\nany fruit from them. A celebrated heresiarch admired them in this\nmanner, in the last century. Bossuet remarks, in his excellent \"History\nof the Variations,\" that \"Luther reckoned among the saints not only\nSt. Bernard, but also St. Francis, St. Bonaventure, and others of the\nthirteenth century; and that St. Francis, amongst all the rest, appeared\nto him to be an admirable character, animated with wonderful fervor\nof mind.\" But the faithful in admiring his virtues, must not think\nthem not to be imitated, for they consisted in following the Gospel;\nand they are all obliged to live according to the precepts of the\nGospel.\n\nREV. CANDIDE CHALIPPE, O.F.M.\n\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\nBOOK I\n\nHis birth--Prediction of his future greatness--His studies--He applies\nhimself to commerce--His purity, and affection for the poor--He is\ntaken prisoner--He falls sick--His charity increases towards the\npoor--He has a mysterious dream--He wishes to go to the war--Jesus\nChrist dissuades him--He is rapt in spirit--His conversion--He kisses\na leper--Jesus Christ crucified appears to him--Salutary effects of\nthis apparition--He goes to Rome--Mingles with the poor--Is tempted\nby the devil--A voice from heaven commands him to restore the Church\nof S. Peter Damian--His devotion to the passion of Jesus Christ--He\ntakes some pieces of cloth from his father's house, and sells them,\nto restore the Church of S. Damian--He escapes from the anger of his\nfather, and retires to a cave--He appears in Assisi, where he is\nill-treated--His father confines him--His mother delivers him, and he\nreturns to S. Damian--He manifests his intention to his father, who\nappeals to justice, and cites him before the Bishop of Assisi--He\nrenounces his inheritance, and gives back his clothes to his father--The\npoverty of his clothing--He is beaten by robbers--Retires to a\nmonastery--They give him a hermit's habit--He devotes himself to the\nleprous--Receives the gift of healing, and returns to Assisi, where\nhe searches for stone to restore the Church of Assisi--He toils at\nbuilding as a laborer--He lives on alms--His father and brother exercise\nhis patience--The victories he gains over himself--People begin to\nesteem and honor him--He predicts something which is fulfilled--He\nrestores the Church of S. Peter and that of S. Mary of the Angels, or\nthe Portiuncula--Dwells at S. Mary of the Angels, and is favored there\nwith heavenly apparitions--He is called to the apostolical\nlife--Renounces money and goes discalced--His poor and humble habit--God\ninspires him to preach--He weeps bitterly over the sufferings of Jesus\nChrist--Receives three disciples, and retires with them to a deserted\ncottage--He goes on a mission, and his disciples accompany him--the\nway they are treated--He receives three other disciples--He makes them\nbeg for alms--What he said to the Bishop of Assisi, on renouncing all\nhis possessions--He predicts to the Emperor Otho the short duration\nof his glory--It is revealed to him that his sins are remitted--He is\nrapt in ecstasy, and predicts the extension of his Order--He makes\nseveral other predictions, and receives a seventh disciple--He proposes\na new mission to them--The address he makes them on their preparation\nfor, and conduct during, the mission--He returns near to Assisi, where\nhe receives four more disciples--He assembles all his\ndisciples--Composes a Rule, and goes to obtain the Pope's approval--He\nmakes a marvellous conversion--He knows miraculously what will happen\nto him at Rome--He is at first repulsed by Pope Innocent III., but is\nafterwards received favorably--Difficulties on the approbation of his\nRule--He overcomes them by an address he makes the Pope--The Pope\napproves his Rule, and accumulates favors on it--He leaves Rome with\nhis friars for the valley of Spoleto--God provides for his\nnecessities--He stops at a deserted church--Consults God on his mission,\nand returns to the cottage of Rivo-torto--His sufferings there--The\ninstructions he gives--God shows him to his brethren under a most\nmarvellous aspect--The church of S. Mary of the Angels is given to\nhim--He establishes himself there with his Friars\n\n\n\nBOOK II\n\n\nHe receives many novices--Instructs and models them--Sends them to\ndifferent provinces of Italy--What he says on this occasion--He departs\nfor Tuscany, and passes by Perugia, where he makes a prediction which\nis accomplished--Many young men enter his Order--They build a house\nfor him near Cortona--His miraculous fast during Lent--He commands the\ndevils, and they obey him--He cures many miraculously--He preaches at\nFlorence--Makes a prediction--Preaches in various places in\nTuscany--What his friars are doing in other places--He preaches the\nLent at Assisi, with great fruit--He consecrates, to Jesus Christ,\nClare, and, Agnes, her sister--Establishes Clare and Agnes in the\nChurch of S. Damian--He erects a monastery there, the first one of his\nsecond Order, which he then instituted--He is troubled by a serious\ndoubt, on which he consults his brethren--His doubt is cleared up by\nan oracle from heaven--He goes out to preach--Restores a blind girl\nto sight, and converts many worldly people--He sighs for martyrdom--Asks\npermission of the Pope to preach to the infidels--Makes conversions\nat Rome, and establishes his Order there--Returns to Assisi and leaves\nfor the Levant--Embarks, but is obliged to put into a harbor in\nSclavonia--Goes by sea to Ancona--A miracle which God performs in his\nfavor--He converts a celebrated poet--Returns to Tuscany, and to S.\nMary of the Angels--He falls sick--Wonderfully humbles himself--Tries\na vocation--Falls sick again and writes to all Christians--Departs for\nSpain and Africa, in search of martyrdom--His miracles and other\nparticulars of his journey--His profound humility--He raises the\ndead--Count Orlando gives him Mount Alverna--God miraculously protects\nhim--He preaches in Piedmont and passes into Spain--Works a miraculous\ncure there--The king, Alphonso IX, permits him to establish his Order\nthere--He receives houses there--A violent sickness prevents him going\nto Morocco--His actions whilst he is delayed in Spain--He returns to\nItaly--His route thither--He arrives at S. Mary of the Angels, and\ndisapproves a building there--He goes to Mount Alverna--Is beaten by\ndevils--Mortifies his sense, and taste--Makes water spring from a\nrock--Visits the mountain--Converts there a celebrated brigand--Leaves\nfor Rome--Discovers some relics by revelation--Makes predictions, and\nperforms miracles and conversions--Arrives at Rome whilst the Council\nof Lateran is sitting--The Pope declares to the Council that he has\napproved the Rule--He appoints a general chapter at S. Mary of the\nAngels, whither he returns--He holds the chapter and sends his friars\nto various countries--He thinks of going to Paris--Reunites an\nillustrious family that had been divided--Rejoices in his poverty and\nasks of God a greater love of holy poverty--SS. Peter and Paul appear\nto him at Rome--His alliance with S. Dominic--He goes to Florence,\nwhere Cardinal Hugolin dissuades him from going to Paris--He returns\nto the Valley of Spoleto, and sends three of his disciples to France--A\ncelestial vision induces him to ask of the Pope a cardinal protector\nfor his Order--What he says on this subject--He preaches before the\nPope--What happened to him in the pulpit--The Pope gives him Cardinal\nHugolin, as protector of the Order--He preaches in the Valley of\nRieti--Delivers the country from two plagues, and makes some conversions\nthere--The houses he builds there--He appoints a general chapter at\nS. Mary of the Angels, for the year 1219--What he did during the year\n1218--Efficacy of his prayers--He wishes to pull down a new house which\nhe found at S. Mary of the Angels\n\n\n\nBOOK III\n\n\nHe goes to Perugia, to consult the cardinal protector--His opinion on\nthe promotion of his friars to ecclesiastical dignities--He returns\nto S. Mary of the Angels--His thoughts on these dignities--More than\nfive thousand Friars Minors are present at the chapter he had\nappointed--He addresses the assembly, and forbids them troubling\nthemselves about their food--Assistance comes to him from all sides--He\nreceives more than five hundred novices during this chapter--He forbids\nindiscreet mortifications--The devils are incensed against him and his\nOrder--He cautions his friars, and upon that gives them some\ninstruction--He humbles them to preserve them from vainglory--He\nconfounds those who wish the Rule mitigated--He wishes not for\nprivileges which can engender disputes--He gives his friars instructions\nabout their conduct to ecclesiastics--He obtains from the Pope letters\napostolical confirming the approval of the Order--What he decrees in\nthe chapter--He sends his friars through the whole world--The travels\nof his Friars in various parts of the world--In Greece--In Africa--In\nSpain and Portugal--In France--In the Low Countries--He himself prepares\nto go to the Levant--On the government of the monastery of S. Damian,\nand other houses of the same order--He sends six of his friars to\nMorocco--What he says to them--He starts on his voyage to Syria, with\ntwelve companions--He rejects a postulant too much attached to his\nparents--A house at Ancona is given to him--He appoints, by means of\na child inspired by God, those who are to accompany him to Syria--He\nembarks at Ancona and anchors at the isle of Cyprus--Arrives at\nAcre--Distributes his companions in different parts of Syria, and comes\nto the army before Damietta--He arrives at the camp before Damietta,\nand predicts the ill-success of the battle the Crusaders are about to\ngive--His prediction is accomplished--He finds out the sultan of\nEgypt--Announces to him the truths of the faith, and offers to throw\nhimself into the fire to prove them--He refuses the sultan's\npresents--Is esteemed and respected--The good dispositions with which\nhe inspires the sultan--He obtains permission to preach in his\nStates--He receives some disciples from the army of the\nCrusaders--Visits the holy places--Some whole monasteries of religious\nembrace his Institute--He returns to Italy--Establishes his Order in\nvarious places--Preaches at Bologna with great success--What he says\nand does on seeing a house of his Order too much ornamented--He makes\na retreat at Camaldoli--Returns to S. Mary of the Angels--Reads the\nthoughts of his companion--Confounds the vanity of Brother\nElias--Abolishes the novelties introduced into the Order by Brother\nElias--In a vision the fortunes of his Order are made known to him--He\nholds the chapter in which he deposes Brother Elias, and in his place\nsubstitutes Peter of Catania--He renounces the generalship--Will not\nreceive anything from novices entering his Order--He learns the news\nof the martyrdom of the friars he had sent to Morocco--What he says\non the subject of their martyrdom--The martyrdom of these friars is\nthe cause of the vocation of S. Antony of Padua--His friars pass into\nEngland--He visits some convents--Receives the Vicar General's\nresignation, and re-appoints, by the command of God, Brother Elias to\nhis place--He holds a chapter, and sends missionaries to Germany\n\n\n\nBOOK IV\n\n\nS. Francis begins his Third Order of Penance--Draws up the rule for\nit--What his idea was in founding this Order--He returns to S. Mary\nof the Angels--Sends Agnes, the sister of Clare, to Florence, to be\nAbbess there--He obtains from Jesus Christ the Indulgence of S. Mary\nof the Angels or of the Portiuncula--Pope Honorius III. grants him the\nsame indulgence--Clare and others, hearing him talk of God, are ravished\nin ecstasy--He cannot bear the distinction of persons which Brother\nElias made--Makes a terrible prediction--He gives his blessings to\nseven of his brethren, to go and preach the faith to the Moors, and\nthey are martyred--He makes a journey, which is attended with\nremarkable circumstances--Cures a cripple--Mixes with the poor, and\neats with them--Foretells of an infant, that he would one day be\nPope--He changes the bed of thorns into which S. Benedict had thrown\nhimself, into a rose-bush, and performs other great miracles--Goes to\nhonor the relics of S. Andrew, and those of S. Nicholas--Discovers a\ntrick of the devil--He visits Mount Garganus--His presence silences\na demoniac--He learns at S. Mary of the Angels the success of the\nGerman mission--Bids Antony preach--Gives Antony permission to teach\ntheology to the brethren--Alexander Hales enters the Order--Jesus\nChrist appoints the day for the Indulgence of the Portiuncula--He\nobtains from the Pope a confirmation of the same day--Promulgates it,\nwith seven bishops--He has a revelation about his Rule--God makes\nknown to him that he must abridge it--The Holy Spirit dictates it to\nhim--Some entreat him to moderate it--Jesus Christ tells him it must\nbe kept to the very letter--His brethren receive it--He declares it\ncomes from Jesus Christ, and speaks in praise of it--He obtains a bull\nfrom the Pope, in confirmation of the Rule--Is attacked by devils--\nCelebrates the feast of Christmas with much fervor--Our Lord appears\nto him as an infant--His sentiments on the celebration of\nfeasts--Discovers a stratagem of the devil--He commands one of his\ndead brethren to cease working miracles--Draws up a rule for Clare and\nher daughters--Appears with his arms stretched out in the form of a\ncross while S. Antony was preaching--Foretells a conversion which\nimmediately came about--He goes into retreat on Mount Alvernus--His\ncontemplation and raptures--Jesus Christ promises him special favors--He\nfasts rigorously--A piece of his writing delivers his companion from\na temptation--What he had to suffer from the devil--He prepares for\nmartyrdom--He receives extraordinary favors in prayer--His perfect\nconformity to the will of God--Jesus Christ crucified appears to him\nunder the figure of a Seraphim--Receives the impression of the wounds\nof Jesus Christ--He composes canticles full of the love of God--Tells\nhis brethren of the Stigmata--They are seen and touched--He leaves\nMount Alvernus, to return to S. Mary of the Angels--Cures a child of\ndropsy--Other miracles which he performed on the way--He strengthens\nhimself with new fervor in the service of God--His patience in great\nsufferings--His desires for the salvation of souls--His prayer in\nsuffering--God assures him of his salvation--He thanks Him in a\ncanticle--He learns the time of his death, and rejoices at it--He has\nvarious illnesses, and suffers extreme pain--He multiplies the grapes\nin a vineyard--God gives him sensible consolation--A heated iron is\napplied to the temple, and he feels no pain from it--He weeps\nincessantly, and says he does so to expiate for his sins--He prefers\nthe danger of losing his sight to restraining his tears--His gratitude\ntowards his physician--A miracle is worked by some of his hair, in\nfavor of this physician--He miraculously heals a canon--His sufferings\ndiminish--Goes to preach--Drives away a devil--Foretells a sudden\ndeath, and it comes about--Cures St. Bonaventura in his infancy--All\nhis sufferings increase--Causes to be found for the love of God what\ncould not be found for money--They take him back to Assisi--They take\nhim to Sienna--He answers difficult questions, and foretells several\nthings--He causes the blessing which he gave to his brethren to be\nwritten--They take him to Celles, and thence to Assisi--The bishop has\nhim taken to his palace--The state of his Order at the time of his\nlast illness\n\n\n\nBOOK V\n\n\nThe violence of his illness does not prevent him from exhorting his\nbrethren--He is touched at the fatigue which his illness caused them--\nThanks God for the pains he suffered--Dictates a letter to Clare and\nher daughters--Rejoices and thanks God for his approaching\ndeath--Blesses his children--Has himself carried to S. Mary of the\nAngels--Blesses the town of Assisi--Informs a pious widow of his\napproaching death--Blesses his brethren a second time, and makes them\neat a bit of bread, blessed by his hand--Gives a special blessing to\nBernard, the eldest of his children--What we may presume were his\ndispositions in receiving the last sacraments--He stretches himself\nnaked on the bare ground--Desires to be buried in the place of\nexecution--Exhorts his brethren--He has the praises of God sung when\nat the point of death--He speaks to his children, and blesses them for\nthe last time--Has the passion of Jesus Christ read to him--He recites\nthe 141st psalm, and dies after the last verse--Miraculous proofs of\nhis beatitude--State of his body after death--The Stigmata are seen\nand touched publicly--His obsequies--Clare and her daughters see and\nkiss the Stigmata--He is buried at Assisi, in the church of S.\nGeorge--The circular written after his death--His canonization--The\nChurch of S. Francis at Assisi--He is buried there--Researches are\nmade to find the sacred body--The mission of St. Francis--The fruits\nof his labor.\n\nDevotion of S. Francis towards Jesus Christ crucified--To what a degree\nhe loved poverty--How great was the austerity of his life--His\nhumility--His obedience--His gift of prayer and contemplation--His\nlove of God--His sentiments of filial love on the mystery of the\nIncarnation--On the fast of Jesus Christ in the desert--On the mystery\nof the Eucharist--S. Francis, in his humility, would not be made\npriest--His devotion towards the Mother of God--Towards the angels and\nsaints--His charity towards his neighbor--His zeal for the salvation\nof souls--His affection for the poor--The affection of his heart for\nall creatures--The pains he took to lead his brethren to perfection--His\ntender charity towards his brethren--His discretion and wisdom in the\ngovernment of the Order--His supernatural and acquired knowledge--The\nefficacy of his words--His supernatural and miraculous gifts--He drives\naway devils--Brings the dead to life--Heals the sick--Has the gift of\nprophecy and discernment of spirits--He commands animals, and is\nobeyed--He performs many other miraculous actions--The great honors\nwhich were paid to him--His character and appearance--In what sense\nhe was simple\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE LIFE AND LEGENDS OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI\n\nBOOK I\n\n\nWe here offer, to the pious reflections of the faithful, the life of\na man who proposed to himself to practise literally the precepts of\nthe Gospel, to conform himself entirely to Jesus Christ crucified, and\nto inspire the whole world with God's love.\n\nSuch a purpose must seem great to all those who can appreciate true\ngrandeur by the light of religion. In its contempt of the goods of the\nworld, it manifests an elevation of mind far above the ostentation of\nthe ancient philosophers; in its deep humiliations, an heroical courage;\nin its extreme simplicity, the most exalted sentiments; in its weakness,\nand in the apparent foolishness of the cross, the strength and wisdom\nof God. The infidels themselves admired all this, and it will be not\nless meet to revive the fervor of Christians, and to increase the\nveneration they have always entertained for St. Francis.\n\nHe was born at Assisi, a town of Umbria, in Italy, in the year 1182,\nunder the Pontificate of Lucius III. Peter Bernardo, his father, was\na rich merchant, whose principal commercial transactions were with\nFrance. His mother, whose name was Pica, had only two sons, Francis\nand Angelo. The latter married at Assisi, and some of his descendants\nwere still at Assisi in 1534.\n\nGod, who has often condescended to usher in His saints by portents,\nwas pleased, at the birth of Francis, to give signs of what he would\nbe during his life. For some days Pica had suffered great pains, without\nbeing able to give birth to her child, when a man, dressed as a pilgrim,\ncame to tell her that she would only be delivered of her infant in a\nstable; he would be born on straw. Although this communication appeared\nmost strange, relatives, nevertheless, acted upon it. The patient was\nremoved to the nearest stable, where she was successfully delivered;\nan event which may well be looked upon, as in the intention of\nProvidence, thereby to mark the conformity of the holy man to Jesus\nChrist, poor and humble; as much, at least, as the creature can be in\nconformity with the Creator, and the servant with the Master of the\nuniverse.\n\nThis stable has been turned into a chapel, called in Italian, \"_San\nFrancesco il piccolo_\"--\"St. Francis the Little.\" Over the door the\nfollowing words, in very old writing, are inscribed:\n\n  \"This chapel was the stable of the Ox and the Ass,\n  Where Francis was born, the mirror of the world.\"\n\nHis mother had the name of John given to him at his baptism, his father\nbeing then absent in France. A stranger presented himself as his\ngodfather, and he was accepted as such; whether it was that something\nextraordinary was perceived in this person, or that they had been\nstruck with astonishment at the first event. The uniform tradition at\nAssisi is, that this stranger disappeared after the ceremony, and that\nhe left the impression of his knees on a marble step of the altar,\nwhich is shown in the cathedral church, with the baptismal font, on\nwhich these words in Italian are engraved:--\"This is the fountain in\nwhich the Seraphic Father, St. Francis, was baptized.\"\n\nAt the return from the baptismal ceremony, a man, who seemed to have\nbeen sent by God, as well as the other two, or rather an angel in human\nform, came to beg that he might be allowed to see the child and hold\nit. He took it in his arms, caressed it a good deal, and impressed\nupon its right shoulder a well-formed cross, as a mark of his\nconsecration, recommending the nurse to take particular care of the\nchild, not to expose him to the snares of the devils, who had a\nforesight that he would one day wage a severe war against them. One\nof these evil spirits was obliged to confess by the mouth of one\npossessed, whom they were exorcising, that the princes of darkness,\nalarmed at the birth of Francis, had tried various ways to take away\nhis life; and it was the Saint himself who expelled this devil\nafterwards. These portents, marvellous as they are, are less surprising,\nwhen we consider the singular and marked favors which heaven destined\nfor him.\n\nHis parents brought him up with great care, and he was put to study\nwith the clergy of the Parish of St. George. After he had acquired\nsome knowledge of letters, he was initiated in commercial affairs, the\ncorrespondence of which necessitated his learning the French language;\nhe acquired it with so much ease, that his father gave him the name\nof Francis, a name which he bore ever after.\n\nBernardo and Francis pursued their avocation in a very different manner.\nThe first, with no other object than his worldly interest, thought of\nnothing but his profits, and had no other care than that of\naccumulating. Francis, who had not a particle of avarice, and had less\nthought of his profit than of dealing with honor, traded with nobler\nand more elevated feelings. But he loved the world, he frequented\nsociety, and spent a good deal in dress, festivities, and parties of\npleasure. His father frequently reprimanded him on the subject of his\nexpenses, but his remonstrances had little effect, because he had no\nconsideration of the value of money, and he wished to be distinguished\namongst his young companions, who always considered him as their leader.\nHis mother, who was tender and generous, had more patience with him;\nand she said to those who spoke to her of his profusion, that from\nwhat she remarked in his conversation, in his actions, and even in his\namusements, she had reasons to hope something great when he should\ncome to maturer years.\n\nIndeed, in all his demeanor, excellent prognostics for the future were\nobservable: his temper was exquisite, mild, and condescending, his\nmanners were agreeable and very polite; he was lively, and had great\ngood sense: he was brave, and had a strong inclination to be generous,\neven to give beyond his means. Although he plunged into the vain\namusements of the world, there was nothing blamable in his moral\nconduct. By the special protection of heaven, he avoided the rocks on\nwhich youth is too often wrecked; he preserved the inestimable treasure\nof purity; it was also remarked that he was distressed at any licentious\nexpressions, and never made any reply to them.\n\nGod had imprinted in his heart great feelings of compassion for the\npoor, which increased from his infancy, and which induced him to afford\nthem liberal aid, so that, following the Gospel precept, \"Give to every\none that asketh thee,\" he made a resolution to give to all who should\nask alms of him, and principally if they should solicit it for the\nlove of God. This feeling for the love of God had its effect upon him,\neven then, notwithstanding his dissipation; he could seldom hear the\nexpression made use of, as he has since admitted, without being sensibly\naffected. It having once happened to him, in the hurry of business,\nto turn away a poor person who had asked a charity for the love of\nGod, his conscience smote him immediately, and he ran after the poor\nman, relieved him amply, and made a promise to God that he would never\nrefuse a single individual as long as it was in his power, when an\nalms should be asked for His love,--a promise which he faithfully kept\nto his death, and which, as St. Bonaventure remarks, was of essential\nservice in increasing the grace and love of God in his heart. What is\nthere more likely to bring down the grace of conversion and\nsanctification, and increase the love of God, than the practice of\nworks of mercy?\n\nThe amiable qualities of Francis rendered him a favorite throughout\nthe town, where he was looked up to as the flower of the youth, and\ngreat hopes were entertained for the future in his regard. A man of\nsimple manners, but enlightened from above, caused a still greater\nesteem to be entertained for him. When he met him in the streets, he\nspread his cloak on the ground before him, and as a reason for showing\nhim so unusual a mark of respect, exclaimed:--\"This young man will\nsoon do great things: he will deserve all sorts of honors, and will\nbe revered by the faithful.\" Francis, who was unconscious of the designs\nof God, did not understand the meaning of this prediction. He knew not\nthat these honors were to be rendered him only after severe\nhumiliations, according to the words of the Gospel. Engrossed by the\naffairs of the world, and attached to its vanities, he thought little\nof this Divine truth, and he had less taste for it; nevertheless he\nhoped that he should some day receive the honors which others foretold,\nand which God permitted him likewise to predict of himself in an\naffliction which came upon him.\n\nThe towns of Assisi and Perugia were at war with each other; he was\ntaken prisoner with some of his fellow-citizens: whether it was that\nhe had taken up arms in the service of his country, or that he was\nbeyond the limits of the town of his commercial affairs. His captivity,\nhowever, did not affect his spirits, he preserved his cheerfulness and\ngood humor. His companions, who were dejected and cast down, were\noffended at this, and upbraided him with it, saying that he might, at\nleast out of feeling for them, disguise them, disguise his satisfaction.\n\"I am very sorry for you\" he replied, \"but as to myself, my mind is\nat ease and I am thankful that it is so. You see me now a prisoner,\nbut at a future period, you will see me honored by the whole world.\"\nThere was one among the prisoners whose quarrelsome temper and extreme\nill humor caused him to be shunned by the others. Francis entreated\nthem to draw a distinction between his person and his defects, and to\nbear with him: not being able to induce them to do so, he had the\ncharity to keep him company himself, and by his good advice, he rendered\nhim more gentle. All were so delighted with his goodness of heart,\nthat they sought his friendship.\n\nLiberated from captivity, he returned to Assisi, where God visited him\nwith a long and severe illness, which reduced him to a state of great\nweakness. This was to prepare his soul for the influence of grace. As\nsoon as he could walk, he wished to enjoy the beauty and air of the\ncountry; but he failed to be pleased therewith, and was even disgusted\nwith what he had previously liked the most; he felt contempt for what\nhe had before esteemed, and his own conduct appeared to him to be\nsenseless. This change surprised him much, but it did not as yet make\nany alteration in his heart. The return of health renewed his attachment\nto the world, his ambition and vanity revived; he entertained fresh\nhopes of greatness, and paid once more great attention to his dress.\nThus it frequently happens that when God sends illness to worldly\npersons with a view to their conversion, these have no other effect\nthan momentary reflections and promises, which are soon forgotten on\nthe return of strength.\n\nHowever, Francis became more and more charitable, and gave to all the\npoor either money or his clothes. Having met a poor and ill-clad officer\nwho was of a noble family, he saw in him the poverty of Jesus Christ,\nthe King of kings, and being moved to pity, he gave him the new suit\nof clothes he had on.\n\nThe following night God showed him in his sleep a great and magnificent\npalace, full of warlike arms, all marked with the sign of the cross,\nto give him an idea of the reward his charity was to receive. He asked\nwhom all that belonged to; and he was answered, that the arms were for\nhis soldiers.\n\nNot as yet understanding the meaning of mysterious dreams, he took\nthis as a token of the success he was to have in warlike achievements,\nwithout suspecting that the crosses he had seen had a totally different\nsignification. At that time Walter, Count of Brienne, in Champagne,\nwas waging active war against the emperor, in the kingdom of Naples,\non the subject of the claims of his wife Alberia, the eldest daughter\nof Tancred, King of Cicily, who had been some years dead. Francis\nresolved to offer him his services, in the hope of gaining military\nhonors. He attached himself to an officer of distinction, who belonged\nto the count's army, and he set out with a good retinue, after having\nassured his friends that he was sure of acquiring great renown.\n\nHe first went to Spoleto, and there Jesus Christ addressed these\nbenevolent words to him during the night: \"Francis, which of the two,\nthink you, can be of the greatest service to you: the master or the\nservant, the rich or the poor?\" \"It is the master and the rich,\" he\nanswered without any hesitation. \"Why then,\" continued our Lord, \"do\nyou leave God who is the master and rich, to seek man, who is the\nservant and poor?\" \"O Lord!\" exclaimed Francis, \"what is it your\npleasure I should do?\" Jesus Christ then said to him: \"Return to your\ntown; what you have seen signifies nothing but what is spiritual. It\nis from God, and not from man, that you will receive their\naccomplishment.\" The very next morning he retraced his steps towards\nAssisi, to await the orders of the Lord, without troubling himself as\nto what the world should say as to this precipitate return.\n\nHis friends came as usual to propose a party of pleasure. He received\nthem, as was his custom, with great politeness, and feasted them\nmagnificently to bid them, thus honorably, an eternal adieu. On parting\nfrom them, he found himself suddenly struck with the vanity of all\nterrestrial things, and with the grandeur of all that is heavenly, by\na communication from the Spirit of God, full of mildness, but so\ninternal, and so forcible, that his senses were brought into a state\nof inaction, and he himself remained motionless. He afterwards told\nhis confessor, that, if he had been torn to pieces in this state of\nrapture, he would not have felt it; that, in that moment, he could\nonly feel at the bottom of his soul. The company, quite alarmed, drew\nnear him; and when he had recovered his usual serenity, they enquired\nof him, laughing, what had occasioned his extraordinary reserve; if,\nperhaps, he was not thinking of taking a wife? \"It is so,\" he replied:\n\"I shall take one, but one so noble and so beautiful, that such another\nwill not be found in the whole world.\" Evangelical poverty, which he\nafterwards embraced, was the spouse to which the Holy Ghost inspired\nhim to allude.\n\nAfter this divine favor he disembarrassed himself as much as possible\nof his commercial affairs, to beg of God to know what He would have\nhim do; and he usually went to pray in a grotto with a confidential\nfriend, who left him there in entire liberty. The frequent recourse\nto prayer excited in his heart so ardent a desire for the celestial\ncountry, that he already looked upon everything that was earthly as\nnothing. He felt that this happy disposition contained a treasure, but\nhe did not as yet know how to possess himself of the hidden prize. The\nSpirit of God merely insinuated to him that the spiritual life, under\nthe idea of traffic, must begin by a contempt of the world,--and under\nthe idea of warfare, by a victory over self.--All spirituality not\nbased upon these two Divine lessons, will never have anything solid\nin it.\n\nFrancis had soon occasion to put these lessons in practice. As he was\nriding across the plains of Assisi, he perceived a leper coming straight\nto him. At first he felt horror-stricken, but calling to mind that he\nhad formed a resolution to labor to attain perfection, and that, in\norder to be a soldier of Jesus Christ, it was necessary to begin by\nobtaining a victory over self, he dismounted, kissed the leper, and\ngave him an alms. When he again mounted his horse, he no longer saw\nany one, though he looked all round the plain. Filled with astonishment,\nand transported with joy, he fell on his knees to thank God, and formed\na firm resolution to aim at still greater perfection. This is the\neffect of generous and courageous efforts, they draw down fresh graces,\nand reanimate our courage. He acquired also more inclination for\nretirement, he had no longer any liking but for solitude, for those\nplaces which were adapted to the holy sorrow of penance, where he\nunceasingly addressed himself to God in fervent prayer, accompanied\nby lamentations, which cannot be described: God at length favorably\nheard him.\n\nHis fervor daily increasing, insomuch that he was wholly absorbed in\nGod, Jesus Christ appeared to him as if attached to the cross. His\nsoul, at this stupendous scene, was wholly penetrated, and, as it were,\ndissolved, and the image of his crucified Saviour became from that\ntime so strongly and intimately imprinted on his heart, that every\ntime it recurred to his mind, he had a difficulty in restraining his\nsobs and tears.\n\nIn this marvellous apparition he was made aware that these words of\nthe Gospel were personally addressed to him: \"If any man will come\nafter Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.\"\nHe received from them that foretaste of poverty and humility which\nbecame his characteristics, and so ardent a charity inflamed his heart,\nthat he had the courage to devote himself to the service of the lepers.\nBefore this day they were so much his horror, that, far from allowing\nthem to be in his presence, as soon as he saw them, at whatever\ndistance, he turned away from them, and if they were near he passed\non quickly, holding his nose. But for the love of Jesus crucified, who\nwas pleased to represent Himself to the Prophet Isaias under the\ndespised figure of a leper, he lowered himself to attending upon them\nin their hospitals, where, having abundantly supplied them with alms,\nhe made their beds, dressed their sores, and performed for them the\nmost abject services; he often even kissed their hands and their faces\nwith great feelings of commiseration. The words which our Saviour one\nday addressed to him while at prayer, stimulated him to continue this\ncharitable exercise, notwithstanding his natural repugnance: \"Francis,\nif thou desirest to know My will, thou must despise and hate all that\nthou hast loved and wished for till now. Let not this new path alarm\nthee, for, if the things which now please thee must become bitter and\ndistasteful, those which now displease thee, will become sweet and\nagreeable.\" Shortly before his death he declared that what had seemed\nto him most bitter in serving the lepers, had been changed into what\nwas pleasing both for soul and body; and all those who strive to\novercome themselves for the love of God feel, as he did, that the\nseverest practices are soon softened down by the unction of grace.\n\nThe sight of Jesus Christ fastened to the cross made him feel the\nmisery of the poor so intensely, that he would have wished to employ\nall he had, and his own person, in their relief. Sometimes he did strip\nhimself to clothe them; and when he had not enough to satisfy them\nall, he unsewed or tore his clothes to divide among them. In the absence\nof his father he caused much more bread to be brought to table at their\nmeals than was necessary; and when his mother asked the reason, he\nsaid, \"that it was in order to give more quickly to those who came to\nask for food.\" This pious mother saw with pleasure the charity of her\nson; and far from endeavoring to check it, she was not displeased at\nhis leaving her alone at table, while he took to the neighboring sick\nthe viands of which he stinted himself. An equally lively and respectful\nzeal induced him to come to the aid of such priests as were in want;\nhe took particular care to provide for the decoration of the altars,\nin order the better to assist at the divine service. He bought the\nfinest linen, and distributed it to the poor country churches to be\nemployed at the sacrifice of the mass; and when this august sacrifice\nwas about to be celebrated, if anything was wanting, or if the altar\nwas not properly found in everything requisite, he would offer himself\nto the officers of the church, in order to supply what was required\neither from his purse or by his personal assistance.\n\nBut all these good works did not come up to what he had figured to\nhimself as requisite for perfection. He could have wished to withdraw\ninto some distant country, there to practise voluntary poverty, which\nhad already inflamed his heart. At first he resolved to go to Rome,\nto visit the tomb of St. Peter, moved by that grand devotion which God\nhas often inspired in His saints, and which has been so frequent since\nthe fourth century. He also proposed to himself to solicit from the\nAlmighty, by the intercession of the Prince of the Apostles, the grace\nto carry out the resolution he had come to of leading an Apostolic\nlife. After having recited his prayer in this holy place, he noticed\nthat in the crowd of people some made but a slender offering, while\nothers made no donation whatever. \"What then,\" said he, \"is devotion\ngrown so cold? How is it that men do not offer all they have, and do\nnot even offer themselves on a spot where the ashes of the Prince of\nthe Apostles repose? How does it happen that they do not decorate with\nall possible magnificence this Peter, on whom Jesus Christ has founded\nHis Church?\" He contributed to the best of his power, leaving a\nconsiderable sum for that purpose; and what he had wished was\nsubsequently executed. The Sovereign Pontiffs, and in particular Sixtus\nV, who was a religious of his Order, have rendered the Basilica of St.\nPeter so sumptuous and magnificent, that it is now the admiration of\nthe universe.\n\nOn going out of the church, he saw a multitude of poor, whom he\nimmediately joined, as much for the affection he had for them, as for\nthe love of poverty. He gave his clothes to him who appeared to be the\nmost necessitous. The following day, having dressed himself with\npropriety, he set out on his return to Assisi, praying God to guide\nhim in the ways of holy poverty.\n\nThe devil, who was sensible that the young man would become confirmed\nin his intention if he persevered in prayer, appeared to him under a\nmost terrific form, and threatened him, if he persisted, to render him\na dreadful deformity like unto an old woman of the town, who was so\nhideous that he could not even look at her. But the newly-enlisted\nsoldier of Jesus Christ, who began to be inured to warfare, laughed\nat the threats of the tempter, and was more urgent in his prayers, for\nwhich purpose he chose underground places, where he could better defend\nhimself against the snares of his enemy. The fruit of these holy\nexercises was a lively sorrow for the use he had made of the first\nyears of his youth, and a great perseverance in the mortification of\nhis senses, in order to bear the cross of Jesus Christ in his body,\nas he bore it in his heart.\n\nIt was thus that Francis acted before having changed his habit, or\nquitted the world. St. Bonaventure says that he had then no other\nmaster from whom he received instructions than Jesus Christ;\nnevertheless, an author quoted by Wading, assures us that he sometimes\nconsulted the Bishop of Assisi. We may here say, in order that there\nmay be no seeming contradiction between the two, that he received\ninstructions from Jesus Christ only because he was inspired by Him,\nbut that he communicated with the bishop on the points on which he had\nbeen inspired; and we may be the more assured of this, as we shall see\nhereafter that this prelate had his confidence, and that there is\nreason to think that he was his spiritual Father.\n\nThe servant of God, walking and meditating one day out of Assisi, near\nthe church of St. Damian, which was very old and falling into ruin,\nwas moved by the Holy Spirit to enter it to pray. There, prostrated\nbefore the crucifix, he repeated three times the following beautiful\nwords, which gave him great interior consolation, and which he\nsubsequently made frequent use of: \"Great God, full of glory, and Thou,\nmy Lord Jesus Christ! I entreat you to enlighten me and to dispel the\ndarkness of my mind, to give me a pure faith, a firm hope, and an\nardent charity. Let me have a perfect knowledge of Thee, O God! so\nthat I may in all things by guided by Thy light, and act in conformity\nto Thy will.\" He cast his eyes, filled with tears, upon the crucifix,\nwhen a voice came forth from it, and he heard distinctly these words\nrepeated three times, not interiorly, but loudly pronounced: \"Francis,\ngo and repair my house, which thou seest is falling into ruin.\" So\nwonderful a voice, in a place where he was alone, alarmed him greatly,\nbut he felt immediately the salutary effects of it, and he was\ntransported with joy.\n\nThe sense of these words chiefly related to the state of the Church\nwhich Jesus Christ had purchased at the price of His blood, which the\nholy man was to repair in all its defects by his ministry and the\nlabors of his disciples, according to the explanation which the Holy\nSpirit gave to him of them subsequently, which he communicated to his\nbrethren, as St. Bonaventure tells us.\n\nNevertheless, the powerful protection which he received from heaven\nfor the repair of the church of St. Damian, was an indication that the\nsame words were to be understood to relate to that building also: as\nthe sacred oracles had a twofold literal sense in the mouths of the\nProphets, one of which related to events which were at hand, and the\nother to a distant time, and to mysteries wholly spiritual.\n\nFrancis came to himself; he left the church fully resolved to undertake\nits repair, and left money in the hands of a priest named Peter, who\ndid the parochial duties of it, to keep a lamp burning before the\ncrucifix, promising to give more, and to employ all he had for the use\nof this holy place.\n\nThe voice which had issued from the crucifix renewed in his mind and\nheart the impression of the mystery of the Passion. He felt himself\ninteriorly wounded through the wounds of Jesus Christ, and he shed\nsuch burning tears, that his eyes were quite inflamed, and, as it were,\nfull of blood, when he returned from prayer. To make his body\nparticipate in the sufferings which penetrated his very soul, and to\npunish himself for the levities of his youth, he imposed on himself\na very rigorous abstinence, with various other kinds of mortification.\n\nThe eagerness he felt to commence the repair of St. Damian's church,\nsuggested to him means by which the work might be begun. After having\nfortified himself by the sign of the cross, he took from his father's\nstores several pieces of cloth, which he sold at Foligno, together\nwith his horse. He came back on foot, and offered the money respectfully\nto the priest of St. Damian for the repair of the church, and in aid\nof the poor; humbly entreating him to allow him to remain some time\nwith him. The priest consented to receive Francis, but refused the\nmoney, fearing the displeasure of his father; and Francis, who had\nutter contempt for money, not valuing it more than so much dust, when\nit was of no use for good works, threw it upon one of the windows of\nthe church.\n\nThe heretics of the last century, who calumniated the Saint for many\nthings, have deemed it criminal in him to have taken these pieces of\ncloth from his father's stores. St. Bonaventure is of a different way\nof thinking; he has not thought that this action required justification;\non the contrary, he calls the sale of the cloth and of the horse a\nfortunate bargain. And, indeed, without going into the right which the\nson may have had in the commercial affairs of his father, in consequence\nof their partnership, and of his age of twenty-five, had he not reason\nto think that, having received orders from heaven to repair a church,\nGod, who is the Master and Dispenser of all goods, permitted him to\nemploy a portion of the goods which were under his paternal roof, since\nhe had no other means of obeying the injunction? But it is an\nextraordinary case, which must not be drawn into precedent. The general\nrule of Christian morality is, that children may not dispose of anything\nwithout the permission of their parents even under the pretext of\npiety.\n\nBernardo on his return from a journey, having heard what his son had\ndone, came in great wrath to St. Damian's with several members of his\nfamily; and Francis, who had not yet sufficient strength of mind to\nencounter the storm, and wished to avoid the first ebullition, went\nand hid himself in the priest's room. Three contemporary authors assure\nus that, having placed himself behind the door, and pressing himself\nagainst the wall, when the door was opened he was miraculously let\ninto the wall, so that he was not seen by those who were looking for\nhim.\n\nWhen his father was gone, he retired secretly into a cavern, which was\nknown only to one servant, from whom he received what was necessary\nfor his immediate sustenance, and where he occupied himself in continual\nprayer, shedding abundance of tears, in order that he might be delivered\nfrom those who pursued him, and be able to accomplish the work which\nGod had inspired him to undertake.\n\nAfter having passed a month in this place, he considered that it was\nin God alone that he ought to hope, without putting any confidence in\nhis own exertions, and this thought filled him with interior joy, and\nraised his depressed spirits. Reproaching himself, therefore, with his\npusillanimity, he left his cavern and went straight to the town, as\na soldier, who, feeling ashamed of having fled, returns intrepidly to\nthe charge. Of what is not he capable, who is fully persuaded that he\ncan do nothing of himself towards his salvation, but that he can do\nall through God who imparts strength to him? On these two principles\nthe saints have undertaken, and carried into execution, the greatest\nthings.\n\nThe inhabitants of Assisi, who saw his face all pale and wan, and who\nremarked how changed were his conversation and opinions, thought that\nhis mind was disturbed. He was called a madman, they threw mud and\nstones at him, and followed him, hooting and calling after him. But,\nwithout paying attention to these insults, and being on the contrary\nwell pleased to bear these marks of the holy folly of the cross, the\nservant of God continued his way as if he had been deaf and insensible.\n\nBernardo being told that his son had returned, and was made the object\nof public derision, went immediately in pursuit of him, reproached him\nbitterly with his conduct, seized him and dragged him to his house,\nwhere he beat him severely, and confined him in a hole under the\nstaircase. This severity had no effect in shaking the resolution of\nthe holy prisoner; he even acquired more firmness, and encouraged\nhimself to suffer by the words of the Gospel: \"Blessed are they that\nsuffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of\nheaven.\"\n\nA short time after, when his father was on a journey, his mother, who\ndid not approve of the severity with which he was treated, and who\nmoreover had no hope of overcoming his constancy, set him at liberty.\nHe gave thanks to God for it, and made use of it, to return to the\nchurch of St. Damian. Bernardo, not finding him in his confinement at\nhis return, was not content with upbraiding his wife in the severest\nterms, but went off to St. Damian's to drive him out of the country\nif he should not succeed in bringing him back. Francis, to whom God\nhad given strength, presented himself boldly to his father, and told\nhim decidedly that he cared not for his blows, nor for his\nshackles--that he was prepared willingly to suffer all sorts of evils\nfor the name of Jesus Christ. His father, seeing that there was nothing\nmore to hope in his case, thought of nothing further than to get back\nthe money for the cloth and the horse. He found it in the window where\nFrancis had thrown it, when the priest refused its acceptance, and\nthen his wrath was somewhat appeased.\n\nAvarice, which is never satisfied, induced Bernardo to believe that\nhis son had other money, and he had him summoned before the city\nmagistrates, to account for it. Francis appeared before their tribunal\nand told them that he had changed his state of life, that God had\ndelivered him from the slavery of the world, and that he had nothing\nmore to do with its affairs. The magistrates, who knew his conversion\nand his perseverance, saw something grand in his demeanor, and told\nhis father, who urged them to put interrogatories to his son, that\nthis affair ought to be carried into the bishop's court. Bernard\naddressed himself to that authority, not only to compel his son to\ngive up what money he had, but to force him to renounce his claims to\nany paternal inheritance. Francis, who was a sincere lover of poverty,\ncheerfully consented to all that was required of him, and said that\nhe would willingly appear before the bishop, who was the pastor and\nfather of his soul. As soon as he was there, without waiting for his\nfather to make his demand, and without saying anything himself, he\ngave up what money he still had, and then stripped off his clothes,\neven to his shirt, under which it was seen that he wore a hair-shirt,\nand gave them up to his father, addressing him in the following\nbeautiful words: \"Until this time I have called thee father on earth;\nbut from henceforward I may boldly say, Our Father who art in Heaven,\nin whom I have placed all my treasure, and all my confidence.\"\n\nThe prelate, who was a man of great worth, admiring this excess of\nfervor, and moved even to tears, rose up, and embracing the servant\nof God, covered him with his cloak, and ordered his servants to bring\nsuch clothing as was necessary for him. It was no doubt by a\ndispensation of Divine Providence that a bishop pressed to his bosom\nhim who was to combat so strenuously for the service of the Church.\nThey brought an old cloak belonging to a laborer, who was in the employ\nof the bishop, which Francis received with great satisfaction, and\nwith which he clothed himself, making on it a cross with some mortar\nwhich he met with accidentally; thus manifesting what he wished to he,\na half-naked poor one, and a crucified man. This occurred in the year\n1206, when he was in his twenty-fifth year. St. Bonaventure, who gives\nthe name of spiritual intoxication to the admirable fervor with which\nhe stripped himself in order to be able to follow Jesus Christ nailed\non the cross, says that, moreover, in order to avoid the shipwrecks\nof the world, he fortified himself with the representation of the wood\nwhich was the instrument of our salvation.\n\nEmancipated from the ties of worldly desires, as he had wished to be,\nhe now sought for some sequestered spot, where alone and in silence\nhe might listen to the voice of God. In a wood, through which he was\npassing, singing the praises of God in the French language, some thieves\nsurrounded him and asked him who he was. \"I am the herald of the great\nKing,\" he replied, in a prophetical sense, with perfect confidence in\nGod. On receiving this answer, they beat him cruelly, threw him into\na hole that was full of snow, and ridiculed the title he gave himself.\nWhen they had left him, he again began to sing the praises of God in\na louder voice than before, delighted to have had an opportunity of\nsuffering. At a neighboring monastery, where he implored alms, which\nhe received as a contemptible beggar, they employed him for some days\nin the vilest affairs of the scullery. But seeing that this interfered\ntoo much with his spiritual exercises, he came to Gubbio, where one\nof his friends, having recognized him, gave him, in order that he might\nbe more decently clad, a hermit's dress, a short tunic, a leathern\ngirdle, shoes, and a staff.\n\nIn this penitential habit, he subjected his body to additional\nausterities; and in order to fulfil all the functions of humility, to\nwhich he was much attached, he devoted himself to the service of the\nlepers. He was constantly seen in their hospitals, moving about in all\ndirections to aid them, preventing all their wants, showing the greatest\ncompassion for them, washing their feet, cleansing their sores, removing\nthe matter, and, by a wonderful effort of charity, kissing their\ndisgusting ulcers. He received from God in reward the gift of healing;\nand this was a figure of the Evangelical cures, which he was soon to\napply to the diseases of the soul.\n\nAmong many proofs which St. Bonaventure adduces of his having the gift\nof healing miraculously, he mentions that of a man of the Duchy of\nSpoleto, whose mouth and cheeks were eaten away by a dreadful cancer,\nand for whom all sorts of remedies had been fruitlessly employed. This\nman met Francis returning from Rome (whither he had been to implore\nthe assistance of the blessed Apostles), who, out of great respect,\nwished to kiss his feet; this the humble Francis prevented, but kissed\nthe cancerous face, which was instantaneously cured. The same saint\nremarks: \"I know not which is most to be admired, such a kiss, or such\na cure!\"\n\nThe servant of God, who now acknowledged no other country than heaven,\nand who was fearful of being the cause of some of his father's\nviolences, proposed to himself to take up his abode in Gubbio and\ndevote himself to the exercises of charity, without returning to Assisi;\nbut calling to mind the order which had been given him by the voice\nwhich came from the crucifix, to repair the Church of St. Damian, he\nthought himself bound to obey it, at least by \"questing\" for what was\nrequisite for working at it. The profound humility which he had acquired\nby the degradations he had subjected himself to, gave him the courage\nhe required for begging in his native town, where he had been known\nto have possessed everything in plenty. Having cast aside all\nbashfulness for the love of Jesus Christ poor and crucified, he went\nthrough the centre of Assisi as one inspired, publishing the glories\nof God, and soliciting stones for the repair of the church; addressing\nhis fellow-citizens with simplicity, thus: \"Whosoever will give me a\nstone, shall have a reward; whoever will give two shall have a double\nreward; and he who gives three shall be rewarded threefold.\"\n\nMany treated him with contempt, and turned him into ridicule. Others\ncould not understand how a young man of a good and opulent family,\nwith excellent prospects, hitherto considered as the model of the young\nmen of the place, could demean himself to such a degree as to beg in\nhis native town. Some thought that such a change could only come from\nGod, and were greatly moved by it. But the new-made pauper, having no\nrespect for the opinions of men, and receiving cheerfully the insults\nput upon him, after the example of Jesus Christ, thought of nothing\nbut the church of St. Damian, for which he quested so successfully,\nthat many persons, moved by his exhortations, furnished sufficient for\nits repair. He himself worked at it daily, and carried the materials\non his shoulders as a common laborer, without any regard for his body,\nwhich was emaciated by the rigors of penance and fasting.\n\nThe priest of St. Damian took compassion on the pious workman, and\ntook care to provide him with a substantial meal when he came in from\nwork. Francis having received this charitable succor for some days\nrunning, reflected on his situation, and said to himself as he\nafterwards told his disciples: \"Will you find everywhere a priest who\nhas so much consideration for you? This is not the sort of life you\nhave chosen: go, then, henceforward from door to door, as a poor man,\nand solicit food for the love of God, with an empty plate, on which\nyou will put whatever may be given you. For it is thus you must live\nfor the love of Him who was born poor, who lived poorly, whom they\naffixed naked to the cross, and who was put after His death into another\nman's tomb.\" One must be very dead to self, have great contempt of the\nworld, and a sincere love of God, to entertain such feelings and carry\nthem out.\n\nThe following day he took a plate, and went begging from door to door,\nand sat down in the street to eat. At the first mouthful he took of\nthis disgusting mess, he felt a nausea in his stomach, which made him\nrecoil. Animated at the same instant by the love of poverty, he became\nashamed of his weakness, and reproached himself for the feeling; after\nwhich, he ate the remainder without reluctance, and with so much relish,\nthat he thought he had never eaten a better meal. He also felt an\ninterior joy and strength in his body, which enabled him to bear with\npleasure, for God's sake, whatever might be most severe or bitter.\nAfter having returned fervent thanks to the Father of the poor, who\nhad given him so wonderful a taste, he went to the priest and entreated\nhim to take no further trouble with respect to his nourishment,\n\"because,\" he said, \"I have found an excellent purveyor, and a very\nable cook, who can season his dishes in a superior way.\" He often used\nsuch jocose expressions, which were as much the effect of the spiritual\njoy he felt, as of his natural lively and joyous turn of mind.\n\nBernardo, vexed in the greatest degree at seeing his son begging and\nexposed to the jeers of the public, was inflamed with anger, and either\nturned from him when he met him, or cursed him. Francis admitted that\nthese curses affected him more than any other suffering he endured,\nand he hit upon a method of protecting himself. It was to take another\npoor and miserable man with him, who should be as a father to him. He\nwas engaged to bless Francis, making the sign of the cross on him\nwhenever his father cursed him. Francis then said to Bernardo: \"Believe\nme, my father, that God can give me, and indeed has given me, another\nfather, from whom I receive blessings for your curses.\"\n\nHis brother Angelo, a young man full of the love of the world, also\nmocked him, and turned him into ridicule. Seeing him one day in church\nshivering with cold in his poor hermit's dress, and praying devoutly,\nhe said to one of his friends: \"Go and ask him to sell you a little\nof his sweat!\" Francis replied, \"I do not choose to sell my sweat to\nmen; I can sell it at a better price to God.\" If all Christians thought\nthus, they would not suffer much pain for the world, which pays so\nill, and they would do much for God, who rewards so magnificently.\n\nThe pauper of Jesus Christ gained many other victories over himself\nin the quest he had taken upon himself for the building of St. Damian.\nHe suffered with admirable patience the persecution of some worldly\npersons, who treated him as a fool, and insulted him in a thousand\nways. Every time that it happened to him to blush when he met any of\nhis acquaintances or friends, he reprimanded himself as if he had\ncommitted some great fault; he humbled himself the more, and begged\nfor alms more submissively, to take down all influence of pride. One\nday when he was begging for oil for two lamps which he wished to keep\nconstantly burning before the crucifix, from which the miraculous voice\nhad been heard, he went into a house where some persons of his\nacquaintance were collected together for gaming. Their sight struck\nhim, and gave him a feeling of shame which induced him to retire. He\nhad scarcely left the door, when, thinking on what he had done, he\nconsidered himself guilty of a great want of firmness, and he\nimmediately returned to the place where they were at play, he\nacknowledged his fault before all present, and begged boldly for the\nlamps of the church in the French language, which set the company into\nan immoderate fit of laughter. Such efforts show the truth of the\nremark of St. Ambrose: that the saints were no less liable than\nourselves to fall into faults; but that they had greater care to\npractise virtue, and to correct the faults into which they fell.\n\nPious and well-thinking persons remarked that the conduct of Francis\nwas maintained with an equality of fervor, and they found a high degree\nof wisdom in what appeared to the generality of the world to be\nlittleness of mind and folly. These opinions gradually spread and\nbrought over many to esteem and venerate him; even those who had\ndespised and insulted him, came forward to solicit his forgiveness.\nThe prior of the monastery where he had served in the kitchen, who was\nthen at Assisi, and who there became acquainted with his rare virtues,\nshowed him great respect, begged him to pardon the treatment he had\nreceived, and excused himself, by saying, that he could not then be\nknown under the miserable disguise under which he had hid himself. The\nman who had foretold that he would do great things, added to this\nprediction, while applauding himself: \"You know what I before said to\nyou of this young man; you only see the beginning of his holiness, but\nyou will see the continuation: Jesus Christ will do wonders through\nhim, which all the world will admire.\"\n\nThe dispositions which were now entertained in his regard, procured\nfor him the means of completing the repairs of St. Damian towards the\nclose of the year 1206. In the course of this work, it was remarked\nthat he said to those who passed by, \"Assist me in finishing this\nbuilding; there will be a monastery here some day of poor females of\nholy life, whose reputation will tend to glorify our Heavenly Father\nthroughout His Holy Church.\" This was a real prophecy, the\naccomplishment of which was witnessed five years afterwards, when he\nplaced there the holy virgin Clare and her companions, whom he had\nconsecrated to Jesus Christ. This prophecy was so well known, that\nSaint Clare inserted its very words in the will she made in the year\n1253.\n\nAt the beginning of the year 1207, Francis, not to remain idle,\nundertook a new work. He proposed to restore the church of St. Peter,\nwhich was at a little distance from the town, in consequence of the\ndevotion with which the purity of his faith inspired him towards the\nPrince of the Apostles; and this intention was soon put in force,\nbecause, it having been seen how carefully he had made use of the\ndonations he had received for his first work, he was now furnished\nwith what he required, more readily and more abundantly. He now was\ndesirous of effecting some essential repairs to a third church or\nchapel, about a mile from Assisi, which was very ancient, but so\ndeserted and in such a state of ruin, that it only served as a refuge\nfor herdsmen in bad weather: its name was St. Mary of the Angels, and\nOttavio, Bishop of Assisi, thus describes its foundation:\n\n\"In the year of 352, a year after the appearance in the heavens of a\nluminous cross on the 7th of May, in broad daylight, over the City of\nJerusalem, which extended from Mount Calvary to the Mountain of Olives,\na cross which was more brilliant than the sun, as St. Cyril, then\nbishop of that city, and one of the eye-witnesses of the phenomenon,\nrelates in his letter to the Emperor Constantius,--four holy hermits\ncame from Palestine into Italy, and obtained from Pope Liberius leave\nto remain in the Valley of Spoleto, and settled themselves in the\nvicinity of Assisi, with the permission of the authorities of the town.\nThere they built a chapel which was called St. Mary of Josaphat, because\nthey placed in it a relic of the sepulchre of the Blessed Virgin, and\nbecause the altar was consecrated by the title of her glorious\nAssumption. In the sixth century it was given to the Religious of the\nOrder of St. Benedict, who enlarged and strengthened it; and it was\nafterwards called St. Mary of the Angels.\" We shall soon explain the\nreason of this. It was also called Portiuncula, because of some portions\nof ground which the Benedictines of Mount Saubazo possessed in the\nvicinity.\n\nWe can easily understand that a man without any property, who was poor\nand a beggar, could not have accomplished these works without assistance\nfrom above; but St. Bonaventure finds in it a still further mystery.\nHe says that Divine Providence, who guided Francis in all his actions,\npreordained things in such manner, that he repaired three churches\nprevious to instituting there his orders, in order that the material\ntemples should be the types of the three spiritual edifices which he\nwas to raise up; and that passing from what is perceptible to the\nsenses, to what is only apparent to the mind, and rising gradually to\nwhat is still more elevated, he was enabled to give to the Church of\nJesus Christ three descriptions of soldiery able to combat for the\nreformation of morals, and worthy to triumph gloriously in heaven. We\nmay add, that the austerities, labors, and humiliations of the servant\nof God had been for the two previous years as so many strokes of the\nhammer, which rendered him a chosen and living foundation-stone on\nwhich these sacred edifices might be based. Such is the method which\nis adopted by our Lord. He prepares all things, and brings them\nsuccessively to perfection; instead of which, men are always hurried,\nand often endeavor in the way to perfection to advance faster than the\ngrace which directs them.\n\nOf the three churches which Francis had repaired, he chose that of St.\nMary of the Angels for his residence, in order to honor the Mother of\nGod and the Celestial Intelligences. St. Bonaventure says that he was\noften favored by visits from Angels, on account of the frequent\napparitions of these blessed spirits there. The man of God passed days\nand nights there in fervent prayer, when he entreated the Blessed\nVirgin, that as she had conceived and brought forth the Word of the\nFather, full of grace and truth, she would have the goodness to obtain\nfor him a participation therein; it was there also, that, by the merits\nof this powerful advocate, he had the happiness to conceive and bring\nforth, if it may be so expressed, his evangelical life; the precious\nfruit of grace and truth, which the Son of God had come to bring upon\nearth.\n\nOne day when he was assisting in this church at a mass of the Apostles,\nwhich he had requested the priest of St. Damian to say, he listened\nattentively to the Gospel where this form of life is prescribed by our\nSaviour for the mission of His Apostles: \"Do not possess gold, nor\nsilver, nor money in your purses; nor scrip for your journey, nor two\ncoats, nor shoes, nor a staff.\" After mass, he asked the priest to\nexplain these words to him; he understood the sense of them well, and\nimpressed them well on his heart, finding in them the image of that\npoverty which he loved: \"This is what I seek for,\" he exclaimed, quite\noverjoyed, \"this is what I desire with my whole heart.\" At the same\ninstant he threw away his purse with a feeling of horror for money,\nhe took off his shoes, he replaced his leather girdle by a cord, and\ndevoted his thoughts to putting in practice what he had just heard,\nand to conforming himself in all things to the Evangelical rule. It\nis a vocation similar to that of St. Anthony, of whom St. Athanasius\nrelates, that having heard in the church these words of Jesus Christ,\n\"If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give it to the\npoor,\" he went immediately to put this counsel in practice, in order\nto attain perfection.\n\nThe hermit's tunic, which Francis still retained, appeared to him too\ndelicate; he therefore got one coarse and rough, of an ash gray, which\ncame down to the feet, and the sleeves of which reached to the fingers;\nto this he added a hood, which covered sufficiently the head and face.\nThis description of dress he continued to wear during the remainder\nof his life, except that the tunic and hood had sometimes more or less\nlength or breadth, as is seen in his habits which are preserved with\ngreat veneration at Assisi, at Mount Alvernia, and at Florence. Seeking\nnothing but poverty and humility, he chose the dress that was the\nplainest, the most despicable, and the most likely to make himself\ndespised by the world, whose vanities he held in utter contempt; it\nwas also the dress most like to that of the shepherds, and other country\npeasants, who chose it to protect them from the weather; or rather he\nimitated the prophets, who only covered themselves with a sack, to\nwhich he afterwards added a short cloak.\n\nAll the events just narrated happened in the year 1208, which is\nreckoned the first year of the Order of St. Francis, because it is the\none in which he took the habit, which he gave in the following year\nto such as chose to imitate him, and in which the first stone was laid\nwhich served as a foundation for this spiritual edifice.\n\nThen God inspired him to preach, to exhort sinners to repentance, and\nto cause evangelical perfection to be loved in the world. Although he\nexpressed himself in a very plain manner, his discourses had nothing\nin them that was low; they were solid and animated with the Spirit of\nGod, and so effectually penetrated the hearts of his hearers, that\nevery one was surprised at it. He always began them by the following\nsalutation, which he afterwards declared had been revealed to him by\nGod; \"May the Lord grant you His peace.\" It was noticed that a very\npious man, who was in the habit of addressing the two following words\nto all whom he met, \"Peace and weal,--Peace and weal!\" was not seen\nin Assisi after Francis began to preach; as if he wished it to be\nunderstood that his mission had ended by the presence of him whose\nprecursor he was. In fact, this new preacher was in truth an angel of\npeace sent from heaven to reconcile a great number of sinners with\nJesus Christ, and to draw down on them all sorts of benefits.\n\nHe joined to the ministry of the word the exercise of every sort of\nvirtue, and applied himself particularly to prayer, where the sufferings\nof our Blessed Saviour made such impression on his soul that he groaned\nand sobbed aloud, when he found himself at liberty. One of his friends,\npassing by the church of St. Mary of the Angels, having heard him,\nwent in, and seeing him bathed in tears, reproached him with it as of\na weakness unbecoming in a man. \"I weep for the Passion of my Lord\nJesus Christ,\" answered Francis, \"and I ought not to be ashamed of\nweeping openly before the whole world.\" This enviable emotion was in\nthe heart of St. Augustin, when he said to his people: \"The Passion\nof Jesus Christ, which the Church puts every year before us, moves and\naffects us as if we saw Him personally stretched on the cross; there\nare none but the impious who can be insensible to it.--As for me, I\nwish to lament with you in considering this affecting spectacle. This\nis the time in which to weep, to acknowledge ourselves criminals, and\nto pray for mercy. Which of us would have it in his power to shed a\nsufficiency of tears to equal the merit of so great and so worthy a\nsubject of grief?\" Every Christian ought to blush, if he is wanting\nin these sentiments of gratitude and love.\n\nThe words and actions of Francis soon became noised abroad. Some became\nconverted, and embraced the penitential course he preached. Others\nformed the resolution of leaving all and joining him. The first was\nBernard de Quintavalle, a rich and discreet man, of one of the best\nfamilies of Assisi, who had great influence in the town, and guided\nit by his advice. This respectable man, as St. Bonaventure called him,\nconsidering the contempt with which Francis viewed all the things of\nthis world, was desirous of ascertaining whether it was in truth an\neffect of sanctity, or of littleness of mind. He invited him, therefore,\nto supper and to sleep at his house, and had a bed prepared for him\nin his room. While he feigned to sleep soundly, he saw by the light\nof a lamp Francis get up, fall on his knees, melt into tears, his eyes\nraised to heaven, his arms crossed, pronounce slowly these words:\n_\"Deus meus et omnia,\"_--\"My God, and my all,\" which he repeated\nduring the whole night. So ardent and so tender an expression is quite\nconvincing that he was then in an exalted state of contemplation, where\ninterior communications made him sensible that the Lord was especially\nhis God, and filled the whole soul. Happy he who can with truth say,\n_Deus meus et omnia_. For this it is requisite that he should belong\nwholly to God, and that the world should be nothing to him.\n\nBernard did not interrupt Francis in his holy exercise, but, filled\nwith devotional feelings, he said to himself, \"Truly this is a man of\nGod.\" After having put him to other proofs, he resolved to give all\nhis goods to the poor and follow him, and he put this question to him:\n\"If a man had received from his master a certain portion for several\nyears, and then wished no longer to make use of it, what do you think\nit would be best for him to do?\" Francis said in answer, that he ought\nto return it to the master from whom he had received it. \"It is I,\"\nreplied Bernard, \"who have received a great deal from God, and much\nmore than I have deserved; I return it willingly into His hands, and\nplace it at your disposal; for I mean to attach myself to you.\" At\nthese words, Francis, delighted to find that God began the\naccomplishment of his works by so worthy a personage: \"Your intention,\"\nhe said, \"is one of great importance; you must consult God upon it,\nto learn from Him how you are to put it in execution. Early to-morrow\nmorning we will ask the Curate of St. Nicholas, who is known to be a\nmost worthy man, to say a mass for us, and after having heard it, we\nwill continue in prayer till the hour of Tierce.\" We see in this the\nmode of acting of one who has the spirit of God; he hurries nothing,\nhe has recourse to prayer, and he makes use of the ordinary practices\nof the Church.\n\nThe following day they did what they had proposed; after which, Francis,\nwho had great devotion to the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity,\nopened three times in their honor the book of the Gospels, entreating\nthe Almighty to confirm, by the testimony of their texts, Bernard's\nholy resolution. At the first opening they found the following: \"If\nthou wilt be perfect, go sell all thou hast, and give it to the poor.\"\nAt the second: \"Take nothing for the journey.\" At the third: \"If any\nman will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up the cross,\nand follow Me.\" Then Francis, addressing himself to Bernard, said:\n\"There is the life we must lead, the rule we must follow, you and I,\nand all those who shall desire to join us. Go thou and put in execution\nwhat thou hast just heard.\"\n\nThe new disciple, intimately convinced that his design came from God,\nsold, as fast as he could, all his effects, from which he got a\nconsiderable sum, which he had carried to the Square of St. George,\nand distributed it entirely among the poor whom he could collect.\nFrancis then gave him a habit similar to his own; he called him his\neldest son, and was always tenderly attached to him: he was indeed a\nmost holy man.\n\nPeter of Catania, Canon of the Church of St. Ruffinus, the Cathedral\nof Assisi, edified by the self-denial and charity of Bernard, was\ndisposed to become a disciple of the same master, and received the\npenitential habit on the same day, which was the 16th of April. All\nthree retired to a hut which had been deserted, near to a rivulet\ncalled _Rivo Torto_, on account of its winding so very much.\n\nSeven days after that, a very pious man called Giles, who was greatly\nlooked up to in Assisi, on his return from the country learnt what his\ntwo fellow-citizens had done, which had excited the admiration of the\nwhole town, and felt an ardent wish to imitate them, and thus carry\nout an intention he had entertained of devoting himself to the service\nof God. He passed the following night in prayer, when he was inspired\nto offer himself to Francis, for whom he had already great esteem, on\naccount of the extreme contempt of the world and of himself, which was\nremarked in the whole of his conduct. In the morning he went to the\nChurch of St. George, whose festival it was, there to implore the\nsaint's intercession, that he might find him whom he was seeking, of\nwhose abode he was ignorant. Seeing out of the town three roads, without\nknowing which to take, he addressed the following prayer to God: \"O\nLord, most holy Father, I entreat Thee by Thy mercy, if I am to\npersevere in this holy vocation, so to guide my steps that I may arrive\nat the place where Thy servant lives whom I am seeking.\" He took one\nof the three roads as God inspired him; and as he walked full of his\nholy project, Francis, who was at prayer in a neighboring wood, came\nout to meet him.\n\nAs soon as Giles saw him, he went to him, and threw himself at his\nfeet, and begged the favor of being received into his society. The\nholy man, who was at once satisfied of the faith and piety of the\npostulant, replied: \"My brother, your request is that God would receive\nyou as His servant and soldier. This is no small favor. It is as if\nthe emperor were to come to Assisi, and wish to make choice of a\nfavorite; each one would say, 'I wish to God it may be myself.' It is\nthus God has made choice of you.\" He assured him that his vocation\ncame from heaven and exhorted him to persevere. Then presenting him\nto Bertrand and Peter, he said: \"Here is a good brother, whom God has\nsent us.\" And when he was alone with them, he told them that Giles\nwould one day excel in sublime virtue.\n\nAfter a slender meal, and a spiritual conference, Francis set out with\nhis new postulant for Assisi, to procure what was requisite for\nclothing. On the way, a woman having asked charity of them, the Saint\nturned to Giles, and with an angelic countenance, said: \"My dear\nbrother, let us give this poor woman the cloak you have on for the\nlove of God.\" Giles gave it immediately, and it seemed to him that\nthis alms ascended to heaven, which filled him with great joy. They\nbegged at Assisi for some very coarse cloth, with which Francis clothed\nhis third disciple, in the small hut where he instructed him in the\nreligious exercises of a religious life.\n\nFrancis did not permit his disciples long to enjoy the sweetness of\na life of retirement. Having informed them that they were bound to go\nforth to instruct their neighbors by unstudied words and an edifying\nlife, he sent Bernard and Peter into Emilia, and set out himself with\nGiles for the March of Ancona.\n\nThese apostolic men preached everywhere the grandeur and goodness of\nGod, the obligation of each one to love Him, to obey His love, and to\ndo penance. When they wanted the necessaries of life, they rejoiced,\nas if it were a treasure that they had purchased at the price of all\nthey had possessed. Some persons received them obligingly, and did\nthem good offices; but the singularity of their dress, and the rigor\nof their mode of life, shocked most of those who saw them. They were\neven frequently insulted, covered with mud, dragged by their hood, and\nseverely beaten: this they joyfully bore, judging from the interior\nprofit which they derived from it, that it was greatly to their\nadvantage.\n\nTheir virtue, nevertheless, caused them to be treated at times with\nrespect, and honors were even rendered to them. This mortified them,\nGiles in particular, who only gloried in the mortifications which he\nsuffered for Jesus Christ's sake, and could not bear to be so honored.\nHe said to his father: \"When men honor us, we lose our glory.\" He also\nexpressed to him his dissatisfaction that the mode of greeting which\nhe had taught them, \"May the Lord grant you His peace,\" was ill received\nby the men of the world. \"Pardon them,\" replied Francis, \"for they\nknow not what they do. I verily assure you that hereafter there will\nbe many nobles and princes who will respect you and your brethren,\nwhen you shall address those words to them.\" He foretold to him likewise\nthat his Institute would spread, and that it might aptly be compared\nto a net which a fisherman casts into the river, with which he catches\na multitude of fish.\n\nThe pious missionaries having gone through several towns, and given\ngreat satisfaction, returned to the hut at Rivo Torto, when a fourth\ndisciple offered himself: his name was Sabbatin.\n\nMorique, a religious of the Order of Crosiers, or cross-bearers, was\nthe fifth. Being sick, and in extremity, given over and abandoned by\nthe medical men of the hospital of St. Saviour of Assisi, where all\nstrangers were received, he got himself recommended to the prayers of\nFrancis, who willingly prayed for him, and mixed a little crumb of\nbread with the oil of the lamp which burnt before the altar of St.\nMary of the Angels. This he sent him by two of his brethren, saying\nto them: \"Take this to our dear Brother Morique. The power of Jesus\nChrist will not only restore him to perfect health, but will cause him\nto become a generous soldier, who will enter into our militia, and\nwill persevere in it.\" The sick man had hardly swallowed the remedy\nwhen he was quite cured, and he soon after entered the Institute of\nhis charitable physician, in which he lived in prodigious austerity\nduring a long life, and enjoyed perfect health.\n\nA sixth disciple, called John, and surnamed De Capella, began well,\nbut finished ill. He was employed to distribute to his brethren what\nwas given to them in alms, and he took willingly the trouble of\nprocuring for them what was wanted. But by little and little he got\nattached to temporal things, went too much abroad, and was very much\nrelaxed from the regular discipline. The holy founder having frequently\nreprimanded him severely, and without effect, he threatened him for\nhis contumacy with a severe illness and a miserable death. In fact,\nthis unworthy religious was stricken with a horrible leprosy, which\nhe had not patience to endure. He forsook the poor of Jesus Christ,\nhis companions, and, letting himself fall into despair, he hanged\nhimself, as Judas had done.\n\nSt. Antonius remarks that the life of St. Francis was in conformity\nwith that of Jesus Christ, even in the circumstance of having had an\nunworthy disciple. He only became such by his depraved will; but God\nin His wisdom made him serve as an example to show that we may be lost\neven in the most holy states of life if we cease to labor with fear\nand trembling for our salvation. Peter Rodulphus, Bishop of Sinigaglia,\nin the Duchy of Urbino, adds, that the loss of one of the first children\nof St. Francis, and still more that of Judas in the Apostolic College,\nshould induce those who are inclined to think ill and contemptibly of\na whole order, on account of the ill-behavior of some individual, to\nreform their method of forming their opinions.\n\nAmong the instructions which Francis gave to his disciples, he laid\ngreat stress on poverty, the practice of which might appear to them\nto be very severe. In order to render them wise herein by experience,\nand to make them feel that their subsistence depended on the charity\nof the faithful, he took them all into Assisi, and made them beg from\ndoor to door. This voluntary mendicity, which seemed new, and which\nhad hardly been seen till then, drew down upon them derision, contempt,\nrebuffs, and angry words. In one place they were treated as sluggards\nand idlers, and turned away with curses; in another they were told\nthey were fools to have given up their own property to go begging from\nother people. The parents and relatives of those who were thus begging,\nasserted that their families were dishonored by these practices, and\nmade loud complaints. There were, however, some who respected their\npoverty, and aided them with good will. Such was the feeling of the\npublic of those times in regard to evangelical poverty, which differs\nbut little from what it is in our own days.\n\nAfter this quest, Francis went to report to the Bishop of Assisi the\nproceedings of his new soldiers. This worthy prelate, who greatly\nvalued him, and gave him his support on all occasions, could not help\ntelling him then, that he thought the sort of life he had chosen, in\nwhich they gave up all possessions whatsoever, hard and grievous. \"As\nto me,\" replied the holy man, \"I find it still harder and more grievous\nto possess anything; for one cannot take care of what one possesses\nwithout much solicitude and embarrassment. It gives rise to lawsuits,\nwhich must be undertaken; sometimes people are obliged to take up arms\nto protect it; and all this extinguishes the love of God and of our\nneighbor.\" The bishop approved of his remarks, and once more promised\nhim his protection. It is true that the state of voluntary poverty in\nwhich a person possesses nothing whatever, has its inconveniences; and\nwhere does human corruption fail to find such? But it cannot be denied\nthat the state in question is very favorable to salvation, since it\nis based upon the counsel of Jesus Christ; and that, on the contrary,\nthe possession of property is dangerous for salvation, since He Himself\nhas said emphatically: \"How hardly shall they that have riches enter\ninto the kingdom of God.\"\n\nWhile the Evangelical poor continued at Rivo Torto, the Emperor Otho\nIV, who was on his way to Rome with a great train, in order to be\nconsecrated and crowned by Innocent III, passed by their hut. They\nwere too mortified to pay any attention to the pomp of his retinue;\nbut Francis ordered one of them to go to the emperor and tell him that\nall the glory which surrounded him would be but of short duration. The\nreligious obeyed, and boldly told the emperor what had been commanded.\nThe prediction displeased the prince, who, nevertheless, admitted from\nthe event that it was well founded. For, having violated his coronation\noath, and committed various injustices towards the Church, he was\nexcommunicated the following year by the same Pope; and afterwards\ndeprived of his empire, and abandoned by the whole world. It is thus\nthat the greatness of the world, so fickle in itself, and always put\nan end to by death, falls sometimes even before that, by misconduct,\nand by the just judgments of God.\n\nZeal for the salvation of souls induced Francis to move his small troop\ninto the Valley of Rieti. He halted at an abandoned hermitage on a\nlarge rock, which he thought to be a convenient place for entering\ninto conversation with God.\n\nBeing at prayer one day on this rock, and ruminating in the bitterness\nof his soul on his past years, he was assured, by a fresh inspiration\nof the Holy Ghost, that his sins were forgiven him, which filled him\nwith joy. We cannot doubt but that his sins had been remitted him at\nthe period of his conversion, by sincere contrition and the sacrament\nof penance. But in this happy moment he received the assurance thereof\nby revelation, and he learnt at the same time that the remission was\nentire, that is to say, that all the temporal punishment due to his\nsins had been remitted.\n\nSt. Bridget, whose revelations are sanctioned and respected by the\nChurch, relates that she learnt from our Saviour that, when Francis\nretired from the world to enter on the way of perfection, he obtained\nfrom God a lively sorrow for his sins, which enabled him to say: \"There\nis nothing on earth which I am not heartily willing to give up; nothing\nso laborious and so toilsome that I would not joyfully endure, nothing\nthat I would not undertake, according to the strength of my body and\nsoul, for the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ; and I will, as far as is\npossible, excite and induce all others to love God with their whole\nhearts, and above all other things.\" Such beautiful sentiments, well\nlived up to and exemplified by actions and conduct, would give us, not\nan entire assurance as to the remission of our sins, but a firm and\nwell-founded confidence thereof.\n\nThe holy penitent received with this plenary indulgence the grace of\nan ecstasy, wherein, by a bright illumination from on high, God\ncommunicated to him what was to occur to his order. When he returned\nto join his disciples he said:--\"Take courage, my dear children, rejoice\nin the Lord. Be not cast down at the smallness of your numbers. Let\nnot my simplicity nor yours alarm you, for God has shown me clearly\nthat, by His blessing, He will spread this family of which He is the\nFather, into all parts of the world. I should wish to be silent on all\nthat I have seen, but charity compels me to communicate it to you. I\nsaw a great multitude coming to us to take a similar habit, and to\nlead the same life. I saw all the roads filled with men who walked\nhither, and hastened themselves very much. They came in great numbers,\nFrench, Spaniards, Germans, English, and from almost all nations. The\nnoise of such as come and go, to execute the orders of holy obedience,\nstill sounds in my ears.\"\n\nSo magnificent a prediction reminds us of the prophet Isaias on the\nestablishment of the Church: \"Jerusalem, thou who sayest, I am barren!\nlift up thine eyes and look all around thee. All this vast multitude\nsurrenders itself up to thee. I see them coming from afar--some from\nthe North, others from the West, others from the land of the South;\na thousand will come forth from the smallest among them, and from the\nvery least a great people.\"\n\nThe event has verified, in the eyes of the universe, the prophecy of\nthe holy Patriarch. There was in a very short time a great number of\nreligious; his order extended itself to all parts with astonishing\nrapidity, and it has multiplied itself so wonderfully for seven\ncenturies, that it may be looked upon as a representation of the birth\nand progress of the Church.\n\nThe disciples, greatly comforted by what they had just heard and\npersuaded that their master had the spirit of prophecy, entreated him\nto inform them what would in future be the situation of his Order. He\nexplained to them in parables the good which would be effected by it,\nand at the same time the relaxations which would be introduced into\nits discipline, in order that the graces of God, which were to be\nbestowed on it, might excite their utmost gratitude, and that the fear\nof their weakness and want of fervor might render them vigilant and\nhumble.\n\nThe odor of sanctity which issued through the environs of the hermitage,\nand the holiness of their lives, brought many persons to them for\ninstruction, and to profit from the edification they would receive.\nA very worthy person, whose name was Philip the Long, was desirous of\nentering the state of Evangelical poverty. Francis made him his seventh\ndisciple, and he brought them all back to the hut at Rivo Torto. In\nthis holy retreat he spoke to them frequently of the Kingdom of God,\nof the contempt of the world, of renouncing of their own will, of the\nmortification of the senses, and other maxims of a spiritual life. He\nopened to them also his intention of sending them into the four parts\nof the world; for, with the seven children which evangelical poverty\nand simplicity had given him, it was his wish to bring all the faithful\nto penance, and to generate them in some measure anew by the word of\ntruth, to give them, or rather to restore them, to Jesus Christ. In\nfine, he told all his disciples openly, but with great humility, that\nthe Divine Majesty had, in His wisdom, decided to employ them, and the\ncompanions they should aggregate to their community, to renew the face\nof the earth, by their preaching and their example, in order that the\nlosses the Church had sustained by the corruption of morals, might be\nmade good; and that it was for this purpose that grace had put it in\ntheir power so promptly to exercise the holy ministry. In order to\nprepare them for this mission, he made them the following discourse,\nwhich is worthy of being recorded at full length, in the words in which\nit has been preserved by his companions, to whom it was addressed:--\n\n\"Let us consider, my dear brethren, what our vocation is. It is not\nonly for our own salvation that God has called us by His mercy, but\nit is for the salvation of many others. It is in order that we should\nexhort all the world, more by example than by words, to do penance and\nto keep the Divine precepts. We are looked upon as senseless and\ncontemptible, but let not this depress you; take courage, and be\nconfident that our Lord, who conquered the world, will speak\nefficaciously through you. Let us be cautious, after having given up\nall, not to lose the kingdom of heaven for a trifling gain. If we find\nmoney anywhere, let us consider it as valueless as the dust which we\ntread under our feet. Let us not judge and despise the rich who live\nin luxury and wear the ornaments of vanity. God is their Lord, as He\nis ours; He may call them and justify them; we must honor them as our\nbrethren, and as our masters. They are our brethren, because we have\nall the same Maker; and they are our masters, because they befriend\nthe good by the assistance they afford them. Go then, and exhort men\nto do penance for the remission of their sins, and for peace. You will\nfind some among the faithful mild and good, who will receive you with\npleasure and willingly listen to you. Others, on the contrary, people\nwithout religion, proud and violent, will censure you, and be very\nhostile to you. But make up your minds to bear all this with humble\npatience, and let nothing alarm you. In a very short time many learned\nand noble persons will join themselves to you, to preach to kings, to\nprinces, and to nations. Be therefore patient in tribulations, fervent\nin prayer, and fearless in labor. Be unassuming in speech, be grave\nin your manner, and grateful for the favors and benefits you may\nreceive. The kingdom of God, which is eternal, will be your reward.\nI entreat the one and only God, who lives and reigns in three Persons,\nto grant it to us, as He doubtless will grant it to us, if we are\nfaithful to fulfil all that we have voluntarily promised.\"\n\nThis discourse filled them with fresh ardor. They threw themselves at\nthe feet of the holy man, and joyfully received the orders he gave\nthem, in addressing to each one of them these words of the psalmist,\nwhich he was accustomed to repeat when he gave those instructions which\nrequired obedience: \"Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He shall sustain\nthee.\" Having divided the routes they were to take, by forming a cross\nwhich pointed to the four quarters of the globe, and knowing that he\nwas to be the model for his brethren, he took one side for himself\nwith a companion, and sent the other six, two and two, to the other\nsides. Wherever they found a church, they prostrated and made use of\nthis formula, which they had learnt from their Father: \"We adore Thee,\nO most holy Lord Jesus Christ! here and in all Thy churches which are\nin the whole world, and we bless Thee for having redeemed the world\nby Thy holy cross.\" They had a great veneration for all chapels, for\nall crosses, and for all that had any relation to the worship of God.\nAs soon as any one addressed them, they wished him peace, and instructed\nhim in the way to gain it. If any one appeared to them to have strayed\nfrom the way of salvation, they endeavored to bring him back in a mild\nand humble manner. In their sermons they spoke ingenuously whatever\nwas inspired them by the Holy Ghost, pointed out the true way to heaven,\nshowed what were the duties of charity, and endeavored to bring all\nto love and fear the Creator and keep His holy commandments.\n\nWhen they were asked from what country they came, and to what profession\nthey belonged, they replied: \"We are penitents come from Assisi;\" for\nthey would not as yet give the name of religion to their society. There\nwere worthy people who received them with pleasure; but there were\nmany others who disapproved of their habit, their institute, their\ndiscourses, imagining also that it was dangerous to give them\nhouse-room, and that alms ought not even to be given to them; so that\nthese poor of Jesus Christ, cast off on all sides, had often to pass\nthe nights under porticos.\n\nBernard and Giles went as far as Florence. A pious individual named\nGuy offered them some money, which they refused, and when it was wished\nto know from them, why, being so poor, they would not take it, they\nmade this answer: \"We have left all that we possessed, according to\nthe Evangelical counsel. We have voluntarily embraced poverty, and we\nhave renounced the use of money.\" So perfect a detachment, joined to\nan ardent zeal for the salvation of souls, and to sublime virtues, and\nparticularly a patience full of meekness and charity in the midst of\ninsults and injurious treatment, caused them to be looked upon in the\ntown as holy personages; they were consulted in cases of conscience,\nand dwellings were offered them.\n\nWhile these Apostolic men continued their mission, Francis, guided by\nthe Spirit of God, returned to the hut at Rivo Torto, where he received\nfour additional disciples: Constantius, or John of St. Constantius;\nBarbarus; Bernard of Viridant, or Vigilantius; and Sylvester, who was\na priest He was the first in the order, and his vocation was marvellous,\nof which the following are the circumstances.\n\nHe had sold some stones to St. Francis for the Church of St. Damian,\nand had received the payment of their value. When he saw him preside\nover the distribution of the property of Bernard de Quintavalle, he\ncomplained of having been injured in the sale of the stones, and\ndemanded a compensation. The servant of God, who did not choose to\nhave any dispute with him on the subject, taking a bag full of money,\ngave him handfuls, saying: \"Take this for the payment you demand from\nme, but which I do not owe you.\" He offered him some a second time,\nbut Sylvester would not take it, but left him well satisfied with what\nhe had got. At night the injustice of what he had done occurred to\nhim; he conceived a sincere sorrow for it, asked pardon of God, and\npromised to restore what he had extorted to the prejudice of the poor.\n\nNevertheless, he formed his opinion of Francis according to the ideas\nof the world, and he looked with disgust on his mode of life. God was\npleased to will that he should be cured of this prejudice, which was\ndangerous for his salvation, and that he should surrender himself to\nthe saint as one of his disciples, which was effected by means of a\nmysterious dream. During the night he saw a horrible dragon, which\nsurrounded the town of Assisi, as if about to destroy it, together\nwith the entire country. Francis immediately came forth, and from his\nmouth there came forth a golden cross, which reached up to heaven, and\nthe arms of it extended to the extremities of the earth, and its\nsplendor put the dragon to flight. Having had this dream three\nsuccessive nights, he perceived in it something divine, and he went\nand related it to Francis, with the minutest exactness. This humble\nservant of Jesus Christ, far from having the least complacency at it,\nonly made use of it to admire the goodness of God who grants such\nfavors, and to animate himself to combat the infernal dragon with\nrenovated energy, and publish the glory of the cross of our Saviour.\nBut Sylvester, profiting by the grace attached to the vision, was not\nsatisfied with restoring what he had unjustly extorted; he resolved,\nmoreover, to leave all that he possessed, to embrace poverty under the\nguidance of Francis, which his affairs did not permit him to carry\ninto execution till the end of the year 1209. St. Bonaventure says,\nthat on authentic proof of the truth of the vision was the holiness\nof the life he led when in the order. In fact, he undertook so sincerely\nto walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, and made such vast progress\nin prayer, that, according to the account of this blessed Father, he\nconversed with God in a manner nearly similar to what is written of\nMoses: \"That the Lord spoke to him as a man is accustomed to speak to\nhis friend.\"\n\nFrancis, full of the tenderest feelings for his children, was desirous\nof having them all assembled together. He entreated the Lord, who had\nin former times congregated the people of Israel dispersed among the\nnations, to do him a similar favor in regard to his small family, and\nhis prayer was heard. The six who were out on missions returned to\nAssisi from various places, as if they had acted in concert, without\nhaving any notice given them. The pleasure which their return gave him\nwas greatly increased by the sincere and modest recital which they\nmade him of all that had passed in their travels for the glory of God\nand the benefit of their neighbor. They gave an account, with evident\njoy, of the outrages and blows they had endured and suffered, pleased\nto have been found worthy to undergo those trials in the service of\nJesus Christ. The last comers envied them, and were only consoled by\nthe thought and hope that a time would come when they would be employed\nin this holy warfare, and, should an opportunity be given them, of\ndisplaying equal courage; the seniors embraced the latter, and\ncongratulated them on having chosen this holy estate of life: they all\nexhorted each other to perseverance.\n\nTheir common Father brought them up in the practice of the most rigorous\npenances, but with the utmost mildness and kindness. He did not impose\nupon them any considerable number of prayers because he was not desirous\nof compelling devotion, and rather wished that these exercises of piety\nshould be spontaneous. He only then prescribed to them to say daily,\nfor each part of the Divine Office, the Lord's Prayer three times, and\nto hear Mass, at which he desired they should employ themselves in\nmeditating on the mystery. It is, in fact, the very best way of\nassisting at the Holy Sacrifice, and the faithful should be advised\nto practise it. But those are not to be censured who make use of vocal\nprayer during Mass, provided they do so with attention and piety in\nthe very spirit of the mystery;--since there is nothing in prayer but\nwhat is good, and because, moreover, every one has not the talent of\nmeditation.\n\nThe servant of God, considering that the number of his brethren\nincreased, thought seriously of forming a Rule for them, and having\nassembled the eleven, the number they then were, he said to them: \"I\nsee, my dear brethren, that God, in His infinite goodness, proposes\nto extend our society; it is therefore necessary that we should\nprescribe for ourselves a rule of life, and go and give an account\nthereof to the most holy Roman Pontiff; for I am persuaded that in\nmatters of faith, and in such as concern religious orders, nothing can\nbe done which is pure and stable without his consent and approbation.\nLet us then go and find our Mother, the Holy Roman Church. Let us make\nknown to our Holy Father the Pope, what God has deigned to begin through\nour ministry, in order that we may pursue our course according to his\nwill, and under his orders.\"\n\nA celebrated Bishop of France said, in an assembly of his clergy:\n\"Paul, having returned from the third heaven, came to see Peter, in\norder to give a form to all future ages, and that it be established\nforever, that, however learned or holy we may be, were any of us another\nSt. Paul, we must see Peter.\" These sentiments are in entire accordance\nwith those of St. Francis, and contain an important principle, from\nwhich it is easy to deduce the consequence.\n\nAll the disciples applauded the proposal of their master, declaring\nthat they were ready to receive the rule that he would give them, and\nto go to Rome to solicit its confirmation. Francis betook himself to\nprayer, and composed, in a plain, unadorned style, in twenty-three\nchapters, a rule of life, the immovable basis of which was the\nobservance of the Gospel; to which he added some exercises, which he\nconsidered necessary for the sake of uniformity. Besides the three\nvows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, they renounced all possessions\nwhatsoever, and they bound themselves to live on charity without ever\nreceiving money. Clerics and laymen were alike admitted to embrace\nthis Institute, under the name of Friars Minor. There were also some\nregulations relative to the Divine Office, prayer, the practice of\nvirtue, fasts, the bareness of the feet, preaching, and the missions,\nwhich will be noticed when we come to speak of the second rule which\nthe Patriarch gave in the year 1223, which they keep in his Order, and\nwhich is nothing more than an abridgment of the first. This first\nhaving been read and accepted, Francis with his brethren set out for\nRome, to which, through humility, he chose that Bernard de Quintavalle\nshould lead them.\n\nThey pursued their journey with great simplicity, only speaking of God\nand of things calculated for edification; they often retired to some\nby-place for the purpose of praying, without troubling themselves\nwhere they should pass the night; and God raised up persons who received\nthem hospitably. By an effect of His Providence, they went out of their\nway to go to Rieti, where they remained two days. Francis met in one\nof the streets an officer of the army, whose name was Angelo Tancred.\nHe was quite unknown to him, but, nevertheless, he accosted him by his\nname, and said: \"Angelo, you have worn long enough your spurs, your\nsword, and your belt; it is time that you should have a thick cord\ninstead of a belt; the Cross of Jesus Christ instead of a sword; and\nmud and dust instead of spurs. Follow me, therefore, and I will make\nyou a soldier of Jesus Christ.\" At the very moment the officer quitted\nall things, followed Francis, took his poor habit, and became his\ntwelfth disciple, who now by their number resembled the twelve Apostles,\nwhose lives they revered. This wonderful conversion shows that God\nsometimes moves sinners by his active and powerful grace; as when He\nsaid to Matthew, \"Follow me,\" and Matthew followed Him. But it must\nalso make us reflect that, in the ordinary course of things, He invites\nto repentance by graces, the impressions of which upon the mind are\nnot so active.\n\nThe holy Patriarch continued his route, placing his entire confidence\nin God; but the others became alarmed at their own simplicity, they\nwere fearful that it would impede their design; but God removed their\nfears by a vision which their holy Father had. It seemed to him that\nhe was walking along a way where there was a very high tree. Coming\nnear it, he went under it to admire it, when all on a sudden he felt\nhimself raised up in the air by divine power, so that he had reached\nthe top of the tree, and that from thence he easily made the tallest\nbranches bend quite to the ground. The Holy Spirit pointed out to him\nthat this was a presage of the favorable issue of his application to\nthe Apostolic throne. This filled him with joy, and his recital of it\nto his brethren renovated their courage.\n\nThe Bishop of Assisi, whom they found at Rome, received them with great\nkindness. The sight of them at first gave him some uneasiness, being\napprehensive that it was their intention to leave his diocese, and\nthat his people would be deprived of the examples of these holy men.\nBut having learnt from them the motive of their journey, he promised\nthem to use his influence in their favor, and gave them hopes of\nsucceeding through the intervention of Cardinal John of St. Paul,\nBishop of Sabina, who was his intimate friend.\n\nThis prelate was of the Colonna family; he was the friend of the poor,\nand of all worthy persons; he was respected for his many eminent\nqualities, and had great authority at the Roman court. What the Bishop\nof Assisi had already told him of Francis and his companions, of their\nholy life, and of the singularity of their Institute, had excited in\nhim a great wish to see them. As soon as he had heard of their arrival,\nhe had them brought to his palace, received them with great honor, and\nwas so pleased with their conversation, that, after having assured\nthem of his favor, he begged them to consider him from thenceforward\nas one of themselves. He also declared himself their protector, and\nby his interference he soon procured for them the friendship of the\nprincipal persons in the Sacred College, particularly that of Cardinal\nUgolini, nephew to the Pope, and subsequently Pope by the name of\nGregory IX.\n\nFrancis, who was anxious to get his affairs expeditiously brought to\na termination, got himself introduced to the Pope by an officer of his\nacquaintance. The Pope, who was walking at that moment in a place\ncalled the Mirror, and being deeply engaged respecting some difficult\naffairs of the Church, would not so much as listen to him, but repulsed\nhim rudely as a stranger of no very respectable appearance. The servant\nof God humbly withdrew; and it is recorded that he then restored to\nsight a blind man who had had his eyes torn out. The Holy Father saw\nin his sleep a palm-tree grow slowly at his feet and become a fine\nlarge tree. Pleased with what he saw, but not understanding its meaning,\nhe learnt by a Divine inspiration that the palm-tree represented the\npoor man whom he had ungraciously repulsed the day before. As soon as\nit was day, he gave directions that the poor man should be sought for.\nHe was found in the hospital of St. Anthony, and came to the feet of\nthe Pope, and laid before him the rule of life he followed, with\nenergetic though humble solicitations for His Holiness's approval\nthereof.\n\nInnocent III, a Pontiff of great wisdom, acknowledged the candor and\nthe admirable courage and zeal of the servant of God. He received him\ninto his favor as one truly poor in Jesus Christ, and he was inclined\nto comply with his request; however, he postponed doing so, because\nhis mode of life appeared novel to some of the cardinals, and so much,\nbeyond what human strength could endure; the evil times, and the\ncoldness of charity, making them think it very difficult and almost\nimpossible for an order to subsist without possessing any effects\nwhatever.\n\nCardinal John of St. Paul was indignant at these obstacles, and he\nexpressed himself with great warmth to the other cardinals in presence\nof the Pope. \"If you reject the prayers of this poor man, on the\npretence that his rule is novel, and too austere, let us take care\nthat we do not reject the Gospel itself; since the rule of which he\nsolicits the approval, is in conformity with what the Gospel teaches;\nfor, to say that Evangelical perfection, or the vow to practise it,\ncontains anything unreasonable and impossible, is to blaspheme against\nJesus Christ, the author of the Gospel.\" The Pope, struck with this\nreasoning, said to Francis: \"My son, pray to Jesus Christ that He may\nmake known His will to us, that so we may favor your wishes.\" The\nservant of God retired to pray, and soon after returned and set forth\nthis parable.\n\n\"Most Holy Father, there was a beautiful young girl, who was very poor,\nand who lived in a wilderness. The king of the country, who saw her,\nwas so charmed with her beauty that he took her for his wife. He lived\nsome years with her, and had children, who all resembled their father,\nand had, nevertheless, the beauty of their mother; he then came back\nto his court. The mother brought up her children with great care, and\nafter some time said to them: 'My children, you are born of a great\nking, go and find him, tell him who you are, and he will give you all\nthat is befitting your birth. As to myself, I will not leave this\ndesert, and I even cannot.' The children went to the king's court,\nwho, seeing their resemblance to himself, and that they had the beauty\nof their mother, received them with pleasure, and said to them: 'Yes,\nyou are my true children, and I will support you as the children of\na king; for, if I have strangers in my pay, if I maintain my officers\nwith what is served at my table, how much more care should I not have\nfor my own children, the offspring of so beautiful a mother! As I love\nthe mother extremely, I will keep the children she has had by me at\nmy court, and I will feed them at my table.'\n\n\"This king, most Holy Father,\" continued Francis, \"is our Lord Jesus\nChrist. This beautiful girl is poverty, which, being everywhere despised\nand cast off, was found in this world as in a desert. The King of kings\ncoming down from Heaven, and coming upon earth, was so enamored of\nher, that He married her in the manger. He has had several children\nby her in the desert of this world, Apostles, Anchorites, Cenobites,\nand many others, who have voluntarily embraced poverty. This good\nmother sent them to their Father with the marks of royal poverty, as\nwell as of her humility and obedience. This great King received them\nkindly, promising to maintain them, and said to them: 'I who cause my\nsun to shine on the just and on sinners, who give my table and my\ntreasures to pagans and to heretics, food, clothing, and many other\nthings, how much more willingly shall I give to you what is necessary\nfor you,--for you and all those who are born in the poverty of my\nmuch-cherished Spouse.'\"\n\n\"It is to this celestial King, most Holy Father, that this Lady, His\nspouse, sends her children whom you see here, who are not of a lower\ncondition than those who came long before them. They do not degenerate;\nthey have the comeliness both of their Father and their mother, since\nthey make profession of the most perfect poverty. There is, therefore,\nno fear of their dying of poverty, being the children and heirs of the\nImmortal King, born of a poor mother, of the image of Jesus Christ,\nby the virtue of the Holy Ghost; and being to be brought up in the\nspirit of poverty in a very poor order. If the King of heaven promises\nthat such as imitate Him shall reign with Him eternally, with how much\nmore confidence ought we believe that He will give them what He usually\ngives, with so much liberality, to the good and to the bad.\"\n\nThe Pope listened very attentively to the parable and to its\napplication. He was greatly pleased with it, and had no doubt but that\nJesus Christ spoke by the mouth of Francis. He was also convinced by\nan interior light of the Holy Spirit, that in him a celestial vision\nwhich he had but some days before would be accomplished, and which,\nas St. Bonaventure informs us, he himself related. While he slept, he\nsaw that the Lateran Church was on the point of falling, when a poor\nand miserable man supported it on his shoulders. On which he exclaimed:\n\"Yes truly, it is that man who will support the Church of Jesus Christ\nby his works and by his doctrine.\" He thus foretold the great service\nFrancis and his children would render to the universal Church, which\nindeed they have rendered, and, for the last six centuries, have not\nceased to render: this was what was prefigured by the vision; although\nit has been remarked as something very singular, that the Lateran\nChurch has been repaired, improved and ornamented by three Popes, the\nchildren of the blessed Patriarch, to wit, Nicholas IV, Sixtus IV, and\nSixtus V.\n\nInnocent III, moved and greatly affected by these celestial portents,\nconceived for Francis a most tender friendship, which he preserved\never after. He approved his rule verbally, granted him several other\nfavors, and promised many more. After having received in his own hands\nthe profession of the founder, and of those who accompanied him, he\ndirected him to preach penance in all parts, and to labor for the\nextension of the Catholic faith. In order to enable them to employ\nthemselves more freely in preaching, and to assist the priest with\ngreater dignity in the performance of the holy mysteries, he directed\nthat the lay brethren who were then with them, should receive the\nTonsure, and wear small crowns; he even conferred minor orders on them,\nand deacon's orders on Francis, whom he constituted Superior General\nof all the Religious of the Order of Friars Minor, present and to come.\nThose who were present promised obedience to Francis, and Francis\npromised to obey the Pope. The pious Pontiff gave this new Patriarch,\nwith paternal kindness, instructions in various matters which related\nto the well-being and strengthening of the Institution, and he assured\nhim of his peculiar favor; and finally, having embraced each one of\nthem, he gave them his blessing, and dismissed them filled with joy\nand consolation.\n\nWe have witnessed these favors renewed in 1723 by Innocent XIII, of\nhappy memory, the fifth Pope of the ancient and illustrious house of\nthe Counts of Segni, to which Innocent III belonged. The Holy Father,\nassisted by four cardinals, had the goodness to preside at the general\nchapter of the Order of St. Francis, held at Rome in the convent of\nAra Coeli, making known to all Christendom on that splendid occasion,\nthat he looked upon the Friars Minor as his children, as much from\nfamily affection, as from his dignity of Supreme Pontiff.\n\nThe illustrious author of the \"Variations,\" who quotes the Abbot of\nUrsperg, says that it was to give the Church true poor, more denuded\nand more humble than the false poor of Lyons, that Pope Innocent III\napproved the institution of the Friars Minor assembled under Francis,\nwho was a model of humility, and the wonder of the age. The false poor,\nwho are also known by the name of Vaudois, and are placed in the number\nof heretics by Pope Lucius III, assumed the exterior of poverty and\nhumility, although they had none of the spirit of poverty and humility.\nThey were filled with hatred of the Church and its ministers, whom\nthey reviled in their secret assemblies. In 1212 they feigned\nsubmission, and had the daring to go to Rome, to solicit the approbation\nof the Holy See for their sect, but they were rejected by the Pope,\nand from that time were obstinate and incorrigible heretics.\n\nConrad, Abbot of Ursperg, who was at Rome when they came there in 1212\nwith Bernard their master, remarks that the Friars Minor were very\ndifferent from the false poor, practised poverty with sincerity, and\nwere free from all errors; that they went barefooted in winter, as\nwell as in summer; that they received no money, and lived wholly on\nalms, and were in everything obedient to the Holy Apostolic See; an\nobedience which will ever be a mark by which true virtue may be\ndistinguished from false.\n\nFrancis, finding himself protected by the Almighty, and authorized by\nthe Pope, acquired great confidence. He placed his most apostolical\nOrder under the immediate protection of the holy Apostle, whose tomb\nhe visited. He took leave of the Cardinals, John of St. Paul, and\nUgolini, whom he made acquainted with his intentions, and to whom he\nexpressed his great gratitude; then he took his departure from Rome\nwith his twelve companions, and bent his steps to the Valley of Spoleto,\nthere to practise and preach the Gospel.\n\nOn the way he conversed with them on the means of adhering faithfully\nto the rule, and relative to the manner in which they should strive\nto attain perfection, so that they might be examples to others. One\nday the conference lasted so long, that the hour for their meal passed\nby without their having stopped; finding himself tired, they went a\nlittle out of the way to rest. They were very hungry, but they had no\nmeans of satisfying their craving. There then came to them a man who\nbrought them a loaf, and immediately disappeared, without their having\nhad it in their power to notice from what side he had come, or which\nway he had gone from them. Then, says St. Bonaventure, Divine Providence\ncame to the aid of the poor of Jesus Christ, when all human assistance\nfailed them. They were well aware that the company of their holy founder\nprocured them this favor from Heaven; and the miraculous nourishment\nthey had just received, which renovated the strength of their minds\nas well as that of their bodies, by the interior consolation they\nreceived from it, inspired them with a firm resolution never to swerve\nfrom the poverty to which they had devoted themselves.\n\nPursuing their route towards Orta, they came in the plain near that\ntown to a church which had been deserted, and where, having offered\nup their prayers, they agreed to stop, until such time as they should\nlearn where it was God's intention they should settle themselves. From\nthence they went, daily, to the town to preach penance in the public\nplaces; and it was with much fruit for the salvation of souls. The\npeople began to feel attached to them; and as they saw that on their\nquest they refused everything but what was strictly necessary, they\ntook very many things to the church in which they had retired, and\nthose considered themselves fortunate who could make themselves useful\nto them. They even came in crowds to see them, and to listen to the\ndiscourses of these new men, whose actions and whose speech made them\nappear as persons descended from heaven.\n\nBut Francis, who found that this concourse of people interrupted and\ndisturbed their spiritual exercises, determined to leave this place.\nThe very beauty of it decided him to do so. It was a most agreeable\nspot; on one side there were meadows covered with beautiful flowers;\non the other, a thick wood, where birds carolled the livelong day;\nnear the church there was a fine spring, and a rivulet, whose waters\nmurmured pleasantly around them; the view of the whole plain, with\nthat of the town beyond it on the heights, was all that could be wished.\nThe holy man was fearful lest so delicious an abode should enervate\nthe minds of his disciples, that the vigor of their intellect, so\nrequisite for penitential reflections, should become relaxed when\nsurrounded by objects so pleasant to the senses; and lest that which\ninspired gladsomeness should make them lose the seriousness necessary\nin prayer, and deprive them of the spiritual delight which is felt\ntherein. Thus, as a skilful general who was the leader of the soldiers\nof Jesus Christ, and only followed His intentions, he made his little\nband raise their camp at the end of a fortnight, and resume their march\ntowards the Valley of Spoleto.\n\nIn the way they counselled together whether they should communicate\nwith the world, or whether they should retire into some solitary\nretreat. Francis, not choosing to trust either to his own lights or\nto those of his companions, had recourse with them to prayer, to\nascertain what the will of God was on this head; and he learnt by a\nrevelation, St. Bonaventure says, that God had sent him expressly to\ngain souls which the devil was endeavoring to draw away from Jesus\nChrist. He therefore resolved to dedicate himself to this holy\nemployment, and to live a life which should be useful to his neighbor\nrather than to himself; being likewise animated thereto by the example\nof Him of whom St. Paul said: \"One died for all.\" With this view he\ncontinued his route to the Valley of Spoleto, and brought his brethren\nto the hut at Rivo Torto, near Assisi, where he had been before.\n\nOne must feel surprised that St. Francis, with all the assurances he\nhad of his vocation, could have doubted for a single instant that he\nhad been sent by God for the spiritual service of his neighbors. But\nhis doubts only had their rise in the powerful attractions he had for\ncontemplation, which the tenderness of his conscience made him fearful\nof resisting, by employing himself in the exercises of an active life;\nand it was this that lessened his inclination for the functions of\nApostolicity; for, according to the doctrine of the Fathers, and of\nSaint Bernard in particular, there are no more worthy ministers of the\nGospel than such as devote themselves to conversation with God in\nretreat, and who leave that retreat to preach the doctrines of salvation\nonly when they have reason to think that God calls upon them to do so.\nOur Lord, who thus in his wisdom permitted that His servant should\nlabor under this uncertainty, revealed to him already that he was\ndestined to labor for the salvation of souls, and we shall see, further\non, that He assured him again by other revelations.\n\nThe hut in which these men devoted to evangelical poverty had retired,\nwas so small and so confined, that, far from being able to lie at full\nlength in it, there was barely room for them to sit, insomuch that\ntheir Father was obliged to assign to each his place by writing his\nname on the joists, in order that they might pray and take their rest\nwithout being incommoded. They remained some time in this miserable\nhabitation, which might be looked upon more as a tomb for the living,\nor rather for such as were dead to the world; and they bore it for the\nlove of God, with more fraternal charity and gaiety than can be\ndescribed. The life they led there was so laborious, and so poor, that\nfrequently, not having a morsel of bread, necessity compelled them to\nsearch the country for herbs and roots, which they ate with\nsatisfaction; preferring to be nourished with tears rather than with\nany other food.\n\nTheir most frequent exercise was prayer, and that more mental than\nvocal, because they had not as yet books for saying the Divine Office.\nA wooden cross, of moderate size, which Francis had fixed in the middle\nof the hut, round which they prayed, served them instead of a book.\nThey meditated on it unceasingly, and read in it with the eyes of\nfaith, instructed by the example of their saintly chief, who often\ndiscoursed to them on the Passion and Cross of Jesus Christ.\n\nHowever, they wished to learn from him what vocal prayers they ought\nto recite; and he told them, as our blessed Saviour had told the\nApostles: This is the prayer that you will say: \"Our Father, who are\nin heaven, hallowed be Thy name,\" etc. To which he added the Act of\nAdoration which he had before taught them: \"Lord Jesus Christ, we adore\nThee in all the churches in the whole world, and we bless Thee for\nhaving redeemed the world by Thy holy Cross.\" He likewise taught them\nto praise God in all things, to make use of all creatures, to raise\nup their minds to Him, to have great respect for priests, to be\ninviolably attached to the true faith, which is believed and taught\nby the Holy Roman Church, and to confess it plainly. His faithful\ndisciples put in practice all that he taught them, and conformed to\nall his maxims, which they did in still greater perfection after the\nmarvel which we are about to relate.\n\nFrancis being one Saturday in Assisi, in order to preach on the Sunday\nmorning in the cathedral, as it was his custom to do, retired to a\nsmall shed in a garden belonging to the canons of the church, to pass\nthe night in contemplation, which he usually did. About midnight, a\nfiery car of great brilliancy, on which there was a globe as bright\nas the sun, and which gave a light equal to that of noon, entered into\nthe hut in which the brethren were collected, and moved round it three\ntimes. Some of them were watching and praying; the others, who were\ntaking a little rest, awoke. It is not to be said how great their\nastonishment was when they found themselves enlightened, as well\ninteriorly as exteriorly, by this penetrating light, which manifested\nto them the state of their consciences.\n\nSt. Bonaventure remarks on the subject of this marvellous light, on\nthe testimony of those who had been witnesses of it, that they\nunderstood well, by this luminous and burning figure, God represented\nto them the lively and holy flames which illuminated their Father,\nwho, though absent in the body, was present with them in spirit, in\norder that, as true Israelites, like unto Eliseus, they might look up\nto and imitate this new Elias, whom He had appointed the light and\nguide for spiritual men. Doubtless, he continues, the Lord, who opened\nthe eyes of the servant of Eliseus, that he might see around that\nProphet, that \"the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire,\"\nwould also, at the prayer of Francis, open those of his disciples to\nshew them the marvel which was operating in their favor.\n\nAt his return from Assisi, the Father conversed with his children on\nthe prodigy which they had witnessed, and took occasion from it to\nconfirm them in their vocation. He entered in detail as to the secret\ndispositions of their consciences; he foretold them many circumstances\nrelative to the increase of his Order; he made known to them, in fine,\nso many sublime things beyond human ken, that they became perfectly\naware that the Spirit of God rested fully on him, and that their\ngreatest security would be in a conformity of themselves to his life\nand doctrine.\n\nPeople were so greatly moved and affected by his virtues and his\ndiscourses, that many presented themselves to join his Order, but he\ndeclined as yet to receive them, because the hut was too small for the\ntwelve he had; but he availed himself of the opportunity to say to\nthese: \"My dear brethren, God, in His goodness, has made known to me\nthat He proposes to increase our poor family. I cannot receive those\nwho wish to join us, until I have a place large enough to admit all.\nWe require a larger habitation, as well as a church, where we may hear\nmass, say the Divine Office, and deposit in peace those of our society\nwho may die. Let us therefore go to our lord Bishop and the canons.\nLet us earnestly entreat of them, for the love of God, to cede to us\nsome church near the town, and to put our rising Order under cover in\nsome part of their domain. If they cannot assist us, we will go and\nask the same favor of the Religious of Mount Soubazo.\"\n\nThe Bishop of Assisi and the Canons had it not in their power to promote\nsuch views, having no church at their disposal; but the Abbot of Mount\nSoubazo, with the consent of the community, granted him for himself\nand his brethren the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, or of\nPortiuncula, which he had put into repair, but he added this condition,\nthat, if the Institution became more extended, this church should be\nalways considered the place of its origin, and the chief monastery.\n\nFrancis received the present, and accepted the condition with great\nthankfulness. He came and told his brethren of it, expressing the\npleasure he felt, in having, for the first church of his Order, a\nchurch of the Blessed Virgin, very small and very poor, obtained by\nbegging, and in which he had first taken upon himself the Apostolic\nlife.\n\nOn the same day he went to St. Mary of the Angels, where a pious\necclesiastic of Assisi was living, whose name was Peter Mazancoli, to\nwhom the care of that church had been intrusted after it had been\nrepaired. He communicated to him the cession which the Religious of\nMount Soubazo had made to his Order, and begged him to come and live\nwith his brethren.\n\nAs true piety, which is charity itself, is never jealous, and is\ndelighted in what is of advantage to its neighbors, the ecclesiastic\nembraced Francis, and assured him how desirous he was to see the Blessed\nVirgin honored and praised in this place, which she loved, where\nconcerts by the angelic host were constantly heard. As a proof of this,\nhe called a laborer of the vicinity, who certified to have several\ntimes heard in the night melodious canticles, and to have seen a great\nlight come forth from the windows.\n\nThe experience of Francis himself was an additional proof. For, being\nin prayer during the following night in order to recommend his family\nto the protection of the Blessed Virgin, he saw on the altar, by means\nof a splendid light, our Saviour Jesus Christ, His holy Mother, and\na multitude of angels, who cast upon him looks of great benignity. He\nadored, and recited these words: \"O most holy Lord, King of Heaven,\nRedeemer of the world, sweet Love! and thou, O Queen of Angels! by\nwhat excess of goodness do you come down from heaven into this small\nand poor chapel?\" He immediately heard this reply: \"I am come with my\nMother to settle you and yours in this place, which is very dear to\nus.\" All then disappeared, and Francis exclaimed: \"Truly this place\nis holy, which ought to be inhabited by angels, rather than by men.\nAs long as I possibly can, I will not leave it; it shall be, for me\nand mine, an eternal monument of the goodness of God!\" It became, in\nfact, a great object of devotion and veneration for himself and his\nbrethren, particularly after it had been revealed to him that, among\nall the temples consecrated under the name of the Blessed Virgin, this\nwas the one for which she had the greatest attachment.\n\nAt break of day he sent for the other religious by his companions,\nwith directions to bring with them the few pieces of furniture which\nthey had in the hut at Rivo Torto, in order to place them in the house\nadjoining the church of St. Mary of the Angels, which the pious\necclesiastic willingly gave up to them.\n\nHe communicated to the new guests the sanctity of the place they were\nabout to inhabit, and recommended them to live therein holily, never\nceasing to praise the Lord. Then he said to them: \"You must be very\ngrateful to the Benedictine Fathers for the benefit they have conferred\nupon us. They have consecrated all the habitations we shall hereafter\nhave, by this house of God, which is the model of the poverty which\nmust be observed in all the houses of our Order, and the precious germ\nof the holiness which we must seek for in it.\"\n\nBut, in order to show that he did not live there as on a property\nwholly his, as well as for a mark of his gratitude to his benefactors,\nhe took care to have taken yearly to the Abbey of Mount Soubazo, as\na ground-rent, a basket of fish, a species of mullet, which is taken\nin quantities in the River Asi, or Chiascio, near the Church of St.\nMary of the Angels. The Friars Minor have always cherished the feelings\nof the blessed Patriarch for the Order of St. Benedict. They will ever\nmanifest, with sincerest gratitude, that it is to this great order,\nso ancient and so celebrated in the Church, that they are indebted for\ntheir first establishment, and for many other benefits.\n\n\n\n\nBOOK II\n\nA. D. 1210\n\n\nIt was therefore in the small Church of St. Mary of the Angels, or of\nPortiuncula, that Francis laid the foundations of the Order of Friars\nMinor, which spread over the whole earth with wonderful rapidity. This\nholy place was, as it were, the cradle of the Institute, and the nursery\nof the houses of the religious; the source which supplied a great\nriver, which was divided into various channels; the citadel from whence\nnumerous brave warriors went forth to encounter the enemies of the\nChurch; the school which has produced a very great number of saints,\nand a multitude of learned men, whose doctrine and piety have been\nequally celebrated.\n\nThe new habitation, less confined than the hut of Rivo Torto, enabled\nthe Patriarch to receive the postulants who had before presented\nthemselves; among whom may be noticed, Leo, Rufino, Masseo of Marigan,\nand Juniper:--Leo, whom Francis chose for his confessor and secretary,\nand whom he generally called Pecorella Di Dio (the sheep of God), on\naccount of his admirable candor. Rufino, of whom he said: \"I learnt,\nby a revelation, that he is one of the most faithful and of the most\npure souls that there is in this world, and I should have no fear of\ngiving him, though in a mortal body, the title of Saint, since he is\nalready canonized in heaven.\" Masseo, whom he often sent, instead of\ngoing himself, to converse with persons of piety, in order not to be\ninterrupted in his own meditations, because this religious added great\nmildness and suavity of manner to a rare talent of speaking about\nheavenly things. Juniper, whom he found so valuable for his evangelical\nsimplicity, for his contempt of himself, and for his great desire to\nattract upon himself the contempt of the world, that, alluding to his\nname, he used to say good-humoredly: \"I wish to God we had a wood full\nof such Junipers.\"\n\nThe charitable father had all his children in his heart, and he brought\nthem up with a tenderness truly maternal. He was the first to go from\ndoor to door, to ask charity to provide for their wants; sometimes he\neven went alone, to spare them the mortification of begging, under the\nimpression that they might still retain the prejudices of the world\non this head. But the weakness of his frame not admitting of his\nproviding for all, and his religious being bound to subsist on charity\nalone, he resolved to teach them to solicit it for the love of God,\nand he made them the following exhortation, which they have recorded:--\n\n\"My very dear brethren and well-beloved children, be not ashamed of\nsoliciting alms, since our Lord became poor in this world for the love\nof us, and that, following His example, we have chosen this state of\nthe most perfect poverty. For, if we have made this choice for the\nlove of Jesus Christ, we must not blush at begging in our quality of\npoor. Heirs of the kingdom of God should not blush at what is a pledge\nof their heirship. Yes, we are heirs of heaven; this is a benefit which\nour Lord has obtained for us, to which He has given us a right, as He\nhas to all those who choose to live in a state of holy poverty. I make\nknown to you as a truth, that a great number of the most noble of the\nage will become members of the Order, who will consider it an honor\nto solicit alms, and who will look upon it as a favor to be permitted\nto do so. You, therefore, who are the very first of the Order, do this\ncheerfully; do not refuse to practise what you will have to teach these\nsaintly personages. Go, then, and with the blessing of God solicit\nalms, full of confidence and joy, more than would be felt by him who\nshould offer a hundred for one. For it is the love of God you offer\nin asking, when you say, 'For the love of God, bestow your charity on\nme;' and in comparison with this divine love, heaven and earth are as\nnothing.\"\n\nTo mitigate the reluctance still felt by some of them, he brought\nforward the two following motives: \"The bread which holy poverty causes\nto be collected from door to door, is the bread of angels, because it\nis the good angels who inspire the faithful to bestow it for the love\nof God. It is thus that the words of the prophet, 'Man ate the bread\nof angels,' are fulfilled in these holy poor ones. God has given the\nFriars Minor to the world in these latter times, that the elect may\nhave it in their power to practise what will cause them to be glorified\nby the Supreme Judge, when He will address them in these mellifluous\nwords: 'What you did to one of these, the least of My brethren, you\ndid it to Me.' It is pleasing to solicit charity in the capacity of\na Friar Minor, whom our Master seemed to designate expressly by the\nappellation, 'the least of My brethren.'\"\n\nThe disciples, persuaded and moved by this appeal, went of their own\naccord to quest in the neighboring places, to get the better of the\nnatural repugnance they felt to it. At their return they presented\nthemselves to their Father with satisfied countenances, which delighted\nhim, and by a holy emulation they were proud of the things they had\ncollected for the love of God. One of them returning one day with much\ncheerfulness, singing loudly the praises of the great Benefactor of\nmen, Francis took from him the weighty wallet, which was full of bits\nof bread, placed it on his own shoulders, kissed the shoulders of him\nwho had carried it, and came and said publicly: \"So it is that I wish\nmy brethren to go always on the quest, and return from it: ever gay,\nand glorifying God for all the good which He does in our favor.\"\n\nThe blessed founder employed himself day and night unceasingly in\ninspiring them with the love and practice of the most sublime virtues;\nhe warned and exhorted each one of them in particular, and he made\ndiscourses to them when collected, on the most essential heads; and\nthis again he enforced by his own good example; knowing that they were\ncalled by God to train up those who would embrace his rule in the\ndifferent parts of the earth, and that on the instruction of the one\ndepended that of the others.\n\nUnder such a master, with the powerful assistance which they received\nfrom Heaven, they made in a short time such considerable progress,\nthat the latest comers were not less competent for the exercise of the\nEvangelical ministry than the first. Altogether animated with the same\nspirit, watching, fasting, praying, penetrated with the fear of God,\nfull of holy desires, they resembled in a great degree the primitive\nChurch confined in the supper-room. Francis, who was perfectly\nacquainted with their most inward feelings, and with the intentions\nof Divine Providence, thought that he ought not to delay sending them\nforth on missions according to the idea of St. Chrysostom, who says\nthat the Apostles, who were commissioned to labor in the conversion\nof the world, were necessarily separated, and that it would have been\nvery prejudicial to the interests of the universe had they kept together\nlonger.\n\nBut, as he had not yet heard them preach, he desired prudently to judge\nby his own experience of their respective talents. Having assembled\nthem together, he desired Bernard de Quintavalle to speak on the\nmysteries of religion. He immediately obeyed, and spoke beautifully\non the several points. Peter of Catania was directed to set forth the\ngreatness of God, which he did with as much facility and learning as\nif he had been long perfect in the art of preaching. A third was called\nupon to give an exhortation on avoiding sin, and practising virtue,\nwhich he complied with in powerful language. In short, they all handled\nthe subjects which were allotted to them, so as plainly to show that\nwisdom was given to them from on high.\n\nAfter they had made this essay in preaching, or rather this masterpiece\nof eloquence, Jesus Christ, who had inspired their thoughts and words,\nappeared in the midst of them in the form of a very beautiful young\nman, and gave His blessing to each of them successively, with wonderful\nbenignity. This astonishing vision threw them into a rapturous\ntransport; after which, Francis addressed them as follows:\n\n\"My brethren, and dear children, give abundant thanks to God most\npowerful, and to His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for having deigned\nto have communicated celestial treasures through the speeches of the\nmost simple of men; for it is God who causes infants to speak, who\nopens the mouths of little children, and makes the tongues of the most\nignorant eloquent: His goodness renders Him compassionate to the world,\nwhich is loaded with crime. He has resolved to warn men of the woes\ninto which they are plunging themselves; and in order to root out from\namongst them the works of the devil, which are sins, He has chosen\nvile and despicable preachers, so that no one shall have reason to\nglorify himself before Him, and that every one shall acknowledge that\nall the good which is done comes from Him. Although there are few among\nyou of whom it can be said that they have worldly wisdom, or are\npowerful or noble, yet it is you whom the Lord hath chosen for this\nimportant work. It is His will that you should go into all parts to\nhonor Him by your actions and by your words, bringing to His fear and\nto His love such as have strayed into evil ways.\"\n\n\"Prepare yourselves therefore to set forth; gird your loins according\nto the commands of Jesus Christ; be courageous; put on the armor of\nfaith; be devoted to the service of the Gospel; always prepared to let\nyourselves be carried away as clouds, whithersoever the Spirit of God\nmay direct you, by the guidance of obedience, to shed the dew of the\ndivine word on the dry and arid soil of hardened hearts. For our Lord\nhas not called you into this Institute to think of nothing but saving\nyour own souls quietly, without any fatigue, in the hearts of your\ncountry, and in the bosom of your families; His intention is, that you\ncarry His name and His faith into the nations, and before the kings\nof the earth. Now, lest we should appear to be slow in carrying His\nwill into execution, we will divide Italy amongst us; and soon after,\nwe will make other missions into more distant countries.\"\n\nTo this discourse the disciples replied, that they were prepared for\neverything; that, having renounced their own will, they only waited\nthe order to commence the journey; and that the distrust they had of\nthemselves in consequence of their simplicity, was counterbalanced by\nthe confidence they had in the assistance of the Almighty, which\nanimated them.\n\nThe next morning Francis divided Italy among them, taking Tuscany for\nhimself with Sylvester, who was the first priest in his Order, so that\nhe might, by this arrangement, be at the shortest distance from St.\nMary of the Angels, where he left some of the brethren to guide the\nnovices whom he should send there.\n\nTwo reasons induced him to make his beginning in Italy. The first was,\nthat it appeared to him to be just that the Divine Word should be first\nspread in that country, of which the preachers were natives, as the\nApostles had done in regard to the Jews. The second was, that he might\njudge from what they should effect among the Italians, what they were\ncapable of effecting elsewhere: in which his judgment is to be admired.\n\nHe could not doubt but that the vocation of his children came from\nGod; nevertheless, he used all the precautions which prudence dictated,\nbecause he knew that the Lord, who acts according to His good pleasure\nby secret and supernatural means, chooses that men on their part should\npursue the ordinary course in all that depends on them. This is a sure\nground-work, which is not only a rule in all that relates to salvation,\nbut also is applicable to the affairs of this life.\n\nThe man of God, having commenced his route towards Tuscany, passed\nthrough Perugia, where he preached in the great square, as is customary\nin Italy. Some young gentlemen, of the first families of the place,\ncame also there for the exercises of the tournament, and made so much\nnoise that the preacher could be no longer heard. As they continued\ntheir lance exercises, notwithstanding the remonstrance of the people,\nthe Saint, turning to the side in which they were, addressed them in\nthe following words with great animation:--\n\n\"Pay attention, and learn what the Lord declares to you through me,\nwho am His servant, and do not imagine to satisfy yourselves by saying,\nThis is only a man from Assisi who speaks to you.\" (A precaution he\ntook because Perugia and Assisi, neighboring towns, were always opposed\nto each other.) \"What I tell you, I do not tell you as man. God has\nraised you above all the adjacent countries; in gratitude for which\nyou should humble yourselves, not merely in His eyes, but before all\nthe world. But, on the contrary, your strength and your glory have so\ninflamed your pride, that you have pillaged and laid waste all that\nsurrounds you, and you have killed no inconsiderable number. For which\nreason I declare to you that, unless you be speedily converted, and\nrepair the damage you have done, the Lord, who suffers no evil to be\ncommitted with impunity, will take revenge on your sins. In order to\ncreate in you the greater dismay, He will suffer you to rise up one\nagainst the other, to excite a popular commotion, and to do yourselves\nmuch greater injury than any of your neighbors could do to you.\"\n\nHe remained some time at Perugia, where they soon saw the effect of\nhis threats. The nobles were irritated against the plebeians, the\nclergy joined the party of the nobles, and they came to blows; the\npeople, who were the strongest, drove the others out of the town. The\ndiscomfited party, in order to be revenged, laid waste everything in\nthe country which belonged to the people; who, by way of reprisals,\npillaged the houses of the nobles, and massacred their servants and\neven their children. Indeed the disaster was so great, that, according\nto the prediction, armed neighbors could not have caused any greater.\n\nThe Perugians having thus, at their cost, discovered the holiness of\nthe preacher, wished to retain him in their city, and entreated him\nto choose what place he pleased for his abode. Many young persons of\npure morals joined his Order; one among others, whose vocation was\nvery singular. As he was walking one day out of the town, his mind\nintent upon his wish to consecrate himself to God, Jesus Christ appeared\nto him, and said: \"Man of desires, if you hope to be in the enjoyment\nof what you wish for, and to effect your salvation, take a religious\nhabit and follow Me.\" He immediately asked into what order he should\nenter. Our Lord answered him: \"Join the new Order of Francis of Assisi.\"\nHe then made this further inquiry: \"Lord, when I shall have joined\nthat Order, what mode of life shall I follow, to be more agreeable to\nThee?\" and this is the answer he received: \"Lead the usual life; enter\ninto no particular intimacies with your brethren; take no notice of\nthe defects of others, and form no opinion to their disadvantage.\"\nThese are admirable means for living holily and peaceably in a\ncommunity. The young man came and offered himself to Francis, who knew\nthat Jesus Christ had sent him, and he admitted him immediately, giving\nhim the name of Brother Humble, on account of the humility he found\nin his heart.\n\nAt Crotona, to which place he next took the word of God, there was\nanother young man named Guy, who, moved by his preaching, had invited\nhim to dinner: \"This young man,\" said Francis, \"will enter our militia\nto-day, and will sanctify himself in this town.\" He was the oldest\nof his family, brought up in study and in virtue, and the excellence\nof his conduct exceeded even that of his education. He frequented the\nchurches and the sacraments, he gave great alms, and visited the sick\nto assist them; he wore a hair-shirt, and chastised his body severely,\nto enable him to preserve his virginal purity. He had made a vow to\ndo this. After the dinner, he knelt down and petitioned for the habit\nof a Friar Minor, which he received in the principal church of the\ntown, in the presence of a numerous concourse of people, after having\nfirst fulfilled two conditions which the father had prescribed for\nhim: The first was, to give to the poor all that he had inherited by\nhis right of primogeniture; the second was, to renounce all the rest\nof his fortune. It was in the same town that he lived a most holy life,\nas had been foretold, honored by many miracles; now by permission of\nthe Holy See, he is publicly invoked.\n\nThe love of prayer and retirement made Francis wish to find in the\nneighborhood of Crotona a fit place for building a house suitable for\nthe education of his novices. Guy pointed one out to him in the valley,\nnear a place called Celles. This location greatly pleased him, because\nit was solitary; and by the aid of some pious persons, he built a very\npoor dwelling, which he soon filled with novices, and where he received\nthe celebrated Brother Elias, of whom we shall have much to say\nhereafter.\n\nHaving spent nearly two months in preaching at Crotona, and in forming\nhis novices at the Convent of Celles, he was inspired to pass over to\na desert island in the middle of the Lake of Perugia. Lent was drawing\nnear. He recommended the care of the house to Sylvester, without letting\nhim know what his own intention was; and on Ash-Wednesday he caused\nhimself to be taken to the island by a boatman, having with him only\ntwo loaves of bread. The boatman was a worthy man and his friend. He\nbegged him not to tell any one where he was, and only to come to him\non the Wednesday of Holy-Week, to take him back to the shore.\n\nHaving made himself there a sort of hut in one of the thickets, to\npreserve himself from the cold, he had his intercourse with God alone\nduring two and forty days; and his fast was so rigorous, that of the\ntwo loaves he brought with him he only ate half a one.--In\necclesiastical history we meet with examples of these miraculous fasts,\nof which the Holy Fathers have had an assured knowledge, and which the\nweakness of human nature was enabled to sustain by virtue of the Spirit\nof God, which supported them. The fruit which they were to derive from\nit, was to animate the faithful to keep, with as much exactness as was\nin their power, the fasts prescribed by the Church, and particularly\nthe fast of Lent, which many principal motives of religion render so\nvenerable.\n\nOn Wednesday in Holy-Week, the boatman went to fetch Francis and bring\nhim back to Crotona. On the passage the Saint stilled a storm, by\nmaking the sign of the cross on the waves; and as soon as he had landed\nhe went to the Convent at Celles, where he passed the remainder of the\nHoly-Week with his brethren. His confidant did not think it necessary\nto keep the secret of the marvellous fast. The rumor spread, and many\npersons went to the island to see and venerate the hut in which he had\nlived. The miracles which were wrought there by the merits of the\nSaint, induced some persons to build there; and gradually a small town\narose, where later a church was built, with a convent of his Order,\nnear a spring at which he had drunk; sick were afterwards cured there.\n\nAfter the Easter solemnities, he placed a superior in the convent;\nthen having tenderly embraced the religious, he made the sign of the\ncross on them, and separated himself from them to go to Arezzo.\n\nThis town was at that time greatly agitated by internal dissensions,\nwhich were likely to bring on its entire ruin. Francis being lodged\nin the suburbs, where he had been hospitably received, saw over the\ntown, with the penetrating sight which the Almighty had given him,\ndevils who excited the citizens to massacre each other, and who appeared\nto be transported with joy. To put these evil spirits to flight, he\nsent Sylvester, as his herald, and gave him this command: \"Go to the\ngate of the town, and standing before it, order the devils, in the\nname of the Almighty God, and in virtue of obedience, instantly to\nretire.\" Sylvester, who was a man of extraordinary simplicity, praising\nGod beforehand for what was about to happen, went as fast as possible,\nand cried out with all his might: \"All you devils who are here, begone,\ngo far from hence. It is in the name of God and of His servant, Francis,\nthat I call upon you to go.\" At this very moment the citizens, who\nwere on the point of flying to arms, came to an understanding on the\npoints which were in dispute, and peace was restored to the town. On\nwhich St. Bonaventure remarks, that the obedience and humility of\nFrancis had obtained for him that absolute power over the proud spirits\nwho fear and fly from the sublime virtue of the humble.\n\nIt became known in Arezzo who the author was of so sudden a\nreconciliation, because the words which had been spoken by Sylvester\nhad been heard. Francis was sought for and brought into the town in\na sort of triumph, notwithstanding the efforts he made to escape from\nthis honor. He preached in the great square on the love of peace, and\non the means of preserving it; pointing out to them that dissensions\nand quarrels came from, and are promoted by, the evil spirit. The\nmagistrates entertained him at the town-house, and had a convent built\nfor his Order according to his wishes, that is to say, according to\nholy poverty; in which he placed some worthy subjects who had presented\nthemselves to him. A child was brought to him who was quite distorted;\nhe took it into his arms, and it forthwith became straight. This\nmiracle, and several others which he performed during his stay, proved\nthat God had given him as much power over bodily complaints as over\nthe evil spirits.\n\nFrom Arrezo he bent his steps to Florence, preaching with great success\nthroughout the route. The lords of Ganghereto received him with great\nrespect, and were so pleased with the holiness of his life, that they\nbegged his acceptance of a field and a small wood for the service of\nhis religious. He set up a hut there, where his infirmities compelled\nhim to remain some time. After preaching and prayer, to which he daily\ngave some time, one after the other, he employed himself in building\na small wall round a spring of water which he got miraculously, and\nwhich still flows, the water of which God was pleased to render\nsalutary.\n\nAs soon as his health was in some degree restored, he continued his\nway towards Florence, where he went to lodge in the hospital. The\nfollowing day he preached in the town, and was listened to as a saint.\nThey gave him a small dwelling near the church of St. Gall, about five\nhundred paces from the city, in which he received several novices, who\nrendered themselves illustrious by their exalted virtues; among whom\nJohn Parent is particularly noticed, who was a native of Carmignano,\nnear Pistoria.\n\nHis conversion was attributable to a very peculiar circumstance. As\nhe was walking one evening in the environs of the town, he saw a\nswineherd who was endeavoring to drive his pigs into a stable, and\nwho, being in a great passion because, instead of going in, they\ndispersed themselves in all directions, called out to them in his\nanger: \"Swine, get into this stable as judges get into hell.\" He had\nscarcely said the words, when these animals went quietly in. That which\nmight have appeared to this magistrate nothing but an impertinence,\nstruck him, and made so strong an impression upon him, that, having\nseriously reflected on the dangers incurred by a judge (which are\nindeed very great) as to salvation, he threw up his magistracy, and\nretired to Florence. There he saw Francis, examined his conduct, admired\nhis virtues, and felt himself called by God to imitate him. An only\nson of his had a similar vocation. The father and the son divided their\nall among the poor, and became disciples of the Saint, whose prophecy\nbegan thus to be fulfilled: that the wise and learned of the world\nwould enter into his Order.\n\nSuch a conversion sets before us this important truth: that the Spirit\nbreatheth where He will; that the Lord gives His grace sometimes to\nwhat is most common, most simple, and even most base, according to the\nnotions of the world; that it is necessary to be attentive, that we\nmay not receive the grace of God in vain; and that, little as it may\nseem at first, by being carefully attended to, it may have the most\nbeneficial results. Not to be thankful for it, to neglect it, to resist\nit, is a heavy loss.\n\nWhile Francis was at St. Gall, he foretold a thing which the event\njustified a few years afterwards. Three men at Florence brought each\na child to receive his blessing. As soon as he was apprised of it, he\nwent into the garden and gathered five figs, then he came in, and gave\none to the first of the children, one to the second, and three to the\nthird, to whom he addressed the following words: \"You will be my dear\nchild.\" That one, when he had attained the proper age, took the habit\nof the Friars Minor, and was called Brother Angel, which he deserved\nby his angelic life, which was the fruit of his great devotion to the\nBlessed Virgin, from whom he received very marked favors.\n\nFrom the month of October, 1211, to the beginning of 1212, the man of\nGod visited the Towns of Pescia, Pisa, San Miniato, Sarthiano, Cetona,\nand other places in Tuscany, where he made many wonderful conversions,\nand left some of his brethren to continue the work of God. We shall\nrelate, at the end of his life, the great honors which were publicly\nshown him,--honors which he received with the greatest humility, and\nyet with the most generous sentiments.\n\nThe brethren whom he had dispersed in the other provinces of Italy,\nand who partook of his apostolic spirit, labored on their part with\ngreat zeal and success. They founded many establishments, and formed\nmany disciples, whom they sent to the holy Founder in order to receive\nthe habit of the Order from him.\n\nThey mention particularly what happened at Bologna to Bernard de\nQuintavalle. As soon as he made his appearance, his extraordinary and\nvery poor habit made him looked upon as a person not worthy of notice.\nHe went to the great square in order to preach the truth of salvation,\nand he went there several times without having collected an audience.\nChildren and idle people surrounded him; some pulled him by the hood,\nothers threw mud and stones at him; and he was daily assailed with\nfresh outrages, which he bore with exemplary patience.\n\nA lawyer, having noticed this, made his reflections on it, and it\noccurred to him that his conduct might be attributed to virtue rather\nthan insensibility. One day, then, he came up to Bernard and asked him\nwho he was, and what he had come to do at Bologna. \"You will know who\nI am,\" replied Bernard, \"if you will take the trouble to read what I\nnow offer you.\" It was the Rule of Francis, of which he had a copy,\nand which he placed in his hand. The lawyer having read it with\nastonishment, said to those who accompanied him: \"I own I have never\nseen anything so perfect or so heroic as this mode of life. Those who\nill-use this man are very criminal; he ought, on the contrary, to be\nloaded with honors, as a special friend of God.\" Then, addressing\nhimself to Bernard, he said: \"If you will follow me, I will give you\na place in which you may serve the Lord.\" Bernard, having accepted the\noffer, was taken to the house of his benefactor, who received him with\naffection, and gave him a house, which he furnished with everything\nnecessary, and promised to protect him and his companions. After this,\nBernard was so highly respected in Bologna, that people considered\nthemselves fortunate if they could get near him, touch him, or even\nsee him. This truly humble man, mortified at the honor which was shown\nhim, went to Francis, and said, \"My Father, all is in good order at\nBologna. But send any other religious thither rather than me, for I\nhave no longer any hopes of being useful there: it is even to be feared\nthat I may lose many graces on account of the great honors I receive.\"\nThis prudent mistrust of himself was as pleasing to the holy Father\nas the affection of the Bolognese, to which he responded by sending\nthem several of his disciples, who subsequently spread the Order\nthroughout all Romagna.\n\nThe holy Patriarch returned some time before Lent to St. Mary of the\nAngels, where his first care was to examine rigidly whether in his\nEvangelical progress some worldly dust might not have adhered to him\nin consequence of his communications with seculars; and in those\ninstances in which the extreme delicacy of his conscience gave him\nroom for self-reproach, he purified himself by very severe penitential\nobservances. He then applied himself carefully to the formation of the\nnovices, whom he had collected from various places, and he preached\nduring the Lent at Assisi.\n\nHis discourses, backed by his example, and his prayers and exhortations,\nanimated by an ardent zeal, were so efficacious, that in the town and\ncounty of Assisi a very great number of persons was converted, and the\nfire of divine love was kindled in every heart. \"Then,\" says St.\nBonaventure, using the words of the Holy Scriptures, \"the vine of the\nLord spread its branches and bore flowers of a most agreeable odor,\nand produced fruits of glory in abundance.\" There were many young girls\nwho made vows of perpetual virginity; amongst whom, says the same holy\ndoctor, the Blessed Clare appeared as the most beautiful plant in the\ngarden of the Celestial Spouse, and as a star more brilliant than all\nthe others.\n\nThis illustrious maiden was the daughter of a rich and noble family\nof Assisi. The Cavaliere Favorine, or Favarone, her father, was\ndescended from the ancient and powerful houses of Scifi and Fiumi. Her\nmother, of equal high birth and exalted piety, was called Hortulana.\nShe had the talent of joining the care of her household to the practice\nof good works, and to regulate her time so well, that she found enough\nin which to visit, with the consent of her husband, many holy places:\nshe even made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. If this practice is no\nlonger usual in these days, particularly as regards distant countries,\nit arises from the circumstances of the times being very different,\nand from there having been a great change in manners. But Christian\npiety does not permit us altogether to condemn (independently of abuses)\nvoyages or journeys of devotion, since they are sanctioned by the\nexamples of the saints, have been approved by the Fathers of the Church,\nand since at one time they were directed as sacramental penances for\ncertain sinners.\n\nHortulana had three daughters, Clare, Agnes, Beatrix. Being about to\nbe confined of the first, and praying to God before a crucifix in a\nchurch for a safe delivery, she heard a voice, which said to her:\n\"Woman, fear not, thou wilt bring forth, without danger, a light which\nwill illuminate a vast space.\" This was the reason she gave the name\nof Clare to the daughter to whom she gave birth, in the hopes of seeing\nthe accomplishment of what it might signify.\n\nIndeed, from her earliest years, her virtue shone as an aurora, the\nprognostication of a fine day. She received with docility the\ninstructions of her mother, and her whole conduct was the fruit thereof;\nthe exercise of prayer became familiar to her; she every day recited\nthe Lord's Prayer a number of times, which she marked with small stones,\nin order to be exact in the daily number she had assigned for herself.\nIn that she resembled the solitary of the Desert of Seethe, who kept\nan account of the number of his prayers, offering them to God three\nhundred times each day. Naturally tender and compassionate to the poor,\nshe aided them voluntarily, and the opulence of her family enabled her\nto assist them abundantly. But, in order to render her charities more\nagreeable to God, she sent to the poor, by confidential persons, the\nnicest eatables which were served to herself. The love of God, with\nwhich these holy practices inflamed her heart, inspired her with a\nhatred of her own body, and showed her the vanity of all the things\nof this world. Under her own costly dresses, which her situation in\nsociety obliged her to wear, she constantly had a hair-shirt; and she\ncleverly refused a proposal of marriage which her parents wished her\nto accept, recommending to God her virginity, which she intended to\npreserve in entire purity. Although she was at that time confined in\nthe bosom of her family, and solely intent on sanctifying herself in\nsecret before the eyes of God, her virtue became the subject of\nadmiration, without her being conscious of it, and drew down upon her\nthe esteem and praise of the whole town.\n\nThe great celebrity which the sanctity of Francis gained in the world,\ncould not be unknown to young Clare.--Aware that this wonderful man\nrenewed a perfection on the earth which was almost forgotten, she\nwished much to see him and to have conversations with him. Francis\nalso, having heard the reputation of Clare's virtues, had an equal\ndesire to communicate with her, that he might tear her from the world\nand present her to Jesus Christ. They saw and visited each other several\ntimes. Clare went to St. Mary of the Angels with a virtuous lady, a\nrelation of hers, whose name was Bona Guelfucci; Francis also came to\nsee her, but always taking the necessary precautions to have the pious\nsecret kept. She placed herself entirely under his guidance, and he\nsoon persuaded her to consecrate herself to God. An interior view of\neternal happiness inspired her with such contempt for the vanities of\nthe world, and filled her heart with such divine love, that she had\na complete loathing for finery, which it was not as yet permitted her\nto throw aside; and from that time she entered into engagements to\nlive in a state of perpetual virginity.\n\nThe holy director did not choose that so pure a soul should continue\nlonger exposed to the contagion of the world. She had herself come to\nhim some days before Palm-Sunday to hasten the execution of her\nintention; he told her to assist at the ceremony of the delivery of\npalms dressed in her usual ornaments, to leave Assisi the following\nnight, as our Blessed Saviour had left Jerusalem to suffer on Mount\nCalvary, and to come to the church of St. Mary of the Angels, where\nshe would exchange her worldly ornaments for a penitential habit, and\nthe vain joys of the world for holy lamentations over the Passion of\nJesus Christ.\n\nOn the 18th of March, being Palm-Sunday, Clare, magnificently dressed,\nwent with other ladies to the Cathedral Church, and as she remained\nin her place out of bashfulness while the others crowded forward to\nreceive the palms, the bishop came down from the altar, and carried\na palm branch to her, as a symbol of the victory she was about to gain\nover the world.\n\nThe following night, accompanied as propriety required, she arranged\nher flight as her spiritual Father had directed, and according to the\nearnest wish of her soul. Not being able to get out by the front door,\nof which she had not the key, she had the courage and strength to break\nopen a small door which had been blocked up with stones and wood, and\nshe repaired to the church, where Francis and his brethren, who were\nsaying their matins, received her with great solemnity, bearing lighted\ntapers in their hands. They cut off her hair before the altar, and\nafter she had taken off her ornaments with the help of the females who\naccompanied her, she received the penitential habit, consecrating her\nvirginity to Jesus Christ, under the protection of the Queen of Virgins,\nwhile the religious chanted hymns and canticles.\n\nIt was a touching scene to see a young noble lady, only eighteen years\nof age, in solitude, in the middle of the night, renounce all the\nadvantages and allurements of the world, put on sackcloth and a cord,\nand devote herself to a rigorous system of penitential exercises,\nsolely for the love of God. Similar sacrifices can only be made by a\nsupernatural virtue; they prove that the religion which inspires them\nis divine; and justly does St. Ambrose consider them to be far above\nthe most heroical pagan virtues.\n\nIt must be remarked, moreover, that the Church of St. Mary of the\nAngels, which was the cradle of the Order of the Poor Evangelical\nBrethren which Francis had just established, was also the place where\nClare made profession of the same poverty, that she subsequently\nprescribed to the Order of Women, which she instituted together with\nthe holy Patriarch. This gives to the two orders the pleasing\nconsolation of knowing that they belong to the Mother of God from their\norigin, and that she is specially their mother.\n\nAs soon as the ceremony was over, Francis, who was always guided by\nthe spirit of wisdom, took the new bride of Jesus Christ, followed by\nher companions, to the monastery of Benedictines of St. Paul, there\nto remain until Divine Providence should provide a dwelling for her.\n\nWhen morning dawned, and her parents learnt what had occurred during\nthe night, they were overwhelmed with grief. They equally disapproved\nof what Clare had done, and of the manner in which she had carried her\nintention into execution; and they went in great numbers to the\nmonastery of St. Paul, to compel her to leave it. At first they spoke\nto her in mild and friendly terms; they represented to her that she\nwas choosing a vile and contemptible state of life, which was\ndisgraceful to her family, and that there was no precedent in the whole\ncountry of such an occurrence. After which they attempted by violence\nto force her from the monastery; which they might easily have done,\nbecause in those times the religious females did not keep strict\nenclosure, beside which her relations were all military men, accustomed\nto acts of violence.\n\nClare uncovered her head to show them that she was shorn; and she\nprotested, clinging to the altar, that nothing in the world should\ntear her from Jesus Christ. Either because they had too much respect\nfor religion to venture to violate so holy an asylum, or that God\nrestrained them by His power, they molested her no farther. She had\nonly to resist the fresh efforts they made to induce her to return to\nher father. But the love of God gave her courage to resist with such\ndetermined firmness, that, giving up all hopes of conquering her, they\nleft her in peace.\n\nA short time after, Francis removed her from the Monastery of St. Paul\nto that of St. Angelo de Panso, of the same Order of St. Benedict,\nnear Assisi, to which she drew her sister Agnes. The conformity of\ntheir inclinations and manners, which rendered them tenderly united,\nhad made them sensibly feel their separation. Clare was greatly grieved\nthat Agnes, at so tender an age, should be exposed to the dangers of\nthe world. She prayed fervently to the Almighty to cause her sister\nto feel the sweets of His grace, so that she might grow disgusted with\nthe world, and become her companion in the service of Jesus Christ.\nHer prayer was soon favorably heard, for, a fortnight after her\nconsecration, Agnes came to her, and declared that she was decided to\ngive herself wholly to God. \"I return Him thanks,\" replied Clare, \"for\nthat He has thus relieved me from the uneasiness I was in on your\naccount.\"\n\nThe indignation of the family was extreme, when it became known that\none sister had followed the other. On the morrow, twelve of its\nprincipal members hastened to the Monastery of St. Angelo. At first\nthey feigned to have come in a peaceful mood; but, having been admitted,\nthey turned to Agnes, for they had no longer any hopes of Clare, and\nsaid: \"What business have you here? Come immediately home with us.\"\nShe replied that she did not choose to leave her sister, when one of\nthe knights, forgetting himself altogether, attacked her furiously,\nstruck her with his fist, kicked her, pulled her down by the hair, and\nthe others carried her off in their arms. All that this innocent lamb\ncould do, thus torn by the wolves, was to cry out: \"My dear sister,\ncome to my aid; do not let them separate me from Jesus Christ.\" Clare\ncould give her no assistance, but by praying to God to render her\nsteadfast, and to check the violence of her ravishers. This prayer was\nfollowed by a miraculous effect, similar to what the Church records\nin the life of the illustrious virgin and martyr, St. Lucia.\n\nAs the relations of Agnes dragged her down the mountain, tearing her\nclothes, and scattering her hair along the road, because she continued\nviolently to resist, she became suddenly so heavy, that they were\nunable to raise her from the ground, even with the help of persons who\nflocked from the fields and the vineyards. They were blind to the\nfinger of God in so extraordinary an event, and they even made a jest\nof it; for ill-disposed persons, like the Pharisees of the Gospel,\ndo not submit to the evidence of miracles, but carry their impiety to\nthe length of turning all miracles into ridicule. The one which God\nwas pleased to perform in the person of Agnes, threw her uncle, whose\nname was Monaldi, into such a rage, that he raised his arm to strike\nher in such a manner as would have killed her, if the Divine power had\nnot arrested the blow by bringing such an excessive pain into the limb\nas to disable it; this pain lasted a considerable time. This is a grand\nlesson for those parents who prevent their children from consecrating\nthemselves to God in a religious state. If they do not experience in\nthis world the effects of His anger, they ought to fear the consequences\nof the anathema in the next with which the Council of Trent menaces,\nnot only them, but those also who compel their children to embrace a\nreligious state.\n\nClare came to the field of battle, where she found her sister half\ndead. She entreated the relations to retire and to leave her in her\ncare, which they regrettingly did. Agnes then rose with great ease,\nglad to have had a share in the cross of Jesus Christ. She returned\nto the monastery with her sister, to consecrate herself to God under\nthe direction of Francis, who cut off her hair with his own hands, and\ninstructed her in the duties of the state she was about to enter.\nClare, not having her mind quite at ease in the Monastery of St. Angelo,\nremoved to the house which adjoined the Church of St. Damian, the first\nof the three which he had repaired, and where he had foretold that\nthere would be one day a monastery of poor females, who should lead\na sanctified life, and whose reputation would cause our Heavenly Father\nto be glorified.\n\nClare had scarcely fixed herself there, when the fame of her sanctity\nspread all around, and produced wonderful effects. The influence of\ngrace was so great, that there were many persons of all sexes and all\nages, of all states of life, nobles and rich, who took to a religious\nlife. They mutually incited each other in families, as St. Jerome tells\nus that it occurred in all Africa, when the illustrious virgin,\nDemetrias, moved by the exhortation of St. Augustine, took the holy\nveil. It was even seen that married persons separated by mutual consent,\nand entered separate convents: and those who could not do this, strove\nto sanctify themselves in the world. The virtues of the holy spouse\nof Jesus Christ, as a precious perfume, attracted pure and innocent\nsouls, who made the house of St. Damian a numerous community, and the\ncradle of the Order of the Poor Clares, or Poor Ladies, the second of\nthe three orders which were established by St. Francis. He appointed\nClare Abbess of St. Damian, although her humility made her wish to be\nthe servant of the others, and he only overcame her repugnance by\nenforcing that obedience which she had promised him.\n\nIt was there that this holy abbess was enclosed during a period of\nforty-two years in the practice of the most eminent perfection, and\nwhich we shall have an opportunity of referring to, when we come to\nspeak of her rule.\n\nAfter Francis had regulated the spiritual exercises of these nuns,\nprovided for the enclosure, and placed the house in good order, he\nturned in his mind things personal to himself, as to what should be\nhis future way of life. In order to come to a decision, he consulted\nthose of his brethren with whom he was in the habit of having familiar\nintercourse, and proposed to them his difficulties as follows:\n\n\"My brethren, what do you advise me? Which of the two do you think\nbest: that I shall give myself to prayer, or that I shall go forth to\npreach? To me it seems that prayer is what is most advantageous to me,\nfor I am a simple person, who am not a good speaker, and I have received\nthe gift of prayer, rather than that of speech: moreover, we gain much\nby prayer; it is the source of graces; but, in preaching, we only\ndistribute to others what God has communicated. Prayer purifies the\nheart and the affections; it unites us to the sole true and sovereign\ngood, and strengthens us in virtue. Preaching renders the feet of the\nspiritual man dusty; it is an employment which dissipates and distracts,\nand which causes regular discipline to be relaxed. In fine, in prayer\nwe speak to God, and we listen to Him; we converse with the angels,\nas if we lived an Evangelic life. In preaching we must have much\ncondescension towards men, and, living with them, we must hear and\nsee, speak and think, in some measure as they do, in a human way. But\nthere is one thing which seems to prevail over all this before God,\nwhich is, that the Only Son, who is in the bosom of His Father, and\nis the Sovereign Wisdom, came down from heaven to save souls, to\ninstruct mankind by His example and by His word, to redeem them by His\nblood, and to make of this precious blood a bath and a celestial\nbeverage: all that He had He gave up liberally and without reserve for\nour salvation. Now, having bound ourselves to do all things according\nto the model given us in His person, it seems more in conformity to\nthe will of God, that I should give up my own repose in order to labor\nfor the benefit of others.\"\n\nAfter all these reflections, he continued in an anxious state of\nuncertainty as to the course he ought to take; and this man, who had\nwonderful knowledge through the spirit of prophecy, had no light thrown\non his doubts by prayer: God permitting at that time that he should\nnot be sensible to the evident proofs he had, that he was called to\nthe apostolic life.\n\nWe have already seen that powerful attractions to a contemplative life\nhad given rise to similar difficulties arising in his mind. As he\nwished in all things to act faithfully and perfectly, his principal\ncare was to apply himself to the virtues which he knew, by the\ninspiration of the Holy Spirit, to be most agreeable to God.\n\nSt. Bonaventure says that this was the ground of his doubt, and he\ngives two reasons why God permitted that the Saint should not have\nbeen able to solve the difficulty, the solution of which appeared so\neasy. The first is, in order that the heavenly oracles which had\nannounced that Francis was destined to preach the Gospel, should give\na more exalted idea of the merits of that ministry; to this may be\nadded, that it was of consequence that it should be known with certainty\nthat the holy Founder and his disciples were destined by Heaven to\nlabor for the salvation of souls, since in after times it has been\nfound that some of their adversaries have contested it. Secondly, the\ndoubt of the servant of God was useful in preserving his humility and\nrendering it still greater. In the capacity of a Friar Minor, he was\nnot ashamed of seeking the advice of the least of his brethren, he who\nhad been taught such elevated things from the Sovereign Master. It was\nlikewise one of his maxims throughout his whole life, and of the\nprinciples of the sacred philosophy, of which he made profession, to\naddress himself to the simple as well as to the learned, to the\nimperfect as well as to the perfect, to the young as to the old, with\nthe ardent desire to find from intercourse with them in what way and\nby what means he could best serve God according to His good pleasure,\nand raise himself to the greatest perfection.\n\nFinally, we must not be surprised that he entreated God to grant him\nadditional proofs of his vocation, after having received such convincing\nones by revelations, by miracles, and from the mouth of the Vicar of\nJesus Christ; when we see in the Sacred Scriptures, that Gideon, having\nbeen chosen by God to fight the enemies of His people, and this choice\nhaving been manifested by the apparition of an angel, by a miracle and\nby a revelation, he nevertheless begged the Lord to give other\nmiraculous signs, in order to be still further assured of it, and his\nprayer was granted. Would to God, that, without asking for miracles\nand without expecting them, all vocations, particularly those for the\nholy ministries, and other affairs of conscience, were examined on\nsuch sound principles, and weighed by means as likely to deserve the\nlight of Heaven.\n\nIn order to know how finally to decide, Francis sent two of his\nreligious, Philip and Masse, to Brother Sylvester the priest, who was\nthen on the mountain near Assisi, continually intent on prayer, begging\nhim to consult the Lord on the subject of his doubt, and to let him\nknow the result. He made a similar application to Clare, recommending\nher to put the same question to her sisters, and particularly to the\none who should appear to her to be the most pure and most single-minded.\nThe venerable priest and the consecrated virgin gave similar answers,\nand pronounced that it was the will of God that Francis should go forth\nto preach.\n\nWhen the two religious returned, Francis received them with great\nrespect and affection; he washed their feet, embraced them, and gave\nthem their meal. He then took them into the wood, where he knelt\nbareheaded and inclined, with his hands crossed upon his breast, and\nsaid to them: \"Now tell me what my Lord Jesus Christ commands me to\ndo?\" \"My very dear brother, and my Father,\" replied Masse, \"Sylvester\nand Clare received precisely the same answer from our Lord Jesus Christ,\nwhich is, that you set out to preach; because it is not for your\nsalvation alone that He called you, but for the salvation of others\nalso; and for them He will put His words into your mouth.\"\n\nThen Francis, moved by the Spirit of God, as the prophets had been,\nand inflamed by the fire of charity, rose up, saying: \"Let us then go\nin the name of the Lord;\" and he set out with two of his companions,\nMasse of Marignan, and Angelo of Rieti. He walked so fast to obey the\nwords of Heaven, that it was easy to see that the Lord acted upon him,\nand that he had received fresh strength from above for the ministry\nof preaching. His companions were the more convinced of this by the\nvery extraordinary wonders which were worked by him on the route.\n\nThe apostolical preacher went first to Bevagna, where he pronounced\nan excellent discourse on the love of God; after which, in presence\nof the whole audience, he restored the sight of a blind girl by putting\nspittle three times on her eyes in the name of the Blessed Trinity.\nThis miracle had a salutary effect on a number of sinners, who were\nconverted; and many of them joined him who was the instrument of the\nDivine Power.\n\nSo many souls gained to Jesus Christ in one place, stimulated him to\ncarry the faith into the Levant. The triumph of martyrs, whose charity\ncould not be extinguished by the violence of persecutions, excited in\nhim a holy jealousy. Burning with similar fire, he wished to offer\nhimself, as they had done, a sacrifice, in order to mark his gratitude\nin some measure, by the effusion of his blood, for the goodness of\nJesus Christ, who vouchsafed to die for our salvation, thus the better\nto excite others to love Him. But he desired to have the sanction of\nthe Sovereign Pontiff for this undertaking, and therefore bent his\nsteps to Rome, preaching as he went the truths of salvation, which God\nconfirmed by miracles.\n\nArrived at Rome, he sought an audience with the Pope. Innocent III\nstill filled the Papal throne; he first communicated to him the\nwonderful extension of his Order, the holy lives of his brethren, and\nthe design which God had to bring about a reformation of morals in the\nworld, which was growing old, and was visibly in a state of decay.\nThen he disclosed the project he had of transporting himself to the\nlands of the Mahometans and Tartars, to endeavor to give them some\nknowledge of the Gospel. It must be remarked, that the Saint attributed\nto the world that decay which is the effect of old age, but he did not\nextend this to the Church, because he well knew that, although old,\nshe was not infirm. St. Augustine says, that her old age is always\nyoung, fresh, vigorous, and that she bears fruit in abundance. The\nPope, who was very religious, was highly gratified at the fortunate\nsuccess which he now learnt had attended the Saint's labors; he\nwillingly granted the servant of God leave to preach to the infidels,\nand he affectionately gave him his blessing.\n\nTwo sermons which Francis preached at Rome procured him two disciples,\nZachary and William; the one was a Roman, the other was an Englishman.\nJohn de Capella, of whom we have before spoken, having left the Order\nabout this time, and having had a similar end to that of Judas, William\nwas substituted for him, as St. Mathias had filled the place of the\ntraitor in the Apostolate, and William was afterwards always considered\nas the twelfth of the first companions of the Patriarch.\n\nA Roman widow, very noble and very rich, called Jacqueline de Settesoli,\nhaving heard the Saint preach, was very anxious to have an interview\nwith him. He agreed to it, although reluctantly, and he gave her such\nsalutary instructions, that she committed the care of all her affairs\nto her two sons, who were afterwards senators, in order that she might\napply herself to the sanctification of her soul, employing the gift\nof tears which God had given her, to weep incessantly the neglects of\nher past life. This lady and St. Clare were the only two persons of\nthe female sex with whom the servant of Jesus Christ had any intimate\nrelations on the subject of their salvation; which ought to serve as\na caution for this sort of direction lest it be too greatly\nmultiplied,--and be unholy.\n\nAs there is no affection more solid or more effective than that which\nis grounded on charity, the pious widow rendered to Francis and his\nbrethren all the good offices in her power. When they came to Rome she\nprovided them with lodgings, she fed them, clothed them, and assisted\nthem in their sicknesses with the tenderness of a mother. It was she\nwho procured for them from the Benedictines of the Abbey of St. Cosmas\nbeyond the Tiber, a refuge in the Hospital of St. Blaise; and this\nhospital with its church was entirely ceded to them by the same\nreligious order in the year 1229, at the request of Pope Gregory IX;\nit is to this day the Convent of St. Francis of Ripa. Thus the Friars\nMinor are indebted to the children of St. Benedict for the first\nestablishment they had in Rome, as well as for that of St. Mary of the\nAngels, or Portiuncula, the first of the whole Order.\n\nFrancis, having terminated his business at Rome, returned to St. Mary\nof the Angels, where he communicated to his brethren his intention of\nproceeding to the Levant. He exhorted them in the strongest terms to\nperfect themselves in the exercises of a religious life; he left them\nPeter of Catania as superior during his absence, and set out with one\ncompanion for Ascoli. At that place they were extremely anxious to see\nand hear this admirable man, who was everywhere looked upon as a saint:\nhe had scarcely arrived in the town when all flocked to him; whichever\nway he went, a crowd followed him; every one was anxious to get near\nhim, and they pressed upon each other in order only to be able to touch\nhis miserable habit. His presence and preaching in this town procured\nhim thirty disciples, some priests, and some laymen, whom he placed\nin different houses of the Order.\n\nThe desire of martyrdom which he aspired to from the infidels, did not\nadmit of a longer stay at Ascoli; he therefore made for the sea-side,\nand embarked on board a vessel which was bound for Syria. But on the\npassage the winds became adverse, and they were obliged to come to\nanchor off Sclavonia, where he remained some days in hopes of finding\nsome other vessel bound to the Levant. Not finding any, and perceiving\nthat his intention had been foiled, he applied to some seamen who were\nabout to sail to Ancona, to take him on board their vessel for the\nlove of God. They refused obstinately to do so, because he had no money\nwherewith to pay his passage; notwithstanding this, the holy man\ncontrived to slip secretly on board with his companion.\n\nAn unknown person came on board the vessel and brought provisions with\nhim, saying to one of the passengers: \"Worthy man, I confide these\nprovisions to you, for the use of two poor religious who are secreted\nin the vessel; take care of them, and give food to them when required.\"\nWho could this charitable purveyor be? There is reason to think, with\nSt. Bonaventure, that he was sent by God to the assistance of these\ntwo poor religious, who were only poor for love of Him. Stormy weather\nrendered the passage disastrous; they could neither carry sail, nor\nreturn to land. All the sailors' provisions were expended: there was\nnothing left but the provisions put on board for the two religious.\nDivine Providence was pleased to multiply these, inasmuch that they\nsufficed for all who were in the vessel for several days, during which\nthey were still at sea, before they reached Ancona. The sailors,\nastonished at this miracle, were convinced that the poor man whom they\nhad refused to receive on board, had, by his merits, saved their lives,\nand they returned thanks to God for His mercy.\n\nAfter having landed, Francis went to several places, spreading the\nword of God as a precious seed, which produced an ample harvest. Many\ncame to see him from afar, so greatly had his reputation been\ndisseminated. A celebrated poet came amongst others, having heard his\nentire contempt for the things of this world spoken of. He was of the\nclass of persons who were called in Provence _Troubadours_, who\ninvented fables, and composed different pieces of poetry, which were\nsung in the houses of the nobles. The art of versifying in the vulgar\ntongue was uncommon in those times, and was only practised by the\nnobility. The Italians imitated the people of Provence, and translated\ninto their language the best compositions of the _Troubadours_.\nThe poet of whom we are speaking excelled in this art, and the Emperor\nFrederic II had crowned him as the Prince of Poets, which caused him\nto be usually called \"The King of Verse.\"\n\nComing then to see Francis, he passed through the Borough Town of San\nSeverino, and entered the church of a monastery, where the Servant of\nGod was preaching on the mystery of the Cross. He listened to him at\nfirst without knowing him; but God disclosed Francis to him in the\ncourse of the sermon, by two shining swords pierced through the Saint\ncross-wise, one from the head to the feet, and the other from one hand\nto the other through the breast; from this he became aware that the\npreacher was the holy man of whom so much was spoken. The first\nimpression which the vision made upon him was, that he ought to lead\na better life; but the words of the preacher filled him with such\ncompunction, that he felt as if he had been pierced by the sword of\nthe spirit which came out of his mouth. He went after the sermon to\nrenounce in Francis' hands all the vanities of the world, and to embrace\nhis Institute. Francis, seeing him pass so perfectly from the agitations\nof the world to the peace of Jesus Christ, gave him the name of Brother\nPacificus.\n\nSt. Bonaventure adds, that he was a man of so much holiness that he\nreceived the additional favor from God of seeing on the forehead of\nhis Blessed Father a great T, painted in a variety of colors, which\nthrew a remarkable softness on his countenance. This letter, which\nrepresents the cross, showed the interior comeliness which the love\nof the cross gave to his soul.\n\nWatchfulness and affection inspired the Father with the wish to return\nto Tuscany, to visit the establishments he had founded there the\npreceding year, and to learn from his own inspection how they progressed\nin the ways of God. The family of the Ubaldini, which is among the\nmost illustrious of Florence, gave him a convent which had been built\nand founded by their ancestors for the religious of the Order of St.\nBasil, in the sixth or seventh century, some leagues from the city,\nin the middle of a wood, and which had been since occupied by hermits.\nHe put some of his companions into it, and returned towards the end\nof October to St. Mary of the Angels, preaching, as was his custom,\nin all the places he passed through. The repose he allowed himself\nafter so much fatigue, was that of applying himself to the instruction\nof his disciples, and addressing discourses to them full of wisdom.\n\nAt the end of this year he had an attack of ague, which became quartan,\nand reduced him to a great state of languor. The bishop of Assisi, who\nwas a most charitable prelate, and his particular friend, having heard\nof his illness, came to see him, and, notwithstanding his resistance,\nhad him removed to his palace, where he attended to his recovery with\nthe charity of a pastor and the affection of a parent. His religious\ncame to him there to seek the light they required. They also brought\nto him such postulants as presented themselves, and those who were\nrecommended to him (at times there were thirty or forty) by the\nmissionaries he had in various parts of Italy; for none were then\nreceived who had not been examined by the founder himself. A young\ngentleman from Lucca came with tears in his eyes, to entreat him to\ngive him the habit. \"Unfortunate young man,\" said the Saint, \"why do\nyou attempt to show by your eyes what is not in your heart? You have,\nwithout due consideration, formed a plan which you will soon as lightly\ngive up.\" In fact, a few days after he went home with two of his\nrelations who had come in search of him, and he thought no more of\nbecoming a religious.\n\nThe servant of God, having regained some portion of strength during\nhis residence with the bishop, by relaxing in the severity of his\nabstinences, which were extreme, became irritated with his own body,\nand was inflamed with the desire of humbling himself: \"It is not right,\"\nhe said, \"that people should think me austere, while I am pampered in\nsecret.\" Upon which the spirit of humility suggested to him an act,\nwhich St. Bonaventure records, not as an example, but as a prodigy,\nto be compared only with those extraordinary things which God commanded\nthe Prophets to perform. He rose, and accompanied by a great number\nof his brethren, he went to the great Square of Assisi, assembled the\npeople, and led them to the cathedral. Then he caused himself to be\ndragged by the vicar of his convent from the church to the place of\nexecution, stripped, and with a cord round his neck, as the Prophet\nIsaias. There, weak as he still was, and shivering with cold, he\naddressed the assembly with surprising energy, and said in a loud\nvoice: \"I assure that I ought not to receive honor as if I were a\nspiritual man. I am a carnal, sensual, and greedy man, whom you ought\nthoroughly to despise.\" The hearers, who knew the austerity of his\nlife, struck with such a scene, admitted that this extraordinary\nhumility was more to be admired than imitated.\n\nNevertheless, the holy doctor, whom we have just named, finds in this\nsome wholesome instruction. It teaches us, he says, that, in the\npractice of virtue, we must avoid with great care everything having\nany tendency to hypocrisy, repress the slightest approaches of vanity,\nand have a sovereign contempt for praise. The humble Francis, who\nstrenuously labored for his interior sanctification, did many things\nwith a view of rendering himself contemptible, endeavoring, above all,\nto prevent men from being deceived in the idea they might have formed\nof his sanctity. This is the characteristic of true devotion; it has\nno borrowed exterior; it is, or it endeavors to be, all that it seems.\n\nThe religious whom Francis had sent into Lombardy, fulfilled the mission\nin an admirable manner. They acquired so much esteem at Milan by their\npreaching and by their good example, that the archbishop of that city,\nHenry Satalas, gave them an establishment there, which became\nconsiderable later, by the liberality of the Milanese.\n\nOne of the fruits of their apostolic labors was the vocation of a young\nman of rank, who was rich and talented, and who solicited the habit\nof the Order. Upon their acquainting him that, to become a Friar Minor,\nit was requisite to renounce all temporal goods, he immediately disposed\nof all of which he was then master, and distributed the greater part\nto the poor, reserving the remainder to pay the expenses of his journey\nto Assisi, where he was told that it was necessary to present himself\nto the founder, who alone had the power of receiving novices.\n\nHe induced some of his relations and friends to accompany him, and\ntook with him a considerable number of servants; one of the religious\nwas also requested to go with them, in order to introduce the postulant,\nand favor his reception. When they arrived at St. Mary of the Angels,\nFrancis, seeing such a number of persons, and such an appearance of\nvanity, asked the religious who was with them, who these lords were,\nand what they wanted? He answered: \"My Father, this is a young man,\nlearned and rich, of one of the first families of Milan, who wishes\nto become your disciple.\" Francis replied, before them all, smiling:\n\"This young man does not seem to me to be fit for our Order, for, when\npeople come with so much pomp, which is the mark of a proud spirit,\nto embrace a state of poverty, we are led to believe that they have\nnot yet sufficient contempt and aversion for the world, and that they\nare not prepared wholly to relinquish it. But I will consult our\nbrethren on the subject.\"\n\nHe assembled them all, and asked their opinion, which was not to receive\nhim, because he had still a fund of pride, and because the love for\nthe splendor of the world was not yet eradicated from his heart.\n\nThe young man who was present burst into tears; and Francis, who was\nmoved with compassion, said: \"My brethren, will you receive him if he\nconsents to serve in the kitchen? it will be the means of inducing him\nto renounce the vanities of the world.\" They assented on this condition,\nwhich the postulant willingly agreed to, protesting that he was prepared\nto do anything that was required of him. The Father embraced him, after\nhaving returned to those who accompanied him his money and his equipage.\nHe sent him to the hospital of St. Blasius of Rome, there to act as\ncook; and the young novice attained to such perfection in that humble\nemployment, that Francis judged him worthy to be placed over others,\nand made him superior of the same place.\n\nThe line adopted in respect to this young man shows evidently, that\nfor the religious profession neither birth, nor riches, nor talents,\nare to be heeded, but that the essential qualifications principally\nto be considered for this holy state, are, to be sincerely prepared\nto die to the world and to self.\n\nAt the beginning of the year 1213, the fever of which Francis had been\ncured at the bishop's palace of Assisi recurred; sometimes it was\ntertian, sometimes quartan, but always with great severity. He bore\nthe suffering with great equanimity, because of the hatred he felt for\nhis body, and from the patience taught by Jesus Christ. The violence\nof the fever which burned his body, was, in his opinion, a lesser evil\nthan the fire of temptations which inflame the soul; his sufferings\nappeared to him a gain. All the saints have had a like way of thinking,\nand the principles of Christianity admit of no other. The only\nuneasiness the sickness gave to the holy man, was its having prevented\nhim putting in force the intentions he had in view for the salvation\nof souls. But charity, which is ever active, suggested to him to exhort\nthe faithful in writing, as he could not do so in person; he therefore\naddressed them a short letter, couched in the following terms:--\n\n\"O how happy are all those who love God, and who worthily practise all\nthat Jesus Christ has taught in His holy gospel. Thou shalt love the\nLord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and thy\nneighbor as thyself. Let us love and adore God with great purity of\nmind and heart; for that is what He seeks for above all things. He has\nsaid that the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in\ntruth, and that they who adore Him, must adore Him in spirit and truth.\nI salute you in our Lord.\"\n\nThis short letter was still fresh from his hand, when an infinity of\ncopies were made of it, so anxious were all people to see anything\nthat came from the hand of so holy a person. In this simple and brief\nexhortation they admired the candor of his soul and the extent of his\ncharity, and, in reading it, they were moved by a power which penetrated\nthe soul; for the words of the saints have a secret unction which is\nnot found elsewhere.\n\nThese spiritual services, and others which Francis rendered to his\nneighbor, with the continual instruction he gave to his brethren, were\nhis occupations during his sickness, and until such time as returning\nhealth permitted him to do more. He was somewhat better in the spring,\nas is usually the case with those who have the quartan ague; but his\nextraordinary austerities had so weakened his constitution, that he\nnever wholly recovered his health, and the remainder of his life was\nlittle else than a state of languor.\n\nAs soon as he could commence travelling, he committed the care of his\nOrder to Peter of Cantania, and set out with Bernard of Quintavalle\nand some others, in order to go to Morocco, through Spain, to preach\nthe Gospel to the Miramolin and to his subjects, in the hopes of\nattaining by this means the crown of martyrdom, which was the great\nobject of his wishes.\n\nThe servant of God did not reach Spain till near the end of the year,\nbecause he had stopped in various places to preach, to visit the houses\nof his Order, and to receive accounts of others. His whole route was\na succession of miracles, and other remarkable things, which contain\nadmirable instructions.\n\nAt Foligno, the sign of the cross which he made on the house of his\nhost, protected it from various accidents, and particularly from fire,\nwhich did no damage to that dwelling, although the adjoining houses\nwere three or four times on fire: the flames were even seen to take\na contrary direction. At Spoleto, knowing that a rich man thought ill\nof his Institute, and refused his brethren alms, he asked him only to\ngive him a loaf; and, having received it, he divided it among his\nreligious, and directed them to say the Lord's Prayer and the\nEvangelical Salutation three times, for the person who had given it.\nTheir scanty meal was scarcely finished, when this man came to ask\nforgiveness for the harshness he had shown them, and he was, after\nthat, the best friend of their convent, so good an idea of their\nInstitution had the saint impressed upon him.\n\nAt Terni, the bishop who had listened to one of Francis' sermons,\nascended the pulpit when he had done, and said to the people:--\"My\nbrethren, the Lord, who has often enlightened His Church by men\nillustrious for their science, has now sent you this Francis whom you\nhave just heard, a poor illiterate man, and contemptible in appearance,\nin order that he may edify you by his word and his example. The less\nlearned he is, the more does the power of God shine in his person, who\nchooses those who are foolish according to the views of the world, to\nconfound all worldly wisdom. The care which God takes of our salvation\nobliges us to honor and glorify Him; for He has not done the like to\nother nations.\"\n\nFrancis followed the prelate, fell on his knees, kissed his hand, and\nsaid:--\"My lord, in very truth, no one has ever done me so much honor\nas I have this day received from you. Some attribute to me a sort of\nsanctity, which noway belongs to me, and which ought to be referred\nto God alone, the author of every perfect gift. But you, my lord, have\nwisely separated what is valuable from what is vile, the worthy from\nthe unworthy, the saint from the sinner; giving the glory to God, and\nnot to me, who am but a miserable mortal. It is, indeed, only to God,\nthe King of Ages, immortal and invisible, that men should give honor\nand glory for ever and ever.\" The bishop, even more pleased with this\nspecimen of his humility than with his preaching, embraced him\naffectionately.\n\nIn the same city, by the sign of the cross he rendered some sour wine\nperfectly good, and that before persons who had tasted it in its acid\nstate. But he performed a much greater miracle, which was universally\nadmired, on a young lad who had been just crushed by the fall of a\nwall; having had him brought to him, he applied himself to prayer,\nand, extending himself on the corpse, as the Prophet Eliseus had done\non the child of the Sunamite, he restored him to life.\n\nIn the County of Narni, he was lodged in the house of a worthy man who\nwas in great affliction for the death of his brother, who had been\ndrowned, and whose body could not be found, so that it might be buried.\nAfter having privately prayed for some time, he showed a spot in the\nriver where he said that the body certainly was at the bottom; it had\nbeen stopped there by the entanglement of the clothes. They dived at\nthat place and found the body, which he restored to life in the presence\nof the whole family.\n\nThe fever, and a severe stomach complaint, caused him to faint in a\nhermitage which had been given him near the Borough of St. Urban, and\nhe asked for some wine to recover from the weakness which had ensued.\nAs there was none to be had there, he had some water brought to him,\nwhich he blessed, by making the sign of the cross over it, and it was\ninstantly changed thereby into excellent wine. The little that he took\nof it renovated him so promptly, that it was a double miracle. Upon\nwhich St. Bonaventure remarks, that this wonderful change is a type\nof the change he had effected in his heart, in casting off the old man\nto put on the new.\n\nIn the City of Narni, he cured a man who had lost the use of his limbs\nfor five months from palsy, employing no other remedy than a sign of\nthe cross, which he made over his whole body; this he did at the request\nof the bishop of the place, and by virtue of the same sign he restored\nthe sight of a blind girl. Being at Orti, he straightened a child, who\nwas so deformed that its head touched its feet. At San Gemini, he\nprayed, with three of his companions, for the wife of his host, whom\nthe devil had possessed for a long while, and the evil spirit left\nher. Such evident miracles, publicly performed, and in great numbers,\ngave a wonderful splendor to his sanctity. In the archives of the Town\nof Poggibonsi, in Tuscany, the act of donation of a house given to him\nis preserved, which commences thus:--\"We cede to a man named Francis,\nwhom all the world considers as a saint,\" etc.\n\nThe discourses of so holy a man, of one so gifted with the power of\nmiracles, had the greatest effect upon the hearts of his hearers, and\nmade the people very anxious to have houses of his Order established\namong them. He settled some of his religious at Foligno, at Trevi, at\nSan Gemini, at Sienna, and in several other places.\n\nFresh disciples joined him from all quarters, but he did not receive\nany until he had strictly examined their vocation. A young gentleman,\nhaving heard him preach at Monte Casale, a town in the Appennines,\ncame to acquaint him with the design he had long formed of entering\nhis Order. \"You must think seriously of it,\" replied Francis; \"for the\nkind of life we lead must appear very hard to those who have been\ntenderly brought up.\" The young man answered courageously: \"My Father,\nare not you and yours of the same nature as I am, and formed of the\nsame earth? I hope, with God's help, to bear without much inconvenience\nwhat my fellow-men can bear so willingly.\" These ideas were very\npleasing to the Patriarch, and the postulant was received. It must be\nadmitted that man has resources of strength which he might make use\nof to imitate the saints in many things, if he were not wanting in\nexertion and confidence in God.\n\nFrom Monte Casale Francis passed over the Appennines, and went through\nthe Valley of Marecchia to reach Monte Feltro, or St. Leo. He learnt\non the road that the lord of that town was about to be knighted at his\ncastle, where he was giving a grand feast, accompanied by games and\ntheatricals, to a numerous assembly of the nobility, among whom was\nCount Orlando Catanio, lord of Chiusi Nuovo, and of all the Casentino.\nBeing near the castle, and hearing the sound of the trumpets, which\ndenoted that the revelry was about to begin, he said to his\ncompanions:--\"Let us go hither also, and let us combat the devil with\nall our might, who never fails in these rejoicings to lay his snares\ninto which many fall; for it is our duty to labor everywhere and in\nall places for the salvation of souls.\" He went up to the castle, and\nheard the solemn mass with all those who accompanied the new knight.\nAs soon as it was over, he took a position on a height near the church,\nin order to preach from thence, and the crowd gathered round him to\nlisten.\n\nHe took the following Italian words for his text:--\"Tanto e il ben che\naspetto, che d'ogni pena mi diletto:\" which means--\"the good which I\nhope for is so great, that to obtain it all suffering is pleasurable.\"\nHe proved his text by this passage from St. Paul:--\"The sufferings of\nthis life are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come;\" by\nthe example of the apostles, who were filled with joy for having been\nfound worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus; by the example of the\nmartyrs, who willingly exposed themselves to torments and death, that\nthey might obtain heaven; and, finally by such cogent reasons, so\npathetically set forth, that all the auditors admired the doctrine,\nand felt what he wished to inspire them with. They found in the preacher\nsomething divine, which commanded respect, and they fixed their looks\nupon his countenance as if it had been that of an angel.\n\nCount Orlando, more impressed with what he had heard than the rest,\nwent after the sermon to embrace the preacher, and he entreated him\nparticularly to instruct him in the affairs of his salvation. Francis,\nwho, in addition to his ardent zeal, had much discretion and suavity\nof manner, said:--\"Count, go now and do honor to your friends whom you\nhave invited, and we will talk of this affair at a more convenient\ntime.\" The count, complying with this advice, joined the nobility who\nwaited for him, and did not forget to take care of the servants of\nGod. The feast having ended, he returned to the prudent director, with\nwhom he had a lengthened conversation, with which he was so much struck,\nthat in order to have the comfort of seeing familiarly the religious\nof the Institute, he offered Francis the Mountain of Alvernia, with\na promise, if he agreed to it, of building there a convent.\n\nAs this was a lonely place, very fit for contemplation, Francis gladly\naccepted the offer, and promised to send two of his brethren to Chiusi,\nbefore he should leave Italy. He did in fact send them, and the count\nhaving received them as angels sent from heaven, he took them to Mount\nAlvernia, where they fixed upon a spot which appeared to them an apt\nlocation for a church. Fifty soldiers who had been brought thither\nbegan immediately to fell timber, and a place was cleared, where hutting\nwas set up to lodge the religious, in which they dwelt until the church\nand convent were built. These are the circumstances under which the\nFriars Minor were settled on this mountain, which subsequently became\nso celebrated in the Christian world by the stigmata of St. Francis.\nThe place was ceded to them by an authentic document which the count\ngave them, and which is preserved in the original in the archives of\nthe convent. We shall speak further of this holy place when we come\nto relate the first visit the Saint paid it on his return from Spain.\n\nHe continued his journey through Bologna, from whence, after having\nvisited his brethren, he came to Imola. He first went to offer his\nrespects to the bishop, and asked permission to preach to his people.\n\"I preach,\" replied the bishop coldly, \"and that is quite enough.\"\nFrancis bowed humbly, and retired; but an hour afterwards he returned,\nand the bishop, surprised and angered at seeing him again, asked him\nwhat he could possibly want? to which he replied, in a tone of sincere\nhumility: \"My lord, if a father drives his son out of the house by one\ndoor, it is right that the son should return through another.\" The\nbishop mollified by this mild address, embraced him with affection,\nand said: \"From henceforth you and your brethren may preach in my\ndiocese. I give you a general leave, it is what your humility has\nmerited.\" Is there anything which can soften minds and obtain favors\nsooner than this virtue?\n\nThe humility of Francis was accompanied with great courage, which\nrendered him firm and confident in the most imminent dangers, this was\nowing to the great confidence he had in God. Night overtook him once\nwhen he was in company with Leo, between Lombardy and the Trevisan\nMarshes, on a road having on one side the Po, one of the most\nconsiderable rivers in Italy, and on the other a deep morass. Leo,\nmuch alarmed, exclaimed: \"Father, pray to God to deliver us from the\ndanger we are in.\" Francis, full of faith, replied: \"God can, if it\nis His good pleasure, give us light to dissipate the darkness of the\nnight.\" These words were hardly spoken, when they found themselves\nsurrounded by a brilliant light, which not only made the way clear to\nthem, but enabled them to see many things on either side of the way,\nalthough the darkness was very dense everywhere else. They pursued\ntheir route, singing the glories of God; the celestial torch served\nthem as a guide till they reached the place where they were to be\nlodged, which was then very far off. This miraculous light was a\nnotification to the Saint that it was God's pleasure that he should\nhave a dwelling in the place to which His goodness had led him, and\nhe told this to his companion. The inhabitants made no difficulty in\nassigning him one, after having heard him preach, and he gave the\nconvent the name of The Holy Fire, as it is still called.\n\nIn Piedmont, where he was well received, his preaching, with the\nreputation of his sanctity, confirmed by many miracles, converted a\nconsiderable number of persons, and procured him several houses. From\nthence he went into Spain, but the writers of his life have not recorded\nby what route. Now, it is scarcely to be doubted that he went by land,\nand through France; ancient documents show that he entered Spain through\nNavarre, and that he arrived in the year 1213 at Logrono, a Town of\nOld Castile, which had formerly belonged to Biscay.\n\nOn the road he came up with a poor and abandoned invalid, for whom he\nfelt so much pity that he directed Bernard de Quintavalle, one of his\ncompanions, to stay with him and take care of him, which Bernard\nwillingly undertook to do. At Logrono he miraculously cured a young\ngentleman who was on the point of death; then he went on to Burgos,\nwhere Alphonso IX., (or VIII., according to some,) father of Blanche\nQueen of France and mother of St. Louis, then was. Francis presented\nhimself before the king, he showed him the rules of his Institute, and\nentreated him to receive the Friars Minor into his states. This monarch,\nwho, in addition to his political and military talents, had a great\nfund of goodness and piety, received the holy man very favorably; he\ncondescended to read the rules, and after having conversed with him\nfor some time, gave him leave to build houses in Spain.\n\nFrancis now fixed his thoughts only on advancing towards the sea-side\nin order to embark for Morocco, there to suffer martyrdom, for this\nwas the great object of his wishes. If we only formed our opinion of\nthings by the ordinary rules of prudence, we should be surprised, that\na man, visibly sent by God for the institution of a new order of\nreligious, should leave it so short a time after its birth, to seek\nfor death among the infidels. But the saints only thought of following\nthe impulses which the Spirit of God suggested to them, with reference\nto the works which they had commenced by God's order. St. Anthony,\nfather of a great number of Cenobites, left his monastery, and followed\nat Alexandria certain confessors of the faith; he attended upon them\nin prison, and exhorted them under torment to procure for himself the\npalm of martyrdom. St. Dominic, animated by a similar spirit, had\nformed the intention of going among the Saracens, only two years after\nthe institution of his order. Francis, thus inspired from above, desired\nto meet death for Jesus Christ, and left to God the care of his rising\nfamily.\n\nThis disposition, which was the fruit of ardent charity, was very\npleasing to God; it entered into the economy of His providence for the\nsalvation of souls and for the aggrandizement of the new Order, for\nthe Saint did not cease his labors when he took the route which was\nto lead to martyrdom. Nevertheless, God did not choose that his design\nshould be carried into execution; and His will was made known to His\nServant by a violent illness, which put it out of his power to embark\nfor Morocco. Francis gave up his wishes, obeying what was thus signified\nto him. and came to the resolution to return to Italy for the guidance\nof his flock, however, he did not set out till the close of the year.\n\nThe authors of the Order are agreed in saying that he went to visit\nthe tomb of the Apostle St. James, at Compostella, the capital of\nGalicia, to which place devotion has attracted, for many centuries\npast, crowds of pilgrims, and that an angel appeared to him there, and\nassured him that it was God's will that he should return to Italy,\nafter having founded some establishments in Spain. They also say that\nhe went into Portugal, where he raised to life the daughter of his\nhost at Guimaraens, a town of the diocese of Braganza, which caused\nhim to be spoken of as a saint throughout the whole country; and that\nhe went through nearly the whole of the Kingdom of Arragon and the\nadjacent provinces; and, finally, they relate the following most\nextraordinary circumstance:\n\nFrancis being one evening on the banks of the River Orbego, with his\ncompanions, where there was no food, a young man of the Town of Novia\novertook them, and carried them over on some horses he had with him,\nand received them hospitably. The gratitude the Saint had was shown\nby saying: \"May the Lord reward you for the kindness you have shown\nus, when He rewards the just.\" Some short time after this, the young\nman, having gone to Rome out of devotion, and having endeavored to put\nhis conscience in a good state, prayed fervently to God, to take him\nout of this world before he should commit a mortal sin. His prayer was\nheard; he died. His father desired to have a funeral service said for\nhim, and thirty Friars Minor attended to it without having been asked;\nnone knew from whence they came, nor whither they afterwards went,\nwhich made it thought that the assistance was miraculous; and as it\nwas known what the holy man Francis had said to the deceased, it was\nunderstood that he had, by this means, procured the reward of the just\nfor him whose hospitality he had received.\n\nGonzagues, Bishop of Mantua, who had been General of the Order of St.\nFrancis, says, that it is held as certain that St. Francis commenced\nthe establishments of Gasta, Arevalo, Avila, Madrid, Tudela, and caused\nseveral other convents to be built. It is easily understood that in\nthe eight or nine months in which he remained in Spain after his\nillness, he arranged much by himself and by his companions; the old\ninscriptions which are still seen on the tombs of many Minors are an\nadditional proof. Moreover, it is certain that his holy life and his\npreaching were of the greatest benefit to souls, and that his Order\nwas received in Spain with an affection which has passed from age to\nage, from fathers to sons; so that Spain is one of the countries of\nthe world in which we find the greatest veneration for St. Francis,\nand the greatest consideration for the Order of Friars Minor.\n\nThe same bishop tells us, on the testimony of universal and unvaried\ntradition, of many miracles performed by the Almighty, through the\nministry of the holy man. We shall satisfy ourselves by relating one\nof them, which is warranted by manuscripts and documents.\n\nFrancis was lodged at Compostella, at the house of a poor dealer in\ncharcoal, whose name was Cotolai, and he often went to pass the night\nin contemplation on a neighboring mountain. God made known to him,\nthat it was His will that he should build a convent between two valleys,\nthe one of which was commonly called the Valley of God, and the other\nthe Valley of Hell. He knew that this ground belonged to the\nBenedictines of Compostella, of the Abbey of St. Pay, or Pelagius,\nsince transferred to that of St. Martin; and, bearing in mind the\nfavors which the religious of this holy order had done him in the gifts\nof St. Mary of the Angels, and at Rome, he called upon the Abbot and\nasked unhesitatingly for permission to build a convent between the two\nvalleys. \"What will you give me in payment?\" said the abbot. Francis\nreplied: \"As I am very poor, I have neither money, nor anything else\nto give you, if you grant me what I ask. Yet what will be most precious\nto me, I will give you in quit rent yearly--a small basket of fish if\nthey can be caught in the river.\" The abbot who was a very pious man,\nadmiring his simplicity and his confidence, granted him his request\non the condition proposed, and an act to that effect was prepared and\nsigned by both.\n\nThe holy man came to Cotolai and told him what had passed between the\nAbbot of St. Pay and himself, and added: \"My dear host, it is God's\nwill that you should build this convent; therefore prepare yourself\nfor the work.\" \"Oh, how shall I be able to do that,\" answered Cotolai,\n\"I who am so poor, and who live by my daily labor?\" \"Take courage,\"\nsaid Francis, \"take a pickaxe, and go to the spring which is close by;\nmake a hole a little in front of it, and you will find a treasure which\nwill enable you to execute the order of Heaven.\" Cotolai, relying on\nthe Saint's word, searched as he was bidden, found the treasure, and\nbuilt the convent, which is known by the name of St. Francis to this\nday. This fact is narrated in an authentic manuscript in the archives\nof the Abbey of St. Martin, from whence this is copied; and in two\nvery old inscriptions, one of which is on the tomb of Cotolai and his\nwife, whose name was Mary de Bicos, and the other over the gate of the\nchurch of the convent in which their tomb is. The deed which was\nexecuted by Francis and the Abbot of St. Pay, is preserved in the\noriginal in the archives of the Abbey of St. Martin of Compostella.\nThe Prince of Spain, Philip the Second, saw it in the year 1554, when\nhe was about to embark at Corunna, to espouse the Queen of England.\nHowever, the marvel has nothing in it which should be the cause of\nmuch surprise: our Saviour, who made St. Peter find in the mouth of\na fish wherewithal to pay the tribute for his Master and himself, could\neasily cause a treasure of money to be found sufficient to build a\nhouse for his faithful Servant Francis.\n\nWhen the Apostolical man had terminated his mission in Spain, he went\nto rejoin Bernard de Quintavalle, whom he had left on entering it, in\ncharge of the poor sick man, who was perfectly cured. Francis came\nthrough Aragon into Catalonia. The magistrates of Barcelona, where he\nstopped for a short time, were so pleased with his poverty, his\nhumility, and his other virtues, that, for the sake of having some\nreligious of his Order, they converted the hospital where he was lodged\ninto a convent, the church and cloister of which are still extant, and\nare venerable from the remembrance of the Saint.\n\nAt San Saloni, a small town between Barcelona and Gerona, an adventure\noccurred to him which seemed purely accidental, but which God turned\nto good. As he walked by the side of a vineyard, his companion gathered\na bunch or two of grapes to refresh himself. He who had charge of the\nvineyard, perceiving it, came violently upon the religious, beat him\nand abused him in no measured terms, and took from him his poor cloak.\nFrancis asked to have the cloak back, alleging mildly, that what had\nbeen taken had done no injury to the vineyard; and that good feeling\nrequired that this assistance should be given to a passer-by who needed\nit. But, not having succeeded in procuring its restoration, he went\nto the proprietor of the vineyard, from whom he had no difficulty in\ngetting it back, after having told him what had happened. He then\nconversed with him on heavenly things with such effect, that the man,\ndevoting himself from that moment to his service, promised to receive\nhospitably all the Friars Minor who should pass through San Saloni,\nand furnish them with whatsoever they might require, as far as his\nmeans would allow; which he never failed to do as long as he lived.\nFrancis, in return, granted him participation in all the spiritual\nmerits of his Order, and gave him the name of Father of the Friars\nMinor.\n\nIt is from this precedent that the superiors of the Order give letters\nof filiation, as they are called, in virtue of which the holders\nparticipate in the merits of all the practices of the community. This\nis grounded on the communion of saints, one of the articles of the\napostolic symbol by which each member of the faithful who is not\nexcommunicated, and principally if he be in a state of grace,\nparticipates in the good works of others. Besides this general\ncommunication, the faithful may assist each other by their prayers,\nand their own merits, as is done in confraternities and all pious\nassociations. This is the way in which the Order of St. Francis, and\nall other religious orders, manifest their gratitude to their\nbenefactors; in this they do that which St. Augustine says of the\nministers of Jesus Christ in regard to the faithful who support them;\n\"They give spiritual things, and only receive temporal ones; they give\ngold, and only receive brass.\" Those who know what the communion of\nsaints is, and who neglect nothing which can contribute to their\nsalvation, have great esteem (as, indeed, they ought) for letters of\nfiliation, and strive to live in a Christian-like manner in order to\nprofit by them.\n\nFrom Catalonia, Francis continued his route through Roussillon, and\nit is believed that he placed some of his religious at Perpignan, the\ncapital. He then entered Languedoc, which the errors and arms of the\nAlbigenses had alike tended to desolate. The Catholics at that time\nenjoyed some calm by the valor of the illustrious Simon, Count of\nMontfort, who had just overthrown the heretics, principally by the\ncelebrated victory obtained, at Muret, over Peter, King of Aragon,\nwhom ill-understood interests had made protector of the Albigenses,\nto the detriment of religion, and who was killed in that battle. The\nsaintly traveller did not make any stay in Languedoc; perhaps because\nit was the field destined by Providence to be cultivated by St. Dominic,\nwhose preaching and miracles had made an infinity of conversions, and\nwho was then at Carcassonne, where he gave the nuptial benediction to\nthe marriage of Amaury de Montfort, the son of Simon, with the Princess\nBeatrice, the daughter of the Dauphin, Count of Viennois. Francis\narrived at Montpellier at the time when they were about to open the\ncouncil, at which Simon of Montfort was loaded with praises, and chosen\nto be possessor of the City of Toulouse, and the other conquests of\nthe Crusaders; he preached there, and foretold that a convent would\nbe built soon for his brethren at the hospital where he lodged; a\nprophecy which was fulfilled in the year 1220.\n\nHis bad health, the fatigues of his journey, and the rigor of the\nseason, had brought him into a state of great languor, and compelled\nhim to stop one day. His malady gave him a disgust for all sorts of\nfood, and he thought that he could only relish some wild fowl. As he\nwas speaking of it to his companion Bernard, a well-appointed cavalier\nbrought him one ready dressed, saying, \"Servant of God, take what the\nLord sends thee,\" after which he disappeared. Francis, admiring the\ngoodness of God, who fulfils the desires of those who fear Him, ate\nwillingly of this celestial food, and was so strengthened by it, that\nhe rose up immediately and continued his journey through Dauphiny and\nPiedmont; from whence he went to St. Mary of the Angels, continuing\nto perform the functions of an Apostle and Patriarch of the Order on\nhis way, but not without having to endure the honors which his miracles\nand the reputation of his sanctity procured him from all parts.\n\nHis return was the subject of great rejoicing to his children, to Clare\nin particular, and to a number of young men, among whom were many\nnobles and many learned persons who were waiting to be received into\nthe Order.\n\nHe was surprised to find a building which Peter of Catania, his own\nvicar had constructed during his absence; he inquired the reason of\nit, and Peter having replied, \"that it was for the accommodation of\ntheir guests, where they might say the divine office more commodiously,\"\nHe said:--\"Brother Peter, this place is the rule and the model of the\nOrder; I choose that those who come to it shall suffer the\ninconveniences of poverty as well as those who live in it, in order\nthat they may tell others how poorly we live at St. Mary's of the\nPortiuncula; for if the guests see that they are provided with\neverything they can wish for, they will expect the same thing in their\nprovinces, and will say, that they only do as they do at Portiuncula,\nwhich is the original place of the Institution.\" He was desirous that\nthe building should be pulled down, and he even directed it to be done;\nbut, upon the representations of the need they had of it, he consented\nto let it stand. They could not do without room to lodge the number\nof people who were drawn thither by the rumor of his great virtues,\nand the multitudes of his religious who came from various parts to\nconsult him.\n\nThose whom he had destined for Mount Alvernia, having come with several\nothers to congratulate him on his return, informed him that Count\nOrlando had loaded them with favors; that they were settled on the\nmountain, and that it was the place, of all others, proper for\ncontemplation. This gave him a wish to go thither, and he set out with\nthree companions, Leo, Masse, and Angelo of Rieti. It was his custom\nin travelling to name one of those who accompanied him as guardian and\nleader, and he obeyed him humbly in all things. On this occasion, he\ngave this commission to Masse, desiring him not to disquiet himself\nabout their food, and giving no other instructions, except that the\ndivine office should be punctually and piously recited, that silence\nshould be rigidly observed, and that their deportment should be\nreserved. He preached, as usual, wherever he went, and performed many\nmiracles.\n\nOne night he went into a church which was deserted, in order to pass\nthe night in prayer, knowing from experience that the Spirit of God\nwas communicated more freely to the soul in quiet solitary places. At\nthe beginning of the night, the devils used every sort of artifice to\ninterrupt his prayers and to disturb him. Then they attacked him in\nperson, as St. Athanasius relates that they did St. Anthony, so that\nthey seemed to come to blows with him. The more they annoyed him, the\nmore fervently he prayed, and the more strenuously he invoked Jesus\nChrist with confidence, in the words of the prophet:--\"Protect me under\nthe shadow of thy wings from these wicked ones who pursue me;\" and he\nsaid to the devils:--\"Spiteful and deceitful spirits, do all you can\nagainst me, for you can do nothing but what God permits, and here I\nam, ready to suffer with pleasure all the afflictions it is His pleasure\nto send me.\" Then the devils cast themselves upon him with still greater\nviolence; they pushed him about on all sides, they dragged him along\nthe ground and beat him severely. In the midst of his sufferings, he\nexclaimed:--\"My Lord Jesus Christ, I give Thee thanks for all Thy\nbenefits; this is not one of the least; it is an assured mark of the\ngoodness Thou hast for me. Thou punishest my sins in this world to\nspare me in the next. My heart is ready, O my God, my heart is ready\nto suffer still more if such be Thy holy will.\" St. Bonaventure says,\nthat he was often tormented in this manner by demons; but that these\nproud spirits, not being able either to overcome him, or to bear his\nconstancy, retired in confusion. Such a resistance would repress all\nthe efforts of the tempter when he attacks us invisibly.\n\nIn the morning, he could not disguise from his companions what had\nhappened to him, and the extreme weakness which it had brought on\nobliged him to desire his companions to go to the neighboring village,\nto procure for him, in God's name, some means of riding on with them.\nThe farmer to whom they applied, having learnt that it was for Francis\nof Assisi, of whom he had heard so much good spoken, went to fetch his\nown ass to carry him on, during the journey.\n\nOn the way, Francis bethought himself of stopping for a short time at\nthis farmer's to recruit his strength by some poultry and other\ndelicacies of the country; but, wishing to punish himself for having\nmerely listened to such a suggestion, he took up a half-rotten fowl\nfrom a dunghill, and smelt at it, saying to himself:--\"Here, glutton!\nhere is the flesh of the poultry that you so anxiously wished for;\nsatisfy your longing, and eat as much as you like.\" To support himself,\nhe ate nothing but bread, on which he sprinkled ashes, and he drank\nnothing but water. He blessed the house of his host, and promised him\nvery long lineage, who should be neither poor nor very rich. The\nremembrance of this prediction has been carefully preserved in this\nplace, and the house still exists, bearing the name of St. Francis,\nwhere the religious of his Order are always charitably received. This\nlesson is taught by the apostle:--\"That God, by His blessing, gives\nto charitable persons the means of continuing and multiplying their\ngood works.\"\n\nThe invalid was replaced on the ass, and they took the road to Chiusi\nwhich they reached by noon. Count Orlando was greatly pleased to see\nthem, and would have been but too glad to detain them, if only for\nthat day; but Francis would go as soon as dinner was done to Mount\nAlvernia, whither the count accompanied him.\n\n\"The Mountain Alvernia is on the confines of Tuscany, not far from\nCamaldoli and Val Ombrosa; it is part of the Apennines, and it rises\nhigher than the adjacent mountains from which it is separated: two\nrivers flow at its foot, the Tiber and the Arno. On their sides it has\nrocks so perpendicular and so smooth that they might be mistaken for\nwalls; and on the side on which the top may be reached, no one would\ndare to attempt the ascent but for the number of beech trees and\nunderwood which hide the precipices. These trees, which are very lofty,\nhide some extensive and beautiful pasturages. There also an abundance\nof plants is found called carline or Caroline which is a cure for the\nplague.\"\n\nThe farmer, who was their guide, made bold to address Francis thus:\n\"Brother, I hear much good spoken of you, and I understand that God\nhas shown you great favors, for which you are greatly indebted to Him;\nstrive, then, to be what it is said you are, and never to change in\norder that those who have confidence in you may not be deceived; this\nis a piece of advice I give you.\" Francis, delighted at what he had\nheard, dismounted, kissed the man's feet, thanked him, acknowledging\nthe great mercy of God, who had been pleased to cast His eyes on the\nlowliness of His servant. Although this advice came from a poor\ncountryman, it was nevertheless the very best that could be given to\na saint. So true it is that no one should be despised, and that the\nmost simple-minded persons often say more sensible and more spiritual\nthings than men of the greatest genius.\n\nThe same man being very thirsty at the steepest part of the mountain,\nexclaimed loudly: \"I shall die, if I cannot get something to drink.\"\nFrancis immediately alighted, threw himself on his knees, raised his\nhands to heaven, and prayed until he knew that he had been heard. Then,\npointing out a large stone to the man, he said, \"Go there quickly, and\nyou will find some living water: it is Jesus Christ who, out of His\ngreat mercy, makes it spring from this rock that you may drink.\" The\nman ran directly, found water, and drank as much as he required.\n\nNo spring had ever been known to be in that place, and no water was\never found there afterwards. Wonderful goodness of the Almighty,\nexclaims St. Bonaventure, who thus with so much benevolence grants the\nprayers of His servants. The birds seeing St. Francis and his companions\napproaching came in great numbers to welcome him to their home.\n\nAt length they reached the top of Mount Alvernia, where the religious\nresided. The father was well pleased with their dwelling, because\neverything was on a small scale and poor.\n\nCount Orlando returned in the evening and came back next day, bringing\nsomething for their dinner. After they had finished their meal, he\ngave orders for the construction of a small chapel under a very tall\nbeech tree, and a cell, which Francis had asked him for, and, calling\nthe others aside, he said: \"Since your founder has given his consent\nto the donation I made you two years ago of this mountain, you may\nconsider it as yours, and hence both myself and mine will be always\ndevoted to your service whenever you shall need it. You will not be\nable to please me more than by addressing yourselves to me, looking\nupon me as your servant; and even, if you will do me that favor,\nconsidering me as one of your brethren.\" After the departure of the\ncount, the holy Patriarch made them the following discourse, relative\nto the count's kindness, which they took care to commit to writing:\n\n\"My dear children, it is God who thus turns the hearts of the faithful\ntowards His little and useless servants, in which He does us a very\ngreat favor. On what we have hitherto received let us place our hopes\nfor what is to come; if that seems but little, the Lord, who is\ninfinitely liberal, will add to it by His goodness still greater\nbenefits, provided we are faithful to Him. Let us, then, leave to Him\nthe care of all that relates to you, and He Himself will feed you, as\nHe fed Elias, Paul, and Anthony in the desert. The birds of the air\nneither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father\nnourishes them; how much more will He do this for His servants? If He\ntries you, it will be only for a time, for it is written, that He will\nnot suffer the just to waver forever; the eyes of the Lord are on them\nthat fear Him, and on them that hope in His mercy to deliver their\nsouls from death and feed them in famine. Trust not to the princes of\nthe earth, nor to the charitable offers made you by our benefactor,\nCount Orlando, for cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh\nflesh his arm. This lord has acted nobly by us, and according to his\npiety; let us do on our parts what depends on us, and fail not therein;\nthat is to say, let us not have recourse to his generosity, as to a\ntreasure of which we are the masters, and in that regard let us have\nthe greatest reserve that we may not in any respect trench upon holy\npoverty. Be sure, my dear children, that our best resource for providing\nfor our wants, is to have none to provide for. If we are truly\nevangelical poor, the world will have compassion upon us, and will\ngenerously give us all that is necessary for our subsistence; but if\nwe swerve from holy poverty, the world will shun us; the illicit means\nwhich we might take for avoiding indigence, would only make us feel\nit the more.\" Is not such a discourse sufficient to show us, that St.\nFrancis had great talents and judgment, joined to great knowledge of\nthe practice of virtue?\n\nCount Orlando had a church built on Mount Alvernia, according to the\nplan which the Saint had given him, which, it was confidently said,\nhad been given to Francis by the Blessed Virgin, who appeared\naccompanied by St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Evangelist.\n\nWhile they were at work at this building and at the cells for the\nbrethren, Francis explored the mountain on all its sides, to discover\nthe sites best adapted for contemplation. He found one, where there\nwere some large openings in the rock, great masses overhanging them,\ndeep caverns, and frightful pits; and what seemed to him to be most\ncurious, there was a rock so split that the interior formed a room\nwith a smooth flooring, and a sort of ceiling which had a small opening\nwhich admitted the light. He was anxious to know whether this was the\nnatural formation of the rock, or whether it was not the effect of an\nearthquake; and, after having recited the seven penitential psalms,\nhe begged God to grant him information on this head. An angel acquainted\nhim, in an apparition, that this had happened at the death of Jesus\nChrist, when the earth shook and the rocks were rent asunder. This\ncircumstance gave Mount Alvernia additional value in the eyes of the\nservant of Jesus Christ crucified. He never afterwards saw these\nopenings without thinking of the sufferings his Divine Master endured\non the cross, and without wishing that his feelings of compassion might\nbreak his heart. In the opinion of the holy Fathers, the rocks which\nwere rent when Jesus Christ expired were reproaches to the Jews for\nthe hardness of their hearts, and this reproach falls equally on\nChristians who are insensible to His sufferings.\n\nWe can have no difficulty in thinking, with Cardinal Baronius, that\nthe rocks on Mount Alvernia were split at the death of our Saviour,\nsince the earthquake was universal, according to the opinions of\nEusebius, St. Jerome, and many others, and even according to the\ntestimony of pagan authors.\n\nIt is also very credible that the Son of God has manifested to His\nspecial servants, some of the effects of this motion of the earth, in\norder to impress more vividly on their minds the remembrance of His\nPassion; and may we not think that the Lord, who is the beholder of\nall ages, as the wise man says, and who had selected Mount Alvernia\nas the place in which He would do His Servant Francis the favor of\nimprinting the stigmata on him, as we shall see further on, was pleased\nto give this mountain some resemblance to that of Calvary, where St.\nCyril of Jerusalem assures us, that in his time the rents caused by\nthe earthquake were seen?\n\nAmong the masses of rock on Mount Alvernia, there is one much more\nelevated and much larger than the rest, and which is separated from\nthem by precipices, to which there is no access but by throwing a\nbridge across. There, as in an insulated citadel, a celebrated brigand\nhad his stronghold, who was called the Wolf, on account of the plunder\nand murders he committed in the surrounding country, either by himself,\nor by the gang of which he was the chief. He often, also, by means of\na flying bridge, confined travellers in this place, whom he had\nsurprised on the high-roads, and whom he detained till their ransom\nwas paid. The establishment of Francis and his brethren displeased him\ngreatly: people of that sort do not like having neighbors. He gave\nthem several times notice to begone, and he threatened them should\nthey not obey. Their great poverty gave them nothing to fear from\nthieves, but there was just cause for apprehending that the murderer\nmight massacre them all. Divine Providence, however, saved them by a\nchange which might well be called the work of the Most High. The villain\ncame one day determined upon expelling them, and used the most atrocious\nlanguage to them. Francis received him with so much mildness, listened\nto him with so much patience, and induced him by degrees to hear reason,\nso that his anger entirely fell, and he not only consented to their\nremaining, but he begged that they would admit him into their poor\ndwelling. He witnessed during several days their angelic mode of life,\nand he became so changed, that he determined upon adopting a similar\nplan. The Saint perceiving that from a ravenous wolf he was become a\ngentle lamb, gave him the habit of the Order, and the name of Brother\nAgnello, under which he expiated his crimes by religious penance, of\nwhich he rigidly fulfilled all the duties. This fact was of such\nnotoriety, that the rock to which he used to retire has always been\ncalled since, and is still known, by the name of Brother Wolf's prison.\n\nAll things being put in order at Mount Alvernia, he left it to go to\nRome. He passed through Monte Casale, Fabriano, Osimo, Ancona, Macerata,\nAscoli, Camerino, and many other places, preaching in all the truths\nof salvation, gaining disciples, founding houses for his Order,\nprophesying and working miracles; we shall only put on record here the\nmost remarkable, and those that are most edifying.\n\nGod favored him, as He had done St. Ambrose, with power of discovering\nrelics which were hidden. He knew by revelation that there were some\nin a certain church in which he had prayed, and some business calling\nhim away from thence, he communicated the circumstance to his brethren,\ndesiring them to take them from thence and place them in a more suitable\nsituation; but they either through forgetfulness or neglect did not\ndo so. One day as they were preparing the altar for Mass, they found\nunder the altar-cloth some beautiful bones, from which a sweet perfumed\nsmell issued, and they immediately recollected that these were the\nrelics of which their Father had spoken. At his return he inquired\nwhether they had been disinterred, and the religious, having told him\nexactly what had occurred, he said: \"Blessed be the Lord, my God, who,\nof His goodness, has done what you ought to have done out of obedience;\"\nbut he imposed a penance upon them in expiation of their fault. At the\nMonastery of Monte Maggiore, a joy and interior consolation which he\nfelt on entering the church, made him sensible that the high altar\ncontained something which had been used by the Blessed Virgin. He spoke\nof it to the religious, who searched closely, and found that it was\ntrue. In ecclesiastical history we find that God had often caused the\nrelics of His saints to be discovered, in order to do them honor, and\nthe Holy Fathers have taught the faithful to venerate them and to\npreserve them with great care.\n\nWhile he was preaching at Fabriano in the middle of the market-place,\nsome workmen who were employed at a palace made so much noise, that\nit prevented his being heard. Having entreated them to be quiet for\na short time, to which they paid no attention, he said that the work\nof those who were building the house would be of no use, because the\nLord did not build it, but that it would soon fall; however, that\nneither man nor beast would be injured by it; and this happened but\na few days after it had been finished, as he had foretold. He assured\nthe people at the same town, that at a place called the Poor Valley,\nhis brethren, who were poor, would some day have a habitation. And,\nin fact, in the year 1292, the town of Fabriano placed Friars Minor\nthere.\n\nAmong the most considerable establishments which he placed on his\nroute, was that of St. Mary of the Stony Valley, so called from its\nbeing situated in a very rocky valley, between two mountains, four\nmiles distant from Fabriano. It was a church dedicated to the Blessed\nVirgin, with a monastery, which the Religious of St. Benedict had\nabandoned in order to take refuge in the town, on account of the wars,\nand it is one of the most beautiful solitudes of all Italy. Devotion\nto the Mother of God, and the love of retreat, had induced Francis to\nask for this place; and it was given him by those who were its\nproprietors. The first time he went there, he lost his way, with his\ncompanion, and asked a ploughman to take him to the valley. \"What,\"\nsays the man, \"shall I leave my plough and lose my time, to serve you?\"\nHowever, he took him to the place, mollified by Francis' mildness, and\nby his promising him that he should be no loser by so doing: on\nreturning, after receiving the Father's blessing, he found his field\nquite ploughed.\n\nSome workmen who were employed repairing a house which had been given\nhim, at a place called Trabe Bonata, being very tired, asked him to\ngive them some wine. He sent two of his brethren to procure some in\na neighboring village, from some charitable benefactor; but the workmen\nbeing very urgent, out of compassion for them he went to a spring,\nmade the sign of the cross over it, and in an instant, instead of\nwater, wine issued from it, which flowed for a whole hour. Those who\ndrank of it published in all places the miraculous effect of the Saint's\ncharity.\n\nIn a parish called La Citta, he was very well received by the curate,\nwhose name was Raniero, with whom he became very intimate, so that he\nwas in the habit of visiting him, and going to confession to him. One\nday after confession he gave him, in a very humble manner, notice,\nthat he, the curate, would become one of his brethren, because they\nhad become too closely united to live different kinds of lives: \"But,\"\nhe said, \"this will not happen till after my death.\" The event verified\nthe prediction: as soon as the curate learnt that his friend Francis\nshone by an infinity of miracles, and was just canonized, he entered\nthe Order of Friars Minor, and adhered to the rules with great\nregularity.\n\nThe holy man coming to Osimo, was greeted, notwithstanding his great\nhumility, and brought into the town, with great honors. The next day\nhe preached on the vanity of the world, in so persuasive a strain,\nthat all his hearers, penetrated with compunction, turned their thoughts\nseriously to their reformation, and thirty young men entered his\nInstitute.\n\nOn the same journey, he and his companions lodged at the house of a\ngentleman, the greatness of whose soul equalled the antiquity of his\nnobility, and whose politeness was joined to piety. The welcome he\nreceived there was followed by this open-hearted proffer: \"Man of God,\"\nhe said, \"I place my person at your disposal, and all that I possess,\nall is yours, do as you please with it; if you want clothing, or a\ncloak, or books, or whatever it may be, take it, and I will pay for\nit. Be assured that I am wholly at your service. God has given me\nwealth; I have wherewithal to assist the poor, and it is but just that\nI do not fail in so doing.\"\n\nFrancis merely at the time contented himself with making those grateful\nacknowledgments which so handsome and obliging an offer required; but\nwhen he left him, he could not refrain from admiring the generosity\nof this gentleman, and he said to his companion: \"Indeed, brother, he\nwould be an excellent subject for our Order; he is humbly thankful for\nwhat he has received from God; he loves his neighbor very sincerely;\nhe gives willingly to the poor; and he exercises hospitality from his\nheart; he is extremely affable and polite; and politeness is sister\nto charity; it puts down contention and promotes concord; he is\nnaturally benevolent; and this feeling is highly pleasing to our Father\nwho is in Heaven, who causes the sun to rise on the good and on the\nwicked. So many excellent qualities which I see in this young man,\nmake me wish to have him to be one of us, and I should admit him with\npleasure. We must pay him another visit, and exhort him to devote\nhimself to the service of God; perhaps the Holy Ghost may incline him\nto do so; meanwhile let us implore the Lord to grant our wish, if He\njudges it right.\" In fact, they did pray for this purpose.\n\nSome days afterwards they returned to this person's house, who had the\ncuriosity to watch what Francis did in the night; he saw him in prayer,\nand in an ecstasy raised from the ground, and surrounded by a splendid\nlight, and he felt interiorly a certain celestial fire, which inspired\nhim with an ardent desire to imitate his mode of life. In the morning,\nhe communicated his feelings to the Saint, who was already made aware\nof them by revelation, and who thanked the Giver of all good gifts for\nthem. The postulant gave all he had to the poor, took the habit of a\nFriar Minor, and lived holily; preserving always the same affable and\npolite manners, with which he received the guests of the convents in\nwhich he resided. This endeared him still more to the Patriarch, who\nwas very zealous in the exercise of hospitality. The duties of\nhospitality, lauded by the pagans, taught by the Gospel, enforced by\nthe Apostles, and all the Holy Fathers, are exercised in the Order of\nSt. Francis with so much the more care as, being totally dependent on\ncharity, they consider themselves bound to give all in the same manner,\nand they apply to themselves these words of the Son of God to the\nApostles, on the gift of miracles: \"Freely you have received, freely\ngive.\" This is what draws down the blessing of God, and which makes\nso many houses subsist, without any revenue, by the charity of the\nfaithful.\n\nThe holy Patriarch of the Friars Minor arrived at Rome when everything\nwas preparing for the opening of the Twelfth Ecumenical Council, the\n4th of Lateran, one of the most numerous ever held in the Church.\nInnocent III had convoked it for the extinction of heresies, for the\nreformation of morals, for regulating the discipline of the Church,\nand for the recovery of the Holy Land by the union of the Christian\nprinces.\n\nFrancis came to Rome to induce the Sovereign Pontiff to give a public\napproval to the Rule of his Order, which was of the highest importance\nin order that the prelates might have it in their power to distinguish\nthe poor of Jesus Christ, true children of the Church, from certain\nsectaries of those times who affected, as has been already said, to\nbear the marks of Apostolic poverty.\n\nWhat the Servant of God required was put in force; the Pope declared\nbefore all the Fathers of the Council, that he approved the Order and\nthe Rule of St. Francis, although he had hitherto issued no bull. This\nis a fact which is related by the companions of the Saint who wrote\nhis life, and by two authors of the Order of St. Dominic, Jordan of\nSaxony, a disciple of that blessed Patriarch, and St. Antoninus.\nMoreover, in order to avoid too great a variety of religious orders,\nthe council prohibited the formation of any new ones, and directed\nthat the existing ones should be considered sufficient. Yet it is clear\nthat the Pope could not, in this instance, avoid making known the\napprobation he had given to an Order so new and peculiar as was that\nof the Friars Minor, which in the last five years, had spread over\nItaly, and was established in Rome.\n\nThe holy friendship which was subsequently formed between St. Dominic\nand St. Francis, renders it proper that we should here record that St.\nDominic came also to this Lateran Council, together with Fulke, Bishop\nof Toulouse, in order to propose to the pope an intention he had of\ninstituting an order of preachers, and that the Pope had seen in a\ndream St. Dominic supporting the Lateran Church, which was falling,\nin the same way as he had seen Francis supporting it five years before.\nHe praised his undertaking, but told him, according to the decree of\nthe council, to return with his brethren, and prepare a rule for the\nguidance of the order, and then come back to have the order confirmed,\nwhich the holy patriarch complied with.\n\nThe Council of Lateran having terminated its labors, Francis left Rome\nat the beginning of December to return to St. Mary of the Angels.\n\nWhen he had reached his convent, Clare, who, being very humble, had\naccepted only through obedience the quality of Abbess of St. Damian,\nwished to lay it down into his hands, to which he would by no means\nassent, because he knew that by the disposition of Divine Providence,\nshe was to form the disciples who were to establish his Order in various\nplaces, from whence it was to spread throughout the Church.\n\nClare had admitted many virgins during the three years she had presided\nover St. Damian, among whom were some of her own relatives. Beatrice,\nthe youngest of her sisters, came a short time afterwards; and\nHortolona, her mother, as soon as she became a widow, decided upon\nconsecrating herself to God, with her three daughters, in the same\nmonastery, where miracles testified to the holiness of her life.\nFinally, the virtues of Clare were so resplendent, and the miracles\nwhich it pleased the Almighty to work by her means, threw so much\nsplendor around her, that, according to the remark of Pope Alexander\nIV, in the bull of her canonization, the truth of the prediction which\nwas made to her mother, was clearly seen:--\"That she would give to the\nworld a light which would even enlighten the world.\" The sequel of the\nlife of the Father will afford further opportunity for speaking of the\ndaughter.\n\nThe Benedictines of Mount Soubazo, in this year, gave the holy Patriarch\na convent on this very mountain, two miles from Assisi. It has been\ncalled the prison of St. Francis, because he often shut himself up\nthere in contemplation after his Apostolical labors. His oratory is\nstill there, also: his cell, the stone and the wood which served him\nfor bed and pillow, and a copious spring which, by his intercession,\nhe obtained from God.\n\nFrom the beginning of the following year, 1216, to the 30th of May,\nthe Festival of Whitsuntide, the day on which the general chapter was\nheld, which was the first of the Order, he had as much leisure as he\ncould desire for conversing with God, for giving instruction to his\nbrethren at St. Mary of the Angels, and to the Town of Assisi and its\nenvirons. In the assembly, provincial ministers were appointed, to\nwhom power was given for admitting postulants into the Order; which\nthe Founder had previously reserved to himself. One whose name does\nnot appear, was sent into Apulia, and John de Strachia was sent into\nLombardy; Benedict of Arezzo, into the Marches of Ancona; Daniel the\nTuscan, into Calabria; Augustin of Assisi, into the Terra di Lavoro;\nElias of Cortona, into Tuscany. Evangelical laborers were chosen for\ndifferent nations. Bernard de Quintavalle, for Spain; John Bonella,\na Florentine, with thirty companions, for Provence; John de Penna, and\nsixty of his brethren, for Upper and Lower Germany; Francis took for\nhis share Paris and what is properly called France and the Low\nCountries.\n\nThe Apostolic laborers being all assembled at the feet of their Father,\nto receive his orders, he addressed them with paternal tenderness, in\nthe following discourse:--\n\n\"In the name of the Lord, go forth modestly, two and two, observing\nstrict silence from the morning till after the hour of Tierce, praying\nto God from your hearts. Let no idle or useless words be heard among\nyou; although you are travelling, your deportment should be as humble\nand as decorous as if you were in a hermitage, or in your cells. For\nwherever we are, and, whithersoever we may be going, we have always\nour vocation with us; our brother, the body, is our cell, and the soul\nis the hermit, who dwells in it to think of God and to pray to Him.\nIf a religious soul does not dwell quietly in the cell of the body,\nthe external cells will be of little use to him. Behave, then, in such\nmanner in the world, that whosoever may see or hear you, may be moved\nto devotion, and praise our Heavenly Father to whom alone all glory\nbelongs. Proclaim peace to all men, but have it in your hearts, as\nwell as in your mouths. Give to no one cause for anger, nor for scandal;\non the contrary, by your own mildness, induce every one to feel\nbenignly, and draw them to union and to concord. We are called to heal\nthe wounded, console the afflicted, and to bring back those who err;\nmany may seem to you to be members of the devil, who will one day be\ndisciples of Jesus Christ.\" What Francis said of the inutility of\nexterior cells, where the soul is not at ease in the cell of the body,\nis in conformity to these words of St. Bernard:--\"You may be alone\nwhen you are in the midst of the world, as it may so happen that you\nmay be in the midst of the world when you are alone.\"\n\nThe children of the holy Patriarch received his blessing; and having\nrecommended themselves to the prayers of their companions, they set\nout for those places to which obedience sent them. The success of the\nseveral labors will be adverted to further on. The missionaries for\nProvence remained some days after the breaking up of the chapter, to\nreceive further instructions relative to their mission. The day of\ntheir departure, there were only three loaves of bread in the convent,\ntwo of which had been sent there by Clare; these were found sufficient\nfor more than thirty who were present, and there was a great deal to\nspare, a circumstance which was considered to be a good omen.\n\nFrancis, having animated all the others by his zeal, prepared himself\nfor setting out for Paris. Besides the natural affection he had for\nFrance, of which he liked the language, as it was familiar to him, he\nchose this city preferably to many others, because he knew that their\ndevotion was great towards the blessed sacrament, and this was a great\nattraction for his piety.\n\nMay the Parisians ever entertain and transmit to their posterity this\nfervent devotion of their ancestors, which Pope Urban IV., who was a\nnative of France, stirred up in the hearts of the faithful forty-six\nyears afterwards, by the institution of the Feast of the Most Holy\nSacrament, which is celebrated throughout the Church, with so much\nsolemnity. The bull which he issued on this occasion, enters into the\nstrongest and most moving arguments calculated to inspire veneration,\nlove, and the zeal which the precious memorial of the goodness of the\nSon of God calls for, and to invite to a frequent and worthy\nparticipation in the divine mystery, which the Council of Trent has\nsince expressed its anxiety to see reestablished.\n\nBefore his departure, Francis undertook to reconcile the members of\nthe illustrious family of the Baselennesi, a long time disunited by\nunhappy family dissensions, and he succeeded to the satisfaction of\nall parties. Out of gratitude they had built for him, on one of their\nestates on a spot near the Tiber, surrounded with very beautiful trees,\na convent called St. Angel of Pantanellis.\n\nHe chose to go once more to Rome to recommend to the holy Apostles his\njourney to France. On the road, having seated himself close to a spring\nto take his meal, he put some pieces of bread, which had been given\nto him on his quest, and which were very hard and mouldy, on a stone\nnear him; he expressed much satisfaction, and he pressed his companion\nMasse to give thanks to God for so great a treasure; and he repeated\nseveral times the same thing, elevating his voice more and more. \"But\nof what treasure are you talking\" said Masse, \"at a time when we are\nin want of many things?\" \"The great treasure is,\" replied Francis,\n\"that, being in want of so much, God has had the goodness to furnish\nus by His providence with that bread and this spring, and to find us\nthis stone to serve as a table.\"\n\nHe went shortly after into a church, where he prayed to God to give\nhim and his children the love of holy poverty; and his prayer was so\nfervent that fire seemed to issue from his countenance. Full of this\ncelestial ardor, he went towards Masse with open arms, calling him by\nname with a loud voice; Masse, in great astonishment, going to throw\nhimself into the arms of his Father, was raised into the air several\ncubits high, and felt such sweetness in his soul, that he frequently\nafterwards declared that he had never experienced anything like it.\nAfter this ecstasy, Francis spoke to him on the subject of poverty in\nan admirable strain.\n\nWhen at Rome, in a chapel of the Church of St. Peter, while he was\npraying with tears that the holy Apostles would give him instructions\non the subject of holy poverty and of an Apostolic life, they appeared\nto him surrounded by lights, and, after tenderly embracing him, said:\n\"Brother Francis, our Lord Jesus Christ has sent us to tell you that\nHe has favorably heard your prayers and tears on the subject of holy\npoverty, which He Himself had followed, as well as His Blessed Mother,\nand we, who are His Apostles, after his example. This treasure is\ngranted to you for yourself and for your children; those who shall\ncarefully adhere to it, will have the kingdom of heaven for their\nreward.\" The Servant of God, filled with consolation, went to his\ncompanion Masse, to whom he communicated what had passed, and they\nwent together to give thanks at the place which is called the Confession\nof St. Peter, which is his tomb.\n\nWhile Francis was at Rome, Pope Innocent III died at Perugia. He was\nof the illustrious house of the Counts of Segni, which has given five\npopes to the Church, the last of whom was Innocent XIII, of blessed\nmemory. It was at the University of Paris that his merit was first\nnoticed; he shone there above the many who were its honor and its\nornament. It was his rare and transcendent qualities which induced the\ncardinals unanimously to elect him to the pontificate; and these\nqualities shone with additional splendor when his humility urged his\nresistance to the election, from which he prayed with unaffected tears\nto be released. His government and the works he has left to posterity,\nshow, that he had great genius, great science, prudence, and probity,\nwith solid piety, and ardent zeal. \"He was,\" says a French contemporary\nwriter \"a man of great courage and great wisdom, who had no equal in\nhis day, and who did marvellous things.\" He was indeed one of the most\neminent men who have filled the chair of St. Peter. The affection he\nbore to Francis, and the favors he conferred on his Order, have\ncompelled us to do this justice here to his memory.\n\nOn the 18th of July, they elected for his successor Cardinal Savelli,\nwho took the name of Honorius III. He was a learned and worthy man.\nHe generally followed the designs of his predecessor, and had a similar\naffection for the religious orders, of which he gave substantial proofs\nin the favors he bestowed on that of St. Francis.\n\nSome months after his election, he gave his approval of the Order of\nSt. Dominic. This holy patriarch having returned to his companions to\nfix upon a rule, as had been recommended to him by Pope Innocent at\nthe Lateran Council, and having adopted the rule of St. Augustine, to\nwhich he had added some more austere regulations, came back to Rome\nto procure the approval of the Holy See. While he solicited it from\nHonorius, who had arrived from Perugia, he made acquaintance and\ncontracted an intimacy with Francis, in consequence of a miraculous\nvision which he had in the Church of St. Peter, where he prayed\nunceasingly with great fervor for the success of his enterprise.\n\nHe saw the Son of God seated on the right hand of His Father, who rose\nup greatly irritated against sinners, holding three darts in His hand,\nfor the extirpation of the proud, the avaricious, and the voluptuous.\nHis holy Mother threw herself at His feet, and prayed for mercy, saying\nthat she had persons who would remedy the evil; and she at the same\ntime introduced to Him Dominic and Francis, as being proper persons\nfor reforming the world, and reestablishing piety; this pacified Jesus\nChrist.\n\nDominic, who had never seen Francis, met him next day, recognized him,\nran to him and embraced him, saying: \"You are my companion; we will\nwork in concert with each other; let us be strictly united, and no one\nwill be able to master us.\" Francis himself communicated this favor\nof Heaven to the children of Dominic: and St. Vincent Ferrer, and some\nother authors quoted by Wading, say that Francis had received a similar\nfavor from Heaven. The event proved the truth of the Vision. Dominic\nalone, without any human aid, having nothing to command success but\npoverty, humility, and prayer, obtained the approbation of his order,\nwhich was an affair of great difficulty, particularly at the\ncommencement of a Pontificate, when the Pope is occupied by most\nimportant affairs.\n\nWe may here notice the groundwork of the ardent zeal of the Friars\nPreachers and the Friars Minor for the glory of the Mother of God.\nPersuaded that their orders were established under her protection, and\nthat she is especially the mother of their holy patriarchs, they strive\nby every means in their power to restore the devout veneration due to\nher. It is the common interest of all the faithful who see that she\nis, according to the expression of the Holy Fathers, their advocate\nand their mediatrix; that she prays and solicits for them; that she\ninterposes between them and the wrath of her Son, and appeases Him:\nthis affords great room for confidence in her, and should induce them\nto invoke her for their conversion and sanctification.\n\nDominic and Francis, confident of the protection of the Blessed Virgin,\nentered into a strict friendship and resolved to spare no pains in\ntheir exertions for the glory of God, and concerted together as to the\nbest means for attaining their object. Upon which an author quoted by\nWading, makes a most appropriate reflection: \"It was,\" he says,\n\"something admirable to see two men, who were poor, badly clad, without\npower or interest despicable in the eyes of the world, divide between\nthem the world itself, and undertake to conquer it. Who would not have\nturned their plans into ridicule hearing them seriously consult together\non such an undertaking, since they seemed to have so little means of\ncarrying them into execution? Nevertheless, they succeeded; because\nGod selected by their means to confound what is strong.\" They resembled\nSt. Peter and St. Paul, proposing to themselves, in the same City of\nRome, to convert the universe by the preaching of the Gospel; this\nshows that God made use of means for reanimating the faith, similar\nto those which He had employed to establish it.\n\nIt is reported, that while Dominic and Francis were still at Rome,\nAngelus, of the Order of the Carmelites, who was afterwards martyred\nin Sicily, was also there; that, preaching in the Church of St. John\nLateran, where the two others were among the hearers, he foretold that\nthey would become two great pillars of the Church; that when the sermon\nwas finished, they foretold to one another what would happen to each\nof them, and even that Francis would receive the stigmata; then the\nthree together cured a man afflicted with leprosy, and passed a day\nand a night together in prayer and conversing on holy subjects.\n\nFrancis left Rome at the end of the year, intending to continue his\njourney into France. He passed through Sienna and by Mount Alvernia\nand arrived at Florence in the month of January, 1217, to pay his\ndutiful respects to Cardinal Ugolino, who was Papal Legate there. This\ncardinal, who had declared himself his protector and his friend, when\nhe went to request the approbation of his rule from Pope Innocent III.,\nin 1210, received him with great kindness, detained him some days,\ninquired into the affairs of his Order, and said to him on the subject\nof his journey: \"Francis, your Order is still in its infancy. You know\nthe opposition it met with in Rome, and you have still there some\nsecret enemies; if there is not some one there to watch over your\ninterests, it will be an easy matter to cause all you have obtained\nto be revoked. Your presence will go a great way in upholding your\nwork, and those who are attached to you will have a greater stimulus\nfor giving you their support. As to myself, I am from this moment\nwholly yours.\"\n\nThe holy man, after having thanked the cardinal, replied: \"I have sent\nmany of my brethren into far distant countries. If I remain quietly\nin our convent, without taking any share in their labors, it will be\na great shame for me; and these poor religious, who are suffering\nhunger and thirst, will have great reason to murmur and complain; but\ninstead of that, if they find that I work as much as they do, they\nwill bear their fatigues more willingly, and I shall more easily\npersuade them to undertake similar missions.\"\n\nThe cardinal, feeling for the sufferings of these missionaries, said:\n\"But why, brother, have you the harshness to expose your disciples to\nsuch arduous journeying and to so much suffering?\" \"My Lord,\" replied\nFrancis, who was urged by a prophetic spirit, \"you think that God has\nsanctioned the Institute for this country only; but I tell you that\nHe has formed it for the good of the universe, and for the salvation\nof all men, without excluding the infidels: for religious of this Order\nwill go into their territories; and provided they live in conformity\nto the Gospel, God will provide amply for all their wants, even among\nthe enemies of His name.\"\n\nThese words made a great impression on the cardinal, who was a very\nholy man, and increased his affection for Francis, whom he again\nexhorted in stronger language than before, to remain in Italy to\nconsolidate an Institute which was to have such beneficial results.\nThe Saint having yielded to the reasoning of the cardinal, entreated\nhim to be the protector of the Friars Minor, according to his promise,\nand to be so good as to be present at the next general chapter; after\nwhich he took the road to the Valley of Spoleto.\n\nThere he learnt that some of his brethren had been seriously ill-treated\nby several prelates, and that at the court of Rome there were persons\nwho spoke against his Order. This news confirmed him in the resolution\nhe had taken to remain in Italy; and he named three of his disciples\nfor the French mission, to wit: Pacificus of the Marches of Ancona,\nthe celebrated poet, whose conversion we have related; Angelus, and\nAlbert, both of Pisa.\n\nHe likewise intended to request the Pope to nominate a cardinal of the\nHoly Roman Church, to protect his Order against all who should attack\nit. Three of his companions, the writers of his life, say, that he was\ninduced to this by a celestial vision in his sleep. He saw a hen\nendeavoring to gather all her chickens under her wings, to protect\nthem from a hawk; she could not cover them all, and many were about\nto become its prey; but another large bird appeared, spread its wings\nover them, and preserved them from the danger. On awaking, Francis\nprayed our Lord to explain to him the meaning of this, and he learnt\nthat the hen represented himself, and the chickens were his disciples,\nthat the bird with the large wings represented the cardinal, whom they\nwere to solicit for their protector. He told all this to his brethren,\nand addressed them as follows:--\n\n\"The Roman Church is the mother of all the churches, and the sovereign\nof all religious orders. It is to her that I shall address myself to\nrecommend to her my brethren, in order that her authority may silence\nthose who are hostile to them, and that she may procure for the children\nof God full and perfect liberty to advance quietly in the way of eternal\nsalvation; for when they shall be under her protection, there will be\nno more enemies to oppose them, nor disturb them; there will not be\nseen among them any son of Belial to ravage with impunity the vineyard\nof the Lord. The holy Church will be zealous for the glory of our\npoverty; she will not suffer that the humility which is so honorable\nto her, shall be obscured by the clouds of pride. It is she who will\nrender indissoluble among us, the bonds of charity and peace, rigorously\npunishing the authors of dissensions. Under her eyes, the holy\nevangelical observance will ever flourish in its pristine purity; she\nwill never permit these holy practices to flag even momentarily, those\npractices which shed around them a vivifying light. May the children,\nthen, of that holy Church be very grateful for the great favors which\nthey receive from their mother; let them kiss her feet with profound\nveneration, and remain forever inviolably attached to her.\"\n\nThe first words of this discourse show that St. Francis was perfectly\ncognizant of the prerogatives of the Church of Rome, and of the extent\nof the authority of the Holy See. It was not in vain that he sought\nher protection, since his Order was established, extended, supported,\nand sometimes even renovated under this powerful authority; and the\nattachment to the Holy See, which he so strongly recommended to his\nbrethren, has been so visibly manifested during five centuries, that\nit has procured for them the esteem and love of all Catholics, as well\nas the hatred of the heretics, so that they have the honor of having\nsome share in the eulogiums which St. Jerome passed on St. Augustine:\n\"The Catholics esteem and respect you, and, what enhances your glory,\nall the heretics detest you. They hold me in equal hatred; and if they\ndurst not put both the one and the other of us to death, they have at\nleast the wish to do so.\" This wish of the heretics has not been without\neffect as regards the children of St. Francis, for of a thousand martyrs\nwhich they reckon in his Order, a very great number of them were put\nto death with greater cruelty in this and latter times by the sectarians\nthan by idolatrous tyrants. Heresy will be ever so, the daughter of\na parent, who, according to the words of Jesus Christ, was a murderer\nfrom the beginning.\n\nThe holy Patriarch went then to Rome, where he found Cardinal Ugolino,\nwho was returned from Tuscany, to whom he communicated the intention\nhe had of soliciting the pope for a protector. The cardinal at the\nsame time expressed his wish to hear him preach before the pope and\nthe sacred college. Francis excused himself from this as much as he\ncould, assigning for reasons, his ignorance, his simplicity, and his\nuncultivated mind, which unfitted him for speaking in the most august\nassembly in the world. But he was obliged to yield to the pressing\ninstances of the cardinal, who entreated him as a friend to comply,\nand even ordered him to prepare himself for the task, recommending him\nto compose carefully a sermon wherein there should be as much erudition\nand reasoning as such an audience required.\n\nUp to that time, the Servant of God had never prepared himself for\npreaching; he only spoke from the pulpit what the Holy Ghost inspired.\nNevertheless, he, in this instance, obeyed the cardinal; he prepared\na sermon as carefully as he could, and learned it by heart. When he\ncame into the presence of the Pope, he forgot every part of the\ndiscourse, and could not utter a syllable of it. But after having\nhumbly explained the circumstance, and implored the aid of the Holy\nGhost, words flowed copiously from his mouth, and he spoke with so\nmuch eloquence and animation, that the Pope and cardinal were deeply\naffected.\n\nHaving been admitted to an audience of the Pope in presence of Cardinal\nUgolino, he said: \"Most Holy Father, I am not in fear of becoming\nimportunate for the interests of your lowly servants, the Friars Minor,\nwhile you are occupied with so many important affairs which regard the\nwhole Church. I entreat you to give us this cardinal, to whom we may\nhave recourse in our wants, always under your sanction, since it is\nfrom you, the Head of the mystical Body, that all power emanates.\" The\nPope granted his request with alacrity, and recommended the cardinal\nto take great care of the Order. From that time, the Orders of Friars\nMinor have always had a cardinal protector, whose powers are extended\nas the Pope shall see fit; the terms of the Rule, which oblige the\nOrder by obedience to apply for one, show, that it was the intention\nof Francis, that his powers should be most ample.\n\nCardinal Ugolino was one of the most accomplished men of the City of\nRome; his person well made, his countenance mild and majestic, his\ngenius quick, with great memory and eloquence, possessing in perfection\nall human sciences, civil and canon-law, and particularly the Holy\nScriptures; he was very expert in all public business; a lover of\nvirtue and order, and of a pure and exemplary life.\n\nHis first care in undertaking the office of protector, which he did\nwillingly, was, to defend the Friars against all those who attacked\nthem, to conciliate the prelates in their favor and to spread them\ninto all parts for the salvation of souls; his great authority silenced\ntheir enemies. As often as his affairs admitted of it, he assisted at\ntheir general chapters; then he officiated pontifically. Francis acted\nas his deacon, and preached. He conformed to the rule of the Institute\nas much as was in his power, and was, when with them, as one of\nthemselves, and even endeavored to appear as the lowest among them.\n\nA contemporary author, who was an ocular witness, expresses himself\nthus: \"O how often has he been seen humbly to divest himself of the\nmarks of his high dignity; put on the poor habit, and, with bare feet,\njoin the religious in the regular exercises, in order to imitate their\nevangelical life!\" A lively and enlightened faith, a solid and fervent\npiety, and a superior mind, convinced him that since the time of the\nabasement of the Son of God, humiliation is honorable, and adds to the\nsplendor of the highest dignities; a truth which is not understood by\npersons of little faith, by the proud, the indevout, and those of\nlittle mind.\n\nThis great cardinal respected Francis as much as he loved him; looking\nupon him as a man sent down from heaven. His presence was a source of\npleasure to him, and he often admitted, as the above-quoted author\nstates, that from the time he had made acquaintance with this holy\nman, as soon as he saw him and heard him speak, all that caused in him\nuneasiness of mind, or grief at heart was dispelled; his countenance\nbecame serene, and his soul was filled with fervor.\n\nFrancis, on his side, had great veneration for the cardinal. He insisted\non his brethren considering him as the Pastor of the Flock, and, with\nan attachment as tender as that of an infant for its mother's breast,\nhe gave him in all things marks of the profoundest deference. One day,\nhearing that he was about to receive a visit from him he ran away and\nhid himself in the thickest part of the wood. The cardinal had him\nsought for, and went himself in search for him. Having found him he\nasked Francis as his friend to tell why he avoided him. \"My Lord and\nmy Father,\" answered the humble Francis, \"as soon as I knew that your\nGrandeur intended to honor me with your presence, me who am the poorest\nand the most despicable of men, I was covered with confusion, and I\nblushed at the thought of my baseness, finding myself wholly unworthy\nto receive so distinguished an honor, for I truly revere you as my\nLord and my Father.\" These feelings were partly owing to a vision he\nhad, which revealed to him that this cardinal would be Pope; he foretold\nit to him,--this is recorded by St. Bonaventure; and in the private\nletters which he wrote to him, he put on the heading: To my Reverend\nFather and Lord Ugolino, who is one day to be the Bishop of the whole\nworld, and the Father of all nations.\n\nThe respectful gratitude of the Friars Minor required that we should\ninsert all these anecdotes in memory of Cardinal Ugolino, who honored\nthe holy Patriarch of his Order, as well as that of St. Clare, with\nhis affection, his protection, and his liberality, and who surpassed\nall his former favors ten years afterwards, when he was Pope under the\nname of Gregory IX.\n\nWhen Francis had obtained from the Pope so powerful a protector, and\nhad put his various affairs in order, he set out on his return to St.\nMary of the Angels, but he spent the remainder of the year in the\nValley of Rieti, where he performed many wonderful things, of which\none of his companions has given a very ample account.\n\nAt Grecio, or Grecchia, a very dissolute town in which he first\npreached, no one frequented the Sacraments; no one listened to the\nWord of God, and marriages within the prohibited degrees were of\nordinary occurrence.--By word and example he urged them to repentance\nand made such an impression that they entreated him to make some\nbrothers stay among them. He willingly agreed to do so, in the hope\nof their conversion, which took place in a short time; meanwhile he\nretired to a mountain, from whence he came to Grecio and other places\nto preach.\n\nOn returning one day from Cotanello, a neighboring town, and not being\nable to find the way to the mountain, he asked a farmer to be his\nguide. This man excusing himself, saying that there were wolves in\nthat direction that committed great havoc, Francis promised him, and\npledged himself as his surety, that he should not be attacked by any\nwolf either in going or coming back; he found that the Saint was\ncorrect, for, in returning, two wolves which were in the way, played\nwith him as dogs do, and followed him to his house without doing him\nany harm. The farmer reported this over all his neighborhood, and said\nthat, assuredly, the man to whom he had served as guide, must be a\ngreat favorite with God, who gave him such absolute command over the\nwolves. Upon this they assembled in great numbers, and came to the Man\nof God, entreating him to deliver them from their calamities.\n\n\"Two sorts of calamities bore hard upon them,\" says St. Bonaventure,\n\"wolves and hail.\" The wolves were so ravenous in the environs of\nGrecio, that they devoured both cattle and men; and the hail fell every\nyear in such quantity and of such large size, that their crops of corn\nwere destroyed, and their vineyards sorely damaged. Francis preached\non this subject, and pointed out to them that scourges of this nature\nwere the punishment of sin; and he ended by saying: \"For the honor and\nfor the glory of God, I pledge my word to you, that if you choose to\ngive credit to what I say, and have pity on your own souls, by making\na good confession, and showing worthy fruits of repentance, God will\nlook upon you with a favorable eye; will deliver you from your\ncalamities, and render your country abundant in all sorts of good\nthings. But I also declare to you that if you are ungrateful for these\nbenefits, if, like the dog, you return to the vomit, God will be still\nmore irritated against you, and you will feel the effects thereof\ntwofold by the fresh afflictions He will then send.\" They believed the\npreacher, and did penance; from that moment the scourges ceased; nothing\nmore was heard of wolves, and there was no more hail; and, what seemed\nmost remarkable, continues St. Bonaventure, was, that when it hailed\nin the vicinity, the cloud, on nearing their lands, either stopped or\nwent off in another direction. This lasted as long as those people\nremained faithful to God.\n\nFour authors, in different centuries, who have written the history of\nthe Valley of Rieti, assure us, that when dissoluteness recommenced\nin that country, the wolves returned and made great havoc. Wading, who\nwrote in Italy in the 17th century, says, that the inhabitants of the\nvalley admitted this to be the case. It is certain by the testimony\nof the Holy Scriptures, that the sins of the people call down not\nunfrequently the scourges of the wrath of God, which may be averted\nby repentance, or be rendered useful to salvation. But how many\nafflicted sinners are there, of whom it may be said with the prophet:\n\"O Lord, Thou hast struck them, and they have not grieved; Thou hast\nbruised them, and they have refused to receive correction; they have\nmade their faces harder than the rock, and they have refused to return.\"\n\nA knight, whose name was John Velita, who was converted by the preaching\nof Francis, became his intimate friend, and used often to go to see\nhim and consult him in his hut, which was made of the branches of two\nlarge hornbeams intertwined. As he was an elderly man, and very\ncorpulent, whom the steepness of the road greatly fatigued, he begged\nFrancis to come nearer to the town: this would be agreeable to all,\nand he offered to build him a convent on any spot he should select.\nThe Servant of God assented to the proposal, and, smiling, promised\nthe knight not to settle farther from the town than the distance to\nwhich a child could throw a lighted brand. Upon this they went together\ndown the mountain, and when they reached the gates of Grecio, the\nknight sent the first child he met to fetch a lighted brand, and desired\nhim to throw it as far as he could, not thinking he could throw it\nvery far. But the child, with a strength surpassing that of men, threw\nthe brand to a distance of more than a mile, and it fell on a hill\nbelonging to the knight, and set fire to the wood which covered it,\nand lit at length on a very stony spot. This prodigy made it clear\nthat God desired that a convent should be built there, and it was cut\nout of the rock. The oratory, the dormitory, and the refectory, which\nare still extant, on the ground floor, are only thirty feet long by\nsix broad; precious remains, which show us the love of poverty which\nplanned them.\n\nThe Saint founded three other establishments in the Valley of Rieti,\nat St. Mary of the Woods, at Monte Raniero, or Monte Columba, and at\nPui Buscone. These four houses, which are situated on eminences on the\nfour sides of the valley, formed together a cross. In each of them,\nas in the Town of Rieti, and all around the lake which surrounds it,\ntraces are shown of several miracles which were performed by the man\nof God.\n\nHe returned to St. Mary of the Angels in the Month of January, 1218,\nand he determined upon convoking a general chapter, which he proclaimed\nby circular letters, to be held on Whitsuntide of the year 1219, in\norder that he might be made acquainted with the state of the missions\nintrusted to his disciples, and that he might send missionaries into\nparts where there had hitherto been none.\n\nWhile he was thus occupied by his important projects for the salvation\nof souls, God, in order to prevent any emotions of pride stealing into\nhis heart, and to maintain in him a profound humility, was pleased to\npermit that he should be attacked by a violent temptation; it was an\nextraordinary depression of spirits, which lasted several days. He\nmade every effort to surmount it by his prayers and his tears; and one\nday when he was praying with more than ordinary fervor, a celestial\nvoice said to him: \"Francis, if thou hadst the faith of a grain of\nmustard-seed, and thou wert to say to this mountain, go thither from\nhence, it would go.\" Not understanding the meaning of these words, he\nasked \"what is the mountain\"; and he was answered: \"The mountain is\nthe temptation.\" He immediately replied, weeping and humbling himself:\n\"Lord, Thy will be done.\" And from that moment the temptation ceased,\nand his mind became perfectly at ease.\n\nThe year 1218 was divided between the stay he made at St. Mary of the\nAngels, for the instruction of his brethren, and some excursions he\nmade to Mount Alvernia and to some other places, where new dwellings\nwere made over to him. His route was always marked by the fruits of\nhis preaching, and by the splendor of his miracles. Passing by Montaigu,\nabove the Valley of Caprese, before a Church of St. Paul, which was\nbeing repaired, and seeing that two of the masons could not succeed\nin lifting a stone, which was to be placed as a jamb for the door, his\ncompassion and zeal induced him to lift it and place it as required,\nwhich he did alone, and with a strength which was not that of a mortal.\nThe Abbot of the Monastery of St. Justin, in the Diocese of Perugia,\nmet him, and alighted from his horse to compliment him, and to speak\nto him on some matters of conscience. After a conversation replete\nwith unction, the abbot, recommended himself humbly to his prayers.\nFrancis replied: \"I will pray with all my heart;\" and they parted. At\na little distance from thence, the Saint said to his companion: \"Wait\na little, brother, I will here perform my promise.\" He knelt to pray;\nand while he was so doing, the abbot, who was riding on, felt his mind\ninflamed with a suavity of devotion, such as he had never before\nexperienced. He stopped, and the vivid impressions with which God\nfavored him, threw him into an ecstasy. But when he came to himself\nagain, he became aware that it was entirely owing to the prayers of\nFrancis.\n\nOn his return from his last journey in 1218, which was much longer\nthan any of the others had been, Francis found that another building,\nlarge and commodious, had been erected in his absence, close to the\nPortiuncula convent. Displeased at seeing this infringement of the\nrules of holy poverty, he took some of his brethren with him, and went\non the roof, to begin to break it down, which he certainly would have\ncarried through, had not some of the people from Assisi, who were\nthere, informed him that the building belonged to the town; that it\nhad been built by them for the foreign religious, who daily arrived\nthere, it being dishonorable to the town to see them compelled, in\nconsequence of the want of room in the convent, to sleep outside, and\neven in the fields; that the town had destined this building for their\naccommodation, and that they would be received there in its name. On\nhearing this he came down, and said:--\"If that, then, is your house,\nI leave it, and shall not meddle with it; we shall have nothing to do\nwith it, neither myself nor my brethren; take care of it yourselves.\"\nIt was decided in consequence by a deliberation of the municipality,\nthat the magistrates should provide for the repairs.\n\n\n\n\nBOOK III\n\n\nThe time of the general chapter drew near, of that chapter which became\nso celebrated by the number of religious which attended it, and by\nmany other marvellous circumstances. Before its assembling, the holy\nPatriarch proposed to go to Perugia, to confer with the cardinal\nprotector, who was living there, on the affairs of the Order. Wading\nstates, on good authority, that St. Dominic was there at the same time,\nand that they had several deliberations together with the cardinal,\nwho had a like esteem for both.\n\nOne day when they were in serious conversation on the affairs of the\nChurch, the cardinal asked them whether they should consider it\nadvisable for some of their members to be raised to ecclesiastical\ndignities; \"for,\" said he, \"I am persuaded that they would have no\nless zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, than those\nbishops of the early ages of the Church, who, although in great poverty,\nanimated by ardent charity, fed their flocks with salutary instructions\nand the example of a good life.\"\n\nAfter a contest of humility between the two patriarchs, as to who\nshould speak first, Dominic, urged by Francis to take the lead, said\nto him:--\"You excel me in humility, and I will excel you in obedience.\"\nHe then gave the cardinal this answer:--\"My lord, my brethren may well\nconsider themselves as holding a very elevated rank. What is there\nmore honorable than teaching others from the Evangelical pulpit? What\nshould well-thinking minds desire more than to be employed in defence\nof the faith, and to combat the enemies of the Church? For this reason\nI strenuously desire that my brethren may remain as they are, and I\nwill keep them so as long as I can.\" Francis made the following\nreply:--\"My lord, my brethren have received the appellation of Minors,\nin order that they might never have the presumption to become great.\nIf it be your intention that they shall bear fruit in the Church, leave\nthem in their vocation, and never permit them to be raised to\nprelatures.\"\n\nThe cardinal was greatly edified by their answers, and highly commended\nthe humility of their opinions, but he did not therefore change his\nviews. He thought, on the contrary, that such ministers would be most\nuseful in the Church, considering the corruption of the times.\n\nThe Church has since followed the opinion of this eminent dignitary,\nhaving made many bishops and cardinals from the two orders, and several\nhave been even elevated to the sovereign pontificate.\n\nBut the Friars Preachers and the Friars Minor, who have preserved the\nspirit of their vocation, have never had any other feelings than those\nof their holy patriarchs on the subject of ecclesiastical dignities.\nThey have refused them as long as they could, and those who have\naccepted them, have been compelled to do so by superior authority,\nwhich they could not be dispensed from obeying.\n\nBrother Leo, the companion and confessor of St. Francis, who was at\nPerugia, and who assisted at all the conferences, says, that they spoke\nmuch on the propagation of the faith and the salvation of souls; that,\nhaving made reciprocal inquiries into the peculiarities of their\nrespective orders, Dominic proposed to Francis to unite them, and make\nbut one order, in order that the difference of the Institute should\nnot divide those whom the intimate friendship of their fathers had\nclosely united. To this proposition Francis replied:--\"My dear brother,\nit has been God's will that our orders should be different, the one\nmore austere than the other, in order to their being by this variety\nbetter adapted to human infirmity, and to give an opportunity to such\nas could not bear a life of very great austerity to embrace one which\nwas somewhat milder.\" Leo adds, that they took steps for maintaining\npermanent agreement between the two orders; and, after having mutually\npraised their congregations, they recommended to their companions who\nwere present, reciprocal respect and friendship for each other; that\nDominic requested Francis to give him his girdle, which was a cord\nwith large knots; and, having obtained it after many entreaties, he\nwore it during the remainder of his life under his habit, as a bond\nand perpetual symbol of the charity which so intimately united them.\n\nFrancis having discussed with the cardinal protector all the affairs\nof his Order, left Perugia to return to St. Mary of the Angels. As he\ndiscoursed on the road with his companion Leo, on the virtue of humility\nand entire abnegation of self, he said in a moment of fervor:\n\n\"My dear brother, I do not believe myself to be a Friar Minor, and,\nin truth, I am not one, unless I can bear humbly and with entire\ntranquillity of mind, all that could happen to me under circumstances\nwhich I can figure to myself. I suppose, then, that my brethren came\nto seek me, with great respect and confidence, to assist at the general\nchapter which is about to be holden, and solicit me to preach at it.\nIf, after having exhorted them in such terms as God shall have inspired\nme, they were to rise up against me, and manifest openly that they\nhold me in aversion, saying:--'We will no longer have you to govern\nus; we are ashamed of having such a man as you at our head, who has\nneither learning nor eloquence, who is simple and ignorant, with very\nlittle prudence and experience; therefore, in future, do not have the\narrogance to call yourself our superior.' If they were to put other\naffronts upon me, and to drive me ignominiously from the assembly, I\nshould not consider myself to be a true religious, unless I were to\nreceive all this as patiently and with equal serenity of countenance\nas I should receive those who would load me with praise and honor.\"\n\nTo this he added: \"Assuredly, places of honor are very dangerous to\nsalvation, not only from the vainglory which is to be feared, but\nlikewise from the government, which is very difficult; whereas, in\nopprobrium, there is nothing but merit to be acquired. If I am removed\nfrom the headship, I shall be exempt from being accountable to God for\na great number of souls. Prelature is a station of danger, and praise\nbrings one to the very edge of the precipice. In an humble, lowly\nstation, there is much to be gained. Why, then, do we look to and\nprefer what is dangerous to what has so much more spiritual advantage,\nsince it is for this that time is given to us?\" These are sentiments\nwhich should be well considered by persons in every station of life,\nwhether they aspire to honors, or fear the losing of them. The profound\nhumility of St. Francis does not admit of a doubt of his having gone\nthrough the trial which he here supposes; and even in putting it thus\nhypothetically, he strengthened in his mind the virtue requisite for\nsupporting it in reality. These sorts of suppositions, which might be\nstumbling-blocks to the weak, are very useful to those who aspire to\nperfect humility.\n\nThe Friars Minor assembled for the general chapter of their Order at\nthe Convent of St. Mary of the Angels, or Portiuncula, near Assisi,\nat the Feast of Pentecost, and their number exceeded five thousand.\nThis circumstance is truly amazing, particularly when it is recollected\nthat some remained in their respective convents; that the Order had\nonly existed ten years since its institution; and that the novices had\nalways been admitted by the Founder himself, except since the chapter\nof the year 1216, when he had given the provincial ministers power to\nreceive them. It is nevertheless certain, that more than five thousand\nFriars Minor assisted at this celebrated chapter: the fact is attested\nby four of St. Francis' companions, who were present at it; by St.\nBonaventure, who lived with them and by many others.\n\nWhat can be said on this subject, except that it pleased God to recall\nin some measure, by the rapid establishment of this Order, the wonderful\nspread of the Gospel by the preaching of the Apostles? St. Augustine\nsays that the Apostles were as dark clouds from whence lightning and\nthunder emanated; that, by their poverty and their simplicity, they\nshone in the eyes of the universe; that, by the powerful virtue and\nsplendor of their admirable actions, they overthrew everything which\nwas opposed to the empire of Jesus Christ, and, in a short time,\nchristianized the world. May we not also say, that Francis and his\ncompanions, men poor and simple, were a representation of the Apostles;\nthat Jesus Christ rendered them powerful and eminent in words and\nworks, to bring back sinners to His empire, and that by them, in an\ninconceivably short period of time, an immense number of Apostolic men\nwas collected and formed who embraced the same Institute, in order to\nexercise the same ministry? What assists us in comprehending that in\nten years it had been possible to build a sufficient number of houses,\nto contain so many thousand men is, that they were poor and without\nany income.\n\nThe religious of this chapter were lodged in huts made of matting,\nerected all round the Portiuncula convent, from which this chapter has\nbeen called the Chapter of Mats. They were there separated from the\nworld, but perfectly united among themselves, all lovers of watching\nand fasting after the example of their Father; zealous in prayer and\nin the recital of Psalms, in spiritual reading, and in readiness to\nexecute all works of mercy, and having no other hope than that of the\nhappiness of a future life.\n\nCardinal Ugolino, as Protector of the Order, came to preside over the\nchapter, and all the religious went in procession before him. He opened\nthe assembly on Whitsunday the 26th of May: he officiated pontifically,\nand preached; and he deemed it his right to inspect the ranks of this\nholy army of the Lord, in which he found everything in good order.\nThese soldiers of Jesus Christ were not seen wandering about; but all\nwere collected in groups, a hundred in one spot, sixty in another,\nmore or less, and conversing on holy subjects, on their own salvation,\nor on that of their neighbours, and on the means of reforming the\nmorals of a corrupt world. The cardinal, delighted with so interesting\nand unusual a scene, said to those who followed him, as Jacob had when\nhe met the angels on his way: \"Truly, this is the Camp of God.\" We\nmight also apply to it what Balaam could not prevent himself from\nsaying, when he saw the Israelites encamped: \"How beautiful are thy\ntabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!\"\n\nFrancis, as a general in his camp, went through all the tents; he\nencouraged his troops to fight valiantly the battles of the Lord,\nassuring them of receiving assistance from on high, animating some,\nand fulfilling in every place the duties of a vigilant chief.\n\nHe assembled all his brethren, and addressed them in an excellent\ndiscourse, of which the following embraces the subject: \"We have\npromised great things; and we have been promised greater. Let us keep\nthe first, and let us sigh after the others: Pleasure is of short\nduration; the penalty is eternal. Sufferings are light; glory is\ninfinite. Many are called; but few are chosen. Each one will receive\naccording to his deserts.\"\n\nOn this beautiful text he exhorted them, in the most forcible and\nmoving terms, to the practice of virtue and to the duties of a religious\nlife; urging them, above all things, to implicit obedience to our Holy\nMother the Church, to a contempt of the world, to purity of mind and\nbody, to a love of holy poverty and humility, to charity, to concord\nand mildness, to continued watchfulness, and to an ardent zeal for the\nsalvation of souls. He recommended to them to pray for all the faithful,\nand particularly for the exaltation of the Holy Roman Church, and for\nthe benefactors of the Order. After which he positively forbade them\nto have any anxiety whatever for anything concerning the body, and he\nquoted to them these words of the psalmist: \"Cast thy care upon the\nLord and He shall sustain thee.\" He had conformed strictly to the rule\nhe laid down, for he had made no provision for the chapter.\n\nSt. Dominic, who, out of friendship for St. Francis, had come with six\nof his companions to this assembly and who heard this discourse, was\nfearful lest what he said and did was perhaps an exaggeration, and\nthat it might seem to be tempting the Lord, if some steps were not\ntaken for procuring food for so great a multitude. But he was of a\nvery different way of thinking shortly after when he saw arrive from\nAssisi, Perugia, Spello, Foligno, Spoleto, and many more distant towns,\necclesiastics, laics, nobles, burgesses, and persons of every state\nof life who brought with them not only what was necessary for the\nsubsistence of such vast numbers, but pressed forward to serve the\nreligious themselves with an emulation of humility and charity.\n\nSo marked an interposition of Providence in behalf of these Evangelical\npoor struck the Patriarch of the Friars Preachers with astonishment;\nand it is believed that it suggested to him the intention which he\ncarried into execution the year after, when he assembled the first\ngeneral chapter of his order at Bologna, in which it was resolved that\nthe Friars Preachers should adopt the system of entire poverty, and\nconsider it as the fundamental rule of their order, renouncing forever\nall property in land, or revenue arising therefrom, even what they had\nat Toulouse, which the Pope had confirmed to them by his first bull.\nIn dying, he recommended to them this Evangelical poverty as the\nfoundation of their institute; and lest this foundation should be\nundermined by the prudence of the flesh, he forbade in the strongest\nterms, on pain of the curse of the Almighty, and of his also, the\nintroduction into the order of any temporal possessions.\n\nMay Evangelical poverty that made so strong an impression on the mind\nof St. Dominic teach the faithful never to be mistrustful of the care\nof Divine Providence!\n\nHowever, we are not to look for, or expect miraculous assistance; this\nis not in the ordinary course of God's dispensations; but after doing\nall that depends on ourselves, provided there be no irregularity on\nour part, and that our desires are within the bounds of moderation,\nwithout any impatience as to the event, we may assure ourselves that,\naccording to the words of the wise man: \"No one hath hoped in the Lord\nand hath been confounded.\"\n\nSeveral prelates, and other persons of quality, who had been invited\nby Cardinal Ugolino to the Chapter, as to a grand and admirable sight,\nhad the curiosity to examine everything minutely. They saw the religious\nin their miserable huts, coarsely dressed, taking but a very small\nportion of nourishment, sleeping on mats spread on the earth with a\nlog of wood for a pillow. They noticed at the same time that they were\nquite calm, that joy and concord were universal amongst them, and that\nthey were entirely submissive to their saintly founder. Admiring all\nthese things, they said to each other: \"This shows that the way to\nheaven is narrow, and that it is very difficult for the rich to enter\ninto the Kingdom of God. We flatter ourselves that we shall eke out\nour salvation in the enjoyment of all the comforts of life, having our\nease in all things, while these people, to save their souls, deprive\nthemselves of everything, mortify their bodies, and are notwithstanding\nnot without great apprehension. We should like to die as they will,\nbut we do not choose to live as they live.\" Similar reflections\nconverted a great number of persons, and more than five hundred took\nthe habit of the Friars Minor during the chapter.\n\nThe holy Patriarch found that many of his religious submitted themselves\nto extraordinary mortifications, which either shortened their days or\nrendered them useless to the Order by the illnesses which were the\nconsequence. He therefor publicly forbade them, by the virtue of holy\nobedience, to make use of such means, and ordered all who had coats\nof mail, iron girdles, or other instruments of mortification, to leave\nthem off and deliver them up to him. This was done, and some most\nextraordinary modes of inflicting self-punishment were discovered. The\nnumber of coats of mail and iron girdles which were delivered up were\nmore than five hundred; they were put into a heap, and the Patriarch\nthought proper to show them to the cardinal and his company, for their\nedification. They were astonished on witnessing so great a love of\nsuch penitential austerities, in men of such pure and holy lives. In\ntheir presence he again forbade his dear brethren indiscreet\nmortifications, which are injurious to the body; representing to them\nthat they either hasten death, or throw the body into such a state of\nlanguor and weakness, as makes it unfit for spiritual exercises, or\nan impediment to the practice of good works. Oh, fortunate and happy\ntimes, when it was necessary to check such failings!\n\nGod made known to Francis, in a revelation he had during the sitting\nof the chapter, that the Prince of Darkness, alarmed at the fervor of\nthe new Order, had collected thousands of demons, to concert together\non the means of bringing it to ruin; and that one of them, more astute\nthan the rest, had put forth an opinion which it had been decided\nshould be acted upon. It was, not to attack the Friars Minor openly,\nbut to have recourse to artifice; to induce them to receive into their\nsociety nobles, learned men, and youths. Nobles, in order by their\nmeans to introduce effeminacy in which they had been brought up; learned\nmen, who, proud of their learning, should have a contempt for humility;\nand youths, who, being weak and delicate, would greatly relax in the\nregular discipline.\n\nReligion teaches us that there are demons, and that they are subordinate\none to the other; that God, when it pleases Him, permits them to tempt\nmankind, and even torment them corporally; and St. Paul speaks of \"the\nPrince of the powers of this air.\" We know what Satan did to holy Job;\nand what our Lord said to St. Peter: \"Satan hath desired to have you,\nthat he might sift you as wheat;\" and what He stated elsewhere: \"When\nan unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he taketh with him seven spirits\nmore wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there.\" Thus we\nneed have no difficulty in believing that the prince of darkness had\ncollected such a number of demons against St. Francis and his Institute.\nSt. Gregory says, that they attack with greater violence those in whom\nthey find a greater disposition to holiness, and that the principal\ndemons are employed in the attacks on the bravest soldiers of Jesus\nChrist. What must be the wrath of these malignant spirits against the\napostolical men, whose lives are wholly employed in effecting the\nsalvation of souls!\n\nFrancis had already been made aware by the words of a young female who\nwas possessed, as St. Bonaventure relates, that the devils, irritated\nby the injury he did them, had assembled against him, and then he\nmerely said, as Paul did: \"I am the stronger.\" But he was alarmed when\nhe learnt from God Himself the increase of their rage. He retired for\ntwo days to an oratory to pray for grace to be able to escape from\ntheir snares, and that he might be protected by good angels. His prayer\ngave him fresh courage; he returned to the chapter, and addressed his\nbrethren with energy on the watchfulness with which it was incumbent\non them to work out their salvation, without placing too much reliance\non the holiness of their state of life, from which they must be\napprehensive lest they should fall off by the machinations of their\nenemy. \"You know,\" he said, \"the examples we have; Satan fell from\nHeaven, and drew with him a number of the angels; he caused Adam and\nEve to be driven from Paradise; he prayed to be allowed to sift the\nApostles as wheat is sifted; and he did so with such effect, that one\nof them betrayed his Master, another denied Him, and all fled when He\nwas captured.\"\n\nThe Saint then explained to them what God had made known to him of the\ndesigns of the devil; and in order that the enemy's malignity might\nfall on himself, he warned them to pay more attention in the reception\nof advices to the sentiments of the mind than to the advantages of\nbirth; to be very careful that the learned whom they should admit,\nshould be devoid of pride, and were fit to edify others by their\nhumility, and to be careful that such as joined them in the flower of\nyouth, should be informed of all that they would have to practice in\nfuture.\n\nFor the holy man did not think it requisite, in consequence of Satan's\nmalice, to prohibit noblemen from joining his Order, since their example\nhas great influence, and the elevated sentiments which are found in\nthat class, render them more fit to do great things for the service\nof God. He did not wish to drive away the learned, since learning is\nnecessary for the exercise of the functions of religion, and since\nthose men who join the knowledge of sound doctrine to an Evangelical\nlife, are most instructive teachers in the Church, for the dissipation\nof error and the establishment of virtue. He also desired that they\nshould receive such young men as should present themselves in the\ntenderest age, \"because it is good for man to bear the yoke from his\nyouth:\" to leave the world, before having any knowledge of it, except\nthrough the lights of the Church, and to offer themselves as pure\nvictims, rather than to bring to Him the remains of a heart stained\nby the passions; and, moreover, our Saviour said to His disciples, who\nturned away the children who came to Him: \"Suffer them, and forbid\nthem not to come to me.\" We know that there are in the world censorious\npeople who condemn the custom of permitting young persons to enter\ninto a religious state; it would be easy to show, if it were not for\nfear of rendering this work too voluminous, that their arguments are\nbased on a superficial foundation, and are contrary to the maxims of\nChristianity; we therefore content ourselves with saying that at the\nCouncil of Trent, which was guided by the Spirit of truth in its\ndiscipline, as well as in its dogmas and morality, permission was given\nto persons of either sex, to make profession as a religious at the\nfull age of sixteen; that rule is authorized by the ordinances of all\nChristian princes, and it therefore seems very extraordinary that any\nindividuals should be rash enough to oppose their private opinions to\nso respectable an authority.\n\nFrancis, who was desirous of encouraging the fervor of his disciples,\napprised them of what they had to fear, and anticipated the smallest\ninclinations to pride in them, by salutary humiliations. The cardinal\nprotector having one day preached before all the religious of the\nchapter, and having concluded his sermon by bestowing on them\nconsiderable praise, the holy Patriarch asked his permission to address\nthe audience. He foretold to them, and represented in lively colors,\nall that was to happen to the Order; the temptations to which they\nwere to be exposed; the tribulations they were to suffer; the changes\nthat would be brought in, and their decline. He reproached them with\ntheir laxity, and with their want of fervor in cooperating with the\npeculiar graces they had received from God; he spoke so energetically,\nthat, in censuring their foolish obsequiousness, if such a fault they\nhad, he covered them with confusion. The cardinal was somewhat\nmortified, and said:--\"Pray, why, brother, did you gainsay me, setting\nthe imperfections of your brethren in opposition to the praises I had\ngiven them?\" \"My lord and my father,\" answered Francis, \"I did so, in\norder to preserve the substance of your praise. I was apprehensive\nthat such praise being given by a person of your exalted rank, might\ninspire vanity into the minds of those in whom humility has not as yet\nthrown out deep roots.\" This affords great matter for reflection for\nthose virtuous persons who voluntarily receive praise, at least when\nit is artfully administered; and for indiscreet flatterers, who expose\nvirtue to a dangerous trial.\n\nWhat occurred on the following day, showed that the holy man had\nreceived from God the perfect means of appreciating men's minds. Brother\nElias, who was the provincial for Tuscany; Brother John of Strachia,\nwho was provincial for Bologna, and several others came to the cardinal\nprotector and entreated him to tell Francis, as from himself, that he\nought to listen to the advice of his brethren, among whom there were\nmany learned men, fully capable of governing; particularly as he himself\nwas a simple and unread man, whose ill health did not permit him to\nbring their affairs into good order. They added, that respect ought\nto be paid to the ancient rules of St. Basil, of St. Augustine, and\nof St. Benedict, and that Minors should not differ so widely by a new\nrule and excessive severity, as if they wished to be better than their\nfathers.\n\nThe cardinal took his time, and then proposed all these things to\nFrancis, as maxims which he deemed good for the government of the\nOrder. The Saint being immediately made aware by the Spirit of God,\nthat these things were suggested by others, rose up from the place in\nwhich he had been seated with the cardinal, took him respectfully by\nthe hand, and led him to the brethren who were assembled in chapter,\nand said:\n\n\"My brethren, my brethren, God has called me by the way of simplicity\nand humility, in order that I might follow the folly of the cross: it\nis for His glory and my confusion, and for the security of your\nconsciences I am about to tell you what He said to me:--'Francis,' He\nsaid, 'I desire that you may be in the world a new little idiot, who\nshall preach by thy actions and by thy discourses the folly of the\ncross. Do thou and thine follow me only, and not any other manner of\nlife.' Speak not to me therefore of any other rule, he added, for I\nshall not follow, nor prescribe any other than that which God has in\nHis mercy given me; those who swerve from it, I fear, will feel the\nDivine vengeance, and will be covered with confusion, when at length\nthey shall be obliged once more to enter into this path, which God has\nshown me.\"\n\nThen addressing himself to the cardinal, he said:--\"My lord, these\nwise people, whom your lordship praises so much, would wish by their\nworldly prudence to deceive both God and you; but they deceive\nthemselves, endeavoring to destroy what God has ordained for their\nsalvation, through me, his unworthy servant. I attribute nothing to\nmyself of what I do, or of what I say; I rely not on my own lights in\nthe government of the Order; I arrange everything by long prayers with\nour Divine Father, who governs it sovereignly, and who has made His\nwill known to us by so many manifest signs, in order to bring to\nperfection the work He has commenced by so miserable a man as I am,\nfor the salvation of souls, and the edification of our holy mother the\nChurch. Those who prefer the wisdom of the world to the will of the\nLord, expose themselves manifestly to be lost.\" Having spoken thus,\nFrancis retired.\n\nThe cardinal, who admired the energy of his words, and the light which\ndisclosed to him at once the most secret thoughts, said to the superiors\nwho were abashed:--\"My dear brethren, you have seen how the Holy Ghost\nhas himself spoken by the mouth of this apostolical man; his words\ncame forth as a two-edged sword, which has penetrated to the bottom\nof the heart. Take care that you do not grieve the Spirit of God; be\nnot ungrateful for the favors He has done you. He is truly in this\npoor man, and manifests to you, through him, the marvels of His power;\nin listening to him, it is Jesus Christ that you hear; in despising\nhim, it is Jesus Christ whom you despise. Humble yourselves, therefore,\nand obey him, if it is your desire to please God, and not lose the\nfruit of your vocation; for I know by experience, that everything which\neither the devils or men are about to attempt against his Order, is\nrevealed to him. Whatsoever may be said to him with good or bad\nintention, it is difficult to find him off his guard; neither my advice,\nnor that of any other person, will turn him from his purpose.\" The\nprovincials who had given rise to this scene were moved, and submitted\nthemselves to the will of the Patriarch.\n\nAmong the religious who had congregated at the chapter, there were\nmany who came to seek a remedy for the ill-treatment they had received\nin many places out of Italy, which had its rise in two causes; the\nfirst was, that they had no authenticated letters to show that their\nInstitute had been approved by the Church; the second was, that the\npastors would not allow them to preach. They begged therefore that the\nPope might be solicited to give them written testimonials to certify\nthat they had his approbation of their Institution; and, moreover,\nthat they should obtain from the Holy Father a privilege, in virtue\nof which they might preach wherever they thought proper, even without\nleave from the bishops.\n\nThe holy founder could not hear this second article without indignation.\n\"What my brethren\" said he, \"are you still devoid of understanding;\nand do you not know the will of God? It is His pleasure that we should\ngain the good will of our superiors by our respect for them, and by\nhumility; and then by word and good example, those who are under them.\nWhen the bishops see that you live holily, and that you do not encroach\non their authority, they themselves will apply to you to work for the\nsalvation of the souls which are committed to their care; they\nthemselves will collect their flocks to listen to you, and to imitate\nyou. Let it be our sole privilege to have no privilege calculated to\nswell our pride; to give ourselves a confidence which shall be to the\nprejudice of others, and be the cause of contentions. Let us ask nothing\nof the Holy See but what is calculated to aid us in serving God, in\nextending the faith, and in gaining souls under the good pleasure of\nthe prelates, without causing any disturbance among the people.\"\n\nSome represented that they had found many of the heads of the parochial\nclergy so harsh, that they had been unable to mollify them, either by\nentreaties, or by labor, by submissiveness or good example, so as to\nobtain leave to preach to their parishioners, or to receive from them\nany corporal assistance; to this Francis replied:\n\n\"My brethren, we are sent to the aid of priests, to make good that in\nwhich they may be deficient. Each one will receive his reward, not\naccording to the degree of his authority, but in proportion to his\nlabors. Know, then, that what is most agreeable to God is, to work for\nthe salvation of souls, and that we shall best succeed in this by\nliving in concord with the priests than by living separately from them;\nif they throw obstacles in the way, God, to whom all vengeance belongs,\nwill give them in His good time what is their due. Be therefore\nsubmissive to ecclesiastical superiors, in order to avert, as much as\nmay be in your power, any jealousies. If you are children of peace,\nyou will soon ingratiate yourselves with the clergy and the people,\nand this will be more acceptable to God than if you gained over the\npeople, and thereby gave scandal to the clergy. Hide the faults of the\npriests, make good what they are deficient in, and be only in\nconsequence the more humble.\"\n\nThe Religious of St. Francis must not be surprised if they, even in\nthese days, meet with opposition in the exercise of their holy\nministries. It is an occurrence which the similarity of men may at all\ntimes bring about; and which St. Paul experienced more than any other\nin the course of his ministry. But let them be careful to put in\npractice the advice of their Father, in order that they may be able\nto say in truth with the apostle:--\"We have injured no man\" And,\nfinally, the advice which he gave them must induce us to notice his\nmoderation and his discretion, in an age when the Church had reason\nto renew the laments of one of the Prophets against the pastors of\nIsrael.\n\nHe judged it proper, by the advice of the cardinal protector, to procure\nApostolic letters to make known the approbation his Institute had\nreceived; and he obtained them from the Pope, who was then at Viterbo.\nThese were the first which were given to the Order of Friars Minor:\ntheir contents are as follows:\n\nHonorius, Bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the Archbishops,\nBishops, Abbots, Deacons, Archdeacons, and other Superior\nEcclesiastics--\n\n\"As our dear son, brother Francis and his companions, have renounced\nthe vanities of the world, and embraced a state of life which the Roman\nChurch has justly approved; and, following the example of the Apostles,\nare about to go into different parts to announce the word of God; we\nbeg and exhort you in our Lord, and we command you by these Apostolical\nletters, to receive as Catholic and faithful, the brothers of this\nOrder, the bearers of these letters who may apply to you, to be\nfavorable to them, and to treat them with kindness, for the honor of\nGod, and out of consideration for us. Given this 3d of the Ides of\nJune, the third year of our pontificate.\"\n\nMany cardinals and other illustrious persons added their letters of\nrecommendation to those of the Pope, particularly Cardinal Ugolino,\nthe protector of the Order, who testified by a document addressed to\nall prelates, which certified the intimate knowledge he had of the\nvirtues of the Founder and of his religious, and the great fruit that\nwas to be expected from them for the propagation of the faith, and the\nbenefit of the whole Church. They made a great number of authenticated\ncopies of these letters, to give them to those friars whom Francis had\nresolved to send in all directions, even into the most distant lands.\n\nThree things were decreed at this general chapter. The first was, that\non every Saturday a solemn mass should be celebrated in honor of the\nimmaculate Blessed Virgin Mary. This glorious title of Immaculate,\nwhich the general councils of the seventh and eighth centuries, and\nthe ancient fathers of the Church, have given to Mary, has been used\nby the Council of Trent, which has declared in its decree on the subject\nof original sin, \"that it is not its intention to include therein the\nblessed and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God.\" The use which the\nFriars Minor made of it in 1219, shows clearly that they adopted, as\ndid their sainted Patriarch, the common opinion of the Greek Church,\nwhich was already spread in various parts of the Latin Church, in honor\nof the Conception of the Blessed Virgin, because they thought it wholly\npure and exempt from the stain of original sin. Their successors have\nalways, with admirable zeal, maintained this opinion, which God in so\nfar blessed, that they have now the advantage and consolation of seeing\nthe institution of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the whole\nChurch, and of knowing that what was at one time only a pious opinion\nis now a dogma.\n\nIt is proper to notice here, that at the head of the Friars Minor, who\nsupported the proposition of the Immaculate Conception, was the\ncelebrated John Duns Scotus, so respected in the Church for his\npenetrating genius, for the solidity of his doctrine, and for his\nsingular piety. He silenced his opponents, and his success was so\nmanifested that all considered him to have had the special aid of the\nBlessed Virgin, and his reasonings were so convincing that the\nUniversity of Paris admitted them, and declared in favor of the doctrine\nof the Immaculate Conception, which it has maintained ever since. In\nthe fifteenth century, the faculty of Theology passed a solemn decree\non this point, in which it declared that in consonance with the opinions\nof its predecessors, and in order to oppose the enemies of the Blessed\nVirgin, it bound itself by oath to maintain the proposition that the\nMother of God was preserved from original sin, framing a law, not to\nreceive any doctor who should not take this oath; which practice was\ncontinued till the dogma was declared in 1854, when it was no longer\nnecessary.\n\nThis is the pious triumph of all the Sons of St. Francis who, in\ngratitude for so singular a privilege, honor the Blessed Virgin as the\nPatroness and Protectress of their Order, under the title of her\nImmaculate Conception, and by celebrating the festival thereof with\nevery possible solemnity.\n\nThe second statute directed, that express mention should be made of\nthe names of St. Peter and St. Paul, in the prayer, \"Protege nos Domine,\netc.,\" and in another which begins with these words--\"Exaudi nos Deus,\"\netc., in memory of what had been revealed to St. Francis, that these\napostles interceded powerfully with God for his Institute. This is\npractised by the whole Church since Innocent IV revised and reformed\nthe Roman Breviary, through Aymon, an Englishman, who was the fifth\ngeneral of the Order of Friars Minor.\n\nIn the third statute it was said that poverty should be apparent in\neverything, in the convents which they should build; that the churches\nshould be small and low, and that the walls of the rest of the buildings\nshould be of wood or mud. Some difficulties were started to this; many\nrepresented that in their provinces wood was dearer than stone, and\nthat walls of masonry, if they were not too high, would better denote\npoverty, because they would be solid and not compel frequent repair.\nThe holy Founder would not argue this matter with them; for it is\nremarked that not to give rise to any dispute, and not to give scandal\nto the weak, he often condescended to the opinions of others in similar\nmatters. Nevertheless he recommended to them all, not to receive either\nchurches or houses which were not in conformity to holy poverty which\nwas their rule.\n\nIt was not possible always to follow out his intentions. The prelates\nand princes who were greatly attached to his Order had beautiful\nconvents built, which his religious could not avoid receiving; and St.\nBonaventure even says that a numerous community which has different\nexercises to perform, requires large houses, although care should be\ntaken that holy poverty should be apparent throughout, and that\nsuperfluity should not preponderate over what is reasonably necessary.\n\nThe chapter being ended, Francis, following the example of the Apostles,\ndivided the world among his brethren, in order to bring it all in\nsubjection to the Empire of Jesus Christ.\n\nThe first mission to Germany had not been successful. Those who had\nbeen sent thither by the preceding chapter, not knowing the language,\nand answering badly the questions put to them, were suspected from\ntheir poor and unusual habit to belong to those heretics who were\nprosecuted in Italy, in consequence of which they were cruelly\nill-treated and driven away. The recital which they gave on their\nreturn made Germany so unpopular among the brethren that they said\nthat none ought to go there but such as aspired to martyrdom, and that\nmany prayed to Heaven to be preserved from the ferocity of the Germans.\nFrancis did not think proper to send any more there till such time as\nhe should have received some novices from thence who might go there\nwith others; but he sent some into Hungary.\n\nAs soon as the several missions had been fixed upon, the missionaries\nprepared to set out. Before we give an account of St. Francis' voyage\nto the Levant, we think it desirable to give an abridgment of what his\nchildren did in various parts of the world, because the principal glory\nis due to him, and these proceedings naturally belong to the history\nof his life.\n\nBenedict of Arezzo embarked with his companions for Greece, where their\npreaching, backed by the holiness of their lives, and confirmed by\nmiracles, produced abundance of fruit for the salvation of souls, and\nprocured so many houses for the Order that in a very short time it was\nformed into an entire province, and was called Romania.\n\nGiles and Electe, who anxiously aspired to martyrdom, and who were\nonly lay-brothers, had appeared to St. Francis to be more fit to be\nsent to the Saracens than even those of the clergy, and they hastened\nto go into Africa with several others. What chiefly animated the zeal\nof brother Giles, as the author of his life remarks, was his having\nheard that the Saracens treated with great cruelty those Christians\nwho spoke ill of the law of Mahomet. When he reached Tunis with a party\nof missionaries, he generously preached the faith in public, and this\ncontinued for some time. A person who was looked up to among the\nSaracens for his great wisdom, having come forth from his retreat,\ntold the people that they ought to put to the sword all those infidels\nwho spoke against the law of their prophet. Giles and his companions\nwere delighted at the prospect of an early martyrdom; but the Christians\nwith whom they had their domicile, fearing lest they might be included\nin the massacre, took away these preachers and compelled them to go\non board a vessel in the harbor, and did not permit them again to land.\nAs they did not cease addressing the Mahometans who crowded to the\nsea-shore, with a view to induce them to embrace the faith of Jesus\nChrist,--their desire to sacrifice their lives for His glory being so\nardent,--the Christian residents hastened to have them removed to\nEurope. Thus seeing that even their fellow-believers were opposed to\ntheir views, they returned to Italy.\n\nElecte was more fortunate; during some years he performed the functions\nof an apostle in another town in Africa, where he received the crown\nof martyrdom. A body of Saracens rushed upon him while he was preaching,\nupon which he fell on his knees, grasped the Rule with both hands,\nasked pardon for his faults from God and from his companions, and then\npresented his neck to the infidels who took away his life. This did\nnot happen till after the death of St. Francis. He had entered the\nOrder when very young, and had lived in it with great austerity, always\nwearing a coat of mail on his bare body, so that he prepared himself\nfor the martyrdom of blood by the martyrdom of penance, as was\nrecommended to the Christians in time of persecution.\n\nThose who went into Spain with John Parent proceeded with so much speed\nthat ten of them arrived at Saragossa by the Feast of the Assumption;\na very short time after their departure, Bernard de Quintavalle, who\nwas sent into this kingdom after the chapter of 1216 had established\ntwo convents, the one at Toledo, the other at Carrion de los Condes,\na town in the Kingdom of Leon. Some of his companions had been admitted\nat Lerida, and at Balaguer, in Catalonia, under very extraordinary\ncircumstances, which are omitted not to be too prolix. Zachary and\nGautier, who had been sent into Portugal, had had much to suffer in\nthe beginning; but Queen Urraqua, the wife of Alphonso II, who then\nreigned, was a most pious princess. She, having caused their Institute\nto be examined by very learned men, and having had full assurance of\nthe holiness of their lives, now obtained leave from the king for their\nbeing received into his states, and permission for their building\nconvents. A house was given them, with a chapel attached to it, of St.\nAnthony, near Coimbra, where the court then was, and subsequently one\non a larger scale at Lisbon. Princess Sancia, the daughter of Sancho\nI, and sister of Alphonso II, highly praised by historians for her\npiety and chastity, protected Zachary, and gave him a third house,\ncalled of St. Catharine, at some distance from the Town of Alenquer,\nwhich was her own; but in consequence of the distance and the\ninsalubrity of the air, she some years after converted her own palace\ninto a convent, which she gave to the Friars Minor. Gautier, one of\nBernard's companions, who had made many great conversions by his virtues\nand his miracles, near Guimaraens, had built a convent not very far\nfrom that town.\n\nWhile at the convent of St. Catharine, a very queer thing occurred,\nwhich we have not thought right to omit here on account of the\ninstruction it contains. One of the ladies, in waiting on the princess\nwhose name was Maria Garcia, often came to have some pious conversation\nwith one of the holy religious, who was very averse to receiving her,\nbecause he feared the company of females. One day when he was at prayer,\nshe came to the church, and expressed a wish to see him, but he refused\nto go to her. The historian says that in order to obtain what she\nwished for, she did what women generally do under such circumstances,\nshe became more importunate, and cried bitterly, and protested that\nit would give her great pain if she might not speak to the holy man.\nHe therefore came, to get rid of her importunities; but he brought\nsome straw in one hand, and some fire in the other; he set the straw\non fire in her presence, and then said to her: \"Although, madam, all\nyour conversations are pious, I refuse to hold them with you in private,\nbecause what you see has happened to the straw, is what religious\npersons have to fear may occur to them if they have private and familiar\nintercourse with women; and at least they lose the fruits of their\nholy communications with God in prayer.\" The lady blushed, retired,\nand troubled him no more. St. Jerome, who so strongly recommended to\necclesiastics and religious to avoid conversations with the female sex\nwould certainly have approved of this action.\n\nJohn Parent arrived at Saragossa in the month of August, 1219, with\nnine of his brethren who were followed by many others soon after; he\naddressed himself to the Bishop and to the magistrates who assembled\nto hear him. He explained to them who Francis of Assisi was, his\nvocation, his mission, his mode of life, his Institute, the approbation\ngiven to his Rule by Pope Innocent III and Honorius III, and the\ntestimonials given to him by several cardinals. He remarked to them\nthat the new Order had been exceedingly multiplied in a very few years,\nand that they had seen more than five thousand religious at the general\nchapter which had been lately assembled in the neighborhood of Assisi,\nwhich was considered to be miraculous; that their Father had sent a\ngreat number of his children into all parts of the world to combat\nvice and encourage virtue, which circumstance should be considered as\na bountiful effect of Divine Providence towards His Church, in such\ncalamitous times. He concluded by saying: \"If our Institute is agreeable\nto you, we earnestly entreat you to give us some small place in which\nwe may recite the Divine Office, and fulfil the other ministries which\nour Founder has recommended to us. Have no anxiety as to our\nsubsistence, for we solicit no part of your goods; we content ourselves\nwith very little; we are poorly clad; work and questing furnish us\nwith all that we require.\"\n\nAll the assembly admired the spirit of humility which prevailed through\nthis discourse, and the reading of the Papal Bull, with the testimonials\nof the cardinals, were proofs that nothing had been set forth but what\nwas true. They conceived such a liking to the Order, that they took\nimmediate measures for giving to John Parent and his companions a\ndwelling of which they took possession on the 28th of August.\n\nThe Order of St. Francis, as well as that of St. Dominic, began from\nthat time to spread through all Spain. On all sides preachers of the\ntwo orders were found, and new convents were erected, as Luke, Bishop\nof Tuy, a contemporary author, mentions in his chronicle when he speaks\nof the marvels of the reign of St. Ferdinand, King of Castile and Leon.\nIt would clearly appear that both the one and the other were in the\nCity of Leon about that time, since the same author, in his excellent\nwork against the Albigenses, says that they exerted themselves with\ngreat zeal and energy against the heretics, who, to seduce the faithful,\npublished pretended miracles which they asserted to have been performed\nby the bones of one Arnold a man of their sect who had been dead sixteen\nyears, and they also accused the good religious who exposed their\nimpostures of heresy. Such is the mode adopted by certain sectarians;\nthey endeavored to establish their false doctrine by fictitious\nmiracles; while they insolently refused credence to those which the\nCatholic Church admitted as certain; and all have sufficient audacity\nto treat as heretics the orthodox who prove them to be heretics\nthemselves.\n\nThe mission to France was equally successful with that of Spain.\nPacifico and his companions who began it in 1216, were exposed to\nhunger, cold, and all other kinds of inconveniences, which men are\nexposed to suffer when out of their own country, unknown, and destitute\nof everything, and moreover living an unusual and extraordinary sort\nof life. They went to that office of the night which is called matins\nin those churches in which it is said at midnight, as is still the\ncustom at Notre Dame, in Paris. If there was no service in the places\nwhere they were, they then prayed by themselves at that hour, and they\npassed the whole night at the foot of the altar; after which, if no\none offered them a meal, they went questing from door to door. The\nremainder of the day was spent in the hospitals, making the beds of\nthe lepers and other sick, dressing their wounds, and rendering them\nsuch other services of humility and charity as they had learned from\nthe example and instruction of their Father Francis. So saintly a life\nattracted the attention of all, gained their esteem, caused many to\nembrace the Institution, and procured for them many establishments,\nnotably the one at Paris.\n\nAngelo of Pisa, one of the missioners sent by St. Francis, was the\nfirst warden of the Parisian convent. This convent soon became a\ncollege, where young men, from all parts of the world came to study,\nand, subsequently, to take out degrees in the university. Several great\nmen have, in the last five hundred years, rendered this college\nillustrious.\n\nPacifico, whom St. Francis had appointed provincial of the French\nmissions, sent some of the religious into different parts of the\nkingdom, where they were well received. He went with some companions\ninto Hainault, and other provinces of the Low Countries, where, by the\nliberality and under the protection of the Countess of Flanders, Joanna\nof Constantinople, he caused many houses to be built.\n\nThomas de Chantpre, a Canon Regular of St. Austin, and subsequently\na religious of the Order of St. Dominic, states, as an eye-witness,\na very marvellous thing which deserves to be recorded in the life of\nSt. Francis, since it occurred during his lifetime, relative to his\nOrder. At Thorouth, a town in Flanders, a child of five years of age,\nwhose name was Achaz, of a good family, having seen, in 1219, the habit\nof the Friars Minor, begged his parents to give him a similar one. His\nentreaties and tears induced them to gratify him. He was therefore\nhabited as a Friar Minor, with a coarse cord and bare feet, not choosing\nto have any money, not even to touch it, and he practised as much as\nwas in his power the exercises of the religious. Among his companions\nhe was seen to act as preacher, cautioning them against evil, exciting\nthem to virtue by the fear of the pains of Hell, and by the hopes of\nthe glories of Heaven; teaching them to say the Lord's Prayer, and the\nAngelic Salutation, and to honor God by genuflections. He reproved\nsuch as did anything wrong in his presence, even his own father, if\nhe heard him swear, or saw him in a state of inebriety. \"My Father,\"\nhe would say, with tears in his eyes, \"does not our cure tell us that\nthose who do such things will not possess the Kingdom of God?\" Being\none day at church with his mother, who was dressed in a handsome gown\nof a flame color, he pointed out to her a crucifix, as a censure on\nher vanity, and warned her to be careful that the color she wore did\nnot cause her to fall into the flames of Hell, which warning had so\ngreat an effect that his mother never after wore anything but the\nplainest dress. Such a precocious mind, with so much matured wisdom\nand piety, was universally admired, and every one took pleasure in\nseeing and listening to this amiable child.\n\nGod took him from this world before he had attained his seventh year.\nIn his last illness, he confessed, and solicited most earnestly to be\nallowed to receive the Body of Christ. The cure not venturing to comply\nwith his request, on account of his tended age, although his reason\nwas so mature and his holiness so manifest, he raised his hands to\nHeaven, and said, in tender accents:--\"My Lord Jesus Christ, Thou\nknowest that all that I wish for in this world is to receive Thee. I\nbegged for Thee, and have done what I could; I hope with entire\nconfidence that Thou will not deprive me of the happiness of possessing\nThee.\" He then consoled and exhorted his parents and others who\nsurrounded him, after which he gave up his pure soul to God, praising\nHim, and ejaculating prayers to Him.\n\nThe ocular witness adds two circumstances which are very remarkable;\nthe first is, that the religious habit which this holy child wore\ndisappeared, and could never afterwards be found. The second, that the\nFriars Minor who, as well as himself, went to pray at his grave, could\nnot go through the _De profundis_ which they had commenced,\nnotwithstanding all the efforts that they made to do so; by which they\nunderstood, that so pure a soul stood in no need of prayer; and, no\ndoubt, they only endeavored to offer up some under the impression that\na mind so early in other respects matured, might have been capable of\ncontracting some stain.\n\nFrancis, having despatched his disciples to the several missions\nallotted to them, as has been said, prepared to go himself to the\nLevant, with a zeal equal to that with which he had inspired his\nbrethren, when Cardinal Ugolino, the protector of the Order, entered\ninto discussion with him on the subject of the government of the\nestablishment of St. Damian's, in which Clare presided, and of the\nother monasteries of females which had been commenced on that model.\n\nCardinal Ugolino, by the advice and authority of the Pope leaving to\nFrancis the guidance of the Monastery of St. Damian of Assisi, took\nupon himself the direction of all the others who had adopted that rule,\nand nominated as visitor-general under his orders, a prudent religious\nof the order of Citeaux, called Ambrose. He gave them the rule of St.\nBenedict, with constitutions which Wading gives at length. We do not\ntranscribe them here, because, in the year 1224, St. Francis gave them\nanother rule, which will be spoken of later, and which is the only one\nwhich ought to be called the rule of St. Clare or of the Second Order.\n\nThe holy Patriarch being now about to set out in order to preach the\nGospel to the Mahometans of the Levant, resolved to send to those who\nwere in the west, some of his brethren. He chose six for Morocco:\nVidal, a very prudent and pious religious, whom he nominated superior;\nBerard de Carbio, from the vicinity of Narni, who was well versed in\nthe Arabian language; Peter, of St. Geminien, and Otho, who were in\npriests' orders; and Ajut, and Accurse, who were lay-brethren.--Having\nsent for them he spoke as follows:--\n\n\"My dear children, it is God who has commanded me to send you amongst\nthe Saracens, to make known His faith, and refute the law of Mahomet.\nI shall go in a different direction to work for the conversion of the\nsame infidels, and thus I shall send preachers over the whole earth.\nPrepare yourselves, therefore, to fulfil the will of the Lord. To\nrender yourselves worthy of it, take great care to preserve peace and\nconcord among yourselves, as the ever-subsisting ties of charity. Avoid\nenvy which was the first cause of the loss of mankind. Be patient in\ntribulations, and humble in success; which is the means of coming off\nvictorious in all encounters. Imitate our Lord Jesus Christ in his\npoverty, chastity, and obedience; He was born poor, He lived poor, and\nit was in the bosom of poverty that He died. To manifest how highly\nHe loved chastity, He chose to be born of a virgin, He took virgins\nfor His first soldiers, He kept, and counselled virginity, and He died\nin presence of two virgins. As to obedience, He never ceased from\npractising it from His birth to His death on the cross. Place your\nhopes in the Lord, He will guide and assist you. Take our rule with\nyou, and a breviary, in order that you may be punctual in saying the\nDivine Office, and be always submissive to Brother Vidal, your superior.\nMy children, although I am greatly pleased to see the good-will with\nwhich you embrace this undertaking, yet our separation is painful to\nmy heart from the sincere affection I bear you; but the commands of\nour Lord are to be preferred to my own feelings; I entreat you to have\nthe Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ always present to your mind; it\nwill strengthen you and powerfully animate you to suffer for His glory.\"\n\nThese apostolic men, encouraged by this address of their Father, replied\nthat they were ready to go into any country and expose themselves to\nthe severest labors for the interests of the faith; that he need not\nhold out an example for them, by going himself among the infidels, as\nif his word was not sufficient; that they did not think his orders too\nstrict, and that they expected assistance from above for carrying them\ninto execution; but that they required his prayers and blessing in\norder to gather some fruit in unknown lands, among barbarous people,\nenemies of the Christian name. \"He,\" rejoined the Saint, with great\nanimation, \"who sends you, it is He who will take care of you; you are\nunder His protection, under the protection of God; you belong no more\nto me from this moment; I tear you from my bosom to send you as His\nlaborers.\" They threw themselves on their knees, kissed his hands and\nprayed for his last blessing which he gave them weeping, in the\nfollowing terms:--\"May the blessing of God the Father be upon you, as\nit descended on the apostles; may it strengthen you, guide you, and\nconsole you in your sufferings. Fear not; the Lord is with you, as an\ninvincible warrior; go, in the name of God who sends you.\"\n\nWe shall speak of their voyage when we come to relate the martyrdom\nthey suffered in Morocco, on the 16th of January, 1220.\n\nAt length, Francis, anxious for the crown of martyrdom in which he had\nbeen twice disappointed, confided the government of his Order during\nhis absence to Brother Elias, the Provincial of Tuscany, and set out\non his voyage to Syria with twelve companions, the principal of whom\nwere Peter of Catania, Barbaro Sabbatino, Leonard of Assisi, and\nIlluminus of Rieti.\n\nIn the Marches of Ancona through which they passed, in order to embark\nat the last-named place, a young man came to solicit to be received\ninto the society of Friars Minor, and the Saint said to him: \"If you\nhave the intention of joining the Poor of Jesus Christ, go and bestow\nupon the poor all that thou hast.\" The postulant went away and gave\nall he had to his parents whom he loved very much, without giving any\nto the poor. He then returned and said how he had disposed of his\nproperty. Francis censured his conduct in the strongest terms,\nconsidering him as a man who would be totally useless, and nowise fit\nfor evangelical perfection. \"Tender brother,\" he said to him (for so\nhe called all those whom he considered of no real value), \"Tender\nbrother, go thy ways, you have neither left your country nor your\nkindred; you have given what you had to your parents, and disappointed\nthe poor; you do not deserve to be received into the company of those\nwho make profession of holy poverty. You commenced by the flesh, which\nis an unstable foundation for a spiritual edifice.\" This carnal and\nanimal man returned to his parents, resumed his property, and rather\nthan give it to the poor, he gave up the good purpose he had\nentertained.\n\nThe love of his relations did as much disservice to this young man as\nthe love of riches did to him whom our Saviour desired to sell all he\nhad and give unto the poor. Perhaps also he had an intention of finding\na resource in what he gave to his relations, which is contrary to the\nentire renouncing of everything which Jesus Christ requires. For which\nreason, when St. Bonaventure relates this circumstance, he says, that\nSt. Francis only admitted those into his Order who gave up all they\nhad, and did not in any manner keep anything back.\n\nThe man of God received many novices on his way. Many of his brethren\nin the vicinity accompanied him as far as Ancona, to witness his\ndeparture, as sorrowful, as had been the faithful of Miletus and\nEphesus, who accompanied St. Paul embarking for Jerusalem, although\nhe had not told them, as the Apostle did, that they would see him no\nmore. The arrival of this holy band was so agreeable to the magistrates\nat Ancona, that they immediately allotted a spot for the erection of\na convent, and had it commenced at their own expense. It was so large\nthat when Francis returned from Palestine he caused it to be reduced\nout of love for holy poverty, and then he gave the model of a church\nwhich is still extant.\n\nThe captain of a vessel who was about to take succor to the Christian\nforces before Damietta, was so good as to receive him, one of twelve,\non board his ship. All the religious who were there were desirous of\ngoing to sea with him, and each one vied for the preference, not only\nthat they might accompany the Patriarch, but that they might obtain\nthe crown of martyrdom, which they ardently wished for; but not to\nmortify any of them, and to show no preferences, he prudently and with\nthe mildness of a common father, addressed them as follows:--\n\n\"My very dear children, there is not one of you, from whom I should\nwish to be separated; I wish you would all accompany me on the voyage\nI am about to make; but it would have been unreasonable of me to ask\nthe captain of the vessel to take you all. On which account, and that\nnone should have reason to complain, nor to be jealous of the others,\nI will not make the selection; it must be Made by God.\" And thereupon\ncalling a child who happened to be on board, he said: \"The Lord has\noften made His will known by the mouth of children, and I have no doubt\nHe will do the same now; let us ask this child, and let us credit what\nhe shall say; God will speak through him.\" Then asking the child,\nwhether it was God's will that all the religious who were with him\nshould put to sea and make the voyage with him? the child replied with\na firm voice: \"No, it is not God's will.\" He then again asked which\nof them among those who were there present he should take? The child,\ninspired by the Almighty, selected eleven, pointing them out with his\nfinger, and going up to them as he named them.\n\nThe religious, full of astonishment, were all satisfied: those who\nwere destined to remain behind as well as those who were selected to\naccompany him. They fell on their knees, received the blessing of their\ncommon Father, and separated after having given to each other the kiss\nof peace.\n\nFrancis embarked with his eleven companions; they weighed anchor, and\nshortly after they reached the Island of Cyprus, where they remained\na couple of days. In this interval, one of the religious committed a\nfault which was soon atoned for. In a gust of passion he made use of\nsome harsh expression to one of his brethren before the others, and\nbefore another person who might have been scandalized at the event.\nReflecting on what he had done, and being immediately sorry for it,\nhe took up some dung, and, returning to the spot, he put it into his\nmouth, and began chewing it, saying: \"It is but just that he who has\noffended his brother by his speech, should have his mouth filled with\nfilth.\" This act of penance was fully satisfactory to him who had been\noffended, and made such impression on a gentleman who had witnessed\nthe scene, that he offered himself and all he possessed to the service\nof the Order.\n\nFrom Cyprus, Francis proceeded to Acre, from whence he sent his\ncompanions, two and two, into such parts of Syria in which missionaries\nwere most wanted. He himself preached for some days in the vicinity\nof the town, where he did some good, and then embarked again with\nIlluminatus to join the army of the Crusaders who were besieging\nDamietta. We shall now speak of the Crusade, and of this siege.\n\nAt the council of Lateran, which was held in 1215, Pope Innocent III\nrepresented so energetically the miserable state to which the Christians\nin the Holy Land were reduced under the domination of the Saracens,\nthat in order to deliver them from so cruel a slavery, the council\nordered the assembly of a similar crusade to that which had been ordered\ntwo centuries before, for the same object. The bishops proclaimed it\neverywhere with great ardor, and the Pope, to give it greater weight,\nwent himself into Tuscany to preach it after having published it at\nRome. This great Pope, dying on the 16th of July, 1216, Honorius III,\nwho succeeded him, imitated his zeal, and wrote to the princes and\nprelates of all Europe, and sent legates everywhere, to urge the\nexecution of what had been decreed in the Council of Lateran. The\nsuccess was as prompt as it was fortunate, so that at the time fixed,\nthat is, on the 1st of June, 1217, an infinity of crusaders, principally\nfrom the North of Europe, were in readiness to set out for Palestine,\nby land and by sea.\n\nAfter some expeditions, the crusaders thought that, instead of\noperations in Palestine, to which they had hitherto confined themselves,\nit would be advisable to carry the war into Egypt, because it was\nthence that the sultans sent large armies into the Holy Land against\nthe Christians; and this had been the opinion of Pope Innocent at the\nLateran Council. It was therefore decided to lay siege to Damietta,\nthe strongest town in Egypt, and from its situation the key of that\nkingdom. The first of those who sailed arrived before the place on the\n30th of May; they disembarked, and intrenched themselves without meeting\nwith any resistance, and when the remainder of the army arrived, the\nattack commenced.\n\nThe siege lasted nearly eighteen months, with enormous losses, yet\nsome astonishing acts of bravery were witnessed. Coradin, (or Moaddam)\nthe Sultan of Damascus, came with an army much more numerous than that\nof the Crusaders, and besieged them in their intrenchments; and Meledin,\n(or Melic Camel) his brother, Sultan of Egypt or of Babylon, having\nbrought an equally numerous army, they drew up their troops in order\nof battle, on the last day of July, 1219, in the early morning, and\nappeared before the Crusaders' lines, which they attacked on several\npoints. The battle was obstinately contested; it lasted till night,\nand the Saracens seemed to have the victory, but it was torn from them,\nchiefly by the indomitable bravery of the French, supported by the\nGrand Master of the Temple, and the Teutonic knights, who drove the\ninfidels far from their lines with great slaughter. Dissensions then\narose between the cavalry and infantry of the Crusaders. They accused\neach other of cowardice, a reproach very grating to military men; the\nconsequence was, that a turbulent rivalry ensued, in order to prove\nwhich had the greatest courage, and they compelled John de Brienne,\nKing of Jerusalem, who commanded the army, to lead them to the enemy\nand offer him battle.\n\nIt was at this moment that Francis arrived at the camp, having no other\narms than those of faith. He said to his companion, with deep sighs:--\n\"The Lord has revealed to me, that if they come to blows, the Christians\nwill be worsted. If I tell them this, I shall be considered an idiot;--\nand if I do not tell it, my conscience will reproach me; what do you\nthink of it?\" His companion, whose name was Illuminatus, and who indeed\nwas filled with light, replied:--\"My brother, do not let the opinions\nof men guide you; it is not the first time that you have been looked\nupon as one bereaved of sense. Clear your conscience, and fear God\nmore than the world.\" Francis immediately went and warned the Christians\nnot to fight, and foretold them that if they did, they would be beaten.\n\nMinds were, however, too much excited to listen to sound reason; the\nwords of the Saint were taken for ravings. On the 29th of August, when\nthe heat was overpowering, the whole of the Christian army left their\nlines and offered battle. The enemy at first retired, in order to draw\nthe Crusaders to an extensive plain, where there was no water, and\nwhen he saw that thirst and fatigue had caused their ranks to be broken,\nhe turned suddenly and fell upon the cavalry of the right wing which\nhe took by surprise; it was broken and dispersed; its rout caused the\ninfantry which was supported by it, to flee, and the whole army would\nhave been cut to pieces had not the king, followed by the knights of\nthe three orders of French, Flemish and English, and other troops,\nplaced themselves in front and stopped the Saracens who were pursuing\nthe fugitives and effecting an awful retreat. The Christians lost on\nthis occasion near six thousand men, besides prisoners, among whom\nwere many of considerable note. This loss was the accomplishment of\nwhat Francis had foretold; and it showed, adds St. Bonaventure, \"that\nhis valuable advice ought not to have been disregarded, since, according\nto the words of the Holy Scriptures, 'the soul of a holy man discovereth\nsometimes true things, more than seven watchmen that sit on a high\nplace to watch.'\"\n\nThe faults of the Crusaders, and the ill-successes which often attended\ntheir measures, have given room to minds disposed to censure, to condemn\nall wars undertaken against infidels, or heretics. Nevertheless, the\nCrusades, during two centuries, were suggested by the Sovereign\nPontiffs, and by the councils of the Church, proclaimed by most holy\npersonages, and authorized by their miracles; led by Christian princes\nof all Europe, by many of our kings, by a Saint Louis, by men full of\nreligious zeal, such as Godfrey of Bouillon, and Simon, Count of\nMontfort. Is there not the greatest rashness in including such men as\nthese in one sweeping condemnation? If all the Crusaders had not equally\npure intentions; if debauchery insinuated itself into their armies,\nif prudence did not always regulate their proceedings; if sometimes\neven success did not crown their best-concerted measures, are these\nsufficient grounds for blaming the enterprise, or, are we only to judge\nof measures by the event?\n\nSaint Bernard preached the crusade which was decided on in the year\n1144, of which Louis VII, King of France, had first formed the plan,\nand of which Pope Eugenius III, and the bishops of France approved.\nThe preaching of the holy abbot was publicly supported by a prodigious\nnumber of miracles, which even his humility could not dissemble. Two\npowerful armies, the one commanded by the Emperor Conrad III, the other\nby the King of France, with the princes and nobility of the states,\nwere calculated to inspire the infidels with terror. Nevertheless,\nfrom various causes, nothing could have been more unfortunate than the\nissue of this war; and, as the loss of these two armies was felt through\nthe whole of France and through the whole of Germany, where St. Bernard\nhad preached, and promised glorious success, public indignation fell\nupon him, and he was treated as a false prophet. What he wrote to Pope\nEugenius in his justification, must be considered as an answer to all\nthose who, even in these days, condemn the Crusades, the result of\nwhich was disastrous. He says, that Moses, in God's name, had solemnly\npromised the people of Israel to lead them into a very fertile land,\nand that God had even confirmed that promise by splendid miracles;\nthat, nevertheless, all those who went out of Egypt perished in the\ndesert without entering into the land of promise, in punishment of the\nsins of the people during the journey; that it cannot be said that\nthis punishment was a contradiction of the promise, because the promises\nwhich God, in His goodness, makes to man, never prejudice the rights\nof His justice; and this reasoning the Saint applies to the crimes\ncommitted in the armies of the Crusades.\n\nThis digression may, perhaps, appear long, but we could not dispense\nwith it for the honor of the religious and of the preceding ages; and,\nbesides, it is connected with the life of St. Francis, who certainly\napproved of the Crusades, although, by a supernatural inspiration, he\nblamed a particular enterprise of the Crusaders which had the\nunfortunate issue which he had foretold.\n\nThe ardor of his charity which urged him to labor for the conversion\nof the Saracens, and to expose himself to martyrdom, induced him to\ntake the resolution to present himself to the Sultan of Egypt. \"We\nsaw,\" says James de Vitry, \"Brother Francis, the founder of the Order\nof the Friars Minor, a simple and unlearned man, though very amiable\nand beloved by God and man, who was respected universally. He came to\nthe Christian army, which was lying before Damietta, and an excess of\nfervor had such an effect upon him, that, protected solely by the\nshield of faith, he had the daring to go to the sultan's camp to preach\nto him and to his subjects the faith of Jesus Christ.\"\n\nThe two armies were in sight of each other, and there was great danger\nin going from one to the other, particularly as the sultan had promised\na handsome reward in gold to any one who should bring him a Christian's\nhead. But this would not deter such a soldier of Jesus Christ as was\nFrancis, who, far from fearing death, eagerly sought it. He betook\nhimself to prayer, from which he arose full of strength and confidence,\nsaying with the prophet: \"Since Thou art with me, O Lord, I will fear\nno evil, though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death;\"\nand he set out for the infidel camp.\n\nTwo sheep which he met on setting out, gave him much joy. He said to\nhis companion: \"My brother, have confidence in the Lord, the word of\nthe Gospel is being fulfilled in us, which says: 'Behold I send you\nforth as sheep in the midst of wolves.'\" In fact, only a very little\nfarther on, some Saracens rushed upon them, as wolves upon sheep,\ninsulted and beat them, and bound them. Francis said: \"I am a Christian,\nlead me to your master;\" and God permitted that he should be so led\nto comply with the desire of His servant. The Sultan Meledin asked him\nwho sent them, and for what purpose they came? Francis answered with\ncourageous firmness: \"We are not sent by men, but it is the Most High\nwho sends us, in order that I may teach you and your people the way\nof salvation, by pointing out to you the truths of the Gospel.\" He\nimmediately preached to him, with great fervor, the dogma of one God\nin three Persons, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind.\n\nThen was seen verified what our Saviour said to His apostles. \"For I\nwill give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not\nbe able to resist or gainsay.\" Meledin became so mild and tractable,\nthat, admiring the courage of Francis, he listened quietly to him for\nsome days, and invited him to stay with him. The man of God said: \"If\nyou and your people will be converted, I will remain for the love of\nJesus Christ. And if you hesitate between His law and that of Mahomet,\nlet a great fire be lit up, and I will go into it with your priests,\nin order that you may see thereby which is the faith to follow.\" \"I\ndo not believe,\" replied the sultan, \"that any of our priests would\ngo into the fire, or suffer any torments for his religion.\" He answered\nthus because he perceived that as soon as the fire was proposed, one\nof the eldest of the priests, one who was of the most considerable of\nthem, got quickly away. \"If you will promise me,\" added Francis, \"that\nyourself and your people will embrace the Christian faith, in case I\ncome forth from the fire safe and sound, I will enter it alone; if I\nam burnt let it be imputed to my sins; but if God preserve me, you\nwill then acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the true God and Saviour\nof mankind.\"\n\nMeledin acknowledged that he dared not accept this challenge, lest it\nshould be the cause of a sedition; but he offered him rich presents\nwhich the servant of God despised from his heart as so much dirt. Such\nentire disengagement from the good things of this world inspired the\nprince with such veneration and confidence that he entreated the Saint\nto receive his presents, and to distribute them among the poor\nChristians or to the churches for the salvation of his soul. Francis\nwho had a loathing of money, and who did not find in the sultan any\ngroundwork of religion, persisted in his refusal of these offers. He,\nmoreover, thought it was time to leave the infidels when he saw no\nprospect of effecting any good, and where he had no further chance of\ngaining the crown of martyrdom; and he learnt by a revelation that\nwhat he intended was conformable to the will of God. The sultan, on\nhis part, fearing that some of his people might be moved by the\ndiscourse of Francis, and, being converted, might join the Christian\narmy, caused him to be escorted with marks of consideration to the\nChristian camp before Damietta, after having said to him in private:\n\"Pray for me, that God may make known what religion is most agreeable\nto Him, in order that I may embrace it.\"\n\nWas it not a sight worthy of God, worthy of angels, and of men, to see\non one side Francis, clothed in sackcloth, pale, emaciated, disfigured\nby his penitential austerities, pass through an army of infidels, and\npresent himself boldly before their sovereign, speak to him against\nthe law of their prophet, and exhort him to acknowledge the divinity\nof Jesus Christ? and, on the other side, the Sultan of Egypt, the\nmortal enemy of the Christians, elated by the victory he had just\ngained over them, and anxious to shed more of their blood, suddenly\nlose all his ferocity, become mild and tractable, listen attentively\nto the poor one of Jesus Christ, endeavor to retain him, offer him\nlarge presents, admire his poverty, his disinterestedness, his courage,\nask the aid of his prayers, that he might know and embrace the true\nreligion, and send him back to the Christian camp with honor? How\ncertain it is that the religion of Jesus Christ will never be made\nmore respectable and amiable to the infidels than by the practice of\nthe exalted virtues which it teaches, and by which it became established\nin the world.\n\nAnother scene which is not less striking in the eyes of piety, is the\nheart of Francis, burning with anxiety to shed his blood for the glory\nof his Master, and not being able to satisfy that ardor. Already, in\nthe hope of attaining it, he had embarked for Syria, and contrary winds\nhad driven him back to the Christian shores. He had gone into Spain\nin order to pass into Africa, when a violent illness compelled him to\ndesist from the undertaking. He thinks he already grasps the palm,\nwhen he finds himself in Egypt; in order to hasten the accomplishment\nof his desires, he places himself in the hands of the infidels, and\nattacks the tyrant on his throne; when, instead of the opprobrium and\ntortures which he sought, he finds nothing but mildness and curiosity,\nattentions and honor. He seeks for martyrdom, and martyrdom flies from\nhim. \"It was,\" St. Bonaventure remarks, \"by an admirable disposition\nof Divine Providence, who chose that the ardent desire of his faithful\nservant should give him the merit of martyrdom, and that his life\nshould be preserved to receive the glorious stigmata which were to be\nimpressed on his body by a singular prerogative, in reward of his great\nlove for Jesus crucified, who inflamed his heart.\"\n\nWading relates, upon the authority of a religious of the Order, who\nwas a contemporary of St. Francis, whose name was Ugolino of St. Mary\nof the Mount, corroborated by some other writers of the Order, that\nthe sultan was converted and baptized. Some later authors deny this,\nand remark that they have mistaken the Sultan of Egypt for the Sultan\nof Ieonium, who never saw St. Francis, and of whom James of Vitry says,\nthat he was believed to have received baptism at his death which\nhappened in the year when Damietta was besieged. It is admitted that\nWading was mistaken in quoting this passage to prove the conversion\nof the Sultan of Egypt, but that does not weaken the evidence of\nUgolino. He says that Francis went a second time to the sultan before\nhis return to Italy. He urged him to be converted. The Saint, not being\nable to induce him to overcome the human obstacles which stood in the\nway, prayed fervently for him for several successive days, and then\nfelt that his prayers were heard. This he communicated to Meledin, who\nimbibed still greater affection for him, and wished to detain him, but\nhe departed according to the command that he had received from heaven.\nSome years after, this prince being dangerously ill, the Saint appeared\nto two of his religious who were in Syria and ordered them to go to\nhim, instruct him, baptize him, and remain with him till he should\nexpire; all this was complied with. There is nothing in this legend\nwhich is not very probable, and which is not consistent with\ncircumstances that cannot be called into question:\n\n1. We have seen, in the narratives of James of Vitry, and of St.\nBonaventure, that Meledin said to Francis: \"Pray for me, that God may\nmake known to me which religion is most agreeable to Him;\" and that\nhe wished to induce him to receive his presents, in order to distribute\nthem to the poor Christians, or to the churches, for the salvation of\nhis soul.\n\n2. After he had seen the holy man, he treated the Christians with great\nhumanity, and shortly after their discomfiture, he sent some of his\nprisoners to their camp, to offer terms of peace. In the year 1221,\ntheir army, which was coming to offer him battle, entangled itself\nbetween two branches of the Nile, where it must have inevitably\nperished. \"He behaved to his enemies,\" says one of our authors, \"in\nsuch a manner as could not reasonably have been expected from a Saracen,\nand which in these days would do honor to a Christian prince were he\nto do it.\"\n\n3. An author, whose testimony on such a point is beyond suspicion,\nsays, \"that this sultan, being on his deathbed, caused a large sum of\nmoney to be distributed among the poor Christians who were sick in the\nhospitals, and that he left a considerable revenue for the same purpose;\nthat he enfranchised many slaves, that he had performed various other\nacts of mercy, and that his death was greatly lamented by the\nChristians, whom he spared to the utmost of his power. The Emperor\nFrederic was inconsolable after Meledin's death, having had strong\nhopes that he would receive baptism according to a promise he had given\nhim, and that he would strenuously contribute to the propagation of\nChristianity in the Levant.\"\n\n4. It may have happened that St. Francis who was then in heaven,\nappeared to two of the religious of his Order, and that he sent them\nto Meledin; that these religious instructed and baptized him; and that\nthe thing was done secretly from the circumstances of the times; that\nthe authors of those times were not informed of it, and that Ugolino\nlearned it from the religious themselves. In short, it is not improbable\nthat the conversion of this soul should have been granted to the zeal,\nlabors, prayers and tears of such a friend of God as St. Francis. Thus,\nthe baptism of the sultan is not so very uncertain, and those who have\nrecorded it have not given the Saint praise which may be called false,\nas Wading has been acrimoniously taxed with. After all, if Meledin was\nnot converted, it is a judgment of God, which those must be fearful\nof who recommend themselves to the prayers of the pious, forming\nprojects of conversion, and even doing some good works, who yet\npositively resist the grace vouchsafed them, which requires an effectual\nchange of heart. If he was converted, which is probable, it was a great\neffect of divine mercy, which sinners must not abuse by deferring their\nrepentance; these graces are very rarely given, and those who wait for\nthem run great risk of their salvation.\n\nThere is reason for thinking that Meledin gave Francis and his\ncompanions leave to preach in his dominions, since it is well known\nthat the Friars Minor began from that time to spread themselves amongst\nthe Saracens, as James de Vitry says:--\"Even the Saracens, blinded as\nthey are, admire the humility and perfection of the Friars Minor,\nreceive them well, and provide them cheerfully with all the necessaries\nof life, when they go boldly amongst them to preach the gospel; they\nlisten to them willingly, speaking of Jesus Christ and His doctrine;\nbut they beat them and drive them away if they attack Mahomet, and\nhold him as a liar and infidel.\"\n\nAn anecdote, related by St. Bonaventure, may have easily happened in\nthose times. A Saracen seeing some Friars Minor, was moved by their\npoverty and offered them some money, which they refused to accept, and\nthis astonished him. Having understood that it was for the love of God\nthat they refused money, he conceived such a liking for them, that he\nundertook to provide them with everything necessary as long as he was\nable to do so. The holy doctor exclaims on this:--\"O inestimable\nexcellence of poverty, which is so powerful to inspire a barbarian\nwith such tender and generous compassion!\" It would be a shameful and\nvery criminal thing, were Christians to despise and trample under foot\nthis precious evangelical pearl, for which a Mahometan showed such\nesteem and respect.\n\nWhile Francis remained in Egypt, he did not gather much fruit from\namong the infidels; but his words were a fertile seed which his\ndisciples reaped the abundant harvest of, when afterwards sent thither\nby Gregory IX and Innocent III.\n\nThe Saracens were not the only objects of the zeal of Francis. He\nlabored also for the salvation of the Christians in the army of the\nCrusaders, and some of them became his disciples. James de Vitry,\nBishop of Acre, writing to his friends in Lorraine informed them that\nRenier, the Prior of St. Michael, had joined the Order of the Friars\nMinor; and that three of the most eminent of his clergy had followed\nhis example, and that it was with difficulty he prevented the chorister\nand several others from taking the same course, to which he adds that\nthis religious Order spreads fast in the world because it is an exact\nimitation of the form of the primitive Church, and of the life of the\nApostles.\n\nThe most ancient records of the Order assure us that after some months'\nresidence in Egypt, the holy Patriarch went to Palestine, and visited\nthe holy places, but they enter into no particulars. What we may safely\nconjecture is, that God, who led him into the Holy Land, seemed to say\nto him, as He had said to Abraham: \"Arise and walk through the land\nin the length and in the breadth thereof, for I will give it to thee.\"\n\nRather more than a hundred years after his death, the Sultan of Egypt\npermitted the Friars Minor to take charge of the Holy Sepulchre of our\nLord, and they still have the care of it in the midst of the infidels,\nunder the protection of the Eldest Son of the Church. This privilege,\nwhich is so honorable for the Order of St. Francis, is justly considered\nby them as the fruit of the fervent devotion of the blessed Patriarch\nto Jesus Christ crucified.\n\nFrom Palestine Francis went to Antioch, the capital of Syria, and\npassed by the black mountain, where there was a celebrated monastery\nof the order of St. Benedict. The abbot who had died only a short time\nbefore, had foretold that a saintly man would soon come to their house,\nwho was much beloved by God, the Patriarch, of a great Order, who would\nbe poorly attired and of mean appearance, but very much to be revered;\nin consequence of which the religious, hearing of his coming, went in\nprocession to meet him, and received him with all the honors due to\na man of God. He remained some days with them, and the holiness which\nthey observed in him made such an impression upon them, that they\nembraced his Institute, placing all their effects at the disposition\nof the patriarch of Antioch. Some other monasteries followed their\nexample; and, in a few years, there was a flourishing province in that\ncountry, which continued until such time as the Saracens ravaged the\nwhole of Syria.\n\nWhile Francis was thus employed in extending his Order in the East,\nBrother Elias, who was his vicar-general in the West, was destroying\nit there. He said to the religious, in their conferences, that the\nlife of their Founder was worthy of the highest praise, but that it\nwas not given to all to imitate it; that among the things which he had\nprescribed for them, some appeared in the eyes of prudence very\ndifficult of observance, others absolutely impracticable and beyond\nthe strength of man; that, in the opinion of the most prudent, some\nmodification was requisite and some change required, some practices\nnecessary, which were not so strictly regular--by specious insinuations\nof this nature, he brought over many to his opinions, and even some\nof the provincials who ventured to represent the simplicity of their\nFather as imprudent. The vicar-general, nevertheless, in conjunction\nwith the ministers, made some regulations for the government of the\nprovinces which were very useful; but, by a strange inconsistency, at\nthe time when they were talking of modifications, they prescribed total\nabstinence from meat, and forbade its use either in or out of the\ncloisters, which was a direct contradiction of the rule, which permits\nthe Friars Minor, except in times of fasting, to eat, according to the\nterms of the Gospel, whatsoever is put before them.\n\nAll those who had the true spirit of God were greatly grieved to see\nthat human prudence was preferred to the divine will, and that the\nvineyard of the Lord was rendered desolate by Brother Elias. They put\nup fervent prayers to God for the speedy return of their pastor, so\nnecessary for the flock; and, after having secretly concerted together,\nthey sent Brother Stephen into Syria, to communicate to their Founder\nwhat was going on. Stephen went and gave him a full detail of all\nthings. Francis was not cast down by this deplorable intelligence, but\nhe had recourse to God, and recommended to His protection the family\nhe had received from him. As to the regulation which prescribed entire\nabstinence from meat, he, with great humility, asked the advice of\nPeter of Catana, who replied: \"It is not for me to judge; it is for\nthe legislator to decide thereon, as on all the rest.\" Francis deferred\nthe decision till his return, and embarked immediately for Italy.\n\nHis voyage was not a long one; they soon anchored at the Isle of Candia,\nfrom whence they came to Venice where they landed. He sent circular\nletters to convene the chapter which he proposed holding at the ensuing\nMichaelmas, to remedy the evil which had been brought about by Brother\nElias. He built a small chapel near the Venetian lakes, (Lagunes,) in\nwhich two of his religious were to say the Divine Office, in memory\nof an extraordinary thing which happened to him at this place.\n\nThe Saint then went to Padua, Bergamo, Brescia, the island of the lake\nof Garda, to Cremona and Mantua; at all these places there were convents\nof his Order. We are assured that St. Dominic joined him on his way;\nthat they conferred together and with John of Navarra de Torniella,\nBishop of Bergamo, on the salvation of souls; that they made some pious\nvisits to the solitaries of the valley of Astino, and that the patriarch\nof the Friars Preachers celebrated Mass there, that of the Minors being\nthe deacon at the service. When they were in spiritual conference at\nCremona, the religious came to request them to bless the well, and to\nsolicit the Almighty to purify the water which was thick and muddy.\nDominic, at the entreaty of Francis, blessed a vessel full of the\nwater, and caused it to be thrown back into the well, and all water\nthat subsequently was drawn from it was clear and wholesome to drink.\n\nThe two saints separated, but, shortly after, met again at Bologna.\nFrancis going to Bologna, met a woman whose son was epileptic, and who\ncame to beg the aid of his prayers. He wrote on a slip of paper some\nshort but very devout ejaculatory prayers which he thought might be\ntaken to the sick youth; they had no sooner been given to him, than\nhe was entirely cured; in gratitude whereof, he placed himself at the\nservice of the Friars Minor in the convent of Parma.\n\nThe reputation of the holy man was so great that, according to Sigonius,\nthe streets were choked with the number of students who wished to see\nand hear him. It was with difficulty that way was made for him to reach\nthe principal square, where he preached in so sublime a manner that\nthey thought they heard an angel and not a man. The greater part of\nthe audience was converted; and many solicited the habit of the Order,\namong whom were Nicholas of Pepulis, Bonizio, Pelerino, Falleroni, and\nRiger or Ricer of Modena. Nicholas was that learned jurisconsult who\nhad been so kind to Bernard de Quintavalle in 1211, when every one had\ntreated him with contempt at Bologna. Bonizio excelled in the love of\nholy poverty, and was very useful to the Saint in affairs of importance,\nby the talent he had of managing with prudence. Pelerino and Riger\nwere young gentlemen from the Marches of Ancona, who were students at\nBologna--to them Francis foretold all they would do in the course of\ntheir lives. The first would only be a lay-brother, although he was\nwell versed in canon-law; it was said of him that when he was in\ncompany with men of the world, either from necessity or from charitable\nmotives, he left them as soon as he could; and when he was censured\nfor so doing as being guilty of rudeness, he replied: \"When we have\nsought Jesus Christ our Master, we have never found Him either amongst\nrelatives or amongst our acquaintances.\" The second attached himself\nto his holy Patriarch, and strove to imitate him in all things. Although\nhe was eminently favored with the gift of chastity, he nevertheless\navoided with great care the conversation of females, and he said to\nthose with whom he was intimate, who were surprised at it: \"I should\nperhaps lose the gift with which I have been favored, by a just judgment\nof God, if I took fewer precautions: he who loves danger will perish\nin it.\"\n\nHere is an authentic testimonial as to one of the sermons which Francis\npreached at Bologna in the year 1220; it is taken from the Archives\nof the church of Spalatro, and it is found in the history of the bishops\nof Bologna, written by Sigonius:\n\n\"I, Thomas, citizen of Spalatro, and archdeacon of the cathedral of\nthe same town, saw, in the year 1220, on the day of the Assumption of\nthe Mother of God, St. Francis preach in the square in front of the\nlittle palace where almost the whole city was collected. He began his\nsermon thus: 'The angels, the men, and the demons.' He spoke of these\nintelligent beings so well and with such precision, that many learned\nmen who heard him, were astonished to hear such a discourse from the\nmouth of so simple a man. He did not diverge to draw a moral from\ndifferent subjects, as preachers usually do, but as those who dilate\nupon one point, he brought everything to bear upon the sole object of\nrestoring peace, concord, and union which had been totally destroyed\nby cruel dissensions. He was very poorly clad, his countenance was\npale and wan, and his whole appearance was uninviting; but God gave\nsuch force and efficiency to his words, that they led to the\nreconciliation of a great number of gentlemen who were greatly\nexasperated against each other, and whose irritation had caused the\nshedding of no small quantity of blood. The love and veneration for\nthe Saint were so universal, and went so far, that men and women ran\nto him in crowds, and those esteemed themselves fortunate who could\nonly touch the hem of his garments.\"\n\nThe author who records this testimonial adds that he performed miracles\nalso in Bologna. A child of quality was taken to him, who had what is\ncalled a pearl on his eye, which rendered his eye quite blind, and no\nremedy could be found for it. Francis made the sign of the cross over\nhim from the head to the feet, and he was perfectly cured. Having\nsubsequently entered the Institute of his miraculous physician, he saw\nmuch better with the eye on which the pearl had been than with the\nother. This miracle, which was known throughout the city, increased\nthe zeal and respect which the Bolognese had for the servant of God\nso much, that they could not tear themselves from him, and they gave\nhim a second house for his Institute, situated in a wood about a mile\nfrom the town.\n\nAfter these apostolical functions, he went to see Cardinal Ugolino,\nwho was then legate in Lombardy, by whom he was received with marks\nof the most sincere affection. He proposed next to visit the convent\nof his Order which was close to one of the gates of Bologna, but as\nsoon as he saw it, finding it much more spacious and handsome than was\nrequisite for strict poverty, he turned away his eyes from it, and\nsaid indignantly: \"Is this the dwelling of the poor Evangelical\nlaborers? Such grand and superb palaces, are they for Friars Minor?\nI do not acknowledge this house as one of ours, and I do not look upon\nthose who dwell in it as my brethren. I, therefore, order and enjoin\nall those who wish to continue to bear the name of Friars Minor, to\nleave this house forthwith, and to give up to the rich of the world\nbuildings which are only fit for them.\"\n\nHe was so implicitly obeyed, that even the sick, among whom was Brother\nLeo, one of his first companions, who is the relator of this\ncircumstance, were carried out on the shoulders of their brethren and\nexposed to the air. There they all remained till the arrival of the\nlegate, who, having been informed of what was going on, had come and\nappeased the holy man. He represented to him that it was necessary to\nallow the convents to be more spacious, in order that the infirm might\nhave more air for restoring their health; and that such as were well\nshould have more room for relaxing their minds. \"But as to the\nproperty,\" he added, \"I can assure you that your brethren have no part\nin it, as it remains entirely to the founders. Moreover, if you have\nany further scruples on the subject, I declare to you that I take the\nwhole upon myself in the name of the Holy Roman Church.\"\n\nFrancis could not resist the powerful reason of the prudent and pious\nlegate, the protector of his Order. He, therefore, consented that his\nbrethren should remain in the convent; he even ordered them to return\nto it, but he would not go into it himself, and he chose to take the\nrepose which nature required, in the house of the Friars Preachers,\nwhere he passed some days with his friend Saint Dominic.\n\nIt would appear that St. Bonaventure had this circumstance in view,\nwhen he said: \"that if it happened that St. Francis found in the houses\nwhich his brethren occupied, anything which looked like property, or\nthat was too elegant, he wished the houses to be pulled down, or that\nthe religious should quit them, because he maintained that the Order\nwas grounded on Evangelical poverty as its principal foundation, so\nthat if this poverty was adhered to in it, it would flourish, but that\nit would perish if it was set aside.\"\n\nWhile the Saint was with the Friars Preachers, one of them, from\nfeelings of compassion, begged him to return to his children, and to\npardon the fault they had committed, but he replied: \"Indulgence which\ngives rise to an easy relapse into sin, is not be commended. I will\nnot sanction by my presence what has been committed against holy\npoverty.\" This charitable religious endeavored to induce him at least\nto see them, in order that they might be made aware of their fault,\nand be corrected. \"We will come back here together,\" he said, \"if you\ndo not choose to remain there, after having performed this duty of\nsuperior.\" Francis yielded to this prudent advice; he went to his\nchildren, and seeing them grieved and repentant, and ready to receive\nthe penance he might inflict, he pardoned them.\n\nHis indulgence did not extend to the provincial, whose name was John\nde Strachia, one of those who wished to have the rule mitigated in\n1219. He censured him severely for having had so beautiful a house\nbuilt, or, at least, for having permitted it to be built. He upbraided\nhim in strong terms for having, without consulting him, opened a school\nfor the studies of the Friars Minor, and for having made regulations\nfor its conduct more favorable to science than to piety. He did away\nwith this school, because he chose that his religious should pray\nrather than study, and that the other provincials might learn to be\nmore humble and more religious in all that had relation to studies.\n\nAnd here we must advert to what happened at a later period; the\nprovincial had the rashness to reestablish the school after the\ndeparture of the Founder, who, having been informed of it, and knowing\nfrom interior revelation the obduracy of this man, cursed him publicly,\nand deposed him at the ensuing chapter. The Saint was entreated to\nwithdraw this curse, and to give his blessing to Brother John, who was\na noble and learned man, but he answered: \"I cannot bless him whom the\nLord has cursed.\" A dreadful reply which was soon after verified. This\nunfortunate man died, exclaiming: \"I am damned and cursed for all\neternity.\" Some frightful circumstances which followed after his death\nconfirmed his awful prognostic. Such a malediction which pride and\ndisobedience brought upon this learned man, ought to strike terror\ninto those vain men who forsake piety for science, and in whom great\ntalents have no other effect than to produce in them great attachment\nto their own conceits, and proud indocility, which induces, at length,\neven a revolt against the Church.\n\nSt. Francis was not averse to studies, as will be seen, when, two years\nafter, he caused theology to be taught. But he chose that they should\nso study as not to extinguish the spirit of prayer. He approved of\nscience, but of that only, which the Holy Spirit calls religious, which\nis sanctified by the fear of the Lord, of which St. Augustine says:\n\"that it is the companion of charity, and teaches humility.\"\n\nCardinal Ugolino proposed to the Servant of God that they should make\na retreat of some days together, at Camaldoli, in order to give his\nbody some rest, which was borne down by fatigue, and relax his mind\nfrom the various cares which oppressed it. He willingly assented to\nthis, because he liked the life of a recluse. They, therefore, went\nto this holy solitude, and they remained there nearly a month, solely\nemployed in meditation on heavenly things. The cardinal took a cell\nat the entry of the desert where it is still to be seen; and Francis\ntook one near it, which had been inhabited by St. Romnald. It has since\ntaken the name of St. Francis' cell, and is only occupied by the prior,\nor major of Camaldoli. The writers of the country add, that the festival\nof St. Francis is celebrated solemnly there, and that it is decreed\nby the statutes that the anthem which the Friars Minor chant shall be\nsung on that day: Salve, Sancte Pater, &c.\n\nThe two pious solitaries went from thence to Mount Alvernia, where\nthey only stayed a few days. The cardinal returned to Bologna, and\nFrancis took the route for Assisi, in order to open the chapter at St.\nMary of the Angels, as he had given notice.\n\nOn the way, St. Bonaventure acquaints us what occurred to him. His\ninfirmities and fatigue having compelled him to mount on an ass, his\ncompanion, Leonard of Assisi, who followed him on foot, and was also\nvery much fatigued, gave way to human feelings, and said to himself:\n\"His parents were not the equals of mine; yet, there he rides, and I\nam forced to trudge on foot and lead him.\" As he was thus giving way\nto these thoughts, Francis, to whom God had made known what was passing\nin Leonard's mind, dismounted, and said: \"No, brother, it is not fitting\nthat I should ride while you walk on foot, because you are better born\nthan I am, and are of greater consideration in the world.\" Leonard,\ngreatly surprised, and blushing for shame, threw himself at his Father's\nfeet, acknowledged his fault, and with tears solicited his pardon.\n\nAs soon as the holy Patriarch entered the Valley of Spoleto, his\nchildren came in crowds from various parts to meet him, and to\ncongratulate him on his return. He was greatly gratified on seeing\nthem, and communicated freely with them, encouraging the weak, consoling\nthose who were in affliction, censuring such as were in fault, and\nexhorting them all to adhere strictly to the rules. It was there that\nhe received a confirmation of the complaints which had been made to\nhim in the Levant, against the government of Elias, his vicar general,\nand he had himself the proof of it.\n\nElias ventured to present himself to him, in a newer habit and one\nmade of finer cloth than those of the other brethren, the cowl of which\nwas longer and the sleeves wider, and he assumed an air little suitable\nto his profession. Francis, dissembling what was passing in his mind,\nsaid to him before the assistants:--\"I beg you to lend me that habit.\"\nElias did not dare refuse: he went aside and took it off and brought\nit to him. Francis put it on over his own, smoothed it down, plaited\nit nicely under the girdle, threw the cowl over his head, and then,\nstrutting fiercely with his head erect, he paced three or four times\nround the company, saying, in a loud voice :--\"God preserve you, good\npeople.\" Then taking the habit off indignantly, he threw it from him\nwith contempt, and, turning to Elias, \"That is the way,\" he said, \"that\nthe bastard brethren of our Order will strut.\" After this he resumed\nhis usual demeanor and walked humbly with his old and tattered habit,\nsaying:--\"Such is the deportment of the true Friars Minor.\" Then,\nseating himself amongst them, he addressed them in the mildest manner,\nand spoke on poverty and humility, of which he so forcibly pointed out\nthe perfection, that it seemed to them that those whom they had\npreviously considered the poorest and most humble, had made but small\nadvance in the practice of those two virtues. In fine, he annulled all\nthe novelties which the vicar-general had introduced into the Order\nduring his absence, except the prohibition of eating meat, which he\nthought it necessary to retain some time longer, lest he might be\nthought to encourage gluttony.\n\nThe means he had taken to curb the foolish vanity of Brother Elias,\nshowed both his prudence and his authority, and made such an impression\non his disciples, that there was not one of them who ventured to say\na word in favor of the vicar-general, although he had his partisans\namongst them. Some time afterwards, the Patriarch had an opportunity\nof taking off the prohibition of eating meat, in consequence of a\nwonderful event which is worthy of being recorded.\n\nA young man in the dress of a traveller, came in haste to the door of\nthe Convent of St. Mary of the Angels, and said to Brother Masse, who\nwas the porter:--\"I wish to speak to Brother Francis, but I know he\nis meditating in the woods; call Brother Elias to me, who is said to\nbe learned and prudent, in order that he may satisfy a doubt which\npresses upon me.\" The porter was turned away by Brother Elias, and was\npuzzled what reply to give the stranger, not to scandalize him, and\nnot to say what was untrue. The young man anticipated him, saying:\n\"Brother Elias does not choose to come, I must therefore beg you to\ngo to Brother Francis, in order that he may order him to come to speak\nto me.\" Masse went, and did as he was requested, and Francis, having\nhis eyes fixed on heaven, said, without changing his position:--\"Go\nand tell Brother Elias that I order him to speak to the young man.\"\n\nThis order vexed Elias, and he came to the door in great irritation,\nasking what he was wanted for? \"Do not be angry,\" said the young man,\n\"I ask you, if those who profess to follow the Gospel may not eat\nwhatever is given to them, as Jesus Christ has observed; and if any\none may rightfully direct the contrary?\" Elias, seizing hastily the\ndoor to shut it, said:--\"I know all that, and have no answer to give\nyou but: go your ways.\" The young man replied:--\"I cannot tell what\nyou would answer, but I know very well that you ought to give an\nanswer.\"\n\nWhen Elias got calm in his cell, he reflected on what had passed, and\non what would be proper to say in answer to the question which had\nbeen put to him; and, finding it difficult, and being sorry that he\nhad given the young man so ungracious a reception, in whom he thought\nhe had remarked something extraordinary, he returned to speak to him,\nbut he was gone and could not be found. Francis learned from God that\nit was an angel, and, on his return to the convent, he said to Brother\nElias:--\"You do what is not right; you turn contemptuously away angels\nwho come from God to visit and instruct us; I greatly fear that your\npride will render you unworthy of the humble institution of Friars\nMinor, and that you will die out of that state.\" It was then that he\nrevoked the statute which forbade eating meat.\n\nBernard of Quintavalle returning from Spain and being on the border\nof a river which he could not cross, the same angel appeared to him\nin the same form, and greeted him in the Italian language. Bernard,\nsurprised at hearing the language of his country, and taken with the\ngood looks of the young man who addressed him, asked him from whence\nhe came. The angel then told him what had just occurred between him\nand Brother Elias. He took him by the hand, carried him across the\nriver, and disappeared, leaving him so full of consolation, that he\nhad no fatigue during the remainder of his journey. When he arrived\nin Italy, and had related the circumstance, with the day and hour, he\nfound that it was in fact the same angel.\n\nBefore the opening of the chapter, Francis, reflecting mournfully on\nthe relaxation which had been introduced into his Order by those who\nought to have been most zealous in promoting the purity of its\nobservance, had a vision which was very extraordinary. A great statue\nappeared before him, and he saw it with his bodily eyes; it greatly\nresembled that which Nabuchodonosor had seen in a dream, the\ninterpretation of which had been given him by the Prophet Daniel. God\nchose to employ this mode to acquaint the holy Patriarch with the\nvarious revolutions which would take place in his Order, and he\nsignified them to him by the statue itself, by the different metals\nof which it was composed, either thus to modify by these humiliating\nforeshowings the honor which he derived from being the Founder of so\nwonderful a work as that of the establishment of his Order; or to\ninspire him with the intention of sending up fervent prayers to heaven,\nwhich should draw down graces on his flock at all times, which, in\nfact, he did with a profusion of tears; or, in fine, it was a foresight\ngiven him of the relaxations which would be introduced, to enable him\nto advise his religious to be more vigilant, as St. Paul had predicted\nthe errors and irregularities which were to occur in the Church, in\norder to excite the vigilance of the bishops.\n\nIn Nabuchodonosor's vision, a stone was separated from the mountain,\nwhich, striking the feet of the statue, shivered it to pieces; the\nstatue was wholly broken, and disappeared. This did not occur in the\nvision which Francis had; for the great body of religion which it\nrepresented, which has had its vicissitudes, as all others (and with\nmore lustre than any, because of its more extensive and greater exposure\nto the eyes of the public) has nevertheless continued to have existence,\nto maintain itself, to serve the Church at all times, and to furnish\nit with saints. It has even often renewed itself with features which\nbring to mind its primitive beauty; by which it may be said to be a\ntype of the mystical body of Jesus Christ, which notwithstanding the\ndecay of ages, does not cease to have vigorous and healthy members who\nare as fervent as those of the earliest periods.\n\nThe holy Founder having listened to all that was said against the\ngovernment of Brother Elias, and to what he had alleged in his\njustification, held his chapter on the Festival of St. Michael, in the\nConvent of Portiuncula. He substituted Brother Gratian, in the place\nof Brother John of Strachia, as Provincial of Bologna, of which we\nhave spoken before; and Brother Peter of Catania, in place of Brother\nElias. Peter had been the second of his disciples, and into his hands\nhe committed the whole guidance of his Order, not only because he did\nnot think himself able to look to it in person, on account of the\nmultitude of religious now belonging to it, and on account of his\ninfirmity, but in order to improve himself in the virtue of humility,\nto which he was so much attached.\n\nHe then assembled them and said:--\"I am now dead to you all; there is\nPeter of Catania, who is your superior, whom henceforward we must all\nobey, you and I,\" and prostrating himself at the feet of Peter, he\npromised to obey him in all things as minister general of the Order.\nThis title of minister general was displeasing to the religious, who\ndid not wish it should be given to any one during the lifetime of their\nFather, and they agreed that he who took his place should only have\nthe title of vicar general.\n\nFrancis being on his knees, with his hands clasped, and his eyes lifted\nup to heaven, said, with affecting emotion: \"My Lord Jesus Christ, I\nrecommend to Thee this family, which is Thine own, and which up to\nthis moment Thou hast confided to me. Thou knowest that my infirmities\nincapacitate me from having any longer the care of it; I leave it in\nthe hands of the ministers; if it should so happen that on their part,\nnegligence, scandal, or too great severity, should be the cause of any\none of the brethren perishing, they will render to Thee, O Lord, an\naccount of it at the day of judgement.\"\n\nFrom that time till his death he continued as much as it was in his\npower in the humble state of an inferior, although he did not fail to\ncommunicate to the superiors the lights which God gave him for the\ngood government of the Order, and on several occasions he could not\navoid acting as its Founder and General.\n\nSt. Dominic, his friend, had similar feelings as to the employments\nof office. In this year he held the first chapter of his Order at\nBologna, and wished to resign the station of superior, of which his\nhumility made him consider himself incapable and unworthy; but his\nreligious would not permit it. These have been the feelings of all the\nsaints, because they knew that, for the purpose of salvation, it is\nsafer to obey than to command. Eight days before the chapter, Pope\nHonorious issued a bull addressed to Francis, and to the superiors of\nthe Friars Minor, by which he forbade them to receive any one to\nprofession, unless after a twelvemonth's probation, and directing that,\nafter profession, no one whosoever should leave the order; forbidding,\nalso, any persons from receiving such as should quit it. What gave\nrise to this measure was that, at the commencement of the Order of\nFriars Minor, and of that of the Preachers, there were some who made\ntheir profession without a novitiate, according as the superiors thought\nproper under different circumstances, and this sort of precipitate\nengagement was found to have its inconveniences.\n\nPeter of Catania, acting as vicar general, and finding that he could\nnot provide for the multitude of religious who came to the Convent of\nSt. Mary of the Angels, as to the chief monastery of the Order, thought\nthat, in order to provide for this, some portion of the property of\nthe novices might be retained; on which he consulted Francis to know\nwhether he thought the suggestion proper, and if he would permit it.\nFrancis said: \"My dear brother, God preserve us from this sort of\ncharity, which would render us impious in respect to our rule, in order\nto acquire consideration in the sight of men.\" The vicar then asking\nwhat he should do for the relief of the guests; \"Strip the altar of\nthe Blessed Virgin,\" replied Francis, \"take away all the ornaments\nwhich are there; the Lord will send you what is requisite to restore\nto his Mother what we shall employ in charity. Believe firmly that the\nVirgin will be pleased to see her altar stripped, rather than that\nthere should be any contravention of the Gospel of her Son;\" and he\ntook occasion again strenuously to recommend holy poverty.\n\nHe also said many things relative to books, to science, and to\npreaching, which will be recorded in another part of his life. Brother\nCasar of Spires, who had been professor of theology before becoming\na Friar Minor, and who was a man of great piety, having heard all that\nthe Father said on the subject of science, and the learned, had a long\nconversation with him on the state of his soul, and on the observance\nof the rule, which he concluded thus: \"My Father, I have made a firm\nresolution, with God's grace, to observe the Gospel and the rule,\naccording to the instruction of Jesus Christ, until my death; and now,\nI have a favor to ask you, which is that, if it may happen in my\nlifetime that some should swerve from it, as you have foretold, you\ngive me your blessing from this moment, and your leave to separate\nmyself from such transgressors, in order that I may adhere to the rule\nalone with those who have a like zeal with myself.\" Rejoicing at this\nproposition, Francis embraced him and blessed him, saying: \"Know, my\nson, that what you solicit is granted to you by Jesus Christ, and by\nme;\" and placing his hands on his head, he added: \"Thou art a priest\nforever according to the order of Melchisedech\"--the holy man desiring\nto have it understood thereby that all the promises he had received\nfrom Jesus Christ, would have their accomplishment to the end, in those\nwho adhered to the rule.\n\nIt was at this time that he addressed a letter to the religious of his\nOrder, and particularly to the priests, upon the profound veneration\nwhich we ought to have for that august mystery of the Eucharist.\n\nIn the course of the year 1220, Francis received the news of the\nmartyrdom of the five religious whom he had sent to Morocco. We must\nrelate the circumstances, more at length, since they belong to the\nlife of the holy Patriach, who gave this mission to these valorous\nsoldiers of Jesus Christ, and since they are the first martyrs of the\nOrder.\n\nBerardus, Peter, Otho, Ajut, Accursus, and Vital, their superior,\nhaving left Italy for Morocco, after having received their Father's\nblessing, as has already been noticed, arrived shortly after in the\nkingdom of Arragon. There Vital was detained some time by a lingering\nillness, which induced him to think that it was not God's will that\nhe should continue his journey. He therefore let the other five proceed,\nwho soon reached Coimbra, and were favorably received by Urraca, queen\nof Portugal, the wife of King Alphonso II. This princess conceived so\nhigh an opinion of their virtue and placed such confidence in them,\nthat she entreated them to pray to God to inform them of the time at\nwhich she should die. They promised to do so, although they considered\nthemselves unworthy of making such a request; but they were so favorably\nheard, that they foretold to the queen that they were to suffer\nmartyrdom with all the circumstances thereof; that their relics would\nbe brought to Coimbra, and that she would receive them honorably, after\nwhich she would be called from this world. Predictions which were fully\nverified. They went from thence to Alanquer, where the Princess Sancia,\nsister to the king of Portugal, approving their plans, induced them\nto put secular clothing over their religious habits, without which\nprecaution they would not have been able to pass into the territories\nof Morocco.\n\nHaving reached Seville, which was then occupied by the Moors, they\nremained a week concealed in the house of a Christian, where they threw\noff their secular clothing. Their zeal induced them to go forth, and\nthey got as far as the principal mosque, which they attempted to enter\nin order to preach to the infidels, but they were driven back with\nloud cries and severely beaten. From thence they went to the gate of\nthe palace, saying that they were ambassadors sent to the king from\nJesus Christ, the King of kings. They were introduced, and said many\nthings relative to the Christian religion, to induce the king to be\nconverted and receive baptism; but they afterwards added much against\nMahomet and against his law, which irritated him to such a degree,\nthat he ordered them to be beheaded; but being mollified by the\nentreaties of his son, he was satisfied with having them confined at\nthe top of a tower, from whence he had them removed to the ground-floor,\nbecause, from above, they continued to speak of Jesus Christ, and\nagainst the prophet, to those who entered the palace. Having caused\nthem to be again brought before him, he engaged to pardon them, if\nthey would change their religion: \"Prince,\" they replied, \"would to\nGod that you would have mercy on yourself! Treat us as you think proper.\nIt is in your power to take away our lives, but we are sure that death\nwill lead us to a glorious immortality.\" The king, seeing their\nunshakeable firmness, sent them, by the advice of his council, to\nMorocco, with Don Pedro Fernandas de Castro, a gentlemen of Castile,\nand some other Christians.\n\nThey found there the Infant Don Pedro of Portugal, who had retired to\nthat country in consequence of some misunderstanding which he had with\nhis brother, King Alphonso, and who now commanded the troops of the\nking of Morocco. This prince received them with great respect and\ncharity as apostolical men, and had them provided with every thing\nnecessary for their subsistence. Knowing what had occurred to them at\nSeville, in consequence of their preaching, and seeing that,\nconsequently, they were still in a state of great weakness, he\nendeavored to dissuade them from doing the same thing in Morocco; but\nthe generous missionaries, solely intent upon their pious object,\nceased not to preach without any fear, wherever they met with any\nSaracens.\n\nOne day, when Berardus was giving instruction to the people and was\ndeclaiming against Mahomet from a wagon, the king passed by, going to\nvisit the tombs of his predecessors, and seeing that he continued his\ntalking notwithstanding his presence, he thought the declaimer must\nbe out of his mind, and instantly directed that all the five should\nbe driven out of the town, and sent back to the country of the\nChristians. The Infant Don Juan gave them an escort to convey them to\nCeuta, whence they were to embark. On the road, they got stealthily\naway from their escort, and returned to Morocco, where they recommenced\npreaching in the great square. The king, being informed of this, became\ngreatly irritated, and had them imprisoned, in order to starve them\nto death. They were there twenty days without food or drink.\n\nDuring this time the heat became so excessive and caused so much\nsickness, that it was thought that the hand of God fell heavily upon\nthem to avenge his servants. The king became alarmed, and by the advice\nof a Saracen named Abaturino, who loved the Christians, he liberated\nthe prisoners. They were extremely surprised to find that, after twenty\ndays' confinement, without any nourishment whatsoever, they came out\nin full health and strength.\n\nAs soon as they had left the prison, they were anxious to recommence\ntheir preaching; but the other Christians, who were apprehensive of\nthe wrath of the king, opposed themselves to it, and had them taken\nto the place of embarkation; but they again made their escape, and\nreturned to Morocco. Then the Infant Don Pedro was induced to keep\nthem in his palace, and to place guards over them to prevent their\nappearing in public.\n\nThis prince being obliged to set out, some short time after, to take\nthe command of the army which the king sent against some rebels, he\ntook the Friars Minor with him, as well as several other Christians,\nfearing lest, during his absence, they should escape from those who\nhad charge of them. As he returned victorious, his army was three days\nwithout water, and was reduced to the greatest distress. Brother\nBernardus resorted to prayer, and having made a hole in the ground\nwith a pickaxe, he caused a spring to flow from it, which sufficed for\nthe whole army, and enabled them to fill their goat-skins, after which\nit dried up. So palpable a miracle procured for them from all parts\nthe greatest veneration. Many even went so far as to kiss their feet.\n\nWhen they returned to Morocco, the Infant continued to take the same\nprecautions as before, to prevent their appearing in public;\nnevertheless, they found means to get out secretly one Friday, and to\npresent themselves before the king, as he was passing, according to\nhis custom, to visit the tombs of his predecessors. Berardus again got\nupon a wagon, and spoke in his presence with astonishing intrepidity.\nThe king, irritated beyond control, gave orders to one of the princes\nof his court to have them put to death. This prince only had them put\nin prison, because he had witnessed the miracle which we have recorded\nabove.\n\nThey were very ill-treated in this confinement, but continued to preach\neven there, when there were either Christians or Saracens to listen\nto them. All this occurred towards the end of the year 1219.\n\nAt the beginning of the year 1220, the Saracen prince who had received\nthe order to put them to death, having sent for them from the prison,\nfound them very firm in their faith, and that they spoke with the same\nboldness against their prophet Mahomet. He was so enraged at this,\nthat, forgetful of the miracle he had witnessed on the return of the\narmy, he directed them to be kept separated and tortured in various\nways. They tied their hands and feet, and dragged them along the ground\nby a cord fastened round their necks, and they were so cruelly scourged\nthat their bowels nearly protruded. Thirty men who were employed for\nthis cruel service did not leave them till they had poured boiling\nvinegar and oil into their wounds, and rolled them upon broken pieces\nof earthenware covered with straw.\n\nSome of those who guarded them, saw a great light which came from\nHeaven, and which seemed to raise these religious up, with an\ninnumerable number of other persons; they thought that they had left\nthe prison and entered it in great haste, where they found them in\nfervent prayer.\n\nThe king of Morocco, informed of what had been done, desired that they\nmight be brought into his presence. They brought them to him, their\nhands tied, and they were driven in with blows and cuffs. A Saracen\nprince who met them endeavored to induce them to embrace the law of\nMahomet. Brother Otho rejected the proposition with horror and spat\non the ground, to mark his contempt of such a religion; this brought\nupon him a severe box on the ear, upon which he turned the other side,\naccording to the direction of the Gospel, and said to the prince:--\"May\nGod forgive thee, for thou knowest not what thou doest.\"\n\nWhen they had reached the palace, the king said to them: \"Are you then\nthose impious persons who despise the true faith, those foolish persons\nwho blaspheme the prophet sent from God?\" \"O king,\" they answered, \"we\nhave no contempt for the true faith; on the contrary, we are ready to\nsuffer and die in its defence; but we detest your faith, and the wicked\nman who was its author.\" The king, imagining that he might perhaps\ngain them over by the love of pleasure, of riches or of honors, said\nto them, in pointing out to them some Saracen women whom he had brought\nthere on purpose: \"I will give you those women for wives, together\nwith large sums of money, and you shall be highly esteemed in my\nkingdom, if you will embrace the law of Mahomet; if not, you shall die\nby the sword.\" The confessors of the faith answered without hesitating:\n\"We want neither your women nor your money: keep those for yourself,\nand let Jesus Christ be for us. Subject us to what tortures you please,\nand take away our lives. All suffering is light to us, when we think\nof the glories of heaven.\" Then the king, having lost all hopes of\novercoming them, took his scimitar, and with his own hand split their\nskulls in two; and thus was completed the martyrdom of the five Friars\nMinor, on the 16th of January, 1220.\n\nTheir bodies, having been dragged out of the town and cut to pieces\nby the infidels, were collected by the Christians; and the Infant Don\nPedro took them into Spain, from whence he sent them into Portugal to\nKing Alphonso, not daring as yet to revisit his own country. This king,\naccompanied by Queen Urraca and some of the grandees of the kingdom,\ncame with the clergy to meet them, and had them placed with great pomp\nin the monastery of Regular Canons of the Holy Cross, at Coimbra, where\nthey still are. The celebrated miracles which were achieved there in\ngreat numbers as well as those which were performed in Morocco, and\non the way to Europe, are recorded by contemporary authors, who have\nwritten their acts. Pope Sixtus IV recognized them solemnly as martyrs,\nin the year 1461, and gave permission to the religious to say their\noffice.\n\nAt the time of their death, the Princess Sancia of Portugal, was in\nthe act of prayer; they appeared to her with a bloody scimitar in their\nhands and told her that by their martyrdom they were on their way to\nheaven, where they would pray to God continually for her and would\nthus reward the good she had done them.\n\nWhat they had foretold Queen Urraca, as to the time of her death, came\nto pass, and her confessor, a canon regular of Santa Cruz, a most\nexemplary man, of great piety, was made acquainted with it by a very\nmarvellous vision. A short time after the bodies of these glorious\nmartyrs had been placed in the church of this monastery, he saw in the\nmiddle of the night the choir filled with religious, who were singing\nvery melodiously, which surprised him exceedingly, neither knowing\nwhat brought them there, nor how they got in. He asked one of them,\nwho replied: \"We are all Friars Minor. He whom you see at the head,\nis Brother Francis, whom you have longed so much to see; and the five\nwho are more resplendent than the rest, are the martyrs of Morocco,\nwho are honored in this church. Our Lord has sent us hither in order\nto pray for Queen Urraca, who is dead, and who had great affection for\nour Order; and he has willed that you should see all this, because you\nwere her confessor.\" The vision disappeared, and the confessor's door\nwas immediately knocked at, to communicate to him that the queen was\ndead.\n\nThe severe vengeance with which God visited the king of Morocco and\nhis subjects was also noticed. The right hand with which this prince\nhad struck the holy martyrs, and the whole of his right side, from the\nhead to the feet, was paralyzed and became perfectly dry. During three\nyears, no rain fell in the whole country, and an infinity of people\ndied by pestilence and famine, which scourges lasted five years, God\nchoosing to proportion the duration of the punishment to the number\nof the martyrs.\n\nAll these marvels which he wrought in their favor, and the title of\nmartyrs, which the Church gives them, must convince every faithful\nChristian, enlightened by the wisdom which is from above, that it was\nby a particular impulse from the Holy Ghost that they exposed themselves\nto death with so much ardor, against the advice of the other Christians.\nHuman prudence is very rash when it takes upon itself to blame what\nis approved by God and by His Church.\n\nIt would be difficult to express the joy which filled the heart of\nFrancis, when he learned that his brethren had suffered martyrdom. He\nsaid to those who were with him:--\"It is now that I can rest assured\nthat I have had five true Friars Minor!\" and he called down a thousand\nblessings on the convent of Alanquer, where they had prepared themselves\nfor martyrdom, which had such effect, that there have been always since\na great number of religious there, and at least one who has been\ndistinguished for religious perfection.\n\nBrother Vital, who had been the superior of these generous martyrs,\nwas delighted on hearing of their triumph, and greatly regretted not\nhaving shared therein. It was not in good-will that he was deficient;\nhe was only arrested by his illness, of which he died at Saragossa\nsome time afterwards.\n\nOne of the authors of the life of St. Dominic, tells us that this great\npatriarch, who held his general chapter at the time, was in ecstasies\nof joy, when he heard that five Friars Minor had received the crown\nof martyrdom; that he looked upon it as the first fruits of the plans\nof his friend Francis, and, at the same time, as a powerful incentive\nfor his brethren to aspire to what is most perfect, which is to suffer\nfor the faith of Jesus Christ. The Friars Preachers have profited by\nthe example, as is evinced by the great number of martyrs of their\norder, by whom the Church has been enriched.\n\nIt was not without a special dispensation of Providence that the relics\nof the five martyrs were deposited at Coimbra, in the Church of the\nCanons Regular of Santa Cruz, since our Lord made them subserve to the\nvocation of St. Anthony of Padua, who is one of the most striking\nornaments of this renowned Order.\n\nHe was a native of Portugal, of a very noble family of Lisbon, born\nin the year 1195, and had received the name of Ferdinand in Baptism.\nThe first years of his life had been passed in innocence and piety;\nthe fear of being seduced by the world, and the wish to consecrate\nhimself wholly to God, made him take the resolution, at the age of\nfifteen, to enter the Order of Regular Canons, in the Convent of St.\nVincent, at Lisbon. Two years afterwards, in order to avoid the frequent\nvisits of his friends, which interfere with habits of retirement, he\nasked permission of his superior to remove to the convent of Santa\nCruz at Coimbra, which is of the same order. He had some difficulty\nin obtaining this leave, because they had great esteem for him\npersonally. He made use of the quiet he now enjoyed to apply himself\nto the study of sacred literature, and, as if he had foreseen what he\nwas to do at a future period of his life, he not only taught himself\nwhat was requisite for his own sanctification, but also what was useful\nfor instructing others in the paths of virtue; he gathered also from\nthe Holy Scriptures, and from the study of the Fathers, what could\nserve to confirm the truths of faith, and to impugn error. The assiduity\nwith which he pursued his studies, together with the excellence of his\nmemory, and his surpassing talents, with the light he received from\nHeaven, rendered him in a short time very learned.\n\nThe relics of the five Friars Minor who had been martyred at Morocco,\nand which were taken to Santa Cruz, at Coimbra, at that time, inspired\nin his heart an anxious desire to die for Jesus Christ as they had\ndone, and made him entertain the thought of becoming a member of that\nOrder, as the school of martyrdom. Some old authors add that St.\nFrancis, who was then at Assisi, appeared to him, and induced him to\nembrace his Institute, foretelling him what would happen.\n\nThe Friars Minor of the convent of St. Anthony of Olivares, near\nCoimbra, having come to the Canons Regular of Santa Cruz to quest,\nFerdinand could not control his zeal, but taking them aside, he opened\nto them the wish he had to enter their community. They were highly\npleased on hearing this, and fixed the day with him for putting his\ndesign into execution. In the meantime, he asked leave of the Superior\nof Santa Cruz to effect the change, and with great difficulty obtained\nit. The Friars Minor returned on the appointed day, and gave him the\nhabit of the Order, in the Convent of Santa Cruz itself, and took him\nback with them to that of St. Anthony. The loss of so estimable a\nmember was very distressing to the canons; one of them who felt it\nmore than the others, said to him with bitterness, as he left the\nhouse:--\"Go, perhaps you shall become a saint.\" To which Ferdinand\nanswered with humility:--\"When you hear that it is so, you will\ndoubtless give praise to God.\" He was not satisfied with having changed\nhis order; he chose likewise to change his name, in order by that means\nto disappoint those who might endeavor to seek for him; and as St.\nAnthony was the titular saint of the convent, he begged the superior\nto call him Anthony, which is the name he was ever after known by, and\nto which was added of Padua, because his body reposes in that city,\nand is there honored by the faithful.\n\nThe wish to shed his blood for the faith of Jesus Christ, which was\nthe source of his vocation, was constantly increasing in his mind and\ngave him no rest. He solicited leave from the superiors to go into\nAfrica, which was granted to him, as had been promised him, when he\nentered the Order. Being come into the land of the Saracens, he was\nseized with a violent illness, which confined him the whole winter,\nand obliged him to return to Spain in the spring for his recovery. He\nembarked for this purpose, but the Almighty, who had destined him for\nthe martyrdom of the apostolical life, and who intended by his means\nto convert an infinity of souls in Italy and France, gave him a passage\nin a contrary direction. The wind drove the vessel he was in to Sicily,\nwhere he landed, and from thence he went to Assisi, where we shall\nmeet him in the general chapter at St. Mary of the Angels.\n\nIt was in the year 1220, that the Friars Minor, Angelus and Albert,\nboth natives of Pisa, after having stayed some time at Paris in order\nto arrange the first establishment there, crossed the channel to\nEngland, whither Francis had sent them at the general chapter of 1219.\nThe religious of St. Dominic had already a convent at Canterbury, where\nthey received the two new comers with great charity. King Henry III,\nwho reigned at that time, settled them with royal magnificence at\nOxford. There he held his court, and he conceived so great a liking\nfor them that he had a lodge built near their convent, to which he\noccasionally retired in order to converse with them.\n\nThe reason which primarily induced him to show them so much\nconsideration, was his having learnt from authentic sources what had\noccurred to them on their journey from Canterbury to Oxford. The prior,\nthe sacristan, and the cellarer of the abbey of Abingdon, who were at\none of their farms, contrary to the usual practice of their order,\nwhere hospitality is always given, as recommended by St. Benedict,\nrefused it to these poor religious, and turned them from their doors,\nalthough it was at nightfall. A young religious, who was in their\ncompany, seeing that they were about to pass the night in the wood,\nintroduced them secretly into the barn, brought them some food, and\nrecommended himself urgently to their prayers. In the night he had a\ndreadful vision of the justice with which God visited the prior and\nthe two others, but which did not fall on him, because he had been\ncharitable. In the morning he went to them with a view of telling them\nwhat he had seen in his sleep, and found them all three dead in their\nbeds. Struck with astonishment he left the farm, from whence the two\nFriars Minor had departed before daybreak, and went to relate what had\nhappened to the abbot of Abingdon; they both had serious reflections\non this subject, which ended in their entering into the Order of Friars\nMinor. So extraordinary an occurrence could not be kept secret; many\npersons heard it; the king was made acquainted with it, and this caused\nthe favorable reception he gave to Angelus and Albert.\n\nHis open protection, with the sanctity of their lives, caused the\nInstitute to flourish throughout the kingdom. Several doctors of\ntheology embraced it; and subsequently Robert Maideston, Bishop of\nHereford, an enlightened prelate of great distinction at court, obtained\nleave from Gregory IX to give up his bishopric to take the poor habit\nof St. Francis, under which he became a model of humility and poverty.\n\nThree hundred years after, King Henry VIII destroyed all these monuments\nof science and religion, which his predecessor Henry III had raised\nwith so much zeal, and tyrannically treated the successors of those\nwho had been received with so much benevolence. The strange revolution\nwhich the incontinence and heresy of this prince brought about in\nEngland, reduced the Friars Minor, and all other missionaries, to the\nnecessity of running greater risks in endeavoring to maintain the\nremnant of faith, than what they had to incur amongst the infidels.\n\nWe suppress all comment on so deplorable a subject, and we are satisfied\nwith offering up our prayers to the Almighty that He might deign to\ncast the eyes of His mercy upon those islands which formerly gave so\nmany saints to the Church; that by His grace, the talent and learning\nwhich are found there, may be employed in searching for the truth and\nappreciating that truth which the illustrious Pope St. Gregory had\ntaught there in the sixth century; that these talents may be no longer\nemployed in the defence of a variety of sects, equally at variance\nwith the doctrines of antiquity, condemned by the principles of the\nChristian religion, and by the rules of right reasoning; and that it\nshall no longer be said that men of learning make use of the light\nthey have received and cultivated, to countenance every description\nof falsehood; so that, as St. Leo said of idolatrous Rome, dictating\nto almost all other nations, she herself was the slave of all their\nerrors.\n\nFrancis, having received the resignation of his vicar general, on his\nreturn from his visitations, deferred the choice of his successor till\nthe assembly of the chapter which was held on Whitsunday. He consulted\nGod on the election, who made known to him by revelation that Brother\nElias should be restored; he communicated this to his companions, and\nwhen the chapter met, he named Elias vicar-general.\n\nWe may feel assured that after having deposed him for laxness, he would\nnot again have placed him at the head of his Order, had he not been\ncertain that God himself had ordered it. As soon as the saints are\nmade aware of the will of God, they have no thought but of obeying,\nwhether it be that they know His reasons, or that they be hidden from\nthem. Thus, three hundred years before St. Francis, St. Stephen, the\nthird Abbot of Citeaux, did not fail sending Arnaud to Morimond to be\nits first abbot, although he knew by divine inspiration, that this\npost would be prejudicial to him, and that it would not turn out well:\nit was enough for him that it was God's will that he should be so sent.\nThus we find in Holy Writ that Eliseus, by God's order to Elias,\nconsecrated Hazael King of Syria, who, he foresaw would bring such\ngreat evils on the people of God, that the foresight moved him to\ntears. Human prudence must not censure in the saints what they have\nonly done from supernatural views, against their own impressions, and\ntheir own inclinations. In these extraordinary cases we must only adore\nthe counsels of Divine Wisdom, without endeavoring to penetrate them:\nwe must acknowledge, as Tobias did, that all His ways are ways of\nmercy, truth, and justice; and say with one of the prophets: \"Thy loss\ncomes from thyself.\"\n\nAt the chapter Francis sat at the feet of Elias and, as his infirmities\nprevented him from making himself heard, it was through Elias that he\nproposed all that he wished to communicate to the assembly. Towards\nthe close he pulled him by the tunic and told him in a low tone of\nvoice his intention of sending some of the brethren into parts of Upper\nGermany, into which they had not yet penetrated. Elias laid the affair\nbefore the brethren in the following terms: \"My brethren, this is what\nthe Brother says\" (for thus they designated Francis, as a mark of great\nrespect). \"There is a part of Germany, the inhabitants of which are\nChristians and devout; they go, as you know, through our country during\nthe heats with long staves and great jack-boots, singing the praises\nof God and His saints, and thus visit the places of devotion. I sent\nsome of our brethren into their land, who returned often having been\nsorely ill-treated. For this reason, I compel no one to go thither,\nbut if there are any sufficiently zealous for the glory of God and the\nsalvation of souls, to undertake this journey I promise him the same\nmerit as is attached to obedience, and even more than if he made a\nvoyage over the sea.\"\n\nAbout ninety offered themselves for the mission which they considered\nas an opportunity for suffering martyrdom. The chief was named with\nthe title of Provincial Minister of Germany, and Brother Caesar, a\nGerman, was selected for that office. He was an ecclesiastic of Spire,\nwho had been drawn into the Order by the preaching of Brother Elias,\nsome time before, he himself having the character of a good preacher.\nHe had permission to select those whom he desired to take with him\nfrom among those who had volunteered; however, he only chose\ntwenty-seven, twelve of whom were priests, and fifteen lay-brethren,\namong whom there were some Germans, and some Hungarians, excellent\npreachers. He remained nearly three months in the Valley of Spoleto,\nwith leave from Francis, and sent his companions into Lombardy to\nprepare themselves for the great work they were about to undertake;\nthen they set forth dividing themselves into small groups of three and\nfour. We shall further on give the details of their journey, and of\ntheir labors and success.\n\nIn the choice which Casar made of those whom he thought adapted to the\nGerman mission, something occurred which at first was amusing, but\nwhich turned out very serious and very useful. Some one having suggested\nto him to take one of the brethren named Jourdain, he went to him and\nsaid:--\"And you Brother Jourdain, you will come with us?\" \"I?\" replied\nhe, \"I am not one of yours; if I rose up, it was not with any intention\nof going with you, it was to embrace those who were about to go into\nGermany, and who, I am certain, will all be martyred.\" He was so\napprehensive that the Germans by their cruelty, and the heretics of\nLombardy by their artifices, would be the causes of his losing his\nfaith, that he daily prayed to God for the favor of being kept away\nfrom the one and from the other.\n\nCasar, continuing to urge him to go with him, and Jourdain continuing\nto refuse, they went to the vicar general, who, after having been\ninformed how the matter stood, said to Jourdain:--\"My brother, I command\nyou, on your holy obedience, to decide absolutely upon going into\nGermany or not going.\" This order put his conscience in a dilemma: if\nhe should not go, he feared its reproach for having followed his own\nwill, and did not like to lose a glorious crown; and, on the other\nhand, he could not determine on going, thinking the Germans so cruel\nas he had been led to believe. In order to come to a conclusion, he\nconsulted one of the religious who had greatly suffered in the first\nmission, and had been stripped in Hungary no less than fifteen times,\nwho said to him:--\"Go to Brother Elias, and tell him that you are\nneither willing to go into Germany nor to stay here, but that you will\ndo whatsoever he shall desire you to do. You will hardly have addressed\nhim, then your difficulties will be done away.\" He followed this advice,\nand Elias ordered him by the obligation of obedience to accompany\nBrother Casar into Germany. He went and labored assiduously, and more\nthan any of the others, to extend the order throughout the country.\nHis obedience quieted his mind for a man is never more satisfied with\nhimself than when he obeys. \"Experience shows,\" says St. Bernard, \"that\nthe yoke of obedience is light, and that self-will is oppressive.\"\n\nAnthony had heard in Sicily that the chapter was to assemble at St.\nMary of the Angels, and although he was still in a state of weakness,\nhe had come to it with Philippinus, a young lay brother of Castile.\nWhen the chapter was over, the brethren were sent back to their convents\nby the vicar general, but no one asked to have Anthony, because no one\nknew him, and he appeared so feeble, that he did not seem fit for work.\nHe offered himself therefore to Brother Gratian, who was Provincial\nof Bologna, or of Romagna, whom he begged as a master, to instruct him\nin the rules of regular discipline, making no mention of his studies,\nor of any talent he had, and showing no other desire than to know and\nlove the crucified Jesus. Gratian delighted with these his sentiments,\nasked to have him, and took him with him into his province, with\nPhilippinus, who was sent to Citta di Castello, and from thence to\nColumbario, in Tuscany, where he died a holy death. Anthony, who only\nwished for solitude, had leave from the provincial to live at the\nhermitage of Mount St. Paul, near Bologna, where he wished to have a\ncell cut in the rock, which was separated from all the others; this\nthe brother who had cut it out for himself ceded to him. There he lived\nin as much solitude as obedience allowed him, devoting himself to\ncontemplation, fasting on bread and water, and practising such other\nausterities, as to be thereby so weakened, that, according to the\nsavings of his brethren, he could hardly stand when he came to them.\nAlthough he was full of zeal, he did not dare attempt to preach; the\nmartyrdom which he had escaped in Africa had rendered him timid; he\nabandoned himself to Divine Providence, without any other anxiety than\nthat of inciting himself to the more perfect love of God, and\nstrengthening himself in the hope of enjoying the good things of Heaven,\nand resisting the attacks of the tempter, who strove to dissuade him\nfrom the holy exercise of prayer. Living thus in great simplicity among\nhis unpretending brethren, he disguised under a plain exterior the\nvast light he received from Heaven; but by that humility he deserved\nto be brought forward for the accomplishment of the designs of\nProvidence, who generally prepares those in secret, whom he destines\nto splendid ministrations.\n\n\n\n\nBOOK IV\n\n\nAfter the chapter, Francis, notwithstanding the bad state of his health,\nactuated by his zeal, undertook to preach repentance in the towns\nadjacent to Assisi, where he dilated, in forcible language, on vice\nand virtue, and the sufferings and happiness of a future life. The\ninhabitants of Canaria were so moved by his preaching, that they\nfollowed him in crowds, forsaking their usual occupations. Many also,\nfrom the neighboring villages, joined them, and all together solicited\nhim to teach them how to profit by his instructions.\n\nMany married men were desirous of separating themselves from their\nwives, in order to embrace the religious state, and many married women\nwere anxious to shut themselves up in cloisters; but the holy Patriarch,\nnot wishing to break up well-assorted marriages, nor to depopulate the\ncountry, advised them to serve God in their own houses, and promised\nto give them a rule by which they might progress in virtue and live\nas religious, without practising the austerities of that state of life.\n\nHe was under the necessity of repeating the same injunctions in several\ntowns in Tuscany, particularly in Florence, where similar views\nprevailed, and where they had already commenced building a monastery\nfor females, who were desirous of renouncing the world. While he was\nyet ruminating on the mode of life he should prescribe for them, he\nassembled them all, and formed them into two congregations: the one\nof men, and the other of women; and having given each of them a\npresident, they gave themselves separately up to exercises of piety\nand practices of mercy, with so much fervor, that a contemporary author\ncompares them to the Christians whom Tertullian so eloquently eulogizes.\nWith the alms which the two congregations collected, they built a\nhospital for the sick and aged, on the outskirts of the town where all\nthe virtues of charity were assiduously exercised; an establishment\nwhich is extant to this day. St. Antoninus, when Archbishop of Florence,\nremoved these pious assemblies to a locality near the Church of St.\nMartin, for the convenience of the poor. The vicinity of the church\nand their good works procured for them the name of the \"Good Men of\nSt. Martin;\" and they were afterwards called the \"Penitents of St.\nFrancis,\" because they followed the rule of the Third Order of Penance,\nwhich the Saint instituted.\n\nOne day St. Francis having gone from Florence to Gagiano, near\nPoggibonzi, in Tuscany, met a shop-keeper of his acquaintance, whose\nname was Lucchesio, who had been very avaricious, and an enthusiastic\npartisan of the faction of the Guelphs, but who, having been converted\na few months before, now lived a very Christian-like life, gave away\ngreat sums in alms, attended the sick in hospitals, received strangers\nhospitably into his house, and endeavored to instil similar sentiments\ninto Bonadonna, his wife. They had already asked Francis to put them\nin a way of sanctifying their lives, which should be suitable to their\nposition; and the holy man had given them this answer: \"I have been\nthinking of late of instituting a Third Order, in which married persons\nmight serve God perfectly; and I think you could not do better than\nto enter it.\" After having given the subject serious consideration,\nLucchesio and his wife entreated him to admit them into this new Order.\nHe made them assume a modest and simple dress, of a grey color, also\na cord with several knots in it for a girdle, and he prescribed verbally\ncertain pious exercises, which they were to follow until such time as\nhe should have composed the rule.\n\nThis was the beginning of the Third Order of St. Francis, which many\npersons in the environs of Poggibonzi embraced, and which was soon\nestablished in Florence by the congregation of men and women of which\nwe have just spoken. The following year, at latest, the Founder composed\na rule for this Order, which he called the Order of the Brethren of\nPenance, in which the sisters were comprised, which was also called\nthe Third Order, or the Order of Tertiaries, as relative to the two\nolder Orders: the Order of Friars Minors, which is the first, and that\nof the Poor Clares, which is the second. This rule was subsequently\nconfirmed by Pope Nicholas IV, and Leo XIII, with some changes, which\nthey considered advisable as well in regard to the times as to the\nOrder itself.\n\nThe holy Patriarch manifests therein not only the zeal which animated\nhim in all that concerned the purity of the faith, but also the prudence\nwhich guided all his actions. He requires that all those who apply for\nadmission into the Order shall be carefully examined in the Catholic\nfaith, and their submission to the authority of the Church, and he\ndirects that they shall only be received after having made profession\nof all the orthodox truths; and that great care shall be taken not to\nadmit any heretic, nor any one suspected of heresy; and should any\nsuch be detected after having been admitted, he insists on their being\nimmediately informed against. He, likewise, directs that their previous\nconduct may be inquired into, to ascertain whether any notorious crimes\nare imputed to them, or whether their morals are irreproachable, and\nhe desires that they be warned to restore what they have which belongs\nto any other person; he also forbids receiving any married female into\nthe Order without the consent of her husband.\n\nThe profession consists in a promise to keep all God's commandments,\nand to perform such penances as the visitor shall enjoin for faults\ncommitted in breach of the practices required by the rule. The habit\nis similar to what was given to Lucchesio and his wife; but so, that\nthis may be dispensed with, according to the state of life of the\npersons, and the customs of the country in which they may be. The\nspiritual exercises laid down in the rule, have nothing in them which\ncan interfere with the different stations of persons living in the\nworld. Days of fasting and abstinence are prescribed, but modified\nprudently for the infirm, for pregnant women, for travellers, and for\nlaboring people; and it is clearly explained that these observances\nare not obligatory under pain of sin, and that they only bind the\ntransgressor to perform the penance imposed on him, unless the\ntransgression has at the same time contravened any law of God, or\ncommandment of the Church.\n\nSt. Francis, moreover, strenuously recommends to the brethren and\nsisters, to avoid all words tending to swearing or imprecation, the\ntheatre, dancing, and all profane meetings; to undertake no law-suits,\nand to live in fraternal union; to take great care of the sick of the\nOrder, to bury the dead, and to pray for them.\n\nHe adds to this, an article which is deserving of peculiar notice; it\nis, that all persons who enter the Order and have property over which\nthey have the disposal, shall make their wills within a few months\nafter their profession, lest they should die intestate. We see that\nhis intention was to make them think on death, and to have their minds\nfree for meditating on the important affair of their salvation, and\nto prevent those dissentions which frequently occur after the death\nof such as have not regulated their temporal affairs, before being\ncalled away. Wills which are made during a last illness are frequently\nexposed to deceit and fraud. They are never better made than when\nexecuted while the testator is in good health, in possession of all\nhis faculties.\n\nBy the institution of the Third Order, Francis proposes to himself to\nreanimate the fervor of the faithful, to induce all the world, those\nin orders, laics, married persons of either sex, and such as were\nliving in a state of celibacy, to a stricter observance of God's\ncommandments, to live a more Christian and Catholic life, and to add\nthe practice of virtues to the duties of civil life. His views met\nwith astonishing success; the Order was established, and spread with\nthe greatest rapidity through all conditions of life. Cardinals,\nbishops, emperors, empresses, kings, queens, considered themselves\nhonored in being admitted into it, and it has given to the Church an\ninfinite number of saints and blessed of either sex, who are publicly\nrevered with her sanction. Wading says, that in his day, (that is in\n1623,) there were at the court of Madrid more than sixty lords who\nbelonged to the Third Order; and Cardinal Trejo, who had joined it,\nwrote to him in these terms on the subject of the works of St. Francis,\nwhich that author was about to give to the public with learned notes.\n\n\"You praise me with some surprise, that wearing the purple of a\ncardinal, I should have taken the habit and made solemn profession to\nadhere to the rules of the Third Order of St. Francis. Could I do less\nthan devote myself wholly to his Order, I, who owe to him all that I\nhave, and all that I am? Does not the cord of St. Francis deserve to\ngird even royal purple? St. Louis, King of France, St. Elizabeth, Queen\nof Hungary, wore it, as well as many other sovereigns and princesses.\nIn our own day, Philip III, King of Spain, died in the habit of the\nblessed Father; Queen Elizabeth, wife of Philip IV, the reigning monarch\nof Spain, and the Princess Mary, his sister, have made their profession\nin the Third Order. Why, then, should it be a subject of astonishment\nto you, that a cardinal should cover his purple with a garment of ash\ncolor, and gird himself with a cord? If this dress seems vulgar and\nvile, I require it the more, because, finding myself raised to a high\ndegree of honor, I must humble myself the more in order to avoid pride.\nBut is not the garb of St. Francis, which is of ash color, a real\npurple, which may adorn the dignity of kings and cardinals? Yes, it\nis a true purple, dyed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and in the blood\nwhich issued from the stigmates of His servant. It gives, therefore,\na royal dignity to those who wear it. What have I done, therefore, in\nclothing myself with this garment? I have added purple to purple, the\npurple of royalty, to the purple of the cardinalate; thus, far from\nbeing humiliated by it, I have reason to fear that I have done myself\ntoo much honor, and that I derive from it too much glory.\"\n\nThese sentiments of this learned and pious cardinal, are well calculated\nto silence the proud and irreligious spirits who turn into ridicule\npractices which the Church approves, and which her most illustrious\nchildren embrace with fervor. We have seen Queen Ann of Austria receive,\nat Paris, the holy habit of a penitent, and make profession of the\nrule of the Third Order of St. Francis; Queen Maria Theresa of Austria,\nwife of the renowned king, Louis XIV, follow this example, and even\npermit herself to be chosen superior of the sisters of the congregation,\nestablished in the church of the great convent of the Observance, under\nthe protection of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and assist at the various\npious exercises with great edification.\n\nThe Holy See has loaded the brethren and sisters of the Third Order\nwith many spiritual favors; and has granted them many privileges and\nindulgences. It has given to them a participation in all the merits\nwhich are gained in the other two Orders. What is singular is, that\nshortly after its institution, congregations of Tertiaries were formed,\nin which they lived in community of property, making the three vows\nof poverty, chastity, and obedience, and practising the works of mercy.\nGod and the Sovereign Pontiff raised them to a religious body. Thus,\nbesides the secular Third Order, there is now a religious one, of both\nsexes, which Pope Leo X confirmed and extended by his bull, dated 28th\nof January, 1521, in which he abridged the rule and adapted it to the\nobservances of the religious state. St. Elizabeth of Hungary, being\na widow, joined the three vows of religion to the profession of the\nThird Order of St. Francis, three years after the death of the blessed\nPatriarch, which makes her to be justly considered as the mother of\nthe religious of both sexes of the Third Order, since she was the first\nTertiary who took these solemn vows.\n\nLucchesio and his wife, who were the first Tertiaries whom St. Francis\nreceived, acquired by the exercise of prayer and good works, a holiness\nwhich God honored by many miracles during their life and after their\ndeath; but the wife was sanctified by the husband. Although she had\nembraced, after his example, the state of piety, she continued to\ndisapprove the great donations of alms which he made, and to prevent\nthem as much as was in her power, in consequence of that spirit of\navarice and self-interest, which constantly induces such tempers to\nfear that they shall come to want.\n\nOne day, Lucchesio having given all the bread that was in his house\nto the poor, he begged his wife to give something to others who\nfollowed. She flew into a passion, like the wife of Tobias; and having\nreproached him with the care he took of strangers to the prejudice of\nthose of his own household, she said that it was quite plain that his\nfasts and watchings had disordered his brain. The husband, as patient\nas he was charitable, was not irritated by these reproaches, but quietly\nrequested his wife to look into the place where the bread was kept,\nthinking of Him, who by His power had satiated several thousand persons\nwith a few loaves and fishes. She did so, and found a large quantity\nof fresh bread, sufficient to supply the wants of all the poor. This\nmiracle had such an effect upon her, that from that time forward, he\nhad no occasion to exhort her to the performance of works of mercy;\nboth husband and wife gave themselves up to them with emulation, and\ndevoted themselves to them until their deaths. The husband's charity\nshows us that almsgiving does not impoverish; but that, on the contrary,\nGod increases, even sometimes by miracles, the property of such as\ngive liberally; and the conversion of Lucchesio's wife shows that the\nspirit of interest and avarice, covered by pretence of economy, renders\npiety false and deceitful.\n\nAfter having established his Third Order, Francis preached in several\nparts of Tuscany, and received an establishment at Columbario, in a\nvery solitary situation, which was the more agreeable to him from the\ngreat attraction he had for contemplation. He had it erected under the\ntitle of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, in honor of her Divine\nmaternity; he then returned to St. Mary of the Angels.\n\nAn abbess was requested from the Monastery of St. Damian for that of\nMoncel, of the same institute, which was forming at Florence; he\nconsulted thereon the cardinal protector, and by his advice he selected\nAgnes, the sister of Clare. Agnes, out of obedience, set out willingly;\nshe found a very fervent, very united, and very submissive community,\nand the Sovereign Pontiff granted all that she required for their\nspiritual wants. But Agnes was seriously grieved to have to part from\nClare, and to satisfy her heart, she wrote to her a most affectionate\nletter, full of the most tender sentiments, in which we see that the\nfeelings of nature are elevated and sanctified by virtue, instead of\nbeing weakened.\n\nAt that time, about the month of October, Francis obtained the famous\nindulgence of St. Mary of the Angels, or of Portiuncula, of which we\nshall here relate the circumstances.\n\nThe great lights and inspirations which this holy man received in\nprayer, discovered to him the wretched state of sinners; he deplored\ntheir blindness, and was moved to compassion, and he often prayed for\nthem. One night, when he was soliciting their conversion from God with\ngreat fervor, he was directed by an angel to go to the church, where\nhe would find Jesus Christ and his Blessed Mother, accompanied by a\nhost of celestial spirits. Greatly rejoiced, he went and prostrated\nhimself to render due homage to the Majesty of the Son of God. Our\nSaviour said to him: \"Francis, the zeal which thou and thy followers\nhave for the salvation of souls is such, that it entitles thee to\nsolicit something in their favor, for the glory of my name.\" In the\nmidst of the marvels which enraptured him, he made the following prayer:\n\"O Jesus, my Saviour, I entreat Thee, although I am but a miserable\nsinner, to have the goodness to grant to men, that all those who shall\nvisit this church may receive a plenary indulgence of all their sins,\nafter having confessed them to a priest; and I beg the Blessed Virgin,\nThy Mother, the general advocate of humankind, to intercede that I may\nobtain this my request.\" The Blessed Virgin did intercede, and Jesus\nChrist spoke the following words: \"Francis, what thou askest is great,\nbut thou wilt receive still greater favors; I grant thee this one; I\ndesire thee, nevertheless, to go to my vicar, to whom I have given\npower to bind and to loose, and to solicit him for the same indulgence.\"\nThe companions of the Saint who were in their respective cells, heard\nall these things; they saw a great light which filled the church, and\nthe multitude of angels; but a respectful fear prevented them from\napproaching nearer.\n\nIn the early morning, Francis assembled them, and forbade their speaking\nof this miraculous event, and then set out with Masse of Marignan for\nPerugia, where Pope Honorius then was.\n\nWhen he came into his presence, he said to him: \"Most Holy Father,\nsome years ago I repaired a small church in your dominions; I beg you\nto grant to it a free indulgence, without any obligation of making an\noffering.\" The Pope replied, that the request could not reasonably be\ngranted, because it was but just that he who wished to gain an\nindulgence should render himself deserving of it by some means,\nparticularly by some work of charity. \"But,\" added he, \"for how many\nyears do you ask me for this indulgence?\" \"Most Holy Father,\" replied\nFrancis, \"may it please your Holiness, not to give me so many years\nbut so many souls.\" \"And in what way do you desire to have souls?\"\nrejoined the Pope. \"I wish,\" added Francis, \"that it may be the good\npleasure of Your Holiness, that those persons who enter the Church of\nSt. Mary of the Angels, are contrite, shall have confessed their sins,\nand have properly received absolution, may receive an entire remission\nof their sins, as well in this world as in the next, from their baptism,\nto the time of their so entering the church.\" The Pope then said to\nhim, \"Francis, what you solicit is a thing of great importance. The\nRoman court has not been accustomed to grant any similar indulgence.\"\n\"Most Holy Father,\" returned Francis, \"I ask not this for myself, it\nis Jesus Christ who sent me; I come from Him.\" Upon which, the Pope\nsaid publicly three times: \"It is my desire that it be granted to you.\"\n\nThe cardinals who were present, represented to him, that in granting\nso important an indulgence, he was subverting the throne of the holy\nlaw, and that of the sepulchre of the holy Apostles. \"The concession\nis made,\" replied the Pope, \"nor is it right it should be revoked; but\nlet us modify it.\" And recalling Francis, he said to him: \"We grant\nyou this indulgence which you have solicited. It is for all years in\nperpetuity; but only during one natural day; from one evening including\nthe night, to the evening of the following day.\" At these words Francis\nhumbly bowed down his head. As he went away, the Pope asked him:\n\"Whither art thou going, simple man? What certitude hast thou of what\nthou hast just been granted?\" \"Holy Father,\" he replied, \"your word\nis sufficient for me. If this indulgence is the work of God, He will\nmake it manifest. Let Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother, and the\nangels, be the notary, on this occasion, the paper, and the witnesses.\nI require no other authenticated document.\" This was the effect of the\ngreat confidence he had in God.\n\nHe left Perugia to return to St. Mary of the Angels, and midway he\nstopped at a village named Colle, at a leper hospital, where he rested\nawhile. On awaking, he had recourse to prayer; then he called Masse,\nand said to him with great exultation: \"I can assure you that the\nindulgence which has been granted to me by the Sovereign Pontiff is\nconfirmed in Heaven.\" The day had not been fixed, however, until the\nbeginning of the year 1223.\n\nClare wished to see once more the Church of St. Mary of the Angels in\nwhich she had renounced the world, and to take another meal with\nFrancis, her spiritual Father. He refused her his leave for some time;\nbut his companions having represented to him that he treated a virgin\nwhom he himself had consecrated to Jesus Christ, with too much\nharshness, he consented to what she wished. An appropriate day was\nfixed on, and she came to the convent of Portiuncula, accompanied by\nsome of her nuns, and some Friars Minor who went on purpose to the\nconvent of St. Damian.\n\nAfter having prayed fervently in the church, and visited the convent,\nthe Friars and the nuns seated themselves round the reflection which\nSt. Francis had laid out on the ground, in pursuance of his usual\npractice of humility, which was his daily observance, whenever it was\nin his power. The first nourishment they took was for the soul. The\nholy Patriarch spoke of God, but in so moving a manner, and with so\nmuch unction and animation, that all who heard him were thrown into\necstasy, as he was himself. At the same time, the convent, the church,\nand the woods seemed to the inhabitants of Assisi and environs, to be\non fire. Many ran thither to afford their aid; but finding everything\nin good order, they entered the convent, where they saw, with still\ngreater surprise, the whole assembly in a state of ecstasy. By that\nthey were made aware that what had seemed to them to be a fire, was\nthe type of the fire which inflamed these holy bosoms, and they returned\ngreatly edified.\n\nBy this marvel the Lord clearly showed that He approved the request,\nwhich Clare had made, to be allowed to come to the Portiuncula; as by\nanother marvel He approved of the prayer which St. Scholastica made\nto detain her brother, St. Benedict, whom she wished to hear speak of\nthe happiness of the future life, in the place in which they had just\ndined together. Such, was the condescension of His goodness for the\nconsolation of these two saints, and it is thus that, according to the\nwords of the Prophet, \"He fulfils the wishes of those who fear Him.\"\n\nThe repast finished without any one having chosen to eat anything, so\nmuch were they filled with celestial aliment; and Clare returned to\nthe Monastery of St. Damian, where her sisterhood received her with\nso much the more satisfaction, as they had been fearful that they would\nhave given her the direction of some new establishment, as they had,\na short time before, sent her sister Agnes to Florence as abbess. They\nknew that Francis had said to her on other occasions: \"Be prepared to\ngo wherever it may be necessary;\" and that she had obediently answered,\n\"My Father I am ready to go whithersoever you may send me.\" Her having\ngone out seemed to them a preparation for some longer journey and their\ngrief for having lost Agnes, their dear companion increased the fears\nthey had, lest they should lose Clare, also, who was in their regard\na most excellent mistress of spiritual life. But they had not,\nthereafter, any similar alarms; this was the only time in forty-two\nyears that their holy mother left the enclosure.\n\nElias, the vicar general, gave Francis great uneasiness, by his\nerroneous views. Many of the Friars Minor came to see their Patriarch,\nwho received them with every mark of kindness. The vicar made great\ndistinction between them. He was very particular in honoring those\nwhom science and dignities rendered considerable in the Order; he never\nfailed giving them the first places, and he took care to satisfy all\nthey needed; while he left the others in the lowest places, and often\nwithout attending to their necessary wants. In his station he did what\nthe Apostle St. James forbids all Christians to do.\n\nTheir common Father, who could not endure that so great a difference\nshould be made, particularly amongst persons of the same Institute,\naffected, one day, at table, after grace had been said, to call two\nof the most simple of the brethren, and to place one on each side of\nhim, without showing any attention to the merits of others.\n\nHe did this, not because he disapproved of peculiar consideration being\nshown to those to whom it is due, according to the maxim of St. Paul,\nin consequence of their character, their dignity, or their personal\nqualifications, but because he did not choose that these considerations\nshould be to the disadvantage of those who had not similar circumstances\nto recommend them, and to whom, according to the same apostle, besides\nthe feelings of charity to which they and all others are entitled, a\ncertain degree of honor should be shown.\n\nThe vicar general, who was not impressed with a similar way of thinking,\nwas highly indignant at this act of the Saint, and murmuring to himself,\nhe said: \"Ah! Brother Francis, it is quite certain that your extreme\nsimplicity will be the ruin of the Order. You place alongside of you,\nmen who have neither learning nor talents, and you affront those who\nare the support of the Order by their science.\" Francis, who by a\nsupernatural revelation, was made aware of what his vicar had passing\nin his mind, replied immediately to his thought: \"And you, Brother\nElias, you do much greater injury to the Order by your vanity, and by\nthe prudence of the flesh, with which you are filled. The judgments\nof God are impenetrable; He knows you as you are, and nevertheless,\nHe chose that you should be Superior of the Order; and it is His desire\nthat I leave it in your hands. Alas! I fear that the people, and he\nwho governs them, resemble each other, and that God has only given a\npastor, such as He foresees the flock will be.\" The holy Patriarch\nwell knew that the whole of the flock would not be corrupted by Brother\nElias, and that the majority of the members would resist him, as it\ncame to pass. And thus the fear which he experienced in general terms,\nwas a warning to keep them all to their duty. But what he added was\na true prophecy: \"Unhappy man, as you are, you will not die in this\nOrder; God has so decreed. You have been weighed in the balances, and\nhave been found wanting, because you are puffed up with the science\nof the world.\"\n\nThe following is the way in which this matter is related in the ancient\nlegend which is followed by St. Antoninus. Francis, knowing by a\nrevelation that Brother Elias would die out of the Order, and would\nbe damned, avoided conversing with him, and even seeing him. Elias\nnoticed this, and did not rest till he discovered the reason. Terrified\nand dismayed at such a prophecy, he threw himself at the feet of his\nkind master, and entreated him to intercede with God to prevent one\nof the flock committed to his care, from perishing eternally: \"Let not\nthe sentence which has been revealed to you, discourage you; for the\nLord may change His decree, if the sinner corrects his sin. I have\nsuch confidence in your prayers, my very dear Father, that I should\nthink they would mitigate my sufferings even if I were in hell, as you\nhave been told I shall be. Pray for me, my Father; pray, and I have\nno doubt but that God will modify His decree, and that I shall be\nconverted.\" Francis prayed, and obtained from God that Brother Elias\nshould not be damned, but he could not obtain the reversal of the\ndecree which said that he should not die in the Order. It was, in fact,\nout of the Order that he died; but, previous to his death, he gave\ngreat signs of contrition.\n\nWading makes on this a judicious remark, worthy of a sound theologian.\nHe says that Brother Elias, who was universally admitted to be a learned\nman, was not ignorant that the decrees of God which are absolute, are\nimmutable, because He Himself is incapable of change; but he also knew\nthat the Lord sometimes expressed Himself in absolute words against\nsinners, which decrees are merely threats, which may be changed by\ntheir repentance, without His changing, according to what He has said\nby the Prophet Jeremy: \"I will suddenly speak against a nation, and\nagainst a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy it.\nIf that nation against which I have spoken shall repent of their evil,\nI also will repent of the evil that I thought to do them.\" Jonas sent\nfrom God, had positively announced that in forty days Nineveh should\nbe destroyed, and nevertheless the penitence of the Ninevites hindered\nthe destruction of their city. St. Gregory says, that in this sense\nGod changed His decrees, but did not change His design; and St. Thomas\nsays, that God proposes the change of certain things, but that in His\nwill no change takes place. Sinners, however, must not abuse this\ndoctrine, and imagine that God only threatens them, and that He will\nnot damn them, for He has an absolute will to damn eternally those who\ndie in mortal sin, as well as to crown with immortal glory such as die\nin a state of grace. In truth, it is His wish that sinners should be\nconverted, and He places the means in their power by His mercy: \"But,\"\nsays St. Augustine, \"He has not promised a to-morrow to your delay;\"\nand as the Apostle has it: \"According to thy hardness and impenitent\nheart thou treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath,\nand revelation of the just judgment of God, who will render to every\nman according to his works.\"\n\nThe example of the holy Patriarch, who had sought three times, the\ncrown of martyrdom, and the triumph of the five brethren martyred at\nMorocco, had inspired many with an ardent desire to die for Jesus\nChrist. Shortly after Elias had been restored as vicar general, Daniel,\nMinister in the Province of Calabria, asked leave to go and preach the\nfaith to the Moors, with six other brethren, whose names were Samuel,\nDonule or Daniel, Leo, Hugolin, Nicholas, and Angelus. Having received\nthe permission of the vicar general, and the blessing of Francis, they\nembarked in a port of Tuscany, from whence they sailed to Tarragona.\nTheir first intention was to have gone to Morocco, to mingle their\nblood with that of their martyred brethren, but some reasons, probably\nfavorable to their intention, induced them to go to Ceuta.\n\nDaniel arrived first with three of his companions, the master of the\nvessel not having thought proper to take on board more. They lived out\nof the town, in a village inhabited by traders from Pisa, Genoa, and\nMarseilles, because Christians might not enter the town without a\nparticular permission. Their occupation here was to preach to these\ntraders, until they should be joined by their companions, who arrived\nthere on the 29th of September.\n\nThe following Friday, which was the first of October, they consulted\ntogether as to their future plans, and the aids they should require\nin the formidable combat they were about to sustain. On the Saturday,\nthey confessed and received the Holy Communion, without which, when\nit is possible to receive it, St. Cyprian would not suffer confessors\nto be exposed to martyrdom for the faith, because it is the Body and\nthe Blood of Jesus Christ which gives the strength to endure it. St.\nChrysostom and St. Bernard, also, say that it is the firmest defence\nwhich can be opposed to the temptations of the devil, and to the\nallurements of sin, which are powerful motives for having recourse to\nfrequent Communion.\n\nThe seven brothers went forth from the holy table, according to the\nexpression of St. Chrysostom, \"as roaring lions, breathing fire and\nflames,\" and they could not restrain the zeal which animated them. On\nthe evening of the same day, they washed each other's feet, in order\nto follow the example of the Son of God, who washed His disciples'\nfeet before His Passion; and very early on the Sunday morning, before\nthere were any persons in the streets, they entered the town, having\ntheir heads strewed with ashes, and commenced crying out with a loud\nvoice, \"There is no salvation but through Jesus Christ.\"\n\nThe Moors soon collected, abused and beat them, and led them to the\nking. The missionaries then repeated, in presence of the learned in\nthe law, what they had previously said to the people, \"That it is\nrequisite to believe in Jesus Christ; that there is no salvation in\nany other name than His,\" which they proved by the most forcible\narguments. The king, who fully understood that in thus upholding the\nname of Jesus Christ they rejected that of Mahomet, looked upon them\nas idiots, and thought that their shaven heads, with a crown of hair\nround them, was a proof of their folly. However, to prove their\nconstancy, he had them confined in a loathsome jail, where he kept\nthem eight days in irons, and where they were cruelly treated.\n\nTheir confinement did not prevent their finding means to write to the\nChristians who were in the vicinity of Ceuta. Their letter was addressed\nto Hugh, Cure of the Genoese, and to two religious, one of their own\nOrder, and the other of the Order of Friars Preachers, who had just\nreturned from the farthest part of Mauritania. They blessed, in the\nfirst instance, the Father of Mercies, who consoled them in their\ntribulation; and, after having quoted several passages from the\nScriptures to justify their mission and to animate themselves to\nsuffering, they assured their brethren that they had borne witness,\nand strongly argued in presence of the king, \"that there is no salvation\nbut in the name of Jesus Christ;\" and they concluded by referring to\nGod the glory of all that they had done.\n\nThe judge, whose name was Arbold, wishing to see what they did in\nprison, saw that they were no longer chained, that their faces shone\nwith a splendid light, and that they sang the praises of God with\nextraordinary joy. The king, having been apprised of this, caused them\nto be brought before him on Sunday, the tenth of October, and offered\nthem great wealth if they would become Mussulmen. They boldly replied,\nthat they utterly despised all the things of this world and of the\npresent life, in consequence of the happiness of the future life. They\nwere then separated, and each was separately tempted, by promises and\nthreats, but they were all found steadfast in their resolution. Daniel,\nspeaking with great energy, one of the Moors cut him across the head\nwith his scimitar, from which he did not even wince, and another\nexhorted him to embrace the law of Mahomet, to save his life with\nhonor. \"Wretch!\" exclaimed Daniel, \"your Mahomet and all his followers\nare but ministers of Satan, and your Koran is but a series of lies;\nbe no longer misled, but embrace the Christian faith.\"\n\nAs soon as the seven brothers were collected together, six of them\nthrew themselves at Daniel's feet, who had procured this mission for\nthem, and who was their leader, and said to him with tears of joy: \"We\ngive thanks to God and to you, our father, for having procured for us\nthe crown of martyrdom; our souls will follow yours; bless us and die;\nthe struggle will be soon over, and we shall enjoy eternal peace.\"\n\nDaniel tenderly embraced them, gave them his blessing, and encouraged\nthem by these words: \"Let us rejoice in the Lord; this is for us a\nfestival day; angels surround us, the heavens are opened to receive\nus; this day we shall receive the crown of martyrdom, which will last\nforever.\"\n\nIn fact, the king, seeing that they were resolute, and not to be shaken,\ncondemned them to be beheaded. They were stripped, had their hands\ntied behind them, and were taken to the place of execution, whither\nthey went as to a banquet, preceded by a herald, who proclaimed the\ncause of their death, and where, after having recommended their souls\nto God, they were decapitated, on the tenth of October, in the year\n1221.\n\nInfidel children and adults broke their skulls to pieces, and mutilated\nthe remains of the holy martyrs; but these precious relics were gathered\nup by the Christians, and removed into the storehouse of the\nMarseillese, and were afterwards buried in their dwellings beyond the\nwalls of Ceuta. It is asserted that some years afterwards they were\ntransferred to the Church of St. Mary, near Morocco, and that God\nmanifested them by miracles, and particularly by a splendid light,\nwhich even the Moors saw during the night; and that some time afterwards\nan Infant of Portugal, having obtained them from a King of Morocco,\nhad them removed into Spain, where fresh miracles rendered them\ncelebrated. Whatever truth there may be in the account of these\ntranslations, it is not known now where the relics of these seven\nmartyrs are. This is certain--that the faithful had their memory in\ngreat veneration, and that in 1516, the Friars Minor solicited leave\nfrom Pope Leo X, to recite an office in their honor, which leave he\nmost willingly granted to them, placing them in the number of martyrs\nrecognized by the Church, as they are commemorated in the Roman\nMartyrology on the 13th of October.\n\nWe may imagine the satisfaction their triumph gave to Francis, from\nthe ardent desire he always evinced for the crown of martyrdom, and\nthe tender love he bore for his children. He had, moreover, in this\nyear another great consolation on this subject. Pope Honorius sent to\nalmost all the bishops of Europe, desiring them to send him four men\nfrom each province, or at least two, noted for their science and the\nintegrity of their lives, whom it was his intention to commission to\npreach to the idolaters, and to the Saracens, for whose conversion he\nwas most anxious, and amongst the number thus selected there were many\nFriars Minors, and Friars Preachers who generously exposed themselves\nto every sort of peril for the salvation of souls.\n\nThe intimate union which the love of God had formed between St. Dominic\nand St. Francis, induces us to note here, that the blessed Patriarch\nof the Dominicans died this year, on the sixth day of August at the\nage of fifty-one years. The eminent sanctity of his life, the great\nmiracles he performed; the ardor and splendor of his zeal for the\ndestruction of heresy; his inviolable attachment to the holy See; his\ntender piety to the Blessed Virgin, whom he causes to be generally and\ndaily honored in the devotion of the Rosary; and the establishment of\nhis Order, so useful by its science, by its piety, and by the great\nservice it still renders to the Church, cause him to be illustrious\nthrough the entire Church. Among the Friars Minor, there is not one\nwho, if animated by the spirit of St. Francis, must not have a special\ndevotion for Him, and a respectful affection for those of his order.\n\nCharity, which inflamed the breast of Francis, soon drew him from his\nretreat. He set out at the beginning of the year 1222, for the Terra\ndi Lavoro, Apulia and Calabria, and, in the course of this journey,\nGod worked many splendid miracles by his hand.\n\nPassing, first, through the Town of Toscanella, on the road to Rome,\nhe received hospitality from a knight, whose only son was lame in both\nlegs, and was in a state of suffering through his whole body. The\nafflicted father asked him to procure the cure of his son from God;\nhe abstained from doing this for some time out of humility, esteeming\nhimself unworthy of being loved by others, but being prevailed upon\nby reiterated entreaties, he placed his hands upon him, and made the\nsign of the cross upon the boy, who, at the same moment, stood upright\nand firm on his legs, and was entirely cured, to the great astonishment\nof his whole family.\n\nAt Rome, he made acquaintance, and became intimate with a nobleman,\nnamed Mathew de Rubeis, of the illustrious family of the Orsini. One\nday, on which he had been invited to dinner there, and having got there\nat the appointed hour, not finding his host yet returned from town,\nhe joined, unperceived, the poor to whom they were giving a meal, and\nhe received the alms with them. The nobleman arrived shortly after,\nand inquired where Brother Francis was, and as they did not find him,\nhe declared he would not eat his dinner, if he did not come. While\nthey were looking for him, he saw him seated in the yard with a group\nof poor. He went to him, and said: \"Brother Francis, since you won't\ndine with me, I am come to dine with you;\" which he did, placing himself\non the ground near him, and in the group, where he found himself very\ncomfortable in that company. When he heard that the holy man had\nestablished a Third Order for secular persons of all ranks, he prayed\nfor admission into it, and had himself instructed in the practices to\nbe observed. The consideration which his rank in life gave him in the\nworld, threw great splendor on the new institution, and drew many\npersons to it.\n\nThere was a little child called John whom he requested Francis to\nbless; the servant of God gave him his blessing; he took him in his\narms and foretold to all there that he would bring great glory to his\nhouse, and that he would be Sovereign Pontiff. Then, fixing his eyes\nupon the child, he spoke to him as if he had had the use of reason;\nhe entreated him seriously, and in most affectionate terms, to be\nfavorable to his Order; after which the prophet continued as follows:\n\"He will not be a religious of our Order, but he will be its protector;\nhe will not be reckoned among its children, but he will be acknowledged\nas its father; and our brethren will be delighted at seeing themselves\nunder his shadow. I consider the immense benefits we shall receive\nfrom this child, I see them already in his little hands.\" Such a\nprediction caused as much pleasure as surprise to the lord of the\nfamily of the Orsini, but he never spoke of it till he saw its\nfulfilment, which happened fifty-five years afterwards. His son,\ncardinal, under the title of St. Nicholas, was chosen Pope in the year\n1277, and took the name of Nicholas III. His singular benevolence for\nthe Order of the Friars Minor showed that its holy Founder had not\nspoken in vain to him in his infancy.\n\nFrom Rome Francis went to visit the Grotto of St. Benedict. He\nconsidered with great attention the bush covered with thorns, into\nwhich the great Patriarch of the monastic life had the courage to throw\nhimself, in order to overcome a temptation of the flesh. In admiration\nof such extraordinary fervor, he touched this bush as a sacred relic;\nhe kissed it, and made on it the sign of the cross. God, in order to\nhonor his two servants, changed it immediately into a beautiful\nrose-tree, the flowers of which have served in many cases for the cure\nof the sick; the place has since been held in greater respect. In a\nchapel which is near it, and which was consecrated by Gregory IX, we\nsee that Pope, with Francis on his left hand, who holds a scroll of\npaper, on which these words, taken from the Gospel of St. Luke, are\nwritten, \"Peace be to this house,\" words which he constantly used as\na salutation.\n\nThe remainder of his journey was remarkable for many other wonders\nwhich were worked through his means, in announcing the word of God.\nWhile preaching at Gaeta, on the border of the sea, seeing that a crowd\nof people were anxious, from a devotional feeling, to touch him, he\nthrew himself into a boat to avoid these demonstrations of respect,\nwhich were disagreeable to him. The boat, which had no sailors in it,\nfloated to a certain distance out to sea, and then became stationary;\nfrom thence he gave instruction to those who were on the shore, and\nthe crowd dispersing after having received his blessing, the boat\nreturned of itself to its former place. St. Bonaventure thereupon\nsays:--\"Who, after this, will have a heart so hardened and so\nirreligious as to despise the preaching of Francis, to which inanimate\nthings lent their aid, as if they had reasoning faculties?\"\n\nThe inhabitants of Gaeta, admiring the power which God gave to His\nservant, entreated him to stay some time in their town, and to permit\nthem to build there a convent for his Order. He assented to this, and\nthe work was commenced forthwith. While the church was in progress,\na carpenter was crushed by the falling of a beam. As the other workmen\nwere carrying him home, Francis, who was returning from the country,\nmet them, and directed them to lay the dead man on the ground; he then\nmade the sign of the cross on him, took him by the hand, called him\nby his name, and commanded him to arise. The dead man rose immediately\nand went back to his work. This is well-known in the country by\nsuccessive tradition, and a small chapel has been erected, under due\nauthority, on the spot where the miracle was performed, in order to\nperpetuate the memory thereof.\n\nThe earliest authors of the life of our Saint record a very singular\nmiracle which he performed on his route, in the house of a gentleman.\nAll the inhabitants of the place were gone to the great square to hear\nhim preach. A female servant who had been left in a house to take care\nof a child, wishing to hear the sermon, left the child alone. On her\nreturn, she found the child dead, and half-boiled in a copper of hot\nwater, into which it had fallen. She took it out, and in order to hide\nthe disaster from the father and mother, she shut it up in a trunk;\nthe parents, however, learnt their misfortune, which was the more\nafflicting as this was their only child. The husband entreated his\nwife not to let her distress appear, out of respect for the servant\nof God, who was to dine with them. During dinner, Francis endeavored\nto inspire them with a holy joy, knowing what the Almighty had in store\nfor their consolation, and at the end of the dinner he feigned a wish\nto eat some apples. They expressed their regret that they had none to\noffer him; but pointing to the trunk in which the child was shut up,\nhe said: \"Let them look there, and some will be found.\" It was in vain\nthat they assured him that there were none there; he insisted on having\nthe trunk opened. The gentleman, to oblige him, and with a view of\nhiding the object of their grief, opened the trunk, when, judge of his\nastonishment on finding his child alive and well, and, with a smiling\ncountenance, holding an apple in each hand. Transported with joy, he\ncarried the child and placed it in the arms of the holy man.\n\nThe people of Capua were so moved by his preaching, and by the miracles\nhe performed, particularly on his having saved from the waters a woman\nwhom the river Volturnus had carried off, that the town made him the\noffer of a convent. St. Anastasius, Bishop of Civita di Penna, gave\nhim another, with great marks of regard, after having gone out to meet\nhim, on an inspiration he had in his sleep that Francis would come the\nnext day to his town, a circumstance which is recorded by a painting\nin the church, and is explained in two Latin verses.\n\nThe servant of God having preached during the entire day at Montella,\nwent to pass the night in a wood in the vicinity of that town, where\nhe seated himself with his companion under an evergreen oak. Some\npersons who passed by, in the morning, perceived that there was no\nsnow where the two religious sat, although there had been a heavy fall\nin the night, and they related the circumstance to the Lord of Montella,\nwho sent for Francis, and entreated him to remain in that country, or\nto leave some of his companions amongst them, for the instruction of\nthe people. He left two, for whom they built a house on the very spot\nwhere heaven had been so favorable to him.\n\nThe force which God gave to his discourses, and the miracles of which\nHe made him the instrument, converted sinners, and animated the piety\nof the good. Both the one and the other were anxious to retain him\namongst them, or, at least, to have some of his religious. In this\njourney alone, he founded more than twenty houses, among which was one\nat Amalfi, whither his devotion had led him to honor the relics of the\nApostle St. Andrew. The inhabitants of Acropoli, who at first had been\ndeaf to his instruction, were penetrated with contrition, and gave him\na convent, after having been reproached with the hardness of their\nhearts by a multitude of fish, that God caused to collect round a rock\nfrom which Francis preached those truths which this people had refused\nto listen to.\n\nThe Emperor Frederic II was, at that time, with his court at Bari. The\nservant of God went there, no doubt, to venerate the relics of the\ngreat bishop St. Nicholas; he preached in the town, and as his\ndiscourses were always made suitable to the wants of his auditors, he\nspoke energetically on the dangers of the court, and particularly\nagainst impurity.\n\nOn leaving Bari, he found on the road a purse, which appeared to be\nfull of money. His companion, who was aware of his great charity, said\nthat he ought to take it for the poor. Francis refused to do so, saying\nthat it was only a snare of the devil, and that, if it was really money\nwhich had been lost, it would not be right to take what belonged to\nothers to give away in alms; so they continued their route. His\ncompanion was not satisfied; he thought that an opportunity was lost\nof doing a good action, and he tired Francis with his remonstrances.\nThe holy man, who was very mild and very obliging, returned to the\nspot where the purse was, not intending to do what his companion wished,\nbut to expose to him the artifice of the evil spirit. A young man was\npassing at the time, in whose presence he told his companion to take\nup the purse; he, trembling from a secret misgiving of what was about\nto happen, would have been glad not to have anything to do with it;\nbut, obliged to obey, he put his hand to it, which he had no sooner\ndone than he saw a large snake slide out, which disappeared with the\npurse. On which, Francis said to his companions: \"Brother, money is,\nas regards the servants of God, but as a venomous serpent, and even\nthe devil himself.\" We may here add, that it is the same thing for\nthose who are too fond of it, and who avariciously keep it, or make\nit serve for the gratification of their passions. A chapel, which has\nbeen built in that place, is a memorial of the teaching of the Patriarch\nto the poor of Jesus Christ.\n\nHis devotion induced him also to visit the grotto consecrated by the\napparition of the Archangel Michael, on Mount Gargano. They wished,\nout of respect, to take him to the very spot where the blessed spirit\nwas manifested, and where mass is offered up, a privilege which is not\nallowed to all. But through humility he stopped at the door, and, as\nhe was urged to enter, he said: \"I dare not go farther; this place is\nawful; it is the dwelling of angels, whom men should respect in all\nways.\" The place where he stopped to pray is shown to this day. These\nsentiments of humility should abash those Christians who crowd round\nour altars in unbecoming postures, and particularly those worldly women\nwho, in immodest postures and in an air of vanity, approach\ncontemptuously the sanctuary in which the Sacred Body of Jesus reposes.\n\nFrancis placed some of his religious near Mount Gargano and in some\nother parts, after which he came to Gubbio, where he cured a woman,\nthe sinews of whose hands were contracted.\n\nNear Gubbio, a soldier called Benvenuto, asked to be admitted into the\nOrder; he was admitted as a lay-brother, with directions to wait upon\nthe lepers. Profound humility, implicit obedience, an ardent charity,\nthe love of poverty and of silence, assiduity in prayer, perfect\npatience in sickness, and a tender devotion to the Blessed Sacrament,\nrendered this soldier an excellent religious. God honored him with so\nmany miracles during his lifetime and after his death, which happened\nin the year 1232, that Pope Gregory IX had information taken on the\nsubject, in 1236, through the Bishops of Malfi, Molfetta, and Venosa,\nand permitted these three dioceses to allot to him an office, which\nis now said by the whole Order of Friars Minor.\n\nThere lived, between Gubbio and Massa, an old advocate of the Roman\ncourt, called Bartholomew Baro, who had retired thither to avoid the\ntumults and dangers of the world, and lived in great reputation of\nsanctity. Francis, delighted at what he had heard of him, wished to\nsee him. They discoursed on spiritual things, and Bartholomew, hearing\nthat there was a Third Order, willingly entered it. The holy Founder\nwho saw that great prudence was associated with his consummate piety,\nplaced confidence in him regarding the affairs of his Order, and left\nsome of his religious with him.\n\nSt. Antoninus relates, that Bartholomew had in his hermitage a man\npossessed by the devil, who was incessantly talking, but who did not\nspeak a word during the three days that Francis was there. After his\ndeparture he recommenced talking, and Bartholomew having asked him\nwhy, during the stay of Francis, he had kept silence: \"It was,\" he\nsaid, \"because God had so tied his tongue that it was out of his power\nto speak a single word.\" \"How is it, then,\" replied Bartholomew: \"is\nFrancis so great a man, that his presence has such an effect?\" \"Truly,\"\nrejoined the demoniac, \"his virtue is so great, that all the world\nwill see in him most wonderful things. It is not long since our prince\ncalled us all together, and told us that God, who in all times had\nsent men for the conversion of sinners, has similar designs in regard\nto this man, and that Jesus Christ proposes to renew His passion in\nFrancis, in order to imprint it in the hearts of men from whence it\nis obliterated.\"\n\nAs this was said two years before Francis received the stigmata, it\nwould seem that the prince of darkness had some knowledge of the favors\nwhich Jesus Christ intended to confer on Francis. St. Augustine says,\nthat the Son of God made Himself known to the demons on earth, making\ncertain signs to them of His presence; but that it was only as far as\nHe thought proper; that He made use of it, when necessary to inspire\nthem with terror; and that, at other times, He left them in doubt as\nto His divinity. According to this doctrine, it might be said that\nGod, to confound the demons, had made known to their chief His intention\nto renew the Passion of Jesus Christ in the person of Francis, without\ninforming him in what manner this was to happen, for it is certain\nthat this spirit of darkness, neither by his natural lights, nor by\nconjectures, had the means of discovering a favor which solely depended\non the Divine will.\n\nAt length, having labored for the salvation of souls with great fatigue,\nnearly the whole year, the holy Patriarch returned to his dear home,\nSt. Mary of the Angels, to attend more immediately to his own\nsanctification. He there received Brother Casar of Spire, who had\nreturned from Germany, and the subject of whose mission we must now\nresume, having lost sight of it since the year 1221.\n\nThis zealous missionary left Italy with twenty-seven companions, divided\ninto small parties, and before the Feast of St. Michael, they arrived\nsuccessfully at Trent, where they remained fifteen days, during which\nthe bishop provided liberally for all their wants. On the day of the\nfestival, Casar preached to the clergy, and Barnabas to the people.\nAn inhabitant of the town, named Pellegrino, was so moved by Barnabas's\ndiscourse, that he had all the brethren newly clothed, and shortly\nafterwards he sold all his property, gave it to the poor, and took the\nsame habit himself.\n\nCasar left some of the brethren at Trent, exhorting them to the practice\nof patience and humility, and then set out with the remainder. On their\nway they attended with greater interest to spiritual than temporal\nwants, although they had commissioned some of their companions to\nprovide what was necessary for them. The Bishop of Trent, whom they\nfound at Posen, detained them for some days, and gave them leave to\npreach in the whole of his diocese. From thence they went to Brixen,\nwhere the bishop received them very charitably; but from thence they\nhad much to suffer in the mountains, where they could procure nothing\nto eat, after long and fatiguing marches, and were reduced to feed\nupon wild fruits, and even then they had a scruple of tasting these\non Friday morning, because it was, by their rule, a fast, although\nthey had slept in the open air, and had had scarcely anything to eat\nthe preceding day. But God supported them, and they reached Augsburg,\nwhere the bishop embraced them all, and gave them special marks of his\nbenevolence.\n\nIn 1221, near the Feast of St. Gall, which is on the sixteenth of\nOctober, Casar assembled the first chapter of the Order which had been\nheld in Germany; there were about thirty of his brethren, whom he\ndistributed in several provinces of this vast country. Some were sent\nto Wurtzburg, Mentz, Worms, Spire, and Cologne, where they exerted\nthemselves with much success for the salvation of souls, and built\nconvents. Giordano was sent with two companions to Saltzburg, and the\narchbishop of that city received them with great benevolence. Three\nothers went to Ratisboa, where they founded an excellent establishment.\nThe provincial followed them, animating them by word and example. While\nat Wurtzburg, he gave the habit of the Friars Minor to a young man of\ngood family, named Hartmod, who had enjoyed a good education. He called\nhim Andrew, because the day of his reception was that of the holy\nApostle. Andrew, having taken holy orders some time after, became a\ncelebrated preacher, and was the first warden in Saxony. Rodinger was\nalso admitted into the Order, who was afterwards warden of the convent\nof Halberstad, and director of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, before Dr.\nConrad of Marburg.\n\nIn 1222, Casar, having received a great number of novices, some of\nwhom were made priests, assembled a chapter at Worms, and finding that\nthe Order was taking firm root in Germany, he instituted as\nvice-provincial, Thomas de Celano, and returned into Italy with Simon\nde Collazon, who had preferred the humble state of Friar Minor to the\nnobility of his birth. The reason of Casar's return was the anxious\ndesire he had to see once more his holy Patriarch, and his companions\nin the Valley of Spoleto, with whom he was intimately united through\nvirtue. He was a man greatly attached to contemplation, very zealous\nfor holy poverty, and highly esteemed by his brethren, who, after their\nholy Father, looked up to him above any other.\n\nThe religious whom he had left in Germany pursued their mission with\ngreat success. Even in this year, or shortly after, they penetrated,\nwith the Friars Preachers, into the Kingdom of Sweden, and into some\nother countries of the North, according to the testimony of John the\nGreat. Archbishop of Upsal, and Legate of the Holy See, who notices\nthis circumstance in the history of his church.\n\nThis prelate remarks that one of the first who entered the Institute\nof the Friars Minor, was Laurence Octavius, an illustrious man, whose\nconversion made such a sensation, that it drew into the Order many\npersons of high rank. The poor habit which he wore, and which he honored\nby his splendid virtues, and particularly by love of suffering, did\nnot render it less venerable than his sciences.\n\nOctavius could not avoid giving his consent, in the year 1244 or 1245,\nto the election which was unanimously made of his person, by the clergy\nand people, for the Archbishopric of Upsal, which was confirmed by\nInnocent IV. In this dignity, he continued to live the life of a true\nFriar Minor, and did so much for the salvation of his flock, as well\nas for the benefit of the whole kingdom, that, if heresy had not\ndestroyed in Sweden all sentiments of piety with the light of faith,\nhis memory would still be honored there as one of their greatest as\nwell as holiest persons. He died a saintly death, in the year 1267,\nand chose to be buried among the Friars Minor, with whom he would have\ngladly spent his life.\n\nWhile the Institute of St. Francis thus flourished in Germany and in\nthe North, a treasure was discovered in Italy, which had been up to\nthis time overlooked. It was the great St. Anthony of Padua, who was\nleading a hidden life in the Hermitage of St. Paul near Bologna.\n\nHis superior sent him, with some others, to Forli, in Romagna, to take\norders. Some Friars Preachers were also present. Being assembled\ntogether at the hour of conference, the superior of the place requested\nthe Friars Preachers to give them an exhortation. As they excused\nthemselves because they were not prepared, he turned to Anthony, and\nwithout being aware of the depth of his learning, he ordered him to\nsay whatever the Holy Spirit should suggest to him. Anthony replied\nwith great humility that he was ill fitted for such a task, and that\nhe was much more qualified for cleaning the plates than for preaching.\nHowever, yielding to the superior's reiterated order, he began to\ndiscourse with simplicity and timidity; but God, proposing to place\nconspicuously the lamp which was hidden under the bushel, he continued\nhis discourse with so much eloquence, and showed himself to possess\nso profoundly learned a doctrine, that the audience was most agreeably\nsurprised, and admitted that they had never heard anything to equal\nit; and they did not know which most to admire, his learning or his\nhumility.\n\nIt was, indeed, requisite to be possessed of rare and extraordinary\nhumility, to hide with so much care such sublime learning, and talents\nso varied; for Anthony had earnestly requested the guardian of the\nconvent in which he was, to employ him in cleaning the plates and\ndishes, and in sweeping the house. This man, who, according to the\nsaying of the Apostle, was \"A vessel of honor, sanctified and profitable\nto the Lord, prepared unto every good work,\" treated himself, and\nwished to be considered by his companions, as one of the vilest amongst\nmen. He was deserving of the highest place, and took the very lowest.\nHe was so deeply versed in the Holy Scriptures, that his memory served\nhim as a book; and he penetrated so well into the most obscure passages\nthat he was the admiration of the most profound theologians; but he\nwas more anxious to be confounded with the unlearned, and to be unknown,\nthan to let his learning be discovered, and to appear capable of\ninstructing others.\n\nWe may here notice a reflection of St. Bernard on a somewhat similar\ncase: \"Let this passage be remarked by those who undertake to teach\nwhat they have not learnt themselves; seeking for scholars, without\nhaving had masters, they are the blind leading the blind. But justice\nis done them; although it is admitted that they have some talent, it\nis soon found that they have nothing solid, and they are treated with\ncontempt.\"\n\nThe fortunate discovery that was thus made of the talents of Anthony,\nsoon reached the ears of Francis, who ordered him to apply himself to\nthe pulpit. He desired, however, that the preacher, in order to exercise\nhis ministry with the greatest effect, should study theology at\nVercelli, under the Abbot of St. Andrew, who gave lessons with great\nreputation, and who is supposed to have been the celebrated Doctor\nThomas, a canon regular of the Abbey of St. Victor of Paris. He was\nsent to be the first abbot at the Abbey of St. Andrew of Vercelli,\nwhich was founded about the year 1220. Anthony had as a fellow-student\nanother Friar Minor, named Adam de Marisco, an Englishman, who was\nafterwards a doctor of the University of Oxford, the holiness of his\nlife, his learning, and his writings rendered him famous throughout\nthe whole realm of England. He was subsequently elected Bishop of Ely.\n\nThe application which Anthony gave to the study of theology did not\nprevent his preaching during all Lent at Milan, and at other times in\nsome parts of the duchy. But his preaching was no hindrance to his\nstudies, because the lights he had previously acquired, and those he\nreceived from above, together with his splendid talents, gave him an\ninsight into the most sublime truths. His progress was so quick and\nso great, that his master often declared, that he learnt many things\nfrom his scholar. Speaking of the book of the celestial hierarchy which\nhe was explaining, he said that his scholar ran over the several orders\nof blessed spirits with so much precision, and a penetration so\nsurprising, that it might have been thought that the whole heavenly\nhost passed before him. This exalted wisdom, joined to his eminent\nvirtues, induced his illustrious preceptor to give him the name of\nSaint, and to apply our Blessed Lord's eulogy of St. John the Baptist\nto him: \"He was a burning and a shining light.\" Anthony was requested\nby his fellow-students to communicate to them the learning in which\nhe abounded, and to give lessons in the convent, but he would not take\nupon himself to exercise the functions of master, without having first\nconsulted the holy Founder of the Order. He wrote to him on the subject,\nand received the following answer:\n\n\"To my dear Brother Anthony, Brother Francis sends greeting in Jesus\nChrist.\n\n\"I entirely approve of your teaching the brethren sacred theology; in\nsuch a manner, however, that the spirit of prayer be not extinguished\nin you or in them, according to the rule which we profess. Adieu.\"\n\nThis is a proof that Francis was not hostile to study, but that he\nonly wished it to be conducted in a religious manner, without prejudice\nto piety. Anthony, having obtained leave, taught first at Montpellier,\nand then at Bologna, where studies were again set on foot, to which\ndisobedience had put a stop, as has been said; then he taught at Padua,\nat Toulouse, and in other places where he was stationed: always joining\nto this holy exercise, that of preaching with wonderful success.\n\nAt the time when he began taking lessons from the Abbot of Vercelli,\nthe most celebrated doctor of the University of Paris took the habit\nof the Friars Minor. This was Alexander d'Hales or d'Hels, or Hales,\nthus named from the place of his birth in the County of Gloucester,\nwhere, from the year 1246, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, had founded a\nconvent of the Order of Citeaux. Having gone through his course of\nhumanities in England, he came to Paris, where he studied philosophy\nand theology, took a doctor's degree, taught, and was universally\nadmired.\n\nSt. Antoninus believes that what led to his vocation was this: having\nmade a vow to grant, if he possibly could, whatever should be asked\nof him for the love of the Blessed Virgin, for whom he had a singular\ndevotion, a person who was questing for the Friars Minor, came and\nsaid to him: \"It is now long enough that you have been laboring for\nthe world, and you have acquired celebrity in it. I entreat you, for\nthe love of God, and of the Blessed Virgin, to enter into our Order,\nwhich you will honor, and you will sanctify yourself.\" The doctor was\nsurprised at this request, but God touched his heart, and he replied\nto the brother: \"I shall follow you very soon; and shall do as you\nwish,\" and shortly after, he took the habit of a Friar Minor. Others,\nhowever, are of opinion, that he was induced to quit the world by the\nexample of his fellow-countryman, John of St. Gilles, an illustrious\ndoctor, who, preaching one day to the clergy, with great energy, on\nvoluntary poverty, in the convent of the Friars Preachers, descended\nfrom the pulpit in the middle of his sermon, and in order to give force\nto his words by his example, he took the habit of St. Dominic, and\nreturned to the pulpit to finish his discourse.\n\nHowever this may be, the holy life and happy death of Alexander Hales\nin the Order of St. Francis, bore testimony to his having been called\nby God. It is said that, at first, the practices were difficult to\nhim, and that some interior suffering made him think of leaving the\nOrder, but that, in this agitation, he saw in spirit Francis bearing\na heavy wooden cross, and endeavoring to carry it up a very steep hill;\nthat he offered to assist him, but that the holy Patriarch spurned his\naid indignantly, saying: \"Begone, you feeble man; you have not the\ncourage to bear your own light cross, and you would attempt to bear\nthis heavy one!\" This vision having enlightened the doctor who was a\nnovice, he was delivered entirely from the temptation under which he\nlabored.\n\nHe continued to teach with the same repute; and the faculty of theology,\nto do honor to his merits, gave him the privilege of presenting one\nof his brethren and disciples for a doctor's degree; which he did the\nfirst time by an interior revelation, in favor of Brother John de la\nRochelle, who afterwards became very celebrated. Alexander had many\nother disciples distinguished both for their learning and their piety,\nbut there are none who have done more honor to his instructions than\nSt. Bonaventure, and, according to the opinion of many authors, St.\nThomas Aquinas. Among his writings, which are very numerous, and on\nall sorts of subjects, his Summa is much esteemed, in which, by order\nof Pope Innocent IV, he arranged methodically the theological subjects.\nThis is the first Summa which was compiled, and it has served as a\nmodel for all others. Pope Alexander IV spoke in the highest terms,\nboth of the author and of his work.\n\nGerson, Chancellor of the University of Paris, in speaking of\nAlexander's doctrine, expresses himself as follows: \"It is not to be\ntold how many excellent things it contains. I declare to have read in\na treatise, that some one having asked St. Thomas what was the best\nmode of studying theology, he replied, 'To study the works of a single\ntheologian;' and being asked what theologian it was desirable to fix\non, he named Alexander Hales. Thus,\" continues Gerson, \"the writings\nof St. Thomas, and principally the Seconda Seconda, show how familiar\nthe works and doctrine of Alexander were to him.\"\n\nSo then learned men entered the Order of Friars Minor, as St. Francis\nhad foretold; and this is the reason why he recommended that prayer\nshould be joined to study, lest learning should obliterate piety.\n\nThe indulgence granted to St. Mary of the Angels, or the Portiuncula,\ntwo years previous to this time, had not yet had the day fixed on which\nthe faithful could gain it. Francis waited till Jesus Christ, who first\nconceded so precious a boon, should Himself mark the day, nor was he\ndisappointed. It occurred as follows:\n\nOne night, when he was praying in his cell, at St. Mary of the Angels,\nin the beginning of the year 1223, the tempter suggested to him not\nto watch and pray so much, but rather to adopt other modes of penance,\nbecause, from his age, more sleep and rest was absolutely necessary\nfor him, and these watchings would be his death. Being aware of the\nmalice of his infernal enemy, he retired to the woods, and threw himself\ndown into a bush of briars and thorns, till he was covered with blood.\n\"For,\" said he to himself, \"it is much better that I should suffer\nthese pains with Jesus Christ, than that I should follow the advice\nof an enemy who flatters me.\"\n\nA brilliant light which surrounded him, disclosed to him a great number\nof white and red roses, although it was the month of January, and the\nwinter was very severe. This was an effect of the power of God, who\nhad changed the briars into rose-trees, which have ever since been\nevergreen and without thorns.\n\nAngels, who appeared in great numbers, said to him: \"Francis, hasten\nto return to the Church, Jesus Christ is there, together with His\nBlessed Mother.\" At the same time, he perceived himself miraculously\nclothed with a new habit of pure white; he gathered twelve roses of\neach color, and went to the church. After a profound adoration he\naddressed the following prayer to Jesus Christ, under the protection\nof the most Blessed Virgin: \"Most holy Father, Lord of heaven and\nearth, Saviour of man, deign, through Thy great mercy, to fix the day\nof the indulgence which Thou hast been pleased to grant to this sacred\nplace.\"\n\nOur Lord answered him, that it was His desire that it should be from\nthe evening of the vigil of the day when St. Peter the Apostle was\ndelivered from his chains, to the evening of the following day. Francis,\nagain asking in what manner this should be publicly made known, and\nwhether his own assertion would be given credit to, he was directed\nto present himself before the vicar of Jesus Christ, to take with him\nsome white and red roses as testimonials of the truth of the fact,\nalso a number of his own brethren, who would testify to what they had\nheard; for, from the cells which were near the church, they had, indeed,\nheard all that had been said. Then the angels sang the hymn \"Te Deum\nlaudamus.\" Francis took three roses of each color in honor of the Most\nBlessed Trinity, and the vision disappeared.\n\nFrancis, accompanied by Brothers Bernard de Quintavalle, Peter of\nCatania, and Angelus of Rieti, set out for Rome, where he related to\nthe Pope all that had happened at St. Mary of the Angels, in proof\nwhereof, he presented to him the roses he had brought, and his\ncompanions testified to what they had heard. The Pope, astonished to\nsee such beautiful and sweet-smelling roses in the depth of winter,\nsaid: \"As to myself, I believe the truth of what you tell me, but it\nis a matter which must be submitted to the cardinals for their\nopinions.\" In the meantime, he directed his attendants to see that\nthey should not want for anything.\n\nThe next day, they came before the consistory, where Francis, by the\nPope's desire, said, in presence of the cardinals: \"It is the will of\nGod that whoever shall, with a contrite and humble heart, after having\nconfessed his sins, and received absolution by a priest, enter the\nChurch of St. Mary of the Angels, in the Diocese of Assisi, between\nthe first vespers of the first day of August and the vespers of the\nsecond day, shall obtain an entire remission of all the sins he may\nhave committed from his Baptism until that moment.\" The Sovereign\nPontiff, seeing that the words of Francis were not thought to have any\ndeceit in them, having conferred with the cardinals thereon for some\ntime, confirmed the indulgence. And he subsequently ordered the Bishops\nof Assisi, Perugia, Todi, Spoleto, Foligno, Nocera, and Gubbio, to\nmeet at the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, on the first of August\nof that year, and there solemnly to publish this indulgence.\n\nAll these prelates met on the day specified, and having mounted a large\nplatform, which had been prepared outside of the church, they made\nFrancis mount there also, to explain to the assembly, which was very\nnumerous and gathered from all parts of the country, the cause of their\nmeeting. He spoke with so much fervor that it seemed to be rather an\nangel who addressed the meeting than a man, and he ended his discourse\nby announcing the plenary and perpetual indulgence which God and the\nSovereign Pontiff granted to this church every year on that day. The\nbishops were not satisfied with his publishing it to be in perpetuity.\n\"Brother Francis,\" they said, \"although the Pope desires us to do on\nthis occasion whatever you wish, it is not, however, his intention\nthat we should do things which are not suitable; therefore you must\ngive notice that the indulgence is only to last for ten years.\" The\nBishop of Assisi was the first to restrict it to this time, but he\ncould not help saying, as St. Francis had, \"in perpetuity.\" The other\nbishops endeavored successively to announce this restriction, but God\npermitted that, without intending it, they should all say, \"in\nperpetuity.\" By this, they were made sensible of the will of God, and\nwillingly proclaimed the indulgence to be perpetual.\n\nMany of those who were at the sermon preached by Francis, have left\ntestimony in writing to the effect, that he had in his hand a small\nscroll on which was written these words: \"I wish you all to go to\nParadise. I announce to you a plenary indulgence which I have obtained\nfrom the goodness of our Heavenly Father, and from the mouth of the\nSovereign Pontiff. All you who are assembled here to-day, and with a\ncontrite and humble heart have confessed with sincerity, and have\nreceived absolution from a priest, will have remission of all your\nsins; and in like manner, those who come every year with similar\ndispositions, will obtain the same.\"\n\nSuch is the way in which the famous indulgence of St. Mary of the\nAngels, or of Portiuncula, was published on the second day of August;\nan indulgence which the Sovereign Pontiffs have since extended to all\nthe churches of the Order of St. Francis.\n\nThe seven prelates consecrated the Church of St. Mary of the Angels,\nand performed a similar ceremony for the Church of St. Damian, at the\nrequest of Francis and Clare. The remembrance of this is commemorated\nyearly at Assisi, on the ninth of August.\n\nThe benevolent feeling which Honorius III expressed to the holy\nPatriarch, when he was at Rome, for the indulgence of the Portiuncula,\ninduced him to wish that this Pontiff would authorize solemnly the\nRule of the Order, which Innocent III had only verbally approved. He\nhad in the night the following revelation, which is thus recorded by\nSt. Bonaventure:\n\nIt seemed to him that he had taken up from the ground some very small\ncrumbs of bread, in order to distribute them to the half-starved\nbrethren who surrounded him, and how, fearful lest such small crumbs\nshould fall out of his hands, a heavenly voice said to him: \"Francis,\ncollect all these crumbs and make a host of them, and give of it to\nsuch as wish to eat of it.\" He did so, and all those who did not partake\nof it devoutly, or treated it contemptuously, after having received\nit, seemed to be infected with leprosy. In the morning, he related all\nthis to his companions, and was distressed at not comprehending the\nmystery. The following day, while he was at prayer, a voice from heaven\nsaid to him: \"Francis, the crumbs of last night are the words of the\nGospel, the host is the Rule, and the leprosy is iniquity.\"\n\nThe term of Host, to designate the Rule, is worthy of particular\nconsideration. Its import is that, as bread without leaven, which is\ncalled the Host, is made of the finest flour, so the Rule is composed\nof what is most perfect in the Gospel; and as this bread, by the words\nof consecration, is changed into the Body of Jesus Christ, the true\nHost immolated on the altar, so those who make profession of the Rule,\nmust be transformed into hosts, or victims, and immolate themselves\nto God. It is thus that St. Paul warns Christians, \"To become as a new\npaste without leaven,\" and to pass the whole time of their lives as\na continual festival, \"presenting their bodies a living sacrifice,\nholy and pleasing unto God.\" St. Peter also says to them, that they\nare a \"Spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual\nsacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.\"\n\nThe oracle of Heaven communicated to Francis that the Rule which he\nsought to have approved, and which was composed of sentences from the\nGospel, required abridgment, and putting into order with greater\nprecision. In order to effect this, he was inspired, after the\npublication of the indulgence, to go to Mount Columbo, near Rieti,\nwhere he retired into an opening in the rock, with Brothers Leo and\nBonzio, fasting on bread and water; and this fast, according to the\nstatement of Marianus, lasted forty days. There he wrote the Rule,\naccording to the dictation of the Holy Spirit manifested to him, in\nprayer. On his return to St. Mary of the Angels, he put it into the\nhands of his vicar, Brother Elias, to read it, and keep it. Elias\nthought it too severe, and some days afterwards, in order to suppress\nit, he feigned to have lost it by negligence. The holy men returned\nto the same place, and wrote it out a second time, as if God had\ndictated it to him with His own mouth.\n\nThe vicar-general communicated to some of the provincial ministers\nwhat had happened, and told them that the Founder was desirous of\nimposing upon them a stricter mode of life than that to which they had\nhitherto adhered. They concerted together what they should do to avert\nthis, and it was agreed that Elias, as vicar-general, should go and\nrepresent to him the inconvenience of such increased austerity, and\nthe objections of his brethren. Elias, who was aware of the firmness\nof Francis in these matters, and had been severely rebuked by him on\nother occasions, acknowledged that he did not dare execute this\ncommission alone, but he offered to accompany them for the common\ncause, and they consented to this arrangement.\n\nWhile they were drawing near to the mountain, Francis had a revelation\nof what was passing. When they had reached the top, he left the opening\nof the rock quickly, and demanded of Elias what he and all these\nministers who were with him wanted. Elias, with downcast eyes, and\ntrembling, said, in a low tone of voice: \"These ministers, having\nlearnt that you were about to give them a new Rule above the strength\nof man to endure, have engaged me to come here, in my capacity of\nvicar-general, to entreat you to modify it, because they will not\nreceive it, if it is too austere.\"\n\nAt these words, the Saint, in great emotion and shuddering, raised his\neyes to heaven and exclaimed: \"Lord, did I not say that these people\nwould not believe me? As to myself, I will keep this Rule to the day\nof my death, with those of my companions who love poverty; but I shall\nnot have it in my power to compel those who do not choose it, and who\nmake so much resistance.\"\n\nJesus Christ appeared in a luminous cloud above Francis, and said, so\nthat all heard him: \"Little man, why are you discontented, as if this\nis your work?--It is I who have dictated the Rule; no part of it is\nyours. I insist on its being literally observed to the very letter--to\nthe very letter, without gloss or comment. I know what frail man can\nendure, and what support I can and will give him. Let those who will\nnot keep the Rule leave the Order; I will raise up others in their\nplace; and if it be requisite, I will bring them forth from these\nstones.\"\n\nThen Francis, from the top of the rock on which he had knelt down,\naddressed these words to the vicar-general and to the others, who were\ngreatly alarmed: \"You now know that your conspiracy has been solely\nan opposition to the will of God, and that instead of taking into\nconsideration what He can do for us, you have only consulted the feeble\nlight of your human prudence. Have you heard, have you, yourself, heard\nthe voice which came forth from the cloud, and which spoke so audibly?\nIf it did not resound in your ears, I will take steps to cause you to\nhear it once more.\" Upon this, Elias and his companions, astounded and\nbeside themselves, retired without saying a single word.\n\nThe holy Patriarch having returned to join his faithful children in\nthe small fissure of the rock, in which they lay prostrate at the voice\nof the Lord, said to them: \"Rise up now, and fear nothing, but as true\nsoldiers of Jesus Christ put on the armor of God, in order to be on\nyour guard against the snares which the devil will not fail to throw\nin the way of your following Him.\" He left the mountain and went to\nthe nearest convent to show the Rule to his brethren, intending to\ncommunicate it afterwards to the others, in order to know what each\none thought of it. His countenance, animated and shining, was a\nmanifestation that God himself had dictated to him the rule of life\nwhich he proposed to them. It was a striking representation of Moses\ncoming down from Mount Sinai, his face shining brightly. The resemblance\ncannot be too much admired in its several relations. Moses, after a\nfast of forty days, received, on a mountain, the Law which God gave\nhim. Jesus Christ having fasted forty days, was on a mountain when He\ntaught that doctrine which embraces, as St. Augustine observes, all\nthe perfection of the Christian life. And it was on a mountain that\nit was His pleasure to give His servant Francis, who fasted rigorously,\na Rule in which the perfection of the evangelical life is contained.\n\nSome having read the Rule, said to Francis, that it was necessary that\nhis Order should have something in common, as the other religious\norders had; seeing that the number of the brethren was already very\ngreat, and that, according to all appearance, the Order would be so\nextended; that it would not be possible to exist in so restricted a\nstate of poverty. The Saint returned to the place he had left, and\nhaving had recourse to prayer, he consulted Jesus Christ, the true\nLegislator, who gave the following reply: \"It is I who am their portion\nand their inheritance, I do not choose that they should be encumbered\nwith the things of this world. Provided they adhere strictly to the\nRule, and that they place their confidence in me, I will take care of\nthem; I will not suffer them to stand in need of anything necessary\nto life; the more their numbers increase, the more will I manifest my\nprovidence to them.\"\n\nWe must here render to that adorable and loving Providence the justice\ndue to it. It has never been wanting to the Order of St. Francis, and\nthey have never had greater proofs of His care than when they have\nchosen to live most poorly. We see verified to the letter, in these\npoor evangelical brethren, the imitators of Jesus Christ crucified,\nwhat is said in the twenty-first psalm, in which the Son of God has\nclearly foretold His Passion: \"The poor shall eat and shall be filled,\nand they shall praise the Lord that seek Him, their hearts shall live\nforever and ever.\" Were He now to ask the Religious of St. Francis,\nas He asked the Apostles: \"When I sent you without purse, or scrip,\nand shoes, did you want for anything?\" There is not one who would not\nanswer as they did: \"No, we have not wanted for anything.\" For a poor\nevangelical brother is bound to consider himself as not wanting anything\nwhile he lives, and to look upon having nothing but what is necessary\nas the treasure of his state of life.\n\nA religious order which, without any revenue, maintains many thousand\nmen, was a subject of admiration for an infidel prince, and the Founder\nwas considered by him as a very great man. He was not aware of the\ncause of this wonderful effect, but religion teaches us that it is God\nhimself who provides for the wants of His servants, by the charity\nwith which He inspires the faithful.\n\nFrancis communicated to the ministers what our Lord had said to him.\nThey submitted to everything, and returned with him to St. Mary of the\nAngels, where the Rule was approved by the brethren who were there,\nand was then sent into the provinces to be examined before it was\nsubmitted for confirmation.\n\nSpeaking of the Rule, he said to his children: \"I have not put anything\ninto it of my own; I caused it all to be written as God revealed it\nto me;\" and he adduced this motive to incite them the better to keep\nit. He confirmed the revelation in his will, in the following terms:\n\"When the Lord confided to me the guidance of the brethren, no one\ncommunicated to me how I was to behave towards them, but the Almighty\nHimself revealed to me that I ought to live according to the form\nprescribed by the Gospel; I caused it to be written out in few and\nsimple words,\" etc.\n\nThis is the eulogium he passed on it: \"My brethren and my dear children,\na very great favor was done to us in giving us this Rule; for it is\nthe book of life, the hope of salvation, the pledge of glory, the\nmarrow of the Gospel, the way of the cross, a state of perfection, the\nkey of Paradise, and the bond of our eternal alliance. None of you is\nignorant how greatly advantageous to us holy religion is. As the enemy\nwho fights against us is extremely clever in inventing and executing\neverything which is malicious, and strews in our way all sorts of\nsnares to effect our perdition, there are many whose salvation he would\nhave brought into great peril, if religion had not been their shield.\nStudy, therefore, your Rule, all of you, not only for alleviating your\npains, but in order that it may remind you of the oath you have taken\nto keep it. It is necessary that you should employ yourselves in\nmeditating on it, that it may sink into your hearts, and be always\nbefore your eyes, so that you may observe it with exactness, and hold\nit fast at your deaths.\"\n\nSt. Bridget being in prayer at Jerusalem; where she was interceding\nfor a Friar Minor who had some conscientious scruples on the subject\nof the Rule, our Saviour caused her to hear the following words: \"The\nRule of St. Francis was not the composition of the human mind; it is\nI who made it; it does not contain a single word which was not inspired\nby my spirit; and thus Francis gave it to the others.\"\n\nPope Nicholas III says, that it bears on the face of it, the evidence\nof the Trinity; that it is descended from the Father of Light, that\nit was taught to the apostles by the example, and by the doctrine of\nHis Son, and that the Holy Ghost inspired it to the blessed Francis\nand to those who had followed him. He also declares, as Gregory IX had\ndone before, that it is established on the word of the Gospel,\nauthorized by the life of Jesus Christ, and supported by the actions\nand words of the Apostles, who founded the Church Militant. It consists,\naccording to the remark of St. Bonaventure, in observing the Holy\nGospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, because all its substance is taken\nfrom the pure source of the Gospel. It is, therefore, no new rule; it\nis only a renewed rule; literally the same as what the Son of God laid\ndown for the Apostles, when He sent them forth to preach; and that\nought always give great spiritual consolation to those who keep it.\nThis holy doctor considers the impressions of the wounds of Jesus\nChrist, which Francis received from the hand of the living God, some\ntime after the revelation of the Rule, as a bull of Jesus Christ, by\nwhich that High Pontiff confirmed it; and Pope Nicholas III was of the\nsame opinion, in his decrial.\n\nFinally, the Rule of the Friars Minor, given by St. Francis, is wholly\nEvangelical, and wholly Apostolical; there never was one which was so\nuniversally and so promptly followed. Men illustrious by their birth,\nby their knowledge, by their talents, by their virtue, embraced it and\nhave followed it, during a number of centuries, in all parts of the\nChristian world; it has given to the Church a new family, in numbers\nmost extensive, whose fecundity does not become exhausted, and it has\nproduced a great galaxy of saints.\n\nThe children of the Patriarch, having most willingly received it, he\nleft them in the month of October, in order to solicit the approval\nof the Sovereign Pontiff. When at Rome, he was invited to dine with\nCardinal Ugolino, the Protector of the Order, who had a sincere\naffection for him; but he did not come to the invitation, until he had\nbegged some pieces of bread, as he was accustomed to do, when he was\nto dine with persons of rank. Being at table, he drew this bread from\nhis sleeve and began to eat of it, and he gave some to the other guests,\nwho partook of it from devotion. After dinner, the cardinal embraced\nhim, and said, smiling: \"My good man, why, as you were to dine with\nme, did you put the affront on me, to go and beg bread first and bring\nit to my table?\" \"My Lord,\" replied Francis, \"far from doing anything\nto affront you, I did you honor, in honoring, at your board, a much\ngreater Lord than you are, to whom poverty is very agreeable, especially\nthat which goes as far as voluntary mendicancy, for the love of Jesus\nChrist. I have resolved not to give up in favor of false and passing\nriches, this virtue which is of royal dignity, since our Lord Jesus\nChrist became poor for us, in order that, by His poverty, we might\nbecome rich and heirs to the kingdom of heaven.\"\n\nAn admirable reply, which is quite in unison with what was said by St.\nGregory Nazianzen. \"If I am reproached for my poverty, I am sure that\nit is my treasure;\" and with these words of St. Ambrose, on the birth\nof Christ: \"His poverty is my patrimony; He chose to want for\neverything, in order that all others might be in abundance.\"\n\nThe cardinal presented Francis to the Pope, that he might solicit the\nconfirmation of his Rule. The Holy Father read it, and, finding it too\nsevere, he desired some changes might be made in it; but, the man of\nGod protesting by everything that was most sacred, that he had not put\na single word into it, and that Jesus Christ had dictated it, as it\nthere stood, the Pontiff, after discussing it with the cardinals,\nconfirmed it. His bull commences thus:\n\n\"Honorius, bishop, the servant of the servants of God. To our dearly\nbeloved sons, Brother Francis, and other brethren of the Order of\nFriars Minor, health and apostolical benediction. The Apostolic See\nis accustomed to assent to pious intentions and to favor the laudable\nwishes of those who solicit her favors. For which reason, our dear\nchildren in Jesus Christ, we confirm by apostolical authority, and we\nstrengthen by this present writing, the Rule of your Order, which was\napproved by Pope Innocent, of glorious memory, our predecessor,\nexpressed in these terms, etc.\"\n\nAfter having gone through it all, he concludes as follows: \"Let no\nperson, therefore, have the temerity to violate the contents of our\npresent confirmation, or to contravene it. Should any one dare to do\nso, let him know that he will incur the indignation of Almighty God,\nand that of His blessed Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul. Given in the\nLateran palace, the twenty-ninth day of November, 1223, the eighth of\nour pontificate.\"\n\nThe original of this bull, with its leaden seal, is preserved as Assisi,\nin the Convent of St. Francis, where Wading saw it, in 1619, with a\ncopy of the Rule written by St. Francis' own hand.\n\nWhile Francis was still at Rome, he proposed to himself to celebrate\nthe Festival of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ at Grecio, with\nall the solemnity possible, in order to awaken the devotion of all in\nthat vicinity. He wrote a letter on the subject to his friend, John\nVelita, begging him to prepare all things; and in order that there\nshould be no room for censuring what he was about to do, he spoke to\nthe Pope about it, who approved highly of this pious ceremony, and\ngranted indulgences to those who should assist at it.\n\nSt. Bonaventure informs us that, before his departure from Rome, he\nwent to pay his respects to Cardinal Leo Brancaleone, titular of Santa\nCroce, with whom his friendship began in 1210, when he first came to\nhave his Rule approved. This cardinal invited him to stay some days\nin his palace, because the severity of the weather and the floods might\nimpede his journey; it was the month of December. He retained, to\nremain with him, with Francis' leave, Brother Angelo Tancredi, whose\nmiraculous conversion we have related; at that time, there were but\nfew of the cardinals who did not wish to have some of the Friars Minor\nin their company; such was the veneration they had for their virtue\nat the Roman court. Francis, however, found excuses for not spending\nmore than two or three days in the palace of Brancaleone, saying that\nit was not fitting for the poor to dwell in the palaces of princes.\nThe cardinal told him that he would receive him as a pauper, and give\nhim a bed, not in his palace, but in an adjacent tower near the city\nwalls quite out of the way of any noise, where he might repose from\nhis fatigue for some time. Tancredi entreated him not to refuse this\nsatisfaction to a prince of the Church, who was a person of great\npiety, and a generous benefactor to the Order; therefore, out of\nrespect, and from gratitude, he consented to stay, and with his\ncompanion took up his abode in the tower.\n\nThe following night, when he was about to take some repose, the devils\ncame and beat him so long, and so violently, that they left him half-\ndead. He called his companion, and told him what had happened, and he\nadded: \"Brother, I believe that the devils, who can do nothing without\nthe leave of the Almighty, have ill-used me to this degree, because\nof my having remained with great people, here; if so, it augurs no\ngood. My brethren who dwell in very poor houses, knowing that I am the\nguest of cardinals, might suspect that I enter willingly into the\nconcerns of the world, that I glory in honors, and that I am living\ndaintily. I therefore think that a man who is to be an example to\nothers, should leave the court, and dwell humbly with the humble, in\nplaces adapted to the profession of humility, in order that he may\ninspire those with fortitude, who suffer the inconveniences of a life\nof poverty, by suffering with them.\" In the morning, he took leave of\nthe cardinal, and set out for Grecio.\n\nIt is necessary here to remark that St. Francis, who permitted some\nof his brethren to remain with the cardinals, did not think that he\nhimself, who was the superior, ought to spend a single night in their\npalaces, lest others should be disedified thereby, and that it was his\nduty to give good example to all. This shows how much persons in power\nshould strive not to do anything calculated to give bad examples, and\nto abstain from certain things which, though irreprehensible in\nthemselves, and which would not be noticed in a lowly individual, might\nbe a cause of scandal in one of high station, who ought to be a model\nof virtue. On this principle, St. Paul said to the Christians: \"All\nthings are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient. All things\nare lawful for me, but all things do not edify. I do all for your\nedification.\" He recommended his disciples, Timothy and Titus, whom\nhe had ordained bishops, to be \"an example to the faithful, in word,\nin conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity, in the practice\nof good works.\" St. Gregory, St. Bernard, and all the Holy Fathers\nhave always required of prelates, as a primary qualification, that\nthey should greatly edify; which is the more necessary in the superiors\nof religious communities, as their example is under more immediate\nobservation.\n\nThe bad health of Francis, the beating which he had received from the\ndevils, and a constant fall of rain, compelled him to ride on an ass.\nDuring his journey he dismounted to say the Divine Office, standing;\nhe remained on the same spot without paying attention to the rain, and\ndid not mount till he had quite finished.\n\nHaving reached Grecio, he found all things prepared for the celebration\nof the festival by his friend Velita. They had prepared a crib in the\nwood, in which was represented the Nativity of our Saviour; they had\nplaced straw there, and, during Christmas-night, also took there an\nox and an ass. Many Friars Minor had arrived at the wood from the\nneighboring convents, and the people of the environs came in crowds\nto the ceremony. The wood was lit up by numerous torches, and resounded\nmelodiously from the sound of a thousand voices which sang the praises\nof God with untiring zeal. Francis, full of devotion, and with his\neyes bathed in tears of holy joy, knelt before the manger, above which\nan altar had been placed, where mass was celebrated at midnight; he\nacted as deacon, and after having sung the Gospel, he preached on the\nbirth of the newborn King, became poor.\n\nVelita, who had prepared the ceremonial, assured them that he had seen\na most beautiful child in the manger, who was asleep, and whom Francis\ntenderly embraced in order to awaken it. There is so much the more\nreason for giving credit to this marvel, says St. Bonaventure, since\nhe who relates it, having been an eye-witness thereof, was a very holy\nman, and since it was confirmed by many miracles; for the straw on\nwhich the child appeared to be sleeping, had the virtue of curing\nvarious maladies amongst cattle; and, what is still more wonderful,\nthose who came to visit the spot, however tepid and indevout they may\nhave been, were inflamed with the love of God. After the death of the\nSaint, a chapel was erected on the spot, and the altar was placed at\nthe manger, in order that the flesh of the man-Cod immolated on the\ncross, might be eaten on the spot on which He had chosen to appear as\na sleeping infant.\n\nAfter the ceremony, Francis retired to the convent of Grecio, where\nsome of the provincial ministers had collected, who had come thither\nto communicate to him the affairs of their respective provinces. The\nrefectory had been set out in a better style than usual, with napkins\nand glasses, not only on account of the solemnity of the day, but to\nshow respect to the guests. Francis was displeased at this, and, during\ndinner, he went to the door of the convent, and took the hat and staff\nof a pilgrim who was soliciting alms, and then, in this garb, came to\nthe refectory to beg as a poor pilgrim. The superior, who knew him by\nhis voice, said to him, smiling: \"Brother pilgrim, there are here very\nmany religious, who stand in great need of what has been bestowed upon\nthem out of charity; however, come in, and they will give you what\nthey can.\" Francis came in and sat himself on the ground, where he ate\nvery contentedly some scraps of bread and other things which they gave\nhim on a platter, without choosing to have anything else.\n\nFrancis remained some time at Grecio, where, one night, when he intended\nto lay himself down to sleep, he felt a severe headache, and a shivering\nover his whole body, which quite impeded his resting. Thinking that\nthis might be caused by a feather pillow which his friend Velita had\ncompelled him to accept, in consequence of his infirmities, he called\nhis companion, who was near his cell, and said: \"Take away this pillow:\nI believe the devil is in it.\" His companion, who took it away, found\nit extremely heavy, and he had hardly left the cell, when he found\nhimself motionless and dumb. The Father, not doubting of the malignity\nof the devil, ordered the brother, under obedience, to come back\ndirectly; the wicked spirit having immediately left him, he came back\nand related the state in which he had found himself. The Saint,\nconfirmed by this in the idea with which he had been impressed, that\nwhat he had suffered had been brought on by his enemy, said:--\"It is\ntrue that yesterday, when reciting Compline, I perceived that the devil\nwas approaching, and I prepared to resist him. He is full of malice\nand artfulness; as he could not sully a soul which God protects by His\ngrace, he endeavored to injure the body, and to prevent the necessary\naid being afforded to it; desiring to induce it to commit some fault,\nat least of impatience, and prevent its having recourse to prayer.\"\nThe holy man was delivered from his sufferings, and got the rest he\ncould not obtain, when his head was laid upon a feather pillow. To\nwhat a height of perfection did not God propose to raise this His\nfaithful Servant? He did not even allow him to have a small relief\nfrom his sufferings. He is a holy God, jealous of the sanctity of\nsouls, who desires to have them purified by all sorts of sacrifices;\nbut, then, His rewards are great.\n\nWhilst Francis was at Grecio and in its environs, Peter of Catania,\nhis first vicar-general, died in the Convent of St. Mary of the Angels,\non the 2d day of March, 1224. As soon as he was in the tomb, God bore\nwitness to his merit by many miracles. The people crowded to his grave,\nand left valuable offerings, which greatly disturbed the quiet of the\nreligious, and caused them much uneasiness on account of their strict\npoverty. Francis, having been informed of it, went to the tomb, and,\nmoved by holy zeal, he addressed the dead man in a commanding tone,\nwith which God alone could have inspired him: \"Brother Peter, whilst\nyou were living, you always obeyed me punctually: I command you to\nobey me similarly now. Those who come to your grave are very troublesome\nto us. Our poverty is offended, and our quiet infringed on, so that\nour discipline becomes relaxed; thus, I command you, by your vow of\nobedience, to refrain from performing any more miracles.\" His order\nwas obeyed. From that moment no more miracles were performed at the\ntomb of Brother Peter.\n\nAn ancient manuscript chronicle which is preserved in the Vatican,\nmentions that Francis, having directed the body of Brother Peter to\nbe removed sometime afterwards, it was found that it was turned and\nkneeling, the head bowed down, and in the posture of one who obeys a\ncommand given him. To mark the value of obedience and the respect due\nto it, God was pleased to permit a dead person to obey the orders of\na superior, as if he had been living.\n\nA similar prohibition from performing miracles after death, is recorded\nin the life of St. Bernard. Gosvin, Abbot of Citeaux, who was at his\nfuneral with many other abbots of his order, seeing the commotion\ncaused by the numerous miracles which were worked there, and fearing\nthis would become prejudicial to regular discipline, approached\nrespectfully to the coffin, and forbade the saint from performing any\nmore miracles, in virtue of his obedience. And, in fact, from that\ntime, there were no more performed at that shrine publicly, although\nGod performed others privately by his invocation. The author adds,\nthat St. Benedict requires in his rule, an obedience without reserve,\naccording to the example of Jesus Christ, who was obedient unto death,\nand that the soul of St. Bernard rendered itself obedient even after\ndeath to a mortal man.\n\nClare, and her daughters of the Monastery of St. Damian, now asked\nFrancis to give them a written rule, and a form of life similar to\nthat of the Friars Minor, in order that, in his absence and after his\ndeath, they and those who should succeed them, might live up to it.\nThese Religious of St. Damian, did not wish to receive the rule of St.\nBenedict, nor the constitutions prepared by Cardinal Ugolino, which\nthe other monasteries, established on the plan of St. Damian, had\nwillingly accepted, and which were of great severity: these nuns desired\nto have a rule which should be of even greater rigor.\n\nThe holy Patriarch consulted the same cardinal on this subject, he\nbeing the protector of both Orders; and they jointly composed a rule\nin twelve chapters, which was similar in all respects to that of the\nFriars Minor, with modifications and usages proper for females. If\nanything made Francis hesitate, the cardinal gave his opinion either\nto modify certain parts, or to take precautions on others. He also\nused some articles from the constitutions which had before been drawn\nup. While he was writing, he could not help shedding tears, in\nreflecting that young females were willing to practise austerities of\nsuch a nature.\n\nSt. Clare says in her will, addressing herself to the sisters: \"Our\nblessed Father, St. Francis, has written for us a form of life,\nprincipally that we may ever persevere in the practice of holy poverty,\nto which he has exhorted us, not only by his word and example, but by\nmany writings which he has left us. Pope Innocent IV expressly declares\nin the bull which he issued at the earnest entreaty of St. Clare, three\ndays before her death, that the rule which he confirms was given them\nby St. Francis. All is his, except some very trifling things, in no\nway essential, which seem to have been added to it by Cardinal Ugolino,\nby St. Clare, and by the Pope.\n\n\"It was in the year, 1224, that the marvellous apparition recorded by\nWading was seen, which is noted as follows in the legend of St.\nBonaventure:\n\n\"Although Francis could not attend the provincial chapters, the order\nwhich he had laid down for these assemblies, the fervent prayers which\nhe put up for their success, and the influence of the blessing which\nhe gave them, were as if he were present at them. Sometimes even, God,\nby His almighty power, caused him to appear among them in a sensible\nmanner, as it happened at the chapter at Arles. While that excellent\npreacher Anthony was discoursing to the brethren on the Passion of the\nSon of God, and on the inscription on His cross, 'JESUS OF NAZARETH,\nKING OF THE JEWS,' one of the religious, named Monald, a man of\nexemplary virtue, moved by the Spirit of God to look towards the door\nof the chapterhouse, saw the blessed Francis, raised into the air with\nhis arms extended as a cross, giving his blessing to the assembly.\nThey then became filled with great spiritual consolation, which was\nan interior testimonial assuring them of the presence of their Father,\nand confirming what Monald had seen. This became more certain,\nafterwards, by the avowal which Francis made respecting it.\"\n\n\"We should have no difficulty in believing this,\" continues St.\nBonaventure, \"for God, by His almighty power, rendered the holy Bishop\nSt. Ambrose, during a mysterious sleep, present at the funeral obsequies\nof St. Martin; in a similar manner it was His pleasure that the truths\nannounced by His preacher Anthony, on the subject of the Cross of Jesus\nChrist, should receive greater weight by the presence of His Servant\nFrancis, who carried the cross with such exemplary courage, and preached\nit with such zeal.\"\n\nHaving given a rule to the sisters of St. Damian, and transacted all\nthat related to the three orders, Francis recommended strongly to\nBrother Elias, to attend carefully, and to see that everything was\ncarried into effect, and then thought it necessary to take some time\nto attend to his own interior. For it was his custom to go from one\ngood work to another, in which he imitated, St. Bonaventure says, the\nangels whom Jacob saw in his dream, going up and down the mysterious\nladder, the feet of which rested on the earth, but its summit reached\nthe heavens. This angelic man so employed the time which was given\nhim, in which to amass treasures of merit, that he was constantly\noccupied either in descending to his neighbor by the laborious\nministries of charity, or in elevating himself to God in the quiet\nexercise of contemplation. When circumstances had compelled him to\ngive more time to the service of souls, he afterwards retired to some\nlonely and noiseless place, to remove from himself, by giving his\nthoughts solely to God, all the filth which might have attached itself\nto him in his intercourse with men. Our Lord often gave His apostles\nexamples of retreats, and they cannot be too often recommended to those\nwho labor for the salvation of their neighbors.\n\nFrancis, therefore, went with some of his brethren to meditate in the\nconvent of Celles, near Cortona. He met on the road a lady of good\nfamily, who was very pious and in great affliction, having a husband\nwho used her cruelly, and prevented her from serving God. She told him\nthat she was come to pray to God for the conversion of her husband,\nand he made her this answer: \"Go in peace; and rest assured that your\nhusband will soon afford you consolation; only tell him from God and\nfrom me, that now is the time of mercy, and that afterwards will be\nthe time of justice.\" The lady received the Father's blessing, and\nsaid what she had just learned to her husband. The Holy Ghost descended\nat the same moment on this man, and he became so changed, that he said\nto his wife in a mild tone of voice, \"Madam, let us serve God and work\nout our salvation.\" He passed thus many years with her in continence,\nwith which she had inspired him, and they died most holily on the same\nday.\n\nWe saw in the first two Tertiaries, a wife sanctified by her husband.\nThis is precisely what St. Paul says: The one may contribute to the\nsanctification of the other. In fact, St. Chrysostom thinks that a\nvirtuous woman who is mild and prudent, is more likely to bring back\na profligate husband to the service of God, than any other person; and\nthat the solid piety of a husband, with good manners and discreet\nfirmness, may soften the asperity of an ill-tempered woman, or at least\nrender her less fractious.\n\nAll that Francis did at Celles, was to give himself up to contemplation;\nand, in order that the place itself should be favorable to meditation,\nhe resolved, after having been there a short time, to retire to the\ndesert of Mount Alvernia; it was the Holy Ghost who inspired him with\nthe desire to go thither, where he was to receive the glorious privilege\nof the stigmata. As he passed through the country of Arezzo, his great\ninfirmities compelled him to ask for an ass to continue his journey.\nThere was not one in the village, but a person offered him a horse,\nwhich he was under the necessity of accepting: it was the only time\nthat he had been on horseback since his conversion; for, whenever he\nhad been forced to ride, he took the most despicable animal, in order\nto set an example to his brethren. In the village to which the horse\nwas sent back, there was a woman who, for several days, was suffering\ncruelly from labor-pains, without being able to be delivered, so that\nno human hope remained of saving her life. The people of the place,\nseeing the horse brought back which had carried the Saint, took the\nbridle and placed it on the woman's bed, in full confidence that he\nwho had had the use of it, would come to her aid; and, in fact, she\nwas immediately, most fortunately, delivered. This fact is one of those\nrelated by St. Bonaventure.\n\nOn Mount Alvernia Francis reaped extraordinary consolations in\nmeditation; he was filled with ardent desires of heaven, and, at the\nsame time, he felt that the celestial gifts were communicated to him\nin greater abundance. These interior feelings which threw his soul\ninto ecstasies, raised his body into the air to greater or less height,\nin proportion to their degree, as if an extreme disgust for every thing\nthat was connected with the earth, gave him a stimulus to raise himself\nto his celestial home.\n\nBrother Leo, his secretary and his confessor, attests to have seen him\nraised sometimes to the height of a man, so that one could touch his\nfeet, sometimes, above the tallest beech-trees, and sometimes so high,\nthat he was elevated out of sight. When he was not raised higher than\nthe height of a man, Leo kissed his feet and watered them with his\ntears, with tender devotion, saying the following prayer: \"My God, be\nmerciful to me, a sinner such as I am, by the merits of this holy man,\nand deign to communicate to me some small portion of Thy grace.\" When\nhe lost sight of him, he prostrated himself and prayed, on the spot\non which he had seen him elevate himself.\n\nSt. Thomas and many others believed that St. Paul in his rapture may\nhave been elevated in body and soul into the third heaven, that is,\ninto the Empyrean, into Paradise, into the place where the angels and\nthe blessed are; and we must not call this in question, since the\napostle himself says, that he does not know whether he was raised up\nin the body or out of the body. St. Theresa, whose works are published\nby authority, says that she had sometimes raptures in which she was\nraised from the ground by a supernatural power, whatever resistance\nshe might make; that others saw her in this state, and she saw herself\nin it. We may therefore believe that God raised the body of His Servant\nFrancis, while his soul was in raptures by interior operations; more\nparticularly, as the fact is attested by so trustworthy a witness as\nLeo, who certifies having seen it with his own eyes. \"God,\" says St.\nTheresa, \"grants extraordinary favors to a soul, to detach it entirely\nfrom everything that is earthly, by the body itself, so that life\nbecomes burthensome to it, and that it suffers a sort of torment brought\non by a violent desire of possessing God, which is a martyrdom both\nagreeable, and, at the same time, painful; but we must be under the\nconviction, that with ordinary grace, which God increases in proportion\nto faithfulness, we may attain to an entire disengagement from worldly\naffairs, and to that longing for heaven which, as Christians, we are\nobliged to feel.\"\n\nOne day, when Francis was restored from one of the ecstasies which had\nraised him from the ground, Jesus Christ appeared seated at a low stone\ntable, where the Saint was in the habit of taking his meals, and\nspeaking to him with the familiarity of a friend, as to the protection\nwhich He proposed to give to the Order, after his death, He made known\nto him the following points: first, that the Order would last to the\nend of the world; secondly, that those who should persecute the Order,\nwould not be long-lived, unless they became converted; the third and\nfourth points, related to favors which our Saviour promised not only\nto the Friars Minor, but to those who were sincerely attached to them.\n\nWhen our Lord had disappeared from the table, Brother Leo, not knowing\nwhat had happened, was about to prepare it, as usual, for their meal,\nbut Francis stopped him, saying: \"It must be washed with water, with\nwine, with milk, with oil, and with balm, for Jesus Christ has\ncondescended to sit on it, and to make known to me from thence what\nwill be communicated to you hereafter.\" As Brother Leo had not the\narticles he required, he only took oil, as Jacob had done, to consecrate\nthis table to the Lord, and, having poured oil on it, he pronounced\nthese words: \"This is the altar of God.\" He then told his companion\nthe four favors which had been promised and added that there was a\nfifth which he should not repeat: it was thought that it was out of\nhumility; for, after his death, it was revealed to Brother Leo, that\nit consisted in that God, in consequence of the merits of the Saint,\nhad deferred punishing the country by famine, to give sinners time to\nbe converted; and, as they did not avail themselves of it, after his\ndeath, this scourge fell on the land, and was followed by a great\nmortality.\n\nTowards the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, he retired\ninto the most secret part of the mountains, where his companions built\nfor him a small and unpretentious cell. He remained there with Leo,\nhaving forbidden the others to return to him till the Feast of St.\nMichael, and on no account to permit any persons whomsoever to have\naccess to him. It was then the time of the fast which he prescribed\nfor himself, in honor of the archangel; one of the nine periods of\nfasting he observed during the year, which will be noticed elsewhere.\nProposing to fast this year more rigorously than in the preceding\nyears, he directed Brother Leo to bring him nothing but bread and water\nonce a day, and that, towards evening, and place it at the threshold\nof his cell. \"And when you come to me for Matins,\" he added, \"don't\ncome into the cell, but only say in a loud voice, 'Domine, labia mea\naperies;' and if I answer, 'Et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam,' you\nwill come in, otherwise you will go back.\" His pious companion, who\nhad nothing more at heart than to obey him, and be useful to him,\ncomplied minutely with all he said; but he was often obliged to return\nin the night, because the holy man was in ecstasy, and did not hear\nhim.\n\nThe reward of his solicitude was to be freed from a mental agitation,\nwhich he had found very troublesome; although it was not a temptation\nof the flesh, he nevertheless was ashamed of it, and did not dare make\nhis Father acquainted with it; he only wished to have something written\nby him, which he thought would enable him to overcome the temptation,\nor at least enable him to bear it with less difficulty. The Father,\nknowing by revelation the state of his mind and his wish, desired him\nto bring him paper and ink, and he put on the top of the paper, in\nlarge characters, the letter \"T,\" after which he wrote some praises\nof God, with his blessing: \"May the Lord bless you and take you into\nHis keeping, may He show you His countenance, and take pity on you,\nmay He turn His eyes towards you, and give you His peace. May God bless\nBrother Leo.\" \"Take this paper,\" he said, \"and keep it carefully all\nyour life.\" Leo had no sooner received it than his temptation left\nhim; he preserved it carefully till his death, knowing the virtue that\nwas attached to it. This writing is still extant at Assisi, in the\nsanctuary of the Church of St. Francis, and God has permitted it to\nbe frequently used for the cure of diseases. St. Bonaventure says that,\nin his days, it had been the means by which several miracles were\neffected.\n\nFrancis experienced on Mount Alvernia, what had occurred to St. Anthony\nin the Desert of Thebais: after having been the means of freeing others\nfrom the attacks of the devil, he was exposed to them himself. The\nsubtle spirit often suggested evil thoughts to him. He placed horrid\nspectres before him, and he even visibly struck him severe blows. Once\nin a very narrow path, and on the edge of a deep precipice, he appeared\nto him in a hideous figure, and threw himself upon him to cast him\ndown; as there was nothing by which he could support himself, Francis\nplaced his two hands on the rock, which was very hard and slippery,\nand they sank into it, as if it had been soft wax, and this preserved\nhim from falling. An angel appeared to him to put away his fright, and\nto console him, causing him to hear celestial music, the sweetness of\nwhich in so far suspended the powers of his soul, that it seemed to\nhim that his soul would have been separated from his body, had the\nmusic lasted much longer.\n\nHe resumed his prayer in which he returned thanks for having escaped\nthe danger, and for the consolation he had received; then he set about\nconsidering what might be the will of God. He was not, as St.\nBonaventure remarks, like to those inquisitive minds, who rashly\nendeavor to scrutinize the ways of God, and who are overwhelmed with\nHis glory; but as a faithful and prudent servant, he endeavored to\ndiscover the intention of his Master, only from the anxiety he felt\nto conform himself to it in all things. A divine impression induced\nhim to think that, if he opened the Book of the Gospel, he would learn\nfrom Jesus Christ what in him and for him would be most agreeable to\nGod. Having, therefore, again prayed with great fervor, he told Brother\nLeo to take the New Testament from the altar, and open it; Leo opened\nit three times in honor of the most Holy Trinity, and, each time, he\nopened it at the Passion of our Blessed Lord. Francis, who was filled\nwith the Spirit of God, understood from this, that, as he had imitated\nJesus Christ in the actions of His life, he must now conform himself\nto His sufferings, and in the pains of His Passion.\n\nAlthough his body was greatly weakened by the austerities he practised,\nby which he incessantly carried the cross of the Son of God, he was\nnot alarmed at the idea of having new sufferings to endure; on the\ncontrary, he put on fresh courage for martyrdom, in which, he thought,\nconformity to the Passion of Jesus Christ consists--hence the pious\nwish he had three times entertained of exposing himself to it. For the\nlove he had for the good Jesus, remarks St. Bonaventure, was so lively,\nthat the following words of the Canticles seemed to be applied to him:\n\"His lamps are lamps of fire and flame.\" The charity which inflamed\nhis heart was so ardent and forcible, that all the waters of\ntribulation, and all the fury of persecution would have been unable\nto extinguish it. It is in this sense that St. Paul said: \"Who shall\nseparate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation? or distress?\nor famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword?\"\nSuch is the exalted love which Christians should have for God, if they\ndesire to love Him eternally; their hearts must be ready and willing\nto make every sacrifice, and to suffer everything in order to preserve\nthis divine love.\n\nSome days after the opening of the book of the Gospel, Leo had come\nat midnight to say aloud, at the door of Francis' cell, \"Domine labia\nmea aperies,\" according to the order he had received; and receiving\nno reply, he had the curiosity to advance a step further, and to look\nthrough the chinks of the door, to see what was going on. He saw the\ncell entirely illuminated, and a bright ray of light come from heaven,\nand rest upon the head of the Saint; he heard voices which made\nquestions and answers; and he remarked that Francis, who was prostrate,\noften repeated these words: \"Who art Thou, O my God, and my dear Lord?\nand whom and I? a worm, and Thy unworthy servant.\" He also saw him put\nhis hand out three times into his bosom, and each time stretch it out\nto the flame.\n\nThe light disappeared, the conversation ceased, and Leo wished to\nretire quickly; but the Father heard him, and rebuked him severely for\nhaving watched him, and thus seen what ought to have been secret. Leo\nasked pardon, and having obtained it, humbly entreated his master to\nexplain to him, for the greater glory of God, the things he had seen,\nwhich Francis did in these terms:--\n\n\"God manifested Himself to me in the flame which you saw; He explained\nmany mysteries to me, by His infinite goodness, and He communicated\nto me an immense knowledge of Himself, and I was so overpowered with\nadmiration, that I exclaimed: 'Who art Thou, Lord, and who am I?' For\nnothing has tended more to my knowledge of what I am, than the\ncontemplation of the infinite and incomprehensible abyss of the\nperfections of God, although from afar, and under obscure veils.\n\n\"The Lord then having condescended to disclose to me, as much as I am\ncapable of knowing of His infinite greatness, I could not avoid making\nthis reflection; that it is certain that every creature is a mere\nnonentity before God. While I was thus meditating, it was His pleasure\nto direct that, for all the good He had done me, I should make Him\nsome offering; I replied that my poverty was so great, that except the\npoor habit which I wore, I had nothing in the world but my body and\nmy soul, which I had long since dedicated to Him. The Lord then urged\nme to offer Him what was in my bosom, and I was surprised to find there\na beautiful piece of gold, which I immediately offered to Him; I found\nthree pieces successively, which I presented to Him in the same manner;\nit was when you saw me extend my hand in the flame. I gave thanks to\nGod for His many benefits, and for the means He put in my power to\nmake Him some acknowledgment. He gave me to understand that the three\npieces of gold, which were highly agreeable to Him, represented the\nthree modes of life which it had been His will that I should institute,\nand also the three vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity.\"\n\nWhen he said that nothing had tended so much to the knowledge of what\nhe was, as the contemplation of the infinite perfections of God, he\nwell knew that the best mode to attain the knowledge of God is to know\none's self, as St. Augustine and St. Bernard teach us; that is to say,\nthat in order to our obtaining peculiar lights which open to us the\ngrandeur of God, it is necessary to be thoroughly impressed with our\nown vileness, be sensible of our misery, and annihilate ourselves,\nbecause the Divine Majesty only communicates itself to the humble. But\nSt. Francis proposed to himself to explain that, when it pleases God\nto manifest Himself in some manner to a soul which is duly sensible\nof its nothingness, it is better impressed with its own nothingness,\nby the disproportion it sees between the Sovereign Being and His\ncreature, which discovers to it a thousand imperfections which it was\nnot previously aware of, as a ray of the sun penetrating into a room,\ndiscovers a multitude of atoms of which we were previously unaware.\nWe may also form to ourselves an idea of this by our knowledge of human\nignorance; an ignorant man is less sensible of his ignorance and\nsometimes he is not at all aware of it; he thinks he knows everything;\nbut a very learned man knows that he is ignorant of an infinity of\nthings, and finds his mind very confined. So also souls which are\ninteriorly enlightened as to the greatness of the Divinity, are more\nperfectly aware of their own nothingness, and are more humble than\nthose who have not similar views. The mode adopted by the former is\nto dive into his own nothingness by the light of faith, to humble\nhimself continually, in order to attain to a more exalted idea of the\ngreatness of God and to repeat frequently this prayer of St. Augustine:\n\"O God, who art always the same! may I know myself, may I know Thee.\"\n\nThe self-knowledge which St. Francis possessed in such perfection,\nprepared him sufficiently for the signal favor which God proposed to\nconfer upon him, according to the principle of St. Augustine, that\ndeep foundations are requisite for a building of great height.\n\nAbout the Festival of the Exaltation of the Cross, which is on the\nfourteenth of September (it is believed that it was on the eve), an\nangel appeared to him and gave him notice as he afterwards communicated\nto some of his companions, to prepare himself for all that God would\ndo for him. \"I am prepared for everything,\" he replied, \"and I shall\nnot in any way oppose His holy will, provided he condescends to assist\nme with His grace. Although I am a useless man, and unworthy that God\nshould cast a thought on me, nevertheless, as I am His servant, I beg\nHe may act by me, according to His good pleasure.\"\n\nThis generous concurrence, which had martyrdom in its view, was the\nlast disposition which the Almighty required previous to giving to\nFrancis the peculiar and signal prerogative of the stigmata, that is\nto say, previous to imprinting on his body the five wounds of our\nSaviour Jesus Christ. We are about to put on record this marvellous\nevent as nearly as possible in the very words of St. Bonaventure, which\nwe have extracted from his two legends. He does not name the precise\nday, but Wading assigns good reasons for thinking it occurred on the\nFestival of the Exaltation of the Cross.\n\n\"Francis, the servant and truly faithful minister of Jesus Christ,\nbeing one morning in prayer on one side of the Mountain of Alvernia,\nelevating himself to God by the seraphic fervor of his desires and by\nthe motives of tender and affectionate compassion, transforming himself\ninto Him who, by the excess of His charity, chose to be crucified for\nus; he saw, as it were, a seraph, having six brilliant wings, and all\non fire, descending towards him from the height of heaven. This seraph\ncame with a most rapid flight to a spot in the air, near to where the\nSaint was, and then was seen between his wings the figure of a crucified\nman, who had his hands and feet extended and fastened to a cross. His\nwings were so arranged that he had two of them on his head, two were\nstretched out to fly with, and he covered his whole body with the two\nothers.\n\n\"At the sight of such an object, Francis was extraordinarily surprised;\njoy, mingled with grief and sorrow, spread over his soul; the presence\nof Jesus Christ, who manifested himself to him under the figure of a\nseraph in so marvellous a mariner, and with such familiarity, and by\nwhom he found himself considered so favorably, caused in him an excess\nof pleasure; but the sorrowful spectacle of His crucifixion filled him\nwith compassion, and his soul felt as if it was pierced through with\na sword. Above all, he admired with deep concern that the infirmity\nof His sufferings should appear under the figure of a seraph, well\nknowing that this does not agree with His state of immortality; and\nhe could not comprehend the intention of the vision, when our Lord,\nwho appeared outwardly, communicated to him interiorly, as to His\nfriend, that He had been placed before him in order to let him know\nthat it was not by the martyrdom of the flesh, but by the inflammation\nof the soul, that he was to be wholly transformed into a perfect\nresemblance to Jesus Christ crucified.\n\n\"The vision vanished, after having had a secret and familiar conference\nwith him, leaving his soul filled with seraphic ardor, and imprinting\non his body a figure similar to that of the crucifix, as if his flesh,\nlike softened wax, had received the impression of the letters of a\nseal. For the marks of the nails immediately began to show themselves\non his hands and feet, such as he had seen them on the figure of the\ncrucified man. His feet and hands were seen to be perforated by nails\nin their middle; the heads of the nails, round and black, were on the\ninside of the hands, and on the upper parts of the feet; the points,\nwhich were rather long, and which came out on the opposite sides, were\nturned and raised above the flesh, from which they came out. There\nwas, likewise, on his right side a red wound, as if it had been pierced\nwith a lance, and from this wound there often oozed a sacred blood,\nwhich soaked his tunic, and anything he wore round his body.\"\n\nThis is the new prodigy which Jesus Christ chose to exhibit in favor\nof Francis, in order to render him more like to himself. He marked him\nand ornamented him with His own wounds, by a singular and glorious\nprerogative which had never, previously, been conceded to any one, and\nwhich justly excites the admiration of the Christian world. St.\nBonaventure is of opinion that all human encomium falls short of what\nit deserves. In fact, in the midst of all the marvels which we find\nin the life of St. Francis, we are compelled to admit that this is the\none which, without any exaggeration, may be termed incomparable. What\ncan there be so beautiful as to be visibly clothed with Jesus Christ,\nto bear on the body the lively resemblance of those wounds which are\nthe price of our redemption, the source of life, and the pledge of\nsalvation? What interior conformity must the Servant have had with his\nMaster, to have deserved to have so marked a one exteriorly, for, no\ndoubt, the one was in proportion to the other! This faithful Servant\nhaving embraced the cross from the very commencement of his conversion,\nhe carried it in his heart, in his mind, in his body, and in all his\nsenses; all his love, all his desires, were centred in the cross, it\nwas the standard of his militia. Therefore did Jesus Christ, whose\ngoodness appears with magnificence towards those who love Him, after\nhaving honored the zeal of Francis by various apparitions in His\ncrucified state, choose, as a crowning of all His favors, that he\nshould be himself crucified, in order that, as the love of the cross\nconstituted his merit before God, the glory of being so miraculously\nfastened to it, should render him admirable in the sight of mankind.\n\nSuch was the sort of torment which God reserved for him in order to\nsatisfy the extreme desire he had to suffer martyrdom, on which St.\nBonaventure exclaims: \"O truly fortunate man, whose flesh not having\nbeen tortured by the racks of a tyrant, has nevertheless, borne the\nimpress of the Lamb that was slain! O fortunate soul, thou hast not\nlost the palm of martyrdom, and yet thou art not separated from the\nbody by the sword of the persecutor!\" Must we not also admit that the\nimpression of the five wounds of our Savior Jesus Christ on his body\nwas a true martyrdom--a precious martyrdom; rigorous in one sense, and\nthe more so, as it was not the consequence of the cruelty of\nexecutioners, but was owing to the darts of divine love, and to the\nvery influence of the Son of God, the operation of which is most\npowerful; sweet and delicious in another sense, and the more so, as\nit was the effect of a most affectionate communication, and brought\nabout more intimate relations? Out Savior, thus, in some degree,\nrepresented in His creature the situation in which He had been on the\ncross, enjoying sovereign beatitude, while He suffered all the pains\nand violence of the execution.\n\nIt was in all probability after this favor of the stigmata, that Francis\ncomposed the two Italian canticles which are found amongst his works.\nIn the first, the burden of which is, \"In foco l'amor mi mise, in foco\nl'amor mi mise,\" he describes very practically, with figurative and\nvery lively expressions, the struggle he had with divine love, and the\nattacks he had himself made on that love, the wounds which he received,\nthe flames by which his heart was kindled, and the state of languor\nand faintness to which he found himself reduced, and, finally, the\nstrength, with a tranquillity of feeling exceedingly refreshing, which\nJesus Christ had imparted to him. In the second, which is much longer\nthan the first, he describes the strength, elevation, and tenderness,\nthe vehemence of the divine love in his heart; he enters into\nconversation with Jesus Christ, who answers him; and this love\nconstantly increasing, he declares that he can resist no longer, that\nhe consents to everything, and that he wishes no other relief than to\ndie of love.\n\nSt. Theresa, speaking of her situation at prayer, in which she often\nfound herself, as it were, intoxicated with the love of God, and quite\nbeside herself, said: \"I know a person who, without being a poet,\nsometimes made very good extempore verses in spiritual canticles, which\nexpressed beautifully her sufferings. It was not from her mind that\nthey originated; but, by order of the glory so delicious a suffering\ncaused her; she laid her complaint in this manner before God. She would\nhave wished to tear herself to pieces to show the pleasure she\nexperienced in this delightful pain.\" These spiritual and divine\nemotions are neither known nor relished by profane minds and hearts,\nwho only learn from their own corruption, and from the pestiferous\nbooks which encourage it, the extravagances and transports of criminal\nlove; but pure minds, who know what it is to love God, and to be loved\nby Him, are not astonished at the effects which this holy reciprocated\nlove produced in a St. Francis, in a St. Theresa, and in many others.\nNeither is it surprising that the saints who are full of the thoughts\nof God, should have had recourse to poetry to express the feelings of\ntheir hearts, since the sacred writers, inspired by the Spirit of God,\nhave composed many of the sacred books in poetry; this also is practised\nby the universal Church in her Divine Office.\n\nThe precious wounds which Francis had received, were a subject of great\nembarrassment to him; for, in the first place, he wished to conceal\nthem wholly, well knowing that it is \"proper to conceal the secrets\nof the king,\" as the angel said to Tobit; and, in the second place,\nhe saw that the wounds were too conspicuous to remain long hidden from\nthose of his companions who had familiar intercourse with him. His\nhesitation was, whether he should tell them what had occurred, in\nconfidence, or whether he should be silent on the subject, for fear\nof making known the secrets of the Lord. He called some of them to him\nand laid before them his difficulty in general terms, and solicited\ntheir advice. Brother Illuminatus, he from whom he had received such\nexcellent advice in the camp before Damietta, opining, from the look\nof astonishment which he remarked in him, that he had seen something\nwonderful, said: \"Brother, you ought to know that it is not only for\nyour own edification, but for that of others also, that God sometimes\ndiscovers his secrets to you, for which reason you should be fearful\nof being reprimanded for having hidden the talent, unless you make\nknown what is to be of service to many.\"\n\nFrancis was struck with this advice, and although on other occasions\nhe was in the habit of saying with Isaiah, \"My secret is to myself,\"\nhe communicated to them all what had passed in the apparition, but\nalways with great fear; adding, that He who had appeared to him, had\ncommunicated things to him which, while he lived, he never would\ndisclose to any one. We must believe, as St. Bonaventure remarks, that\nthe seraph whom he saw attached to the cross in so wonderful a manner,\nor rather, Jesus Christ Himself in the appearance of a seraph, had\nsaid to him, as he had to St. Paul, \"Secret words, which it is not\ngranted to man to utter;\" either because there are no words in which\nthey can be expressed, or, as a respected author thinks, because there\nare no souls sufficiently disengaged from sensible objects, and\nsufficiently pure, to understand them.\n\nThe confidence which Francis had reposed in his companions, did not\nprevent his taking every precaution possible to hide, as much as it\nwas in his power, the sacred marks with which the King of kings had\nsecretly favored him. From that time forward, he kept his hands covered,\nso that the nails should not be seen, and he wore slippers, which\ncovered those of his feet. Wading saw in the Monastery of the Poor\nClares at Assisi, the sort of slippers which St. Clare made for her\nspiritual Father, so neatly contrived that the upper part covered the\nheads of the nails, and, the underneath being somewhat raised, the\npoints did not prevent his walking; for these miraculous nails did not\ntake from him the use of his hands and feet, although it was painful\nto him to use them.\n\nBut all the precautions which his humility had suggested, became\nuseless; it is God's providence to reveal, for His greater glory, the\nwonderful things which He does. The Lord Himself, who had secretly\nmarked on Francis the impressions of His Passion, by their means worked\nmiracles, which manifestly disclosed their hidden and marvellous virtue.\nMoreover, the Saintly Man could not prevent his wounds from being seen\nand touched by persons whose veracity cannot be called in question,\nand who rendered public testimony thereto; besides which, after his\ndeath, all the inhabitants of Assisi saw, touched, and kissed them.\nThe Sovereign Pontiffs of those days were so convinced of this admirable\nevent, that they issued bulls to exalt it by their praise, and to\nrepress by their authority those who refused credence to the fact,\nbecause they had not seen it with their own eyes. Pope Alexander IV\ncertified it, as having been an eye-witness to it, in a sermon and in\na bull; and St. Bonaventure says that the proofs then collected made\nit so certain, that they were sufficient to dispel every shade of\ndoubt. This degree of certainty is still further enhanced and rendered\nmore respectable, since Popes Benedict XI, Sixtus IV, and Sixtus V\nhave consecrated and extolled the impression of the stigmata on the\nbody of St. Francis, by having instituted a particular festival in\ntheir honor, which is found in the Roman Martyrology, on the 17th of\nSeptember, and which is kept in the universal Church.\n\nThe forty days which Francis had resolved to pass in solitude and\nfasting having terminated on Michaelmas Day, this new man, whom perfect\nlove had transformed by a lively resemblance into Him whom he loved,\ndescended from the mountain, carrying with him the image of Jesus\nChrist crucified, not modelled by the hand of a workman on wood or\nstone, but stamped on his very flesh by the finger of the living God\nHimself, as St. Bonaventure expresses it. He became more partial than\never to Mount Alverno, where he had received this sacred image, and\nrecommended to his brethren to cherish great respect for this holy\nplace.\n\nAs he descended the mountain, he met a number of the country people\nwho had already heard of the marvellous occurrence; it is probable\nthat God had informed the people of it by some extraordinary\nmanifestation. At the time when it occurred, they saw at break of day\nthe mountain illuminated by a most brilliant light, and what they\nheard, informed them of the reason. They wished to kiss his hands; but\nthey were tied round with bandages, and he only offered them the tips\nof his fingers.\n\nIn a village near Arezzo, they brought him a child of about eight years\nof age, who had been dropsical for four years, whom he cured\ninstantaneously by touching him. He went afterwards to Montaigne, where\nCount Albert, the lord of that place, who was his good friend, and at\nwhose house he often took his bed, received him with great pleasure.\nBut the count was distressed to hear him say that his infirmities would\nnot allow him to return there any more, and that the time of his death\nwas hastening on. To mitigate the grief of such melancholy tidings,\nhe entreated the Saint to leave him some memorial of their friendship;\nto which Francis replied, that he had nothing to give but the miserable\nhabit he had on, but that he would willingly leave it him, provided\nhe could get another.\n\nThe change was soon effected; and it cannot be told how much Albert\nprized the habit in which Francis had received the impression of the\nprecious pledges of our redemption. After the death of St. Francis he\nenfolded this poor habit in rich stuffs of silk and gold, and he placed\nit with great veneration on the altar of the church. The Lords of\nMontaigne, from father to son, had it long in their possession; and\nit, at length, came in the manner related by Wading, into the possession\nof the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, who preserve it as a precious relic.\n\nThe great infirmities which the man of God suffered, obliged him to\ntake an ass to carry him from Montaigne to Mount Casal, through the\nborough of Saint Sepulchre. When he reached the latter place, which\nis very populous, the crowd surrounded him, touched him, and pressed\nupon him, but he was insensible of it; he was as a dead person, in no\nway aware what was doing, insomuch that, having proceeded a good way\nfrom thence, and coming to himself, as one returned from the other\nworld, he inquired of some lepers at the door of the hospital, whether\nthey would soon get to Saint Sepulchre. His mind, contemplating, says\nSt. Bonaventure, with deep attention the brilliant lights of heaven,\nhad not noticed the difference of time, place, or persons; so penetrated\nwas he with divine communications, that he was not aware of what passed\naround him.\n\nOn reaching Mount Casal, he learned that one of his religious was\nsuffering under an extraordinary disorder, which some considered to\nbe epilepsy, and others thought it a true case of possession by the\ndevil, for he had all the violent contortions of those possessed. The\nFather, who was full of tender compassion for the suffering, was greatly\nafflicted at seeing one of his children in this deplorable state, and\nhe sent him a mouthful of the bread he was eating, the virtue of which\nwas so great that, as soon as the sick man had swallowed it, he was\ncured, and thenceforward had no relapse into the disorder.\n\nFrom Mount Casal Francis went to Castello, and at the house where he\nwent to lodge, he was required to lend his aid to a female whom the\ndevil possessed, and compelled to talk without ceasing. The servant\nof God with great prudence first sent one of his companions to see and\nhear her, to examine into the case, to see whether it was really one\nof possession, or whether the woman was not counterfeiting. She gnashed\nher teeth,--she imitated the cry of an elephant with a dreadful\ncountenance; she affected to laugh when she saw the religious, and\nordered him to go away, saying that she did not care about him, but\nshe was afraid of him who hid himself. The Saint, who was in prayer,\nhaving heard this, came into the room, where this woman was speaking\nwithout any reserve, before many who were there. As soon as she saw\nhim, she fell on the ground, trembling. He reproached the demon with\nhis cruelty in thus torturing one of God's creatures, and ordered him\nto leave her, which he did instantly, but with so much noise as\nmanifested his wrath. In the same town he cured a child who had an\nulcer, by making the sign of the cross on the dressing which covered\nit. When the parents of the child took off the dressing, they saw\nwith surprise, in lieu of the ulcer, a fleshy excrescence, like a red\nrose, which remained during the whole of the child's life, as a sensible\nproof and memorial of the miracle which had been performed.\n\nAfter an abode of a month at Castello, the man of God set out on his\nreturn to Saint Mary of the Angels. Brother Leo, who accompanied him,\nassures us, that during the whole way, and until his arrival in the\nconvent, he saw a beautiful golden cross, shining--with various colors,\npreceding him, which stopped where he stopped, and advanced as he went\non. This pious companion understood from this, that God had chosen to\ngive to His Servant the consolation of seeing with the eyes of his\nbody that cross which he had always in his heart, and which he likewise\nbore in his flesh by the wounds of Jesus Christ.\n\nNothing is more affecting than what St. Bonaventure says of the feelings\nof St. Francis after having received the impression of these sacred\nwounds. These are the words of the holy doctor:--\n\n\"Francis, being crucified with Jesus Christ in mind and body, not only\nburned with the ardent love of a seraph, but he likewise participated\nin the thirst for the salvation of souls which the Son of God felt on\nthe Cross. As he could not go, as he usually had done, into the towns\nand villages, on account of the large nails he had on his feet, he had\nhimself carried thither, to animate every one, although he was in a\ndeplorable state of languor and half dead with his infirmities, to\ncarry the cross of our Saviour. He used to say to his brethren: 'Let\nus now begin to serve the Lord our God, for up to this time we have\nmade but little progress.'\"\n\n\"He was also ardently desirous of returning to his first practices\nof humility,--to attend the lepers, and to bring his body into\nsubjection, as he had done in the first days of his conversion. Although\nhis limbs were enfeebled by his exertions and sufferings, that did not\nprevent his hoping that, as his mind was yet vigorous and active, he\nshould still combat and be victorious over his enemy. Under the guidance\nof Jesus Christ, he proposed to perform some extraordinary things; for\nwhen love is the spur, which admits of no neglect nor slackness, it\nurges to the undertaking of things of greater importance. His body was\nin such unison with his mind, so submissive, so wholly obedient, that,\nfar from resisting, it was forward in some measure, and went as it\nwere of itself towards the attainment of the great elevation of sanctity\nto which he aspired.\"\n\nIt being God's will that he should acquire the summit of merit, which\nis only attained by great patience, He tried him by many sorts of\nmaladies, so grievous, that there was scarcely any part of his body\nin which he did not suffer excruciating pains. These reduced him to\nsuch a state, that he was scarcely more than skin and bone, almost all\nhis flesh was wasted away; but these sufferings he did not consider\nas such, he denominated them his sisters, to show how much he cherished\nthem.\n\nThese words of Saint Francis to his brethren, \"Let us begin to serve\nthe Lord our God, for until now we have made little progress,\" contain\none of the most important lessons of all spiritual life. The Wise Man\nsays of the knowledge of the works of God: \"When a man hath done, then\nhe shall begin,\" St. Augustine applies this sentence to the obscurity\nof the sacred writings, when he says that, the deeper they are searched,\nthe more hidden mysteries are found in them; and it is equally\napplicable to Christian and religious perfection. It is an error\ncondemned by the Church to believe that a man is capable of attaining\nin this life such a degree of perfection, as not to be able to increase\nit; but it would be a deplorable illusion to make use of the language\ncondemned by Saint Bernard; \"I have done enough, I will remain as I\nam: neither become worse, nor better.\" The just man never says, \"It\nis enough;\" he has always hunger and thirst after justice; as the\napostles, \"He forgets the things that are behind, and stretches himself\nto those that are before, to press towards the mark.\" To believe that\nwe have made progress is not to do so; not to strive to advance is to\ngo back, and to lose one's self. What instruction do we find here for\nthe most perfect, in the example of a saint who deems himself to have\nmade little progress in the service of God, and who wishes to begin\nall afresh, at a time when he is found deserving to bear on his body\nthe wounds of Jesus Christ!\n\nHis disorders were only afflicting to Francis inasmuch as related to\nthe vast projects he unceasingly formed for the good of souls. He was\nmost grieved at the state of his eyes, which made his sight begin to\nfail. Notwithstanding his other infirmities, whenever he could, he\nmounted on an ass, and went about, preaching penance, announcing the\nkingdom of God, and addressing these words to all his hearers: \"Jesus\nChrist, my Love, was crucified.\" He spoke with so much fervor, and\nwith such assiduity, visiting sometimes five or six towns in the course\nof a single day, that it might be paid that God gave him, as to the\nprophet, the agility of a deer. However, although in the person of St.\nFrancis the interior man was renewed from day to day, yet it necessarily\nfollowed that the exterior man, borne down by so much, austerity and\nfatigue, began rapidly to decay. The acute pains in his eyes, and the\ntears he constantly shed, brought on blindness, besides it was\nimpossible for him to preach any longer, however desirous he was to\ndo so. Moreover, he would not have recourse to remedies, although his\nbrethren urged him to avail himself of them, because, being already\nin heaven in mind and heart, he wished, as the Apostle had done, \"to\nhave his conversation in heaven.\"\n\nBrother Elias, vicar-general, who felt the loss which the death of his\nholy founder would be to the Order, was most anxious to procure him\nrelief. His feelings also induced him to wish it; for, with all his\nfaults, he was tenderly attached to his father, and was as a mother\nto him by the care he took of him: of this all the first writers of\nthe life of Saint Francis bear testimony. He used entreaties and\nargument to induce him to have recourse to medicine for his disorders,\nand quoted the following Scriptural texts: \"The Most High hath created\nmedicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.\" He\nalso on this occasion made use of the power he had received from the\nSaint: he commanded him, on his obedience, not to resist his cure.\nCardinal Ugolino, Protector of the Order, urged him also to the same\neffect, and warned him to be careful, lest there should be sin instead\nof merit in neglecting to take proper care of himself.\n\nThe sick man yielded to the advice of his friends. He was removed to\na small and poor cell, very near the Convent of Saint Damian, that he\nmight be nearer to Clare and her sisterhood, who loved him as their\nfather, and who prepared the medicines for him. He remained there forty\ndays with the Brothers Masse, Ruffin, Leo, and Angelo of Rieti; but\nthe disorder of his eyes became so painful, that he could get no rest\nnight or day; when he endeavored to procure a little sleep, he was\nprevented by a number of rats, which infested the hut, and ran over\nhis table and bed so daringly, that it was thought to be a stratagem\nof the evil one.\n\nSeeing himself overwhelmed by an accumulation of disorders, he made\nthe following prayer humbly to God: \"My Lord and God, cast Thine eyes\nupon me, and lend me Thine aid; grant me grace to bear with patience\nall these ills and infirmities.\" A voice forthwith made him this answer:\n\"Francis, what price should be set upon that which shall obtain a\nkingdom which is above all price? Know that the pains you suffer are\nof greater value than all the riches of the world, and that you ought\nnot to be rid of them for all that is in the world, even though all\nthe mountains should be changed into pure gold, all its stones into\njewels, and all the waters of the sea into balsam.\" \"Yes, Lord,\"\nexclaimed Francis, \"it is thus that I prize the sufferings Thou sendest\nme; for I know that it is Thy will that they should be in this world\nthe chastisements of my sins, in order to show me mercy in eternity.\"\n\"Rejoice, then,\" added the voice, \"it is through the way in which you\nare, that heaven is reached.\" At these words he rose up full of fervor;\nand wishing that Clare, who was almost always ill, should benefit by\nwhat he had just heard, he sent to her, and informed her of the tender\ngoodness of God to man, even in the dispositions of His Providence,\nwhich have the appearance of being the most severe.\n\nMen who are enlightened by the light of faith,--must they not be\nconvinced of these Christian truths: that the most perfect have some\nsins to expiate; that the saints can only attain to heaven by suffering;\nthat the Kingdom of Heaven, which is invaluable, cannot be purchased\nat too great a price; and that God never manifests His paternal regard\nin our favor more evidently than when He afflicts us in this world\nin order to show us His mercy in the next? What fruit might not be\ngathered from sicknesses and other sufferings; what alleviations, what\nconsolations, and even what joy, might not be found, if these holy\ntruths were but reduced to practice, which unfortunately are only\nviewed theoretically, and with little or no application!\n\nFrancis being one day at dinner, and beginning to eat, stopped suddenly,\nand, with his eyes raised to heaven, exclaimed in a loud voice: \"May\nGod be blessed, glorified, and exalted above all!\" Then leaving the\nroom in an unusual manner, he threw himself on the ground, where he\nremained motionless in ecstasy during a whole hour.\n\nWhen he came to himself, one of the brethren whose name was Leonard,\nwho had witnessed what had passed, and had heard what he had exclaimed,\nspoke to him of it, as if what he had done had been very unbecoming.\n\"My dear brother,\" said Francis, \"I had great cause for what I did,\nwhich I will communicate to you confidentially, upon condition that\nyou will tell no one of it during my lifetime. If a king promised to\ngive a kingdom to one of his subjects, would not that person have great\nreason to rejoice? What, then, did I do that was unseemly,--I whom the\nAlmighty assured of His kingdom? I was so overpowered with joy, that\nI could not control the emotions of my heart; you must excuse the\nexcess in the expressions of my satisfaction, whatever it may have\nbeen, and however it may have seemed to transgress the rules of decorum.\nBut what I did is not enough, I will praise God still more; I will\nunceasingly praise His holy name. I will sing hymns to His glory during\nthe remainder of my days.\"\n\nAfter which he sat down, and after having reflected a little, he got\none of his companions to write an Italian canticle, which begins thus:\n\"Altissimo, Omnipotente, bon Signore; tue son le laude, la gloria,\nl'onore, ed ogni benedizione,\" etc. \"O God, most high, most powerful,\nmost good! to Thee belong praise, honor, glory, and every blessing:\nthese are solely to be referred to Thee; neither is any man worthy to\npronounce Thy holy name. Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God! by all thy\ncreatures.\" He speaks of the sun as the most brilliant of all, of the\nmoon, the stars, the air, the wind, the clouds, the seasons, the water,\nthe fire, the earth and all that it contains; giving praise to God for\neach of His creatures, whose beauties and properties He recites.\n\nThis canticle resembles that which was sung at Babylon, in the fiery\nfurnace, by the three young men who were thrown into it, for not having\nadored the statue of Nebuchodonosor. They called upon all creatures,\ninanimate and irrational, to praise God, as David had done before; and\nSt. Francis calls upon all to praise Him, because of His creatures.\nThis has the same result; for inanimate creatures, as St. Jerome\nobserves, only praise God by making Him known to men, and by placing\nbefore them His magnificence. \"When they are considered as His work,\"\nsays St. Augustine, \"we find in them numberless reasons for singing\nhymns to His glory; and if His greatness is manifested in His glorious\nworks, He is not less great in those which are less so. Whatsoever God\nhas made, praises God; there is only sin, of which He is not the author,\nwhich does not praise Him.\" It was Francis's desire that all his\nbrethren should learn his canticle, and recite it daily, and that\nBrother Pacificus, the famous poet, of whom we have before spoken, and\nwho was then in France or in the Low Countries, should put it into\nwell-sounding verse. He called it the Canticle of the Sun, because of\nthe preeminence of that beautiful planet, in which, David says, God\nseemed to have taken up His abode, in order to show Himself to us.\n\nAs his malady did not show symptoms of amelioration, Elias had him\nremoved from the Convent of St. Mary of the Angels to Foligno, in hopes\nthat change of air might be of service to him. And he was in fact\nsomewhat relieved by it; but God made known, by an extraordinary\nrevelation, that he would continue to suffer until death. Elias found\nhimself overpowered with sleep, and in his slumber he saw a venerable\nold man, clothed in white, with pontifical ornaments, who told him\nthat Francis must prepare himself to suffer patiently for two years\nmore, after which, death would deliver him, and would cause him to\npass into perfect repose, free from all pain. He communicated this to\nFrancis, who said that the same thing had been communicated to him;\nand then, filled with joy, not only on account of the eternal felicity\nagain promised him, but because the time was fixed when his soul was\nto be released from the prison of his body, he added this further\ncouplet to his canticle: \"Be Thou praised, my Lord, for death our\nsister, from which no living man can escape,\" etc. \"Blessed are they\nwho, at the hour of death, are found conformed to Thy holy will, for\nthey will not be overtaken by the second death. Woe to those who die\nin mortal sin! May all creatures praise and bless God, obey Him and\nserve Him with great humility!\" If we are surprised to find St. Francis\ncall death our sister, we must bear in mind that the holy man, Job,\nsaid to rottenness: \"Thou art my father; and to the worms, you are my\nmother and sister.\"\n\nThe whole of the year 1225, Francis passed in various illnesses and\nin great sufferings. Towards autumn, Cardinal Ugolino and Brother Elias\ninduced him to be removed to Rieti, where there were able physicians\nand surgeons who could attend to the state of his eyes. As soon as it\nwas known in the town, all the inhabitants met, and went to meet him;\nbut, in order to avoid all the honors preparing for him, he had himself\ntaken to St. Fabian, a village two miles from Rieti, where he lodged\nat the cure's.\n\nThe Pope was at Rieti, with all his court, at that time: many of the\nprincipal persons of the court, and even cardinals, came to St. Fabian\nto visit the holy man. While they were in conversation with him, the\npersons of their suite went into the cure's vineyard to eat grapes,\nand they gathered so many that the vineyard was nearly stripped. The\ncure was much displeased at this, and complained to St. Francis, who\nasked him, how much he thought he had lost? \"I usually,\" replied the\ncure, \"have made fourteen measures of wine, which were sufficient for\nthe consumption of my house.\" \"I am sorry,\" said Francis, \"that they\nshould have done you so much damage, but we must hope that God will\nfind a remedy for it, and I firmly believe He will, and that, from the\ngrapes which remain in your vineyard, He will give you fourteen measures\nof wine and more.\" The cure saw this prophecy fulfilled, for he made\ntwenty measures from the few grapes which had been left. The magistrates\nof Rieti caused, at a subsequent period, a convent to be built for the\nFriars Minors on this spot; and the same Pope, Gregory IX, out of\nrespect for the Saint, chose to consecrate the church himself, in which\nare still seen representations of the miracle.\n\nAfter some days Francis could no longer avoid going to Rieti, where\nthe persons of the court received him with honors, which he gladly\nwould have dispensed with.--He lodged there with a pious citizen, named\nTheobald, a Saracen, who had settled in the town.\n\nThe dejection of spirits which his sufferings had brought upon him,\nmade him desirous of having instrumental music to cheer him; \"but,\"\nsays St. Bonaventure, \"decorum did not allow him to ask for it, and\nit was God's pleasure that he should receive this agreeable consolation\nby means of an angel. The mere sound, which was marvellously harmonious,\nraised his mind so entirely to God, and filled his soul with so much\ndelight, that he thought himself in the enjoyment of the joys of the\nother world. His intimate companions perceived it, and they frequently\nobserved that God gave him extraordinary consolations, for the effects\nthey produced on him were so manifest, that it was impossible for him\nto disguise them, and then he admitted to them from whence they arose.\"\n\nThis shows that, if the saintly sufferer wished to hear some\ninstrumental music, it was in order to listen to it for the glory of\nGod, as St. Augustine observes was the case with David, and not for\nany purely human gratification, nor to take any ordinary pleasure\ntherein, nor even for the assuagement of his violent sufferings.\n\nIt is true that harmonious sound will procure this relief; and without\nreferring to what ancient writers say on this head, without noticing\nSaul, we know that there are feelings of the body and mind, in which\nwe experience what the wise man supposes to be a common occurrence,\n\"that music rejoices the heart.\" Man being born with a taste for\nproportion, and finding himself full of concert and harmony, it is no\nway surprising that the harmony and proportion of sounds should cause\nstrong and vivid impressions on him.\n\nSt. Francis, who may have been naturally more affected by music than\nothers, may also have reasonably wished for its solace, more from a\ndesire to prevent the depression of his spirits, than from the violence\nof his sufferings, or from being deprived of its solace by a principle\nof mortification. For he was too spiritual a man not to have us\nconvinced that his wish proceeded from a purer and more noble motive.\nHe desired to prevent his mind from being too greatly depressed, in\norder to render himself more equal to interior operations, and to unite\nhimself more easily and more intimately to God--as the Prophet Eliseus,\nwho, having been greatly excited against the King of Israel, caused\na canticle of the temple to be sung to him, with a harp accompaniment,\nin order to calm his irritated mind, and to prepare him for the lights\nof the Lord, as to the knowledge of future events. St. Augustine also\nobserves, that, after his baptism, the chant of the hymns and psalms\nsung in the church excited in his heart tender sentiments of piety,\nand drew from his eyes floods of tears.\n\nWe may say: Music is a science given to men by the liberality of the\nCreator, to represent to them the admirable harmony by which He governs\nthe world, in order to guide them by the channel of the senses, and\nmelody of sounds, to the knowledge and love of immutable truth. This\nis also the true use of music, and it is only with this view that the\nChurch permits it in the Divine Service. That which is soft and\neffeminate, which is calculated to excite the passions, by multitudes\nof ambiguous expressions, (not the less dangerous for being so cloaked)\nshould be considered by Christians as an abuse the more deplorable,\nas it has even been censured and condemned by the pagans.\n\nAll the skill of the physicians and surgeons of Rieti not having had\nany effect towards the cure of their patient, he had himself taken to\nhis Convent of Fonte Colombo, where they were to continue their\nremedies; and it was their opinion that a hot iron should be applied\nabove his ear, from which it was expected he would obtain relief. For\nthis reason his brethren urged him to give his consent, which he\nwillingly did, in hopes to recover his sight thereby, and then to\ncontinue his exertions for the salvation of souls; and also because,\nthe operation being very painful, he would have an opportunity of\nvoluntary suffering.\n\nWhen they were about to apply the red-hot iron, he could not avoid\nfeeling a natural sense of fear; in order to overcome it, he addressed\nthe fire as we should speak to a friend: \"My brother,\" said he, \"the\nMost High has given you great beauty, and has made you most useful;\nbe favorable to me on this occasion. I entreat the great God who created\nyou, to temper your heat, so that I may be able to bear it.\" He then\nmade the sign of the cross on the instrument, and without any fear\npresented himself to receive the impression. His companions, not having\ncourage to witness the operation, left the room. The physician and\nsurgeon remained alone with him, and the hot iron was pressed from\nover his ear to his eyebrow, into his flesh.\n\nAfter the operation, the brothers having returned, he said to them:\n\"Praise the Lord, for I assure you I neither felt the heat of the fire,\nnor any pain.\" Then he reproached them mildly in these words: \"Why did\nyou fly, you pusillanimous men, and of little faith? He who preserved\nthe three young men in the furnace of Babylon, could He not temper in\nmy favor the heat of my brother, the fire?\" We shall see further what\nan exalted principle it was which induced him to qualify all creatures\nby the names of his brothers and sisters. He said to the physician:\n\"If the flesh is not sufficiently burnt, replace the hot iron.\" The\nphysician, struck with so much fortitude in so feeble a body, saw that\nit was miraculous, and said to the religious: \"I see truly to-day a\nmost wonderful occurrence.\"\n\nSt. Bonaventure, who relates this, makes the following observation:\nThat Francis having attained so high a degree of perfection, his body\nwas subject to his mind, and his mind to God; with admirable harmony\nit followed from thence, by a peculiar disposition of Divine Providence,\nthat inanimate creatures which obey God, obeyed His servant also, and\nforebore from hurting him, according to the words: \"O Lord! the creature\nbeing subject to Thee, as to its Creator, renovates its strength to\ntorment the wicked, and softens it to contribute to the good of those\nwho trust in Thee.\"\n\nIt is, moreover, remarkable that St. Francis feared when he saw the\nred-hot iron,--he who had consented to have the remedy applied, because\nit was severe, and who had offered, when in Egypt, to cast himself\ninto the fire to prove the truth of the Christian religion. It is thus\nthat God permits His saints to become sensible of their natural weakness\nin trifling things, in order that they may be sensible that in greater\nthings all their strength depends upon His grace.\n\nThe disorder in the eyes of St. Francis was caused by the tears he\ncontinually shed. His physician told him he ought to restrain them,\nunless he wished to lose his entire sight; and this is the reply he\ngave him: \"My dear Brother Doctor, for the love of corporal sight,\nwhich we enjoy in common with flies, we must not set aside for a single\ninstant the Divine illustrations; for the mind has not received the\nfavor on account of the body, it has been granted to the body on account\nof the mind.\" He liked better, says St. Bonaventure, to lose corporal\nsight than to check for a single moment that tender and affectionate\ndevotion which calls forth tears, by which the interior sight is\npurified and rendered competent to see an infinitely pure God.\n\nIn order to show some gratitude to the physician for the trouble he\ntook in his regard, Francis one day desired the brethren, in his\npresence, to take him to dine with them. They represented to him that\ntheir poverty was such that they had nothing which was fit to place\nbefore a person of his consideration, for this physician was in great\nestimation, and very rich. \"Men of little faith,\" replied the Saint,\n\"why have you these doubts? Why have you not considered more favorably\nthe merit of obedience? Go and take to the refectory our honorable\nbrother, the doctor.\" They took him, seeing that he would consent to\npartake of their poor fare out of devotion, but, just as they were\nsitting down to table, there was a ring at the bell; it was a woman,\nwho brought, in a basket, several dishes exceedingly well dressed,\nwhich a lady, who lived at a country house, six miles off, sent to the\nservant of God. He desired that these might be offered to the physician,\nand that he might be told that the Lord took care of His own. The\ndoctor admired the hand of Providence, and said to the religious: \"My\nbrethren, we do not sufficiently understand the holiness of this man;\nand even you who live with him, have no conception of the secret virtue\nwith which his mind is replenished.\"\n\nThis physician was not less charitable than learned; he had great\npleasure in prescribing for this sick man, he frequently visited him,\nand paid the expense of the medicines he required. God, who considered\nas done to Himself what was done to His servant who could not repay\nhim, rewarded him in this world by a miracle worked in his favor.\n\nHe had laid out all his ready money in building a house which was only\njust finished, when one of the principal walls was found to have a\nlarge crack in it from the top to the bottom, which no human art could\nmake good. Full of faith and confidence in the merits of Francis, he\nbegged his companions to give him something which the holy man had\ntouched. After many entreaties they gave him some of his hair, which\nhe placed at night in the fissure in the wall. He came back in the\nmorning, and found the whole so completely closed, that it was not\nonly impossible to get back the hair, but it was no longer perceivable\nthat there had been any rent in the wall. The good offices which he\nhad manifested to a worn-out body prevented, says St. Bonaventure, the\nruin of the house he had just built.\n\nSome days after, Francis was taken to Rieti, where the bishop lodged\nhim in his palace; they brought to the foot of his bed, upon a tressel,\none of the canons, who was dangerously ill; he had been a very worldly\nman, who had lived a dissipated life, but who, struck with the fear\nof approaching death, entreated the Saint to make the sign of the cross\nupon him. \"How,\" said Francis, \"shall I make the sign of the cross on\nyou, who, without any fear of the judgments of God, have given yourself\nup to the lusts of the flesh? I will do it, however, because of the\npious persons who have interceded in your favor. But, bear in mind\nthat you will suffer much greater ills, if, after your cure, you should\nreturn to your vomit, for the sin of ingratitude and relapse makes the\nlast state of man worse than the first.\" He then made the sign of the\ncross upon the sick man, who immediately arose, praised God, and\nexclaimed, \"I am healed.\" All the bystanders heard his bones crack,\nas when dry sticks are broken. That unhappy man, however, did not\nremain long without plunging again into vice; and one night, as he was\nin bed at the house of a canon where he had supped, the roof of the\nhouse fell in and crushed him, without hurting any one else.\n\n\"It was,\" says the same holy doctor, \"by a just judgment of God; for\nthe sin of ingratitude is a contempt of the graces of God, for which\nwe ought to be most thankful; and the sins into which we again fall\nafter repentance, displease Him more than any others. Will it never\nbe understood that, in the diseases of the soul, as in those of the\nbody, there is nothing so dangerous as a relapse?\"\n\nThe pains felt by Francis were in some degree assuaged, his sight was\nrestored, and he made use of this interval to have himself taken into\nseveral parts of Umbria, of the Kingdom of Naples, and of the adjacent\nprovinces, in order to work for the salvation of souls. At Penna, a\nyoung religious who was naturally good, and of great promise, came to\nask his pardon for having left the Order, which he had only done at\nthe instigation of the evil spirit, who persuaded him that by living\nprivately, he could better sanctify himself. As soon as the Saint saw\nhim, he fled to his cell, and shut the door; when he came out again,\nhis companions expressed their surprise at what he had done: \"Do not\nbe astonished,\" he said, \"at my having fled; I saw on this young man\na frightful demon, who was endeavoring to throw him down a precipice,\nand I acknowledge to you that I could not bear his presence. I have\nprayed as earnestly as I could for the deliverance of this poor brother\nfrom such a seducer, and God has heard my prayer.\" Then, having sent\nfor him, and telling him what he had seen, he exhorted him to be on\nhis guard against the snares of the devil, and not to separate himself\nagain from his brethren: \"For, if you do otherwise,\" he added, \"you\nwill not fail to fall into the precipice from which the mercy of God\nhas preserved you.\" The docile and faithful religious passed the\nremainder of his days in great piety, and in the exercises of a regular\nlife.\n\nAt Calano, a town of the Duchy of Marsi, in the farther Abruzzo, where\nFrancis was come to preach, a common soldier pressed him so earnestly\nto come and dine with him, that he could make no excuse. He therefore\nwent, with one companion, who was a priest,--a circumstance which was\nvery serviceable. The poor family of the soldier having received them\nwith great joy, the Saint began to pray, as was his custom, and he had\nhis eyes constantly raised to heaven. He then said to the soldier,\nprivately, \"My brother and my host, you see I have acceded to your\nrequest in coming to dine with you. Now, follow my advice, and make\nhaste; for it is not here, but elsewhere, that you will dine. Confess\nyour sins with as much exactness and sorrow as you can; the Lord will\nreward you for having received His poor ones with such good religious\nintentions.\" The soldier, placing confidence in what the servant of\nGod said to him, made his confession to Francis' companion, regulated\nhis temporal affairs, and prepared himself, as well as he could, for\ndeath. When that was done, he sat down with the others at table, and\na minute afterwards he expired suddenly. Then were the words of the\nGospel fulfilled, that he who should receive a prophet as a prophet,\nthat is to say, not seeing in him any other qualification, receives\nalso the reward of the prophet, inasmuch as the prediction of Francis\nenabled him to fortify himself by penance against death, which he did\nnot think to be so near at hand.\n\nIt was probably in this apostolic tour that the Servant of God performed\na miracle on the person of St. Bonaventure, who, under the dispositions\nof Divine Providence; was to become one of the most illustrious of his\nchildren. He was born at Bagnarea in Tuscany, a town belonging to the\nEcclesiastical States, in the year 1221, and he was baptized by the\nname of John. His father, John Fidenza, and Ritella, his mother, joined\nto the nobility of their birth a large fund of piety. In his infancy\nhe was seized with a mortal illness, of which he was cured by St.\nFrancis, which was one of the reasons why he determined to write his\nLife. \"I should fear,\" he says in his preface to his Legend, \"that I\nshould be accused of criminal ingratitude if I neglected to publish\nthe praises of him, to whom I acknowledge that I owe the life of my\nbody and my soul.\"\n\nIt is reported, with the circumstances which he himself may have told,\nand the memory of which may have been preserved by tradition, that his\nmother, having no further hopes of saving him by means of medicaments,\ncame and presented him to St. Francis, who was renowned in Italy, at\nthat time, for the splendor of his sanctity and his miracles; she\nimplored the aid of his prayers, and made a vow that, if the child was\nsaved, she would give him to his Order. The holy man consoled the\nafflicted mother, and obtained from God the cure of her son, to the\nastonishment of the physicians, who had deemed his disorder incurable.\nAt the sight of this miraculous cure, he said, in the Italian language:\n\"O buona ventura!\" \"How fortunate!\" from whence came the name of\nBonaventure; and finally, he foretold that the child would become a\ngreat light in the Church of God, and that through him his Order would\nreceive great increase of sanctity.\n\nIn the year 1243, being then twenty-two years old, he proposed to\nfulfil his mother's vow, and take the habit of a Friar Minor. This is\nnot the place to narrate his illustrious actions, but we must notice\ntwo remarkable circumstances which are connected with St. Francis.\n\nThe first is, that, as this blessed Patriarch bears the name of\nSeraphic, because of the Divine love with which he was inflamed, when\nJesus Christ, under the figure of a seraph, imprinted on him the sacred\nstigmata, so St. Bonaventure has been called the Seraphic Doctor,\n\"because his whole doctrine, as well as his whole life, breathes the\nfire of charity.\" It is a torch which burns and illuminates; it\ninfluences while instructing; whatever truths he expounds, he brings\nback all to God by love, and, to define him properly, he should be\nstyled the Seraphic and Cherubic Doctor. Tis thus that Gerson, the\nChancellor of the University of Paris, expresses himself.\n\n\"If I am asked,\" he continues, \"who amongst the doctors seems to me\nthe best calculated to instruct, I answer, without detracting from any\nother, it is Bonaventure, because he is sure, solid, exact, and devout,\nat one and the same time; and separating from his theology all questions\nforeign from the purpose, all superfluous dialectic, and that obscurity\nof terms with which so many others load their works, he turns into\npiety all the beautiful lights he gives to the mind. In a word, there\nis not a doctrine more mild, more salutary, more sublime, than his;\nand in devotion alone can neglect it. As to me,\" he adds, \"having\nrecommenced studying it since I am grown old, the more I advance the\nmore I am confounded, and I say to myself:\n\n\"What is the use of so much talking, and so much writing? Here is a\ndoctrine which is quite sufficient of itself, and it is only necessary\nto transcribe and to spread it into facts.'\"--Such is the opinion of\nthe celebrated Gerson as to St. Bonaventure, before he was canonized,\ndeclared a Doctor of the Church, and honored by the title of Seraphic,\nwhich he shares with his blessed Father. The Abbot Trithemius, of the\nOrder of St. Benedict, passes a similar eulogium on him, to which the\nSovereign Pontiffs, Sixtus IV. and Sixtus V., have added the crowning\npoint in their bulls, the one for his canonization, the other for his\ndoctorship.\n\nThe second particularity of his life, which had relation to St. Francis,\nis, that he gloriously verified his prediction as to the fruits of\nsanctity which he was to bring to the Order. Having been elected general\nwhen he was five and thirty years of age, in consequence of his great\ntalents and eminent virtues, he governed his brethren for eighteen\nyears with so much zeal, light, mildness, and wisdom, that he perfectly\nmade amends for the evil which the relaxation of some and the perplexity\nof others had occasioned. He prepared such judicious regulations for\nthe form of government, for the recital of the Divine Office, for the\nregularity of discipline, that they have served as a basis and\nfoundation for all the statutes which have since been introduced into\nthe Order.\n\nHe decided on the difficulties which occurred as to the observation\nof the rules, and this with so much precision, that, in order to follow\nthem exactly and conscientiously, without scruple, it is only necessary\nto practise what he has clearly laid down. He composed spiritual\ntreatises, so elevated, so instructive, and so affecting, that they\nare alone sufficient to guide the Friars Minors, or all other persons\nof piety, to the sublimest perfection. He answered, with so much\nstrength and judgment, the philosophers of his day, who attacked the\nMendicant Orders, despite of the Sovereign Pontiffs, by whom they were\napproved, that his works, with those of the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas\nAquinas, will ever cover with confusion whosoever may attempt to renew\nthe former disputes on this head.\n\nThe exertions which St. Francis made, during a short interval from\npain, for the salvation of souls, in an unfavorable season of the year,\nincreased all his maladies. His legs became inflamed, and he was obliged\nto lie by in a small hamlet near Nocera. When this was known at Assisi,\nthe fear they had lest he should die on the way, and lest his country\nshould be deprived of his precious remains, induced the authorities\nto send means to bring him into town.\n\nThis deputation, returning with the patient, arrived at the dinner\nhour in the Village of Sarthiano, where they found nothing to be\npurchased for their meal, although they offered a double price for\nevery thing they wanted. Upon their complaining of this, Francis said:\n\"You have not found anything, because you have had greater confidence\nin your flies than in your Lord\" (he called their money flies); \"but\nreturn to the houses where you have been, and ask them humbly for alms,\noffering to pray to God for them in payment. Don't think, under false\nimpressions, that there is anything mean or shameful in this, for,\nsince sin came into the world, all the good which God so liberally\nbestows on man, on the just, and on sinners, on the worthy and unworthy,\nis done by means of alms, and He is the chief almsgiver.\" These men\novercame their bashfulness, and went cheerfully to beg for the love\nof God, and got whatever they wanted, although they had not been able\nto obtain it for money; God having so touched the hearts of the\ninhabitants, that, in giving what they had, they even offered\nspontaneously every service.\n\nThe Bishop of Assisi had the man of God brought to his palace, and\nkept him there till the spring of the year 1226, providing him with\neverything he required, with great affection. One day, when his stomach\nloathed everything, he expressed a wish for a particular sort of fish,\nwhich the severity of the winter made it difficult to procure, but,\nat the very moment, a messenger sent by Brother Gerald, the guardian\nof the convent of Rieti, brought three large fishes of this species,\nwith certain sauces which were calculated to sharpen the appetite and\nstrengthen the patient. Thus it is that it sometimes pleases the Lord\nto give sensible relief to His friends who have neglected their health\nand crucified their flesh for His sake.\n\nThe children of the holy patriarch, and particularly Elias, his vicar-\ngeneral, who saw that there was no amelioration in the state of his\nhealth, but that, on the contrary, his disorders increased with the\nrenewal of the year, entreated him to allow himself to be removed to\nSienna, where the mild climate and the excellence of the physicians\nmight afford him some relief, if there were no hopes of a cure. And\nthey urged this so energetically, that, as he was mild and obliging,\nhe consented to be taken thither at the beginning of April. But all\nhis ills continued, and the disorder of his eyes was greatly increased.\nA red-hot iron was again applied to both sides of his head, from the\nears to the eyebrows, but this had no good effect, though he suffered\nno pain from it, God having renewed the miracle He had before performed\nin his favor.\n\nSo the mild air of Sienna, and the kind care of the physicians, did\nnot prevent the sufferings of Francis from continuing and increasing.\nDuring one night he vomited so much blood, and he was to such a degree\nweakened from it, that it was thought he was about to expire. His\nchildren, cast down and in tears, came to him, like the disciples of\nSt. Martin, when he was on the point of death, and said to him,\nsobbing:--\n\n\"Dear Father and Master, we are greatly distressed to see you suffer\nso intensely, but we are likewise afflicted for ourselves. After all\nyour labors you are about to go to the enjoyment of eternal repose,\nbut we shall remain without our Father and Pastor, you have begotten\nus in Jesus Christ by the doctrine of the Gospel, and we are scarcely\nborn before we lose you. Who will instruct us? Who will console us?\nYou have been everything to us, your presence has been our happiness.\nTo whom do you consign us, in the desolate state in which we are? Alas!\nwe foresee that after your departure ravenous wolves will invade your\nflock. Leave us, at least, something of yours to remind us of your\ninstructions, in order that we may follow them when you are no more;\nand give us your blessing, which may be our shield against our enemies.\"\n\nThe holy patriarch, casting his eyes affectionately on his children,\ncalled out to Brother Benedict of Piratro, who was his infirmarian,\nand who, during his illness, said Mass in his room: \"Priest of God,\"\nsaid he, \"commit to writing the blessing I give to all my brethren,\nas well to those who are now in the Order, as to those who shall embrace\nit to the end of the world. As my great sufferings and extreme weakness\nprevent me from speaking, here are in a few words my intentions and\nlast wishes: 'May all the brethren love each other as I have loved\nthem, and as I now love them. May they always cherish and adhere to\npoverty, which is my lady and my mistress; and never let them cease\nfrom being submissive and faithfully attached to the prelates and all\nthe clergy. May the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost bless and protect them!\nAmen.'\"\n\nHis sufferings being in some degree modified, and his weakness no\nlonger so intense, his zeal induced him to think of instructing and\nexhorting the absent, for, by the example of the Son of God, he loved\nhis own even to the last.\n\nAs soon as Brother Elias, the vicar-general, learnt the extreme danger\nin which the Father was, he came in great haste to Sienna, and proposed\nto him to be removed to the convent of Celles, near Cortona. Francis\nwas very glad to see him, and was quite willing to be removed to Celles,\nwhere he was attended with great care by the relations and friends of\nElias, who were of that country. But, as he became swollen, and the\nsufferings of his stomach and liver were greatly increased, he requested\nto be taken to Assisi; which the vicar-general had done with all the\ncare and precaution possible. His return was a source of extraordinary\ngratification to the inhabitants, who had been fearful of being deprived\nof so great a treasure had he died elsewhere. They went in crowds to\nmeet him, with great expressions of pleasure, and the bishop received\nhim again into his palace.\n\nBefore we put on record the last acts and precious death of St. Francis,\nit will be proper to notice the state in which his Order was at that\ntime. There were some of his brethren in all parts of the known world.\nIn Europe, they filled all Italy. Greece furnished them a province.\nThe esteem of the great, and the love of the people, procured for them,\ndaily, new houses in Spain, Portugal, France, the Low Countries, and\nEngland. They had spread into Scotland, and began to be received in\nIreland. Brother Albert, of Pisa, had sent missioners into Upper and\nLower Germany, with great success. They had penetrated into Poland,\nand into the countries of the North. In Asia, those whom the holy\nPatriarch had left, with others who followed, multiplied the missions\namong the Saracens. In Africa they continued to preach Jesus Christ\nto the Mohammedans, and we see by letters dated from Rieti, the 7th\nOctober, 1225, which Pope Honorius addressed to the Friars Preachers\nand Minors, destined by the Apostolic See for the mission into the\nkingdom of the Miramolin, \"that they renounced themselves, and desired\nto sacrifice their lives for Jesus Christ, in order to gain souls for\nHim.\"\n\nThe Second Order instituted by Francis, and called that of the Poor\nDames, spread itself also throughout Europe, and the Third Order of\nPenance made stupendous progress.\n\nThe children of this holy Patriarch, being thus spread in all parts,\npreached the Gospel to the infidels, repressed heresies, attacked vice,\ninspired virtue, and gave admirable examples of poverty, humility,\npenance, and all perfection.\n\nAnthony, of Padua, preached in Italy and France with so much lustre,\nthat he has ever been considered as one of the most marvellous preachers\nwhom Italy ever saw. The strength and the unction of his discourses,\nthe eminent sanctity of his life, the evidence of his miracles, changed\nthe face of the towns in which he announced the word of God. His\nauditors, penetrated with conjunction, and bursting into tears, excited\neach other to works of penance; the revengeful, the lascivious, the\navaricious, the usurers became converted, and resorted so to the\ntribunals of penance that the number of priests were insufficient to\nhear the confessions.\n\nIn the year 1225 he came to Toulouse, and visited other towns of France,\nwhere his principal object was to confront the heretics. Animated with\nthe same spirit which inspired his Father, Francis, with so perfect\nan attachment to the Roman Church, and the Holy See, he was the declared\nenemy of all errors, and he labored with all his strength to root them\nout. By quotations from the Holy Scriptures, with which he was\nintimately conversant, and the sense of which he perfectly understood,\nand by the solidity of his reasoning, he confounded the sectarians,\nand created a great horror of the false doctrines they taught. With\nadmirable tact he discovered their artifices and frauds, which he laid\nbefore the people, to preserve them from their seduction; and, in fine,\nhe pursued them with so much vigor and perseverance, that the faithful\ngave him the name of the indefatigable mallet of the heretics; none\nof them ventured to enter the lists with him, not even to say a word\nin his presence.\n\nGod favored him by converting a very great number of their supporters,\nand, what is very singular, many of the heads of their party. At Bourges\na man whose name was Guiald, and whom the historian calls an heresiarch,\nwas so convinced by the power of his words, and by a marked miracle\nof the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, that he\npersevered till death in the Catholic faith, and in submission to the\nChurch. Another named Bonneville, or Banal, who is also stated to have\nbeen an heresiarch, who had been thirty years buried in the darkness\nof errors, was converted in a similar manner at Rimini by the sermons\nof St. Anthony, and had a like perseverance.\n\nThe state in which, as we have just shown, St. Francis left his Order\nwhen on the point of death, must be looked upon as one of the principal\nmarvels of his life. God had predestined him for this great work; he\nlabored at it for eighteen years without ceasing, with all possible\nassiduity, and, on the eve of quitting this world, he might say, in\nconforming himself to Jesus Christ, after having profited by His grace:\n\"I have glorified Thee on earth; I have finished the work Thou gavest\nme to do, I now go to Thee.\" Happy the Christian whose conscience bears\nhim thus out on the bed of death, who can say that he has endeavored\nto do what God required of him, and fulfilled the duties of his\nprofession.\n\n\n\n\nBOOK V\n\n\nThe cruel and continued pain under which the holy Patriarch suffered,\ndid not prevent his giving instruction to his children, his providing\nfor their spiritual wants, and his answering, with admirable presence\nof mind, to various questions which were put to him relative to the\nobservance of the Rule, and the government of the Order.\n\nHe spoke as freely, and with as much composure, as if he felt no\ninconvenience. As his body became weaker, his mind seemed to acquire\nfresh vigor.\n\nOne day, when his sufferings were greatly aggravated, he saw that the\nbrothers took great pains in endeavoring to afford him relief, and\nfearing that fatigue would cause some of those who were about him to\nbecome impatient, or that they might complain that their attendance\non him prevented them from observing their spiritual exercises, he\naddressed them affectionately, saying: \"My dear children, do not tire\nof the trouble you take for me, for our Lord will reward you, both in\nthis life and in the next, for all you do for His little servant; and\nif my illness takes up your time, be assured that you will gain more\nfrom it, than if you were to labor for yourselves, because the aid you\ngive me is given to the entire Order and to the lives of the brethren.\nI also assure you that God will be your debtor for all that you will\ndo for me.\"\n\nIt is very true that those who assisted the Saint in his illness labored\nfor the entire Order, and for the spiritual life of his brethren,\nbecause they aided in the preservation of him who was so necessary to\nhis Order; and they put it in his power to give further instructions\nto his brethren who were now in it, and to those who were to enter it\nin future.\n\nOn another occasion, when his sufferings were apparently bringing him\nto extremity, one of his infirmarians said to him: \"Brother, pray that\nGod may treat you with less severity, for it seems that His hand presses\ntoo severely upon you.\" At these words Francis exclaimed in a loud\nvoice: \"If,\" said he, \"I was not aware of the simplicity and uprightness\nof your heart, I should not dare to remain in the same house with you\nfrom this instant. You have had the rashness to criticise the judgments\nof God in my regard;\" and immediately, notwithstanding the weak state\nin which he was, he threw himself on the ground with such violence\nthat his worn-out bones were all bruised; he kissed the ground and\nexclaimed: \"My God, I return Thee thanks for the pains I endure, and\nI pray Thee to add to them an hundred-fold, if such should be Thy good\npleasure. It will be pleasing to me to know that, in afflicting me,\nThou dost not spare me, for the greatest consolation I can enjoy is,\nthat Thy holy will shall be fulfilled.\" He had in his sufferings similar\nfeelings to those of holy Job, and he expressed himself in a similar\nmanner. Ought not all Christians to have such feelings in their\nillnesses and other afflictions? Are the saints not to be imitated in\nthis? May we not, by the grace of God, which assuredly will not be\nwanting, practice those virtues by which they became saints?\n\nClare and her daughters, hearing that their father was so dangerously\nill, sent to express to him the grief which it caused them, and they\nentreated him to mitigate their sorrow by sending them at least his\nblessing. The holy Patriarch, full of tenderness for these pious\nvirgins, and sympathizing in their grief, and in that which they would\nfeel on his death, sent them some verses he had composed in the praise\nof the Lord, and added to them a letter of exhortation, in which\ndoubtless he gave them his blessing most amply; but this is not found\nin his works. We find only the following fragment, which may belong\nto the letter he had written to them at that time:--\n\n\"I, Brother Francis, little man, I choose to follow the example of the\nlife and poverty of Jesus Christ, our most high Lord, and that of His\nholy Mother, and to persevere in it to the end. I beg you also, all\nyou whom I consider as my Ladies, and I recommend you to conform\nyourselves at all times to this life and to this poverty, the sanctity\nof which is so great. Be careful not to swerve from it in the least,\nnor to listen to any advice, nor to anything which may be said to\ncontravene it.\"\n\nThe oldest historians of the Order say that, in the letter he sent\nthem shortly before his death, he entreated them, that, as the Lord\nhad brought them together from many places, in order that they might\napply themselves to the practice of the sacred virtues of charity,\nhumility, poverty, and obedience, they should use every effort to pass\ntheir lives accordingly, and to die in holy perserverance. He exhorts\nthose of his sisters who were suffering from sickness, to have patience\nunder their ills. And because he knew how austere they were, he\nrecommended them to use with discretion, and with joy and thankfulness,\nthe alms which Divine Providence sent them. He promised Clare that she\nshould see him, and, in fact, after his death she and her daughters\ndid see him, as shall hereafter be related.\n\nThe same writers add, that he had always entertained peculiar affection\nand regard for these holy religious females, thinking that the holiness\nof their life, which had been from the beginning one of great poverty\nand mortification, reflected glory on the religious state, and was a\nsource of great edification to the whole Church. He wrote to them\nseveral other times, to encourage them in virtue, and particularly in\nthe love of poverty, as we find in the will of St. Clare, but the\nletters are not extant.\n\nEven to this day we are sensible of the truth of what he said; nothing\nis more glorious for the regular state, and nothing more edifying for\nthe whole Church, than to see the nuns of St. Clare, who keep the rule\nof their Order without the slightest mitigation, who renounce the\npossession of any property whatsoever, whether private or in common,\nwho live wholly on alms, and in such a state of rigorous austerity,\nthat the stronger sex would find to be quite appalling.\n\nAs soon as it was known in Assisi that the holy man was at the point\nof death, the magistrates placed guards round the episcopal palace,\nwith orders to keep strict watch, lest his body should be taken away\nthe moment he should have expired, and thus the city would be deprived\nof so precious a treasure.\n\nThe physician, whose name was John Lebon, a native of Arezzo,\ncommunicated to him that death was approaching; his brethren told him\nthe same thing. Full of joy, he began to praise God, and having caused\nsome of the choir-singers to be called in, he sang with them in a loud\nvoice the last verses which he had added to the Canticle of the Sun:\n\"Be praised, O Lord! for death, our sister--which no man living on\nearth can escape.\"\n\nElias, whose thoughts were always governed by human prudence, was\nfearful lest his singing should be considered a weakness of mind arising\nfrom the fear of death, and entreated him to stop. \"Brother,\" replied\nFrancis, with extraordinary fervor, \"permit me to rejoice in the Lord,\nand to thank Him for the great tranquillity of my conscience. I am,\nthrough His mercy and His grace, so united to my God, that I have just\nreason to manifest the joy that He gives me, who is the high and most\nliberal Giver of all good gifts; and do not imagine that I am so wanting\nin courage as to tremble at the approach of death.\"\n\nHe had his children brought to him, and he blessed each one of them\nas the Patriarch Jacob had done, giving to each an appropriate blessing.\nThen, after the example of Moses, who blessed all the faithful\nIsraelites, he gave a general and ample blessing to the whole Order.\n\nAs he had stretched his arms one over the other in the form of a cross,\nas Jacob had done in blessing the children of Joseph, his right hand\ncame upon the head of Elias, who was kneeling on his left. He asked\nwho it was, for his sight was quite gone, and being answered that it\nwas Brother Elias, he said: \"'Tis well, my right hand is properly\nplaced on him. My son, I bless you in all and above all. Inasmuch as\nunder your hand the Most High has increased the number of my brethren\nand children, thus I bless them all in you. May God, the Sovereign\nLord of all things, bless you in Heaven and on earth! As for me, I\nbless you as far as is in my power, and even more than that--may God\nwho can do all, do in you what I cannot! I pray that God may bear in\nmind your labors and your works, and that He may give you a share in\nthe rewards of the just, that you may obtain the blessings you wish\nfor; and may what you solicit worthily be fulfilled!\"\n\nThe reader may perhaps be surprised that Francis, who knew Brother\nElias, and who had learnt by revelation that he was to die out of the\nOrder, should have given him a share in his blessing; but we must\nrecollect that He who enlightens the saints, inspires them with views\nsimilar to His own. He loves and favors those who are in a state of\ngrace, although He foresees the great sins they will commit hereafter.\nWhat affection had He not for David, and what favors did He not heap\nupon him before he became guilty of the adultery and homicide which\nrendered him so criminal! Thus, in a manner, the holy Patriarch, in\nblessing Elias, only had in consideration the good dispositions in\nwhich he believed him to be at that time, independent of the future,\nwhich God had revealed to him, and which was not to guide him in this\ninstance. Moreover, Elias was his vicar-general, and was so by an order\nfrom on high; he had labored usefully in the works of the Lord; the\ntalents he possessed put it in his power to do still more good service;\nwe cannot deny that he was sincerely and tenderly attached to his\nFather, and that he had an ardent zeal:--all these circumstances united\nmight have induced the Saint to give him an ample blessing, nor was\nit without good effect, since he died in sentiments of true repentance.\n\nThe man of God finding the day of his death, which Jesus Christ had\nrevealed to him, draw near, said to his brethren in the words of the\nPrince of the Apostles: \"The laying away of this my tabernacle is at\nhand;\" and he begged them to have himself taken to the Convent of St.\nMary of the Angels, wishing, as St. Bonaventure remarks, to render up\nthe spirit which had given life to him, in the place where he had\nreceived the Spirit of grace. He was, therefore, removed, according\nto his desire; and when he had come to the place between the town and\nthe convent, he asked if they had reached the hospital of the lepers,\nand, as those who were carrying him replied in the affirmative, he\nsaid: \"Turn me now towards the town, and set me down on the ground.\"\nThen raising himself upon the litter, he prayed for Assisi, and for\nall its inhabitants. He likewise shed tears, in considering the ills\nwhich would come upon the city, during the wars which he foresaw, and\nhe then gave it this blessing: \"Be blest by the Lord, O city, faithful\nto God! because many souls will be saved in thee and by thee. A great\nnumber of the servants of the Most High will dwell within thy walls,\nand among the number of thy artisans not a few will be chosen for\neternal life.\"\n\nSome time after his arrival at St. Mary of the Angels, he called for\npaper and ink, that he might acquaint Dame Jacqueline de Septisal of\nthe proximity of his death: she was the illustrious Roman widow who\nwas so much attached to him. \"It is right,\" he said, \"that, dying, I\nshould give that consolation to a person who afforded me so many\nconsolations during my life.\" This is what he dictated for her:\n\n\"To the lady Jacqueline, the servant of the Most High, Brother Francis,\nthe poor little servant of Jesus Christ, sends greetings, and\ncommunication with the Holy Ghost, in Jesus Christ.\"\n\n\"Know, my very dear lady, that Jesus Christ, blessed for ever, has\ndone me the favor to reveal to me the end of my life: it is very near.\nFor which reason, if you wish to see me alive, set out as soon as you\nshall have received this letter, and hasten to St. Mary of the Angels,\nfor, if you arrive later than Saturday, you will find me dead. Bring\nwith you some stuff, or rather, a sackcloth, to cover my body, and\nsome wax-lights for my funeral. Pray bring also some of those comfits\nwhich you gave me when I was sick at Rome.\"\n\nAt these words he stopped, having his eyes raised to Heaven. He said\nit was not necessary to go on with the letter, nor to send a messenger,\nbecause the lady had set out, and was bringing with her all that was\nrequired; and, in fact, she arrived shortly after with her two sons\nand a considerable suite, bringing with her the stuff, a quantity of\nwax-lights, and certain electuaries which were comforting for the\nstomach.\n\nThe religious asked her how she could have come so opportunely, without\nhaving had notice given her, and how she came to bring all that was\nrequisite for the time. She told them that during the night she had\nreceived an order from Heaven, and that an angel had requested her not\nto leave out any of the things which had been desired.\n\nOn Friday, October the 4th, Francis again collected all his brethren\ntogether, blessed them a second time, and having blessed a loaf of\nbread with the sign of the cross, he gave to each a piece as a symbol\nof union and fraternal charity. They all partook of it with great\ndevotion, representing to themselves, in this repast of love, the last\nsupper which Jesus Christ ate with His disciples. Brother Elias, who\nwept bitterly, was the only one who did not eat his portion, which was\nperhaps a mournful foreboding of the division he was to introduce into\nthe Order. In truth, he kept the piece he had received from their\nFather respectfully in his hand; but, as if he had cast aside the\ncharity which was offered him, instead of, at least, keeping the morsel\nof bread, he gave it to Brother Leo, who asked him for it. Great care\nwas taken for its preservation, and God permitted that it should be\nsubsequently used for the cure of many maladies.\n\nAll the brothers had melted into tears, and the holy Patriarch inquired\nwhere Bernard, his eldest son, was. And Bernard having drawn near, he\nsaid: \"Come, my son, that I may bless you before I die.\" Feeling that\nhe was kneeling on his left, while Brother Giles was on his right, he\nput his hands again crosswise, so that his right hand came on the head\nof Bernard, to whom he gave this blessing:--\n\n\"May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you with all the\nspiritual blessings which He has shed from on high on His Son. As you\nwere chosen the first to give good example of the Evangelical law in\nthis Order, and to imitate the poverty of Jesus Christ, to whom you\ngenerously offered your goods and your person in the odor of sweetness,\nso may you be blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by His poor servant;\nand may you be so blessed in your going out and coming in, waking or\nsleeping, living and dying. May he who blesses you, be filled with\nblessings; and may he who curses you, not remain unpunished. Be the\nlord of your brethren, and let them be all subject to you. Let all\nthose whom you shall approve, be admitted into the Order, and all whom\nyou shall reject, be rejected. Let no one have authority over you, so\nthat you may be at liberty to go and dwell where you think proper.\"\n\nBernard having retired, with his eyes bathed in tears, Francis said\nto the others: \"My intention is, and I direct that whoever may be\nappointed minister general, may so love and honor Brother Bernard as\nmyself, and that all the provincial ministers, as well as all the\nbrethren of this Order, may look upon him as they have done on me; in\nfact, I leave him to you as the half of my soul. There are few who are\nable to appreciate his virtue: it is so great, that Satan never ceases\nfrom tempting him, molesting him, and laying snares for him. But, by\nGod's help, he will get the better of all, to the great profit of his\nsoul, and he will find himself in an extraordinary manner in perfect\ntranquillity.\" Those who were present, and who afterwards lived with\nBernard, witnessed the fulfilment of these predictions. His eminent\nsanctity, well known to Francis, and of which he foresaw the\nperseverance, was the reason why he ordered the others to respect him\nas their master, and why he rendered him independent, in order that\nhe might have full leisure to give himself up to contemplation, which\nhad such charms for him. For a similar reason, he gave him power to\nadmit or reject novices, as his prudence should dictate: a privilege\nwhich was the more appropriate, as Bernard had been the first to enter\ninto the Order.\n\nSt. Bonaventure is silent as to the manner and fervor with which the\nServant of God received the last sacraments, following in that the\nmethod of many old authors who, in the lives of saints, only notice\nthose things which are peculiar and marvellous, without speaking of\nthe common and ordinary actions of all Christians. But we have only\nto bear in mind the great respect St. Francis had for all the practices\nof the Church; the spirit of penance by which he was animated; the\nvivid and tender affections of his heart towards the Passion of the\nSon of God, and the mystery of the Holy Eucharist; the ardor of his\nzeal to cause Jesus Christ to be adored in the august sacrament, and\nrevered in all that related to it; his eagerness in recommending the\nfrequent approach to the Holy Communion, and the constant recourse he\nhimself had to this balm for the soul, so that for fear of being\ndeprived of it, he chose to have Mass said in his own room during his\nillnesses:--all these recollections, being united, are demonstrations\nof what must have been the dispositions of the Saint when the last\nsacraments were administered to him.\n\nHe particularly desired all his brethren to have a peculiar veneration\nfor the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, because it had been revealed\nthat the Blessed Virgin had a singular affection for this church among\nall those which were dedicated to her name, and upon this subject he\nspoke as follows, with great animation:--\n\n\"It is my desire that this place shall be always under the direction\nof the person who shall be minister-general and servitor of the Order;\nand that the minister shall be careful to select for its service only\ngood and holy brethren; and that the clerics who shall be appointed\nto it shall be taken from those of the Order who are the best and the\nholiest, and are the best instructed for the celebration of the Divine\nOffices, so that their brethren and the seculars may be edified in\nseeing and hearing them. Let them also be particular in choosing the\nlay brethren to be placed there; let them be discreet, mild, and humble\nmen, whose lives are holy, who shall serve the others without entering\ninto idle discourse, not talk of the news, or what is passing in the\nworld, nor of any thing which does not relate to the salvation of\nsouls. It is also my desire that none of the brethren shall come here\nexcept the minister-general and his companions, and that no secular\nshall be admitted, in order that those belonging to the place may the\nbetter preserve themselves in purity and holiness, and that the place\nitself may remain pure and holy, being solely devoted to singing the\npraises of the Lord. When God shall be pleased to call any one of them\nto Himself, I desire that the minister-general may send another whose\nlife shall be equally holy. My intention is, that, if the brethren\nshall swerve from the path of perfection, this place shall be ever\nblest, and shall remain as the example and model for the whole Order;\nas a beautiful torch before the throne of God, and before the altar\nof the Blessed Virgin, where lamps shall be ever burning, to obtain\nfrom the goodness of God that He may grant His pardon to the brethren\nfor all their faults, and preserve and protect this Order which He has\nplanted with His own hand.\"\n\n\"My children,\" he continued, \"be careful never to abandon this spot,\nand if you are driven out on one side, return by the opposite one; for\nit is holy, it is the dwelling-place of Jesus Christ, and of the Blessed\nVirgin, His Mother. It is here that the Lord, the Most High, has\nmultiplied our numbers, from being very few; here, by the light of His\nwisdom, He enlightened the minds of His poor ones; here, by the ardor\nof His love, he inflamed our hearts; here, whoever shall pray devoutly,\nwill obtain whatever he may ask; and whoever shall sin here, will be\npunished with greater rigor. Wherefore, my children, have a great\nveneration for this place, which is truly the dwelling of the Almighty,\npeculiarly beloved by Jesus Christ and His blessed Mother. Employ\nyourselves here joyfully, and with your whole hearts, in praising and\nblessing God and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in unity with the\nHoly Ghost. Amen.\"\n\nThe day at length arrived which had been fixed by Divine Providence\nfor terminating and rewarding the labors of this faithful Servant of\nGod: it was a Saturday, the fourth of October. St. Bonaventure who\nconsiders him on his death-bed as a work well finished by the chisel\nof suffering, as a precious jewel cut and polished, to be placed in\nthe sacred edifice of the celestial Jerusalem, remarks, that, finding\nhimself near his end, and animating himself with fresh fervor, he\nstretched himself on the ground.\n\nAll the brethren were penetrated with grief and shed tears. One of\nthem, whom the holy man called his guardian, knowing by inspiration\nwhat he wished for, went quickly to fetch a tunic, a cord, and the\nother parts of the dress of a Friar Minor, and brought them to him,\nsaying: \"Here is what we lend you, as to a poor man; take them out of\nobedience.\" He accepted this alms, and was rejoiced that he was faithful\nto the last to poverty, which he called his dame and his mistress;\nthen raising his hands to heaven, he gave glory to our Lord Jesus\nChrist, that, being disengaged and free from everything, he was about\nto go to Him.\n\nAt the beginning of his conversion he stripped himself before the\nBishop of Assisi, in imitation of the poor life of our Saviour; and\nto resemble Him more completely in His state of poverty, of nudity,\nand of suffering on the cross, he stripped himself before his brethren\nat his death, and chose to leave this world poor as he came into it,\nor, at least, only in a habit which he had received as an alms: such\nwas his love of poverty.\n\n\"Oh!\" exclaims St. Bonaventure, \"with what truth may it be said that\nthis was verily a Christian man, who has rendered himself perfectly\nconformable to Jesus Christ while living, or dying, or dead, and who\nhas merited the honor of such a conformity, by the impression of the\nfive wounds!\"\n\nWhat is further remarkable is, that they asked him where he desired\nto be buried, to which he answered: \"In the vilest of places, on the\nInfernal Hill, on that side where criminals are executed.\"\n\nThis place was out of the Town of Assisi, near the walls, vulgarly\ncalled the Infernal Hill, perhaps on account of its being the place\nof execution. The Servant of God wished to be buried there, in order\nto be in strict conformity with his Divine Master, \"who chose,\" says\nSt. Jerome, \"to be crucified in the usual place of execution, as a\ncriminal among criminals, for the salvation of men, and to be placed\nin a tomb which was close by.\" His wish became a prophecy, for, two\nyears after his death, as will be explained hereafter, a church was\nbuilt in his honor on the Infernal Hill, when the name was changed\ninto that of the Hill of Paradise, and the site of the church was so\ncontrived that his body was placed precisely on the spot where the\ngallows had been formerly erected.\n\nSeeing his last hour drawing nigh, he summoned all his brethren who\nwere in the convent, and after having addressed some words of\nconsolation to them, to mitigate the grief they felt for his death,\nhe exhorted them to love God as a tender Father. Then he spoke to them\nfor a long time on the care they should take to persevere in the faith\nof the Church of Rome, in poverty and in patience, under the\ntribulations which awaited them, as well as in successes of their holy\nundertaking. He made use of the most moving expressions in recommending\nto them to make progress towards eternal goods, to be armed with\nvigilance against the dangers of the world, and to walk exactly in the\npaths of Jesus Christ; remarking to them that the observance of His\nGospel was the basis and essence of their Institution, and that all\ntheir practices had this in view.\n\nAfter the holy man had made known his last wishes, he sent for Brother\nLeo, his confessor, and for Brother Angelo, whom he directed to sing\nin his presence the Canticle of the Sun, because death was very near:\nthis is the canticle of which we have spoken, in which he gives glory\nto God for all His creatures, and also for death. As he was assured\nby revelation that death would remove him to eternal life, its proximity\nfilled him with joy, which he evidenced by causing the praises of God\nto be sung.\n\nWhen the canticle was finished, he placed his arms one over the other\nin the form of a cross,--a saving sign, to which he had been always\ndevoted, as St. Bonaventure remarks--and stretching them over his\nbrethren who stood around him, he gave his blessing for the last time,\nas well to those who were present, as to those who were absent, in the\nname and by virtue of Jesus crucified. He then pronounced the following\nwords with great mildness and suavity: \"Adieu, my children, I bid you\nall adieu; I leave you in the fear of the Lord, abide ever in that.\nThe time of trial and tribulation approaches; happy those who persevere\nin the good they have begun. As to me, I go to God with great eagerness,\nand I recommend you all to His favor\"\n\nHe then called for the book of the Gospels, and requested them to read\nto him the Gospel of St. John, at that part where the history of the\nPassion of our Blessed Saviour begins by these words: \"Ante diem festum\nPascha,\" before the Feast of the Passover. After this had been read,\nhe began himself to recite, as well as he could, the hundred and\nforty-first psalm, \"Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi:\" \"I have cried to\nThee, O Lord, with my voice;\" and he continued it to the last verse,\n\"Me expectant justi, donec retribuas mihi:\" \"The just wait for me,\nuntil Thou reward me.\" In fine, all the mysteries of grace having been\nfulfilled in this man, so beloved by God, his very soul, absorbed in\nDivine love, was released from the shackles of his body, and went to\nrepose in the Lord.\n\nSuch a death makes good what the Holy Fathers of the Church say, that\nthe perfect Christian dies with joy, and with pleasure. There is no\none who would not wish for such a death. The most worldly would desire\nwith Balaam, that their life should end as that of the just; but the\nperfection of the just must be imitated to afford any hope of the end\nbeing similar: death is only mild and consoling in proportion to the\nfervor of a Christian life.\n\nSt. Bonaventure places on record many proofs which they had of the\nglory of St. Francis at the moment of his death. One of his disciples\nsaw his blessed soul, under the figure of a brilliant star, rise upon\na white cloud, above all the others, and go straight to heaven. This\nmarked, says the holy doctor, the splendor of his sublime sanctity,\nwith the plenitude of grace and wisdom, which had rendered him worthy\nof entering into the regions of light and peace, where, with Jesus\nChrist, he enjoys a repose which will be eternal.\n\nBrother Austin, of Assisi, Provincial of the Terra di Lavoro, a just\nand saintly man, who was in the last stage of a severe illness, and\nhad ceased to speak, suddenly exclaimed: \"Wait for me, my Father, wait\nfor me; I will go with you\" The brethren, quite astonished, asked him\nwho he was speaking to. \"What,\" said he, \"don't you see our Father,\nFrancis, going up to Heaven?\" At that very moment his soul separated\nitself from his body, and followed that of his Father. Thomas of Celano,\nand Bernard of Bessa, companions of St. Bonaventure, also mentioned\nthat a holy man of their day had a revelation to the effect, that the\nsouls of several Friars Minors were delivered from the sufferings of\npurgatory, and were joined with that of the holy Patriarch, to enter\nHeaven with him.\n\nThe Bishop of Assisi being then on a devotional tour to Mount Gargano,\nto visit the Church of the Archangel Michael, Francis appeared to him\non the night of his death, and said: \"I leave the world, and am going\nup to heaven.\" The prelate, in the morning, mentioned to those who\naccompanied him what he had seen; and on his return, having made exact\ninquiry, he found that the apparition had appeared to him at the very\ntime of the Saint's death.\n\nThe body of St. Francis, after his death, was an object worthy of\nadmiration, according to this description of it, given by St.\nBonaventure on the testimony of those who had seen it, and reported\nverbally to him all the circumstances, conformably to what had been\ntaken down in writing: On his hands and on his feet black nails were\nseen as of iron, wonderfully formed of his flesh by Divine power, and\nso attached to his flesh, that, when they were pressed on one side,\nthey protruded farther on the other, as hard excrescences, and all of\none piece. Nothing now prevented the wound on his side from being seen,\nwhich he hid with so much care during his lifetime,--this wound, which\nhad not been made by the hand of man, and which resembled the opening\nin the side of our Blessed Saviour, from which the sacrament of our\nredemption issued, and that of our regeneration. Its color was red,\nand the edges, rounded off, gave it the appearance of a beautiful rose.\nThe flesh of the Saint, which was naturally of a brownish color, and\nwhich his diseases had rendered tawny, became extraordinarily white.\nIt called to mind the robes whitened in the blood of the Lamb, with\nwhich the saints are clothed. His limbs were flexible and pliable as\nthose of an infant; evident signs of the innocence and candor of his\nsoul. The whiteness of his skin contrasted with the black nails of his\nhands and feet, and with the wound in his side, which resembled a\nfresh-blossomed rose, exhibited a variety of tints which was beautiful\nand pleasing, and was the admiration of those who saw it. His body,\nin fine, was the representation of the Passion of Jesus Christ by the\nwounds imprinted on it, and of the glorious resurrection by the\nqualifications it had received after death.\n\nThis marvellous and novel sight mitigated the affliction of his\nchildren; it strengthened their faith, inflamed their love, and quite\nenraptured them; and, although the death of so amiable a father caused\nthem to shed torrents of tears, they, nevertheless, had their hearts\nfilled with joy when they kissed the impressions of the wounds of the\ngreat King imprinted on his flesh.\n\nAs soon as the news of his death was spread, and the circumstances of\nthe stigmata came to be spoken of, the people came in crowds to see\nthem: each person wished to see them with his own eyes, and assure\nhimself of the truth of an event which was the cause of so much joy\nto the public. A great number of the citizens of Assisi were permitted\nto approach, to see and to kiss the sacred stigmata. One of them named\nJerome, belonging to the army, a learned and prudent man, whose\nreputation was very extensive, finding it difficult to give credit to\nso wonderful a circumstance, examined the wounds more particularly and\nmore minutely than the rest, in presence of the brethren, and of many\npersons of the town. He felt the feet, the hands, and the wound in the\nside of the Saint's body; he moved the nails, and convinced himself\nso perfectly of the truth of the fact, that he was afterwards a most\nzealous advocate and witness to it, and made oath to its truth on the\nholy Evangelists. \"It was,\" St. Bonaventure remarks, \"a case similar\nto that of the Apostle St. Thomas, who, from being incredulous, became\na faithful witness after having put his hands into the wounds of the\nSaviour, in order that his faith, preceded by incredulity, should\nstrengthen our faith, and prevent us from becoming incredulous.\"\n\nThe brethren, who had been present at the death of the blessed\nPatriarch, passed the remainder of the night in singing the praises\nof God around the body, with a number of other persons, who had\ncollected there for the purpose, insomuch that it more resembled a\nfeast of celestial spirits than the funeral service of a mortal.\n\nThe next morning, which was Sunday, the holy corpse was carried to\nAssisi on the shoulders of the principal persons of that city, and\nthose of the highest rank among the Friars Minors; hymns and canticles\nbeing sung the whole way, while the concourse followed, carrying in\ntheir hands lighted torches, or branches of laurel. The procession\npassed on to the Church of St. Damian, where Clare and her nuns awaited\nit, and where it halted for a short time, to afford them the consolation\nof seeing and kissing the stigmata. In admiring this extraordinary\nprodigy, and lamenting the death of such a father, they called to mind\nthe promise he had made them during his last illness, that they should\nagain see him before their death. Clare endeavored to draw the nail\nfrom one of his hands, which, as the head of it was raised above the\npalm of the hand, she thought she would be able to effect, but she\nfound it impossible. She, therefore, only dipped a piece of linen in\nthe blood which exuded; and she took the measure of the body, by which\nshe had a niche made of similar size, on that side of the choir which\nthe religious occupied, in which the image of the saint was afterwards\nplaced. These pious virgins would have been glad to have detained the\nbody longer, but it was necessary to resume the route to Assisi, where\nhe was buried in the Church of St. George, with every possible\nveneration and respect. It was there he had received the first rudiments\nof education, it was there he had preached for the first time, and\nthere was his first place of repose.\n\nBrother Elias, in his quality of vicar-general, wrote a circular letter\non his death, which he sent into all the provinces of the Order. The\ncopy which the Provincial of France received, was thus directed: \"To\nmy well-beloved brother in Jesus Christ, Brother Gregory, minister\nof the brethren who are in France, and to all his brethren, and to\nours, Brother Elias sends greeting.\"\n\nHe first expresses his grief in very affecting terms, and in alluding\nto the loss the Order had sustained, he passes a high eulogium on the\nsanctity of their common Father, with many citations from the Sacred\nScriptures, very aptly applied. Then, he says, that what must console\nthe children of the blessed patriarch is, that his death opened to him\neternal life, and that previously he had pardoned all the offences\nwhich he might have sustained from any of them. This article only\nregarded Brother Elias and his adherents, for they were the only ones\nwho had caused him any displeasure, and, according to all probability,\nElias only adverted to it to soften the feelings of many who were\nirritated with him in consequence of his relaxation. After this\npreliminary he communicates to them a great cause for rejoicing in the\nmiracle of the stigmata, which he treats as follows: \"We had seen our\nBrother and our Father, Francis, some time before his death as one\ncrucified, having on his body five wounds similar to those of Jesus\nChrist, nails of the color of nails of iron, which perforated his hands\nand feet, his side being laid open as by the wound of a lance, from\nwhence blood often percolated. Immediately after his death his face,\nwhich was not handsome during his life, became extraordinarily\nbeautiful, white and brilliant, and pleasing to behold; his limbs,\nwhich the contraction of the muscles, caused by his great sufferings,\nhad stiffened like to those of a corpse, became pliant and flexible\nas those of a child: they could be handled and placed in any position\nwhich might be wished.\"\n\nHe then exhorts them to give glory to God for so great a miracle, and\nadds: \"He who used to console us in our afflictions is no more, he has\nbeen taken from us; we are now orphans, and have no longer a father.\nBut, since it is written, that 'to the Lord is the poor man left: He\nwill be a helper to the orphan, let us address our prayers to Him, my\ndear brethren, and let us entreat Him to give us another chief, who,\nas a true Machabee, shall guide us and lead us to battle.\" At the close\nof the letter he ordered prayers for the deceased, saying: \"It is not\nuseless to pray for the dead; pray for him, as he requested we should:\nbut at the same time pray that we may obtain from God a participation\nin His grace. Amen.\" It was signed, \"Brother Elias, a sinner.\"\n\nAlthough Elias doubted not that the holy man was in glory, he,\nnevertheless, prescribed praying for him, not only to comply with the\nwish of the deceased, and not to forestall the decision of the Holy\nSee, but, also, because he bore in mind what St. Augustine had said,\nthat the sacrifices and prayers offered for the dead whose life has\nbeen irreproachable, are acts of thanksgiving.\n\n\n\n\nCONCLUSION\n\n\nWe have yet to mention what the Holy See did to glorify St. Francis\nand to make his name memorable for all times. Pope Honorius III died\non the 18th of March, 1227, to the great grief of the entire Church.\nHe dearly loved St. Francis and had approved the Rule of the Friars\nMinor. The morning after his death the cardinals assembled and elected\nCardinal Ugolini as his successor, who took unto himself the name of\nGregory IX. Cardinal Ugolini was the intimate friend of Francis, the\nProtector of his Order and the founder of several Franciscan Convents;\nas was recorded above, St. Francis predicted his Pontificate.\n\nA riot at Rome shortly after caused the Holy Father to flee to Rieti,\nhe then went to Spoleto, and from thence to Assisi. At Assisi he was\ngreeted with the greatest enthusiasm by the people. His deep piety\nprompted him to visit the grave of our Saint, where he spent a long\ntime in prayer. At the general chapter held at Rome, June 7, 1227, in\nwhich Brother Elias was re-elected, His Holiness was petitioned by all\npresent to canonize Francis whom God already made illustrious by many\nmiracles. Now a favorable opportunity presented itself to pay special\nheed to this petition. He caused a rigorous examination to be made of\nall the miracles attributed to the intercession of the Saint after his\ndeath. This was not a difficult matter for there were a great number\nof witnesses in the city and neighboring places. In the meanwhile the\nHoly Father went to Perugia to attend to some affairs of state. When\nthe validity of the proofs regarding the miracles and virtues of St.\nFrancis could in no way be questioned, Gregory returned to Assisi.\n\nThe canonization took place with the greatest solemnity on Sunday July\n16th, in the Church of St. George, where the body of the Saint reposed.\nAmidst an immense assembly of cardinals, bishops, priests, clerics,\nmembers of the Franciscan Orders, knights, lords, and dignitaries of\nthe, provinces and a vast multitude of people the Sovereign Pontiff\npronounced from his throne, the following solemn words:\n\n\"To the glory of the Most High God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the\nglorious Virgin Mary, the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and to the\nhonor of the whole Roman Church, we have resolved, in concert with our\nbrethren and other prelates, to inscribe in the catalogue of the saints,\nthe blessed Father Francis, whom God has glorified in Heaven, and whom\nwe venerate on earth. His feast shall be celebrated on the day of his\ndeath.\"\n\nAt once the cardinals intoned the Te Deum, the people responded by\ntheir cries and shouts of joy. Thereupon prayers of thanksgiving were\nrecited and then the august Pontiff celebrated Holy Mass. It was a day\nof grace, of exultation and triumph for Assisi, for the Franciscan\nFamily and for the whole Church. Thus was St. Francis canonized but\na few years after his death.\n\nThe humble Saint had asked to be interred on the \"Infernal Hill,\" the\nhill on which criminals were buried. Up to the present his desire could\nnot be fulfilled. The City of Assisi waited to make that place of\nignominy a worthy abode for the remains of its most saintly and\nillustrious citizen. A magnificent double-church was erected on the\nspot. The Sovereign Pontiff declared that henceforth the place shall\nbe called \"Hill of Paradise\" and later on laid the corner-stone for\nthe new edifice. The lower church was completed in 1230. The elaborate\nportal is a plan of Baccio Pontelli. The stained glass windows by\nBonino, a native of Assisi, render a soft and mellow harmony of light\nno less charming than that of the mosaic interior of San Marco, Venice.\nFamous frescoes which influenced all the great movements of art that\nfollowed, cover the walls of the church. Those in the sanctuary by\nGiotto are particularly fine. They represent St. Francis espousing\nHumility, Charity, and Poverty. The gold and blue of the backgrounds\nupon which the numerous scenes are painted, harmonize beautifully in\nthe general color scheme of the sacred edifice. In the fourteenth\ncentury nine chapels were added along the walls of the lower church,\nmostly memorial chapels of cardinals and bishops.\n\nTwo years after the construction of the lower church with its vaulted\ntop, the building of the upper church began. The Gothic form of\narchitecture was chosen for the building, so that the high and pointed\narches be emblematic of the lofty spirit of St. Francis, and of the\ntowering strength of his followers, whose object it is to raise the\nspirit of men to a higher standard of religion and devotion. After its\ncompletion in the year 1253 Pope Innocent IV came in person to Assisi\nand consecrated the upper and lower church. At the same time the Holy\nFather, who resided in the monastery at Assisi with the Franciscan\nFathers for five months, solemnly canonized the Bishop and Martyr\nStanislaus of Cracow. The upper church again afforded the genius of\nartists ample opportunity to blossom forth. Zimabue enriched the\nsanctuary with brilliant frescoes from the life of the Blessed Virgin\nMary whom St. Francis had chosen to be the Patroness and Protectress\nof his three orders for all future times. The choir-picture, the\nAssumption of the Virgin, is the finest of the series. In the apse are\nfrescoes of St. Peter and St. Paul to whose tomb (at Rome) St. Francis\nmade a pilgrimage to ask for grace and light at the beginning of his\nconversion. Other frescoes of Zimabue, also in the apse of the church,\nrepresent various passages of the Apocalypse, relative to the\nrejuvenation of the Church; St. Francis was called and appointed by\nGod to restore the church which was falling into ruins. Along the lower\nwall-spaces of the nave are twenty-eight large frescoes from the life\nof St. Francis by Giotto, Taddio, Gaddi and Giunto Pisano; the upper\nspaces have representations of the Old and New Testament by Pietro\nCavallini and his school. These upper paintings are now in ruins, but\neven in their ruins they are precious pearls of mediaeval art. The\nstained glass windows are of such exceptional beauty and artistic\ncorrectness that their equal cannot be found in all Italy. Speaking\nof the Church of St. Francis at Assisi, a traveller says in substance\nas follows: In its tremendous proportions the gigantic Church of St.\nFrancis can only be compared to the pyramids of Egypt; and both are\nsymbolic of their times. The pyramids were erected by the iron will\nand the cruel might of the Pharaohs, the blood of nations stain every\nstone and they are bedewed with many tears. The Church of St. Francis\nwas built by the self-sacrificing love and heartfelt gratitude of\nnations. Its stones are worn by the footsteps and the tears of millions\nand millions of people, who came there, perhaps sad and weary, but\nreturned with the love and the peace of the Saint in their heart.\n\nWhen the lower church was completed (1230), the venerable remains of\nSt. Francis were translated to their new resting-place. Such numbers\nwere present at this translation, that many had to sleep out under\ntents during the night, the walls of Assisi not being able to contain\nso vast a multitude. The people of Assisi, having observed a commotion\nin the crowd, began to fear that an attempt was being made to deprive\nthem of their sacred treasure: accordingly they rushed to the bier,\ntook possession of the Saint's body, entered the church, locked the\ndoors, and interred the body, without allowing any of the clergy,\nreligious, or people to enter. In consequence of this event, an\nimpenetrable veil of secrecy long hung over the place where the body\nhad been laid. In 1818, Pope Pius VII gave permission to the General\nof the Conventual Minors to make researches under the high altar. Many\nprevious researches had been made; they grew to such gigantic\nproportions that the foundations of the massive structure were partly\nundermined. To prevent the ruin of the basilica at Assisi, the Holy\nSee finally forbade all further researches without the special consent\nof the Sovereign Pontiff. When Pope Pius VII gave the necessary\npermission, the researches were again taken up, but very carefully and\nin great secrecy. The workmen were employed for fifty-two nights in\nhard labor. At length, after having broken through rocks and massive\nwalls, an iron grating was discovered, beneath which was a skeleton\nin a stone coffin, which when opened, exhaled the most fragrant odor.\nThe Holy Father deputed the Bishops of Assisi, Nocera, Spoleto, Perugia,\nand Foligno, to make a juridical examination, to certify the\nauthenticity of the body. Then, in accordance with a decree of the\nCouncil of Trent, he named a commission of cardinals and theologians,\nand, all being settled, on the 5th of December, 1820, he declared in\na Brief that \"this body is verily the body of Saint Francis of Assisi,\nFounder of the Order of Friars Minor.\" The sacred body of St. Francis\nnow lies beneath the main altar of the lower church, mentioned before,\nin an exquisitely beautiful little chapel hewn out of the solid rock.\nThe remains repose in their original sarcophagus, which is bound by\nbroad girders of steel.\n\nSeven hundred years have elapsed since the death of this humble servant\nof God. His memory has outlived all the storms that have agitated the\nworld. The good seed that he sowed is still bringing forth fruit a\nhundredfold. Like the Apostles of old, he labored in the vineyard of\nthe Lord, and opened up to others, Heavenly treasures of untold value.\nYet more, in the person of St. Francis, Jesus of Nazareth lived again\nfor the instruction and edification of the whole world, as He had never\ndone in any individual, since the great Apostle of the Gentiles. At\nthe word of St. Francis a revival of primitive Christianity sprang\ninto existence at a time when all civilization seemed unhinged on\naccount of the almost universal decay in morals. He taught men afresh\nthat the commands of Jesus Christ could be literally obeyed and that\nthe Sermon on the Mount was as applicable to the men of the middle and\nall succeeding ages as to the first age of Christian history. This New\nAbraham begot through the Gospel the largest family of Christ's\nfollowers and of missionaries the Catholic Church has ever produced.\nIt is well known that the history of the Church from the thirteenth\nto the sixteenth century was largely the history of the rise and growth\nof Franciscanism in every part of Europe. To-day, after seven centuries\nhave elapsed, we find no symptoms of decay in the great Franciscan\nFamily. The priests and laybrothers of the First Order are to be found\nlaboring assiduously in every country. In efficiency and number their\nactive missionaries are second to none. They are storming the\nstrongholds of Satan from one end of the world to the other. The Second\nOrder stands before us as of old, a beautiful lily in the Sanctuary\nof God. The Holy Virgins, of the Second Order, called \"Poor Clares,\"\nseek voluntary oblivion and by their pure and pious life of the greatest\nausterity, of seclusion, silence, penance and prayer, daily open the\nfloodgates of God's graces to mankind. The wonderful and healthy growth\nof the Third Order, especially since the great Encyclical on St. Francis\nand on the Third Order by Pope Leo XIII (1882), need not be mentioned;\nit is a fact known to all. Since the work of the Seraphic Saint is so\nprosperous at present, we need not doubt about the future. As we have\npreviously seen God Himself revealed to St. Francis that his institution\nshall remain till the end of times. Thus the Most High glorified and\nrewarded the poor, humble man of Assisi, \"the greatest of sinners,\"\nas he loved to call himself. St. Francis now reigns in Heaven, brilliant\nas the Morning Star, and showers his blessings upon his many children.\nLet us praise God for the grace and glory He gave his humble Servant\nand let us deeply impress upon our mind the words of the Holy Ghost:\n\"God resists the proud, but gives his graces to the humble.\" \"He that\nhumbleth himself shall be exalted.\"\n\n\"ST. FRANCIS SEALED WITH THE CHARACTER OF JESUS\"\n\nThe eminent perfection of St. Francis was grounded on a tender and\nfervent devotion to Jesus Christ crucified. This adorable object had\na powerful attraction for his heart, was the source of all the graces\nhe received, and the model of all the virtues he practised. From the\nsufferings of our Saviour he made for himself, as St. Bernard had done,\na nosegay of myrrh, which he always carried in his bosom; he considered\nattentively the sufferings of his Beloved, he suffered them himself,\nand they called forth his sighs and his tears; it was his wish that\nthe fire of this love might transform him entirely into Him who had\nborne them.\n\nThe poverty of the Son of God, in His birth, during His life, and at\nHis death, made such impression on the heart of Francis, that he\nembraced this virtue with inexpressible ardor.\n\nSeeing that it was rejected by the world, and looking upon it as the\npearl of the Gospel, to acquire it, he abandoned father, mother, and\nall that he had. No person ever sought after riches with so much\navidity, and no one ever guarded his treasure with so much care. He\nnever wore, until his death, anything but a worthless tunic, and he\nrefused himself everything but what was absolutely necessary. He would\nyield to no one in poverty, although he considered himself the most\nabject of all. If he saw any one worse dressed than he was, he\nconsidered it as a reproach to himself. One day, meeting a poor man\nwho was almost naked, he said to his companion with a sigh: \"There is\na poor man who shames us. We have chosen poverty for our greatest\nriches, and in him you see it shine far more than in us.\"\n\nFor his nourishment, he greatly preferred what he solicited for the\nlove of God from door to door, to what was offered to him. He frequently\nconsidered within himself, and it brought tears into his eyes, how\npoor our Saviour and His Blessed Mother had been in this world, and\nthe reflection induced him to live in greater poverty.\n\nAs to the cells, he always chose the smallest. One of his secular\nfriends having had one built, which was only made of wood, though\npretty neat, in the hermitage of Sarthiano, he found it too fine, and\nsaid he would not enter it a second time unless it was put into a state\nof poverty; so that, in order to induce him to return, it was necessary\nto cover it roughly with branches of trees, both without and within.\nHe left it afterwards because one of his companions had said to him,\n\"Father, I am come to look for you in your cell.\" \"I will not occupy\nit any longer,\" he replied, \"because you consider it mine in calling\nit my cell: another may live in it, to whom it will not be\nappropriated.\"\n\nThis is what his companions tell us on the subject:--\"We have often\nheard him say, we, who have lived with him: 'I will not have as mine\neither dwelling-place, or any other thing, for our Master has said:\n\"The foxes have lairs, and the birds of the air, nests; but the Son\nof Man hath not where to lay His head.\"'\"\n\nHe was also accustomed to say: \"When our Lord went to fast in the\ndesert, where He remained forty days and forty nights, He had no cell\nprepared for Him, nor any other covering; it was only in some crevice\nof the mountain that He took repose.\" The same authors add, that, in\norder to imitate Jesus Christ perfectly, Francis desired to have neither\nconvent nor cell which could be called his. And, moreover, if sometimes,\non arriving, he pointed out to his brethren the cell which he proposed\nto occupy, he checked himself immediately, as having shown too much\nsolicitude, and went into another, which had not been prepared for\nhim. Shall, then, the children of the Patriarch of the poor be censured\nwhen they imitate this tenderness of conscience; and when, to show\ntheir aversion to the possession of property, they call even the things\nwhich are most essential for them to have the use of, by terms which\nshow that they do not even hold them in common, and that they have\nnothing which is their own?\n\nAlthough the servant of God possessed every virtue in a very high\ndegree, yet it was remarked that the virtue of poverty was the one\nwhich was above all the others; and this it pleased the Almighty to\nmake known by an admirable vision. When the saint was going to Sienna,\nthree very poor women, who resembled each other both in size and\ncountenance, and appeared to be of the same age, presented themselves\nbefore him, and greeted him in these words: \"May the Lady Poverty be\nwelcome!\" This salutation filled him with joy, because nothing was\nmore grateful to him in greeting him than to speak of poverty, which\nwas so dear to him. The vision immediately vanished, and his companions,\nwho had seen it, had no doubt that there was something mysterious in\nit; that God meant thereby to discover to them something which related\nto their father.--\"In fact,\" says St. Bonaventure, \"these three women,\nwho were so like to each other, were not bad representations of\nchastity, obedience, and poverty, which constitute the beauty of\nEvangelical perfection, and were the very eminent characteristics of\nthe saintly man; yet the expressions which these women made use of in\ngreeting him, showed that he had chosen poverty as his special\nprerogative, and the principal object of his glory; and, indeed, he\nwas in the habit of calling it sometimes his lady, sometimes his mother,\nand sometimes his spouse or his queen.\"\n\nIt is not possible to record in this place all the praise which the\nholy Founder gave to this Evangelical virtue. He called it the Queen,\nnot only because it shone with splendor in JESUS CHRIST, the King of\nkings, and in His Blessed Mother, but because it is elevated above all\nearthly things, which it tramples under foot. \"Know,\" he used to say\nto his brethren, \"that poverty is the hidden treasure of the Gospel,\nthe basis on which an order rests the special path to salvation, the\nsupport of humility, the mother of self-renunciation, the principle\nof obedience, the death of self-love, the destruction of vanity and\ncupidity, the rod of perfection, the fruits of which are abundant,\nthough hidden. It is a virtue descended from Heaven which acts within\nus, and enables us to despise everything which is despicable; it\nsubverts all the obstacles which prevent the soul from perfectly uniting\nitself to God by humility and charity; it causes those by whom it is\nbeloved to become active as pure spirits, and enables them to take\ntheir flight towards Heaven, to converse with angels, though still\nliving on earth. It is so excellent and so divine a virtue, that vile\nand abject vases such as we are, are not worthy of containing it.\"\n\nIn order to obtain the grace of poverty, he often recited the following\nprayer to Jesus Christ: \"O Lord Jesus! point out to me the ways of\npoverty, which are so dear to Thee. Have pity on me, for I love it\nwith such intensity that I can find no repose without it, and Thou\nknowest that it is Thou who gavest me this ardent love. It is rejected,\ndespised, and hated by the world, although it is a dame and a queen,\nand Thou hast had the goodness to come down from Heaven to make poverty\nThy spouse, and to have from her, by her, and in her, perfect children.\nMy Jesus, who chosest to be extremely poor! the favor which I ask of\nThee is, to give me the privilege of poverty; I ardently desire to be\nenriched by this treasure; I entreat of Thee that it may be mine, and\nof those who belong to me, and that we may never possess anything of\nour own under heaven for the glory of Thy name, and that we may exist,\nduring this miserable life, on those things only which are given to\nus, and that we be very sparing in the use we shall make even of these.\nAmen.\"\n\nThis friend of poverty did not confine it to the repudiation of all\nexternal things: he carried its perfection to the most elevated\nspiritual point. \"He who aspires to its attainment,\" he said, \"must\nrenounce not only all worldly prudence, but in some degree all learning\nand science, so that, being stripped of all sorts of goods, he may\nplace himself under cover of the protection of the Most High, think\nonly of His justice, and cast himself into the arms of the Crucified.\nFor it is not to renounce the world entirely, if any attachment to its\nlights, and to one's own feelings, remains in the secret recesses of\nthe heart.\" He did not assert that, in order to arrive at the perfection\nof poverty, it was necessary to be without learning, but he required\nthat learning should not be considered by the possessor as an interior\nproperty, from which self-love should be fed; that there should not\nbe that secret attachment to mental illumination, which is the primary\nsource of error, and the basis of the obstinacy of heretics; that all\nof knowledge should \"be referred to God, and that we should in some\nsense strip ourselves of it to acquire the perception of God alone,\nand of His holy law. St. Hilary said, speaking in the same sense, that\nwe must always bear in mind that we are men, that we have nothing of\nour own, not even the use of our senses and faculties; that these come\nfrom God, and that we must only use them as things which are in a\ncontinual dependence on His will. This is an important instruction for\nthe consideration of the learned.\"\n\nThe lively affection which St. Francis bore for the crucified Jesus,\nfrom the moment of his conversion, rendered him very austere towards\nhimself. Not only could he not suffer that the tunic which he wore\nshould have anything soft in it, but he chose that it should be rough\nand harsh; when he found that it had become too soft, he put knotted\ncords on the inside to counteract the softness.\n\nIt was usually on the bare ground that he laid his body down,--that\nbody which was worn out by fatigue; sometimes he slept, sitting with\nhis head resting on a stone or piece of wood. As to food, he scarcely\ntook what was absolutely necessary for his nourishment. When in health,\nhe seldom permitted anything to be put before him which was cooked,\nand then he either strewed ashes upon it, or added water to it, to\ntake away the taste. Pure water was his only beverage, and then he\ndrank so little that it was insufficient for quenching his thirst.\nBesides the Lent kept by all Christians, he kept eight others in the\ncourse of the year. The first, of forty days, from the day after the\nEpiphany, in memory of our Lord's fast in the desert, after He had\nbeen baptized by John, which took place on the sixth day of January,\naccording to the old tradition of the Church. The second was from the\nWednesday in Easter week, to Whit-Sunday, to prepare himself for\nreceiving the Holy Ghost. The third, from the day after the Festival\nof Pentecost to the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul, in honor of these\nblessed Apostles. The fourth, from the day after their festival to the\nAssumption, in honor of the Blessed Virgin. The fifth in honor of St.\nMichael, from the Assumption to the feast of that angel. The sixth,\nfrom that feast is the first of November, in honor of all the saints.\nThe seventh, from All-Souls to Christmas, to prepare himself to\ncelebrate the birth of Christ. The eighth, from the Feast of St. Stephen\nto the Epiphany, in honor of the three kings. Thus was his life a\nperpetual fast.\n\nWhen he went abroad he ate whatsoever was put before him, not only to\nobserve the direction of the Gospel, but in order to gain worldlings\nto Jesus Christ, by conforming to their ways; but when in the convent,\nhe resumed his habits of abstinence, and this mode of life was very\nedifying to laymen. The more he advanced towards perfection, the more\nhe mortified himself. We cannot form a more correct opinion of the\nEvangelical hatred he bore his body, than by noticing the terms he\nmade use of to express it. After having finished Complin, and spent\na considerable time in prayer, in a deserted church, in which he passed\nthe night, he wished to take some rest. As the evil spirits prevented\nhim from so doing, by suggestions which frightened him, and made him\ntremble, he mustered courage, rose, made the sign of the cross, and\nsaid in a loud voice: \"Devils, I declare to you from Almighty God,\nthat you may use against me all the power given to you by my Lord Jesus\nChrist, and do all the harm you can to my body. I am ready to suffer\neverything, and assuredly you will oblige me greatly, for this body\nis a great burden to me; it is the greatest enemy I have, the most\nwicked, and the most crafty; and you will revenge me by so doing.\"\n\nHe exhorted his religious to austerity in their food, in their clothing,\nand in everything else. For he was convinced, as was St. Augustine,\nthat it is difficult to satisfy the demands of the body, without in\nsome degree sacrificing to sensuality; and he used to say, \"Our Saviour\npraised St. John the Baptist for his having clothed himself coarsely.\nAccording to the words 'Behold they that are clothed in soft garments,\nare in the houses of kings,' soft garments must not be found in the\nhuts of the poor. I know by experience that the devils fly from those\nwho lead an austere life; and St. Paul teaches us, that they who are\nChrist's have crucified their flesh with its vices and concupiscences.\"\nWe remember that he knew how to temper what seemed to be excessive in\nthe mortifications of his brethren.\n\nFrancis taught persons to flee from idleness. \"I desire,\" he said,\n\"that my brethren may work and be occupied. He who desires to live by\nthe labor of others, without doing anything, deserves to be nicknamed\nBrother _Fly_; because, doing nothing that is worth anything, and\nspoiling what is good, he becomes odious and despicable to all the\nworld.\" If he came upon any one wandering about, and without occupation,\nhe applied to him these words of the Apocalypse: \"Because thou art\nlukewarm, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.\" His example was\nan excellent lesson for not losing time, and fostering the idleness\nof the flesh; he employed himself always holily, and he called his\nbody brother ass, which required to be well worked, to be severely\nbeaten, and to be badly fed.\n\nSilence was not considered by him to be a small virtue; he considered\nit as a guard to the purity of the heart, according to the maxim of\nwisdom: \"Life and death are in the power of the tongue;\" by which he\nunderstood the intemperance of speech, as well as that of taste. But\nhe principally wished his brethren to become exact in keeping\nEvangelical silence, which consists in abstaining from all idle\nconversation, of which an account must be rendered at the day of\njudgment, and he severely reprimanded those who were in the habit of\nsaying useless things. In fine, his instruction was, that they should\nendeavor to destroy all vice, and to mortify the passions; and that,\nin order to succeed in this endeavor, every thing should be cut off\nwhich could serve as an attraction, and, therefore, that the exterior\nsenses by which death enters into the soul, should be continually\nmortified.\n\nAs soon as he felt the smallest temptation, or if he only foresaw it,\nhe took every precaution for resisting it. At the beginning of his\nconversion he frequently threw himself in the depth of winter, into\nfreezing water, in order to subdue his domestic enemy, and to preserve\nhis robe of innocence without stain, asserting that it is far less\npainful to a spiritual man to suffer the rigor of the severest cold,\nthan to feel interiorly the slightest attack upon his purity.\n\nWe have seen, in his life, that he threw himself into the midst of\nthorns, to drive away the tempter who wanted to induce him to moderate\nhis watchings and his prayers. One of his actions, the circumstances\nof which are thus related by St. Bonaventure, shows how great the\npurity of his heart was, and with what force he resisted the impure\nspirit.\n\nOne night, while he was at prayer in his cell, at the hermitage of\nSarthiano, he heard himself called three times by his name. After he\nhad answered, a voice said to him: \"There is no sinner in the world\nwhom God does not pardon if he be converted; but whoever kills himself\nby too rigorous a penance, will never find mercy.\" Francis was made\naware by a revelation that these deceitful words emanated from the old\nenemy, who wished to induce him to relax in his austerities, and he\nsoon had sensible proof of it, for, \"he who by his breath sets fire\nto coals,\" as holy Job says, \"tempted him strongly to sin against\npurity.\" As soon as he became aware of it, he inflicted a severe\ndiscipline on himself, saying to his body: \"O brother ass! this is\nwhat suits you, this is the way in which you should be chastised. The\ntunic you wear is that of religion, and is a mark of its holiness. It\nis not permitted to one who is impure to wear it: that would be a\ntheft.\" As the devil represented to him probably that he might marry\nand have children, and have servants to wait upon him, he responded\nto that by turning his own body into derision, and treating it cruelly.\nWith admirable fervor he burst from his cell, and threw himself upon\na large mound of snow; he made seven balls of it with his hands, and\nthen said to himself: \"The largest of these snowballs is thy wife,\nfour others are thy two sons and two daughters, and the two last are\nthy man and thy maid-servants. I must think of clothing them, for they\nare perishing with cold.\" Then he added: \"If this solicitude is\noverpowering, think hereafter of nothing else than of serving God\nfervently.\" At this the tempter fled, and the Saint returned\nvictoriously to his cell. He never after had a similar temptation. One\nof his brethren, who was at prayer in the garden, saw by the light of\nthe moon what was going on, and Francis, being aware of it, could not\navoid explaining to him the whole temptation: \"But,\" said he, \"I forbid\nyou strictly from saying a word on the subject during my lifetime.\"\nIt was only known after his death.\n\nThose who know how far the scrupulousness of chaste souls will carry\nthem, will not feel surprised that, after the example of many other\nsaints, he had put in practice such severe mortification, to shield\nhimself from the slightest taint on his purity. His lively and agreeable\nturn of mind are apparent in the way in which he taunted his body when\nsuffering from extreme cold; this also shows how much self-possession\nhe had under the severest trials, and by what sentiment he was actuated\nin his penances.\n\nSt. Bonaventure says that, as a skilful architect, he laid down\nhumility for the foundation-stone of his spiritual edifice, and that\nit was from Jesus Christ that he had acquired this wisdom. The\nfoundation was so solid that humility became natural to him, as well\nas poverty, and thus it is justly that he is called the humble St.\nFrancis. He was in the eyes of all a mirror of holiness, but in his\nown eyes he was but a sinner; on all occasions he sought to vilify\nhimself, not only in his own mind, but in that of others.\n\nUpon one occasion Brother Pacificus, while praying with him in a church,\nwas raised in an ecstasy, and saw several thrones in the heavens, among\nwhich there was one more splendid than the rest, ornamented with\nprecious stones. As he was pondering for whom this magnificent seat\ncould be destined, a voice said to him: \"This was the seat of an angel,\nand now it is reserved for the humble Francis.\" Some short time after,\nwhen conversing with the Saint, he led to the topic of the knowledge\nof one's self, and he asked him what idea he had of himself, upon which\nSt. Francis answered quickly: \"I consider myself the greatest of\nsinners.\" Pacificus maintained that he could not conscientiously either\nsay so or think so. \"I am convinced,\" replied Francis, \"that, if the\nmost criminal of men had experienced the great mercies I have received\nfrom Jesus Christ, he would be much more grateful for them than I am.\"\nThis beautiful effusion confirmed Pacificus in the opinion he had\nentertained, that the vision he had seen was a true vision; and it is\nquite in accordance with the maxim of the Gospel that, \"whosoever shall\nexalt himself, shall be humbled; and that he that shall humble himself,\nshall be exalted.\" It is humility that raises men to those places from\nwhence pride cast down the fallen angels.\n\nWe have seen the extraordinary things which Francis did in order to\nhumble himself; from the same motive he felt no difficulty in making\npublic the defects he thought he discovered in himself. If he found\nhimself attacked by any temptation to pride, vain-glory, or any other\nsin, he never failed communicating it to those who were present, whether\nthey were religious or seculars. One day when he was followed by a\ngreat concourse of people, he gave his cloak to a poor woman who had\nasked him for an alms, and some minutes after he turned round to the\ncrowd and told them in a loud voice that he had sinned from vainglory\nin so doing. We may imagine that his humility was at that moment very\ngreat, which prevented him from distinguishing between voluntary consent\nand the feeling over which we have no control.\n\nHe took great care not to do anything in private which he should have\nhad any hesitation in doing in public, and which was not in conformity\nwith the opinion people had of his sanctity. His illness rendered it\nnecessary that he should eat meat in the Lent he kept before Christmas,\nbut this relaxation consisted only in the use of lard; yet he,\nnevertheless, accused himself of it in public, as an act of gluttony.\nHis companions have recorded what he said: \"I wish to live in hermitages\nand in other solitary places, as if I was seen by all the world; for,\nif people have a great opinion of me, and I were not to live as they\nthink I do, I should be guilty of scandalous hypocrisy.\" The vicar of\nhis convent suggested that he should permit his tunic to be lined with\nfox-skins, to keep his chest warm, which his disorder had greatly\nweakened. \"I consent to this,\" he replied, \"provided you put a similar\nset of skins outside, that the world may know the relief which is\ninside also.\" This condition put a stop to the proposition.\n\nPraise mortified him, and he liked that people should blame him, and\nhe rejoiced in being despised. When he heard people express by\nacclamation the merits of his sanctity, he made some of the brethren\nsay to him, \"You are a vulgar man, ignorant and useless in the world,\na nobody;\" and when he answered, with pleasure depicted on his\ncountenance, \"May the Lord bless you, my dear child, what you say is\nquite true, and is exactly what the son of Peter Bernardo deserves to\nhear.\" To those who called him a saint he used to say: \"Do not praise\nme; I have no assurance that I shall not sin; a person must never be\npraised whose end cannot be known.\" And he addressed the following\nwords to himself: \"Francis, if the Most High had bestowed so many\nfavors on a thief as He has on you, he would be much more grateful\nthan you are.\"\n\nOne day when great honors were paid him, his companion remarking that\nhe received them without showing any reluctance, said: \"Father, do you\nnot see what they are doing in your honor? and far from refusing to\nreceive the applause manifested in your regard, as Christian humility\nrequires, you seem to receive them with complacency. Is there anything\nwhich a servant of the Lord should more sedulously avoid?\" This is the\nreply which the holy man made him: \"Brother, although it may appear\nto you that they are paying me great honors, nevertheless, know that\nI consider them as little or nothing in comparison to those which ought\nto be paid me.\" His companion was not only surprised, but almost\nscandalized, on hearing him utter such sentiments; but, not to expose\nhis follower, Francis added: \"Now be attentive to this, and understand\nit properly. I refer to God all the honor which is paid me, I attribute\nnothing to myself; on the contrary, I look upon myself as dirt by my\nbaseness. I am as those figures of wood or stone for which respect is\nhad. All goes back to what they represent. Now, when men know and honor\nGod in His creatures, as they do in me, who am the vilest of all, it\nis no small profit to their souls.\"\n\nThis is the magnanimous humility of which St. Thomas speaks, by which\na man honors in himself the great gifts of God, permits them to be\nthere honored, and practises great virtues to render himself more\nworthy to receive new ones, while he shrinks from the contemplation\nof his own merits. Such was the humble Francis, in permitting, for the\nglory of God, and the salvation of his neighbor, that the supernatural\ngifts which had been imparted to him, should be honored in his person,\nwhile he himself only considered his own nothingness; and afterwards\nhe retired into solitary places, where he passed whole nights in\nmeditating upon this nothingness, and on the infinite mercy of God,\nwhich had loaded him with graces.\n\nBeing one day with Brother Leo in one of these solitudes, and being\nwithout the books necessary for saying the Divine Office, he invented\na sort of humiliating psalmody for glorifying God during the night.\n\"My dear brother,\" he said to Leo, \"we must not let this time, which\nis consecrated to God, pass without praising His holy name, and\nconfessing our own misery. This is the verse which I will say: 'O\nBrother Francis! you have committed so many sins in this world, that\nyou have deserved to be plunged into hell.' And you, Brother Leo, your\nresponse will be, 'It is true; you deserve to be in the bottom of\nhell.'\" Leo promised, however repugnant he felt, to answer as his\nfather desired; but, instead of that, he said: \"Brother Francis, God\nwill do so much good through your means, that you will be called into\nParadise.\" The Father said to him, with warmth: \"You don't answer as\nyou ought. Here is another verse: 'Brother Francis, you have offended\nGod by so many bad deeds, that you deserve all his maledictions.'\nAnswer to that: 'You deserve to be among the number of the cursed.'\"\nLeo promised again; but when the Saint had said his verse, striking\nhis breast, and shedding abundance of tears, Leo pronounced these\nwords: \"Brother Francis, God will render you such, that, among those\nwho are blessed, you will receive a peculiar blessing.\" \"Why don't you\nanswer as I desire you?\" said Francis, surprised. \"I command you, under\nobedience, to repeat the words which I am going to give you. I shall\nsay: 'O Brother Francis, miserable man, after so many crimes committed\nagainst the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation, do you\nthink he will have any pity on me? In truth you are undeserving of\npardon.' Brother Leo, answer immediately: 'You deserve no mercy.'\"\nLeo, however, said: \"God, our Father, whose mercy infinitely surpasses\nour sins, will pardon you all your sins, and will load you with His\nfavors.\"\n\nThen Francis said somewhat angrily: \"Why have you dared to transgress\nthe rule of obedience, and to answer so often differently to what I\ndesired?\" Leo excused himself most respectfully, saying: \"My very dear\nFather, God is my witness that I had each time intended to repeat the\nwords which you had directed me, but He put into my mouth the words\nI uttered, and caused me to speak, notwithstanding my resolution,\naccording to His good pleasure.\" The humble Servant of Jesus Christ\nadmired this disposition of the Lord; but persisting, nevertheless,\nin his intention of humbling himself, he entreated Brother Leo to\nrepeat, at least once, the following words, which he pronounced with\nmany sighs: \"Oh Brother Francis, miserable little man! do you think\nthat God will have mercy on you, after so many crimes which you have\ncommitted?\" \"Yes, my Father,\" replied Leo, \"God, your Saviour, will\nhave mercy on you, and will grant you great favors. He will exalt you,\nand glorify you eternally, because he who shall humble himself shall\nbe exalted. Nevertheless, pardon me for not having said what you\ndesired. It is not I who speak, it is God who speaks in me.\" Finally\nFrancis bowed to what Leo communicated to him, who only disobeyed him\nby an impulse of the Holy Ghost; and they conversed during the remainder\nof the night on the great mercy of God to sinners.\n\nIt has been already remarked, with St. Bonaventure, that St. Francis\nhad given to his brethren the name of Minors, and to their superiors\nthat of Ministers, in order that their very name should cause them to\nbe humble. These are the maxims by which he used to impress this upon\nthem:--\"The Son of God debased Himself in coming from the bosom of His\nFather to us, to teach us humility by His example and by His word, as\nour Lord and Master.\" \"What is exalted in the eyes of man is an\nabomination before God.\" \"Man is nothing but what he is before God,\nand is nothing more. It is folly to feel glorified by the applause of\nman; it is better to be blamed than praised, for blame induces the\nperson to correct himself, while praise leads to his fall. No man\nshould pride himself for doing those things which a sinner may do as\nwell as he. A sinner may fast, pray, weep, macerate his body, but what\nhe cannot do, as long as he is a sinner, is to be faithful to his God.\nNow, this is what we may glory in, to render to God the glory which\nis due to Him, to serve Him faithfully, and to return with like fidelity\nall that He has given. Happy the servant who finds himself as humble\namidst his brethren, inferiors like himself, as in presence of his\nsuperiors! Happy the servant who does not believe himself better when\nmen load him with praises, than when he appears in their eyes simple,\nvile, abject and despicable! Happy the servant who bears reprimanding\nwith meekness, who acknowledges his fault with humility, and voluntarily\npunishes it; who is sufficiently humble to receive a reprimand without\noffering an excuse. Happy the religious who has not been desirous of\nthe elevation he has attained, and who always wishes to be at the feet\nof the others! Woe to the religious who has been raised by the rest\nto an honorable position, and who has not the inclination to descend\nfrom it.\"\n\nThe example of Jesus Christ, who \"was obedient unto death, even to the\ndeath of the cross,\" inspired St. Francis with great love for obedience.\nAlthough he was appointed superior by order of God and of the Pope,\nhe was always desirous of obeying rather than commanding. In his\ntravels, he promised obedience to him who accompanied him, and he\nrigidly kept that promise. One day he communicated the following in\nconfidence to his companions: \"Among all the graces which I have\nreceived from the bounty of God, this is one, that, if they were to\nappoint a novice of an hour's standing to be my guardian, I would obey\nhim as implicitly as if he was the oldest and the most serious of our\nbrethren.\" He was not satisfied with having renounced being General\nof the Order, to obey the Vicar-General; he asked Brother Elias, who\nfilled that position to give him a guardian, on whose will he should\ndepend in all things. Brother Angelo of Rieti was given to him, and\nhe obeyed him with entire submission.\n\nThe instructions he gave his brethren on the subject of obedience\ncontained all the perfection which could be given them: 1st. To renounce\ntheir own will, and to look upon it as the forbidden fruit, which our\nfirst parents could not eat of without being guilty. 2d. To abandon\nthemselves wholly to their superior, so that they should neither do\nnor say anything which they know he would not approve of; and that\nthey should do what he wishes the moment he has spoken, without waiting\nfor his speaking a second time. 3d. Not to examine whether what is\nordered is difficult or impossible, for, said St. Francis: \"When I\norder anything which is above your strength, holy obedience will enable\nyou to effect it.\" 4th. To submit their lights to those of the superior,\nnot with a view of obeying him in anything manifestly contrary to\nsalvation, but to act upon his views, although they may think their\nown better and more useful. 5th. Not to consider the man, nor his\nqualifications, in the obedience they bow to, but the authority he\nhas, the place he fills, and the greatness of Him for whose love they\nare subject to man.\n\nThis last point is the greatest sacrifice of a religious life; but a\nnecessary sacrifice, one which is just, and worthy of God, and the\nmost certain proof that our obedience is grounded on our love for God.\nIt is not difficult to follow the dictates of a superior of acknowledged\ntalent and merit; the hardship is to submit with humility, without\nremonstrance or murmur, to one who has not these qualifications. This\nalso it is which enhances in the eyes of God the value of religious\nobedience; it may then be considered as a sort of martyrdom of the\nmind, as well as that of the body, which will receive its crown in\nheaven. Nevertheless, it is requisite to be cautious, lest antipathy\nor some other motive, and the natural revolt of the human heart against\nauthority, should cause a superior to appear contemptible, who really\nis not so. Finally, the religious are highly interested in practicing\nholy obedience, whoever may be the superior; it is, as St. Francis\nremarks, so abundant in fruits, that such as bend to the yoke pass not\na moment of their lives without some spiritual profit: it increases\nvirtue, and procures peace to the soul.\n\nHe was asked one day, who was to be considered to be truly obedient,\nand he instanced a dead body. \"Take,\" said he, \"a dead body, and place\nit where you please; you will see that it shows no repugnance at its\nremoval, it utters no complaint at its situation, nor of dissatisfaction\nat being left where it is. If you put it in an honorable place, its\neyes will remain closed, it will not raise them. If you clothe it in\npurple, it will only be paler than before. That is true obedience; it\nasks no reason as to why it is put in motion, it is indifferent as to\nwhere it is placed, and does not require to be removed.--If a Minor\nis raised to the dignity of superior, he remains equally humble; the\nmore he is honored, the more does he think himself unworthy of it. I\nhave often,\" he said, \"seen a blind man led by a little dog, the man\nwent wherever his guide took him, in good roads and in bad. This is\nanother resemblance of one who is perfectly obedient; he should shut\nhis eyes, and be blind to the commands of his superior, think of nothing\nbut submitting immediately to him, without stopping to examine whether\nthe thing be difficult or not, only keeping in view the authority of\nhim who gives the order, and the merit of obedience.\"\n\nDisobedience is insupportable; he considered it as the unfortunate\noffspring of pride, which is the source of all evils, and of which he\nhad great horror. One day while praying in his cell, and meditating\nbetween God and his brethren, he saw in spirit one of them who refused\nto perform the penance imposed on him in chapter by the vicar-general,\nand excusing himself as to the fault of which he had been accused. He\ncalled his companion, and said: \"I saw on the shoulders of this\ninsubordinate brother the devil, who was wringing his neck, and leading\nhim as by a bridle. I prayed for him, and the devil, abashed, loosed\nhis hold immediately. Go to him, and tell him to bend immediately to\nthe yoke of obedience,\" In fact, the brother did submit as soon as he\nwas told this, and threw himself humbly at the feet of his superior.\n\nAnother, who had erred in some way against obedience, was brought to\nFrancis, that he might correct him; but he appeared so penitent, that\nthe Saint, who liked the humility of repentance, felt himself inclined\nto pardon the fault. Nevertheless, lest the facility of pardon should\nbe abused, and to show what chastisement disobedience deserves, he\nordered his cowl to be taken from him, and thrown into the fire. Some\nminutes after, he desired it to be taken out of the fire, and to be\nreturned to him, when it was found that the fire had not injured it\nin the least; \"God having shown by his miracle,\" St. Bonaventure\nobserves, \"the power He gave to His Servant, and how agreeable to Him\nhumble repentance is.\"\n\nThe conduct of the holy Founder was more severe to one of his brethren,\nwho was obstinately disobedient. He desired the others to put him into\na pit, and to fill it up with earth, in order to bury him alive; when\nthey had filled it up to his chin he said:--\"Brother, are you dead?\"\nThe religious, absorbed in grief, replied: \"Yes, Father, and I ought\nto die in reality for my sin.\" Francis, moved by compassion, had him\ndug out, saying: \"Come forth from thence, if you are truly dead, as\na good religious ought to be, to the world and its concupiscences.\nObey the smallest sign of the will of your superiors, and make no more\nresistance to their orders than a dead body could do. I wish for\nfollowers, not living, but those who are dead.\"\n\nHe once called Brother Juniper to employ him a little while, and this\nbrother not having immediately obeyed, because he was busy in planting\na juniper tree, he cursed the tree that it should never grow, and it\nremained always in a dwarf state. The Fathers of the Desert were\nsimilarly exact in their attention to obedience, insomuch as to leave\na letter unfinished when they had to attend to the orders of a superior.\n\nThe virtues of St. Francis, which we have recorded, and those which\nwe have yet to narrate, were cultivated by the exercise of prayer. He\nhad the gift as soon as he was called to the service of God; and he\nfollowed it up so faithfully, that he consecrated to it his heart, his\nbody, all his actions, and all his time. In-doors, or out of doors,\nwalking or seated, working or resting, his mind was always raised to\nheaven; he seemed to live with the angels. As he was always diffident\nof himself, he had recourse to prayer, and consulted the Almighty,\nwith perfect confidence in His goodness, in all that He had to do.\nAlthough he could pray in any place he might happen to be in,\nnevertheless, he found solitary spots best adapted for recollection;\nhe sought them out, and often retired to them. This shows us why he\nmade so many houses of his Order, where there had previously been\nhermitages only.\n\nCareful in attending to the interior calls of the Holy Spirit, if he\nperceived one coming on, he let his companions go forward, and stopped,\nnot to receive it in vain, and to enjoy it to its full extent. When\nhe prayed in community, he avoided all exterior signs, which might\ndiscover the secret dispositions of his mind, because he loved secrecy.\nHe did not find the precaution difficult, because he was wholly absorbed\nin his interior, and united himself so intimately to God, that he was\nalmost without exterior motion. If it happened that he was surprised\nby a visit from heaven in the presence of his brethren, he had always\nsomething ready to propose to them, to take off their attention. When\nhe returned from prayer, in which he had been marvellously transformed,\nhe strove to conform himself to his brethren, lest what they might\nperceive might draw from them applause, which would deprive him of his\nreward by inspiring him with vanity.\n\nBut in the solitudes he was under no restraint, and gave his heart\nentire liberty. The woods resounded with his sacred sighs and laments,\nthe earth was moistened with his tears, and he struck his breast with\nviolence. Sometimes he addressed himself to God as to his Sovereign\nLord; sometimes he spoke to Him as to his Judge; sometimes he prayed\nto Him as to his Father; and at other times, he conversed with Him as\na friend converses with his Friend. He solicited the pardon of sinners\nwith loud and energetic exclamations; and he expressed his horror at\nthe Passion of Jesus Christ in loud laments, as if he had been present\nat it. All this was seen and heard by some one or other of his\ncompanions, who had the pardonable curiosity to watch his proceedings.\nThe devils tormented him severely during his prayers, and that in a\nvery sensible manner, as St. Bonaventure informs us; but, protected\nby celestial aid, he continued his prayers with additional fervor, in\nproportion to the efforts they made to distract him.\n\nGod favored him with the gift of contemplation in a sublime degree.\nHis companions bear witness that they have often seen him in a state\nof ecstasy, in which he had lost all the use of his senses, and in\nwhich all the powers of his soul were suspended. Once they saw him,\nduring the night, raised from the ground, and his arms extended in the\nshape of a cross, surrounded by a luminous cloud, as if to betoken the\nDivine light which filled his mind. St. Bonaventure says that they had\nefficient proof that God at such times revealed to him some of the\ngreat secrets of His wisdom; but His faithful Servant only made such\nparts of them known as were for the glory of his Master, or the utility\nof his neighbor.\n\nOne of his brethren, not finding him one evening in his cell, went to\nlook for him in the wood. Having penetrated a short distance into it,\nhe heard him praying, with loud cries, for the salvation of men, and\naddressing the Blessed Virgin with moving sighs, humbly imploring her\nto show him her Son. He then saw the Blessed Mother of God descend\nfrom Heaven, with great splendor, and place her Son into the arms of\nFrancis, who received Him as Simeon had received Him in the temple of\nJerusalem, with the profoundest respect; he caressed the Infant most\ntenderly, entreating Him for the conversion of sinners, and the\nsalvation of the world. At this sight the religious fell on the ground,\nhalf dead, and remained on the spot where he fell. Here the Saint found\nhim, as he was returning to the convent for Matins; he brought him to\nhimself from this fainting, but strictly forbade him from telling any\none what had occurred; but he, thinking it for the glory of God not\nto be obliged to obey in this instance, communicated the marvel to all\nthe others.\n\nA novice whom the holy Patriarch had received, and whom he was taking\nto the convent of the novitiate, wished to know what he did during the\nnight. In order to succeed, he tied his cord to that of the Father,\nwhom he saw asleep in the fields, in which they had been obliged to\nremain, and laid himself down near him, in order that he might be\nroused as soon as he should stir. A few hours afterwards, Francis\nwished to get up, but finding himself fastened by the cord, he untied\nthe knot, and went to pray under some neighboring trees. The novice,\nnot finding him when he awoke, went to seek him under the trees. A\ncelestial light caused him to draw near a spot, where he stopped, and\nfrom whence he saw Jesus Christ, surrounded by angels, His Blessed\nMother, and John the Baptist, who were in conversation with him. His\nastonishment made him fall on the ground, where he remained till\nFrancis, to whom God had imparted the circumstances, came and raised\nhim up, and restored him to his senses, forbidding him to speak of the\nvision. The young man, who continued to live very holily, kept the\nsecret; but, after Francis's death, he published what he had seen.\n\nGod chose that his Servant should be respected in the secret retirements\nto which he went to pray, and that he should not be disturbed at those\ntimes. The Bishop of Assisi knew this by his own experience. One day,\nwhen he had come to the Convent of Portiuncula, as he frequently did,\nhe wished to go at once into the cell where the Saint was at prayer;\nbut scarcely had he seen him in that attitude, when he was pushed back\nby an invisible hand, his body became stiff, and he was unable to\nspeak. Much astonished at this accident, he made his way back, as well\nas he could, to the other brethren; God restored his voice, and he\nmade use of it, to acknowledge that he had committed a fault. The\nCelestial Spouse, in the Canticles, conjures the daughters of Jerusalem,\n\"not to awaken her whom he loves, and not to disturb her repose until\nshe awakes of her own accord.\" St. Bernard, on this, says that such\nas are given to prayer should not be troubled about useless affairs,\nand that those who disturb them when they are conversing with God,\nbecome enemies of heaven.\n\nIn consequence of the knowledge which Francis had of the sweets and\nfruits of mental prayer, he constantly urged his brethren to practise\nit, and they profited so fully by his instructions, that most of them\nbecame spiritual and contemplative men. \"A religious,\" he said, \"must\nprincipally desire to acquire the spirit of prayer. I believe that,\nwithout this, peculiar favors cannot be obtained from God, nor any\ngreat progress made in His service. When one is sorrowful and uneasy,\nhe should have immediate recourse to prayer, and remain before his\nHeavenly Father, until such time as the joy of salvation is restored\nto him. If one remains in this state of depression and disturbance,\nthis disposition, which comes from Babylon, will increase, and produce\nrust, unless it be purified by tears.\"\n\nHe taught them to shun the tumult of the world, and to seek for solitary\nplaces in which to pray, because he knew that the Holy Ghost\ncommunicates Himself more intimately to souls in such places; but he\nrecommended them to be perfectly secret as to the favors they might\nreceive; his maxim being, that a slender human communication often\ncauses the loss of that which is of inestimable value, and has the\neffect of preventing the Lord from again communicating what He had\npreviously given; that when one is visited by God, he should say: \"It\nis Thou, O Lord! who hast sent me this consolation from Heaven,--to\nme who am a sinner, wholly unworthy of thy bounty. I commit it back\nto Thy keeping; for I feel myself capable of stealing Thy treasure\nfrom Thee;\" and when he returns from prayer, he should show as much\nhumility and self-contempt as if he had received no peculiar favor.\n\nAll the masters of spiritual life have had similar opinions of the\nvalue of mental prayer as this contemplative Saint, and they have\npointed out the necessity of it for advancing in the ways of virtue.\nSt. Teresa wrote so sublimely on this practice, that the Church prays\nto God that \"her Heavenly doctrine may be our nourishment.\" She declares\nthat she was near being lost, from having given it up, but that our\nLord had done her the signal favor to urge her to resume it; she exhorts\nall to apply themselves to it, even should they make but small progress\nin it, because it is always useful, and, if persevered in, will be\nattended with great benefit. This is what directors might represent\nto those who seriously wish to attend to their salvation, and to say\nto them, with the same saint, that \"mental prayer is nothing else but\nholding friendly intercourse with God, often remaining alone in\nconversation with Him, who, we know, loves us.\"\n\nThe practice of mental prayer no way diminished the zeal of St. Francis\nfor vocal prayer, which every Christian ought to resort to as he did.\nVocal prayer was practised and taught by Jesus Christ; the Church\nemploys it in her public worship. \"We require it,\" says St. Austin,\n\"to assist our memory and understanding, and to animate our fervor;\nfinally, God desires that we should offer to Him \"a sacrifice of\npraise,\" and that it shall be \"the fruits of our lips and hearts,\ngiving glory to His name,\" because our body and soul belong to Him.\nPiety had inspired the holy man to compose vocal prayers on various\nsubjects, which he often repeated, and some of which he recited daily.\nHe said the Lord's Prayer, with particular devotion, weighing all the\nwords, and meditating on the sense they contain, as is seen by the\nparaphrase of it he composed, and which we think it useful to insert\nat length:\n\n\"'Our Father,' most happy and most holy, our Creator, our Redeemer,\nand our Consoler. 'Who art in Heaven;' in the angels, in the saints,\nin the illuminated, in order that they may know Thee, who inflamest\nthem by Thy love; for, O Lord! Thou are the Light and the Love who\ndwellest in them, and Thou art their Beatitude by satiating them: Thou\nart the Sovereign and Eternal Good, from whom all good proceeds, and\nwithout Thee there is no other good. 'Hallowed be Thy name:' in order\nthus to make Thyself known to us by vivid lights, so that we may see\nthe full extent of Thy bounty, the duration of Thy promises, the\nsublimity of Thy majesty, and the depth of Thy judgment. 'Thy Kingdom\ncome:' in order that Thou mayest reign in us by grace, and that Thou\nmayest bring us to Thy Kingdom, where Thou art clearly and perfectly\nloved, where we become happy in Thy society, and where Thou art\neternally enjoyed. 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven:' in\norder that we may love Thee 'with our whole hearts,' thinking always\nof Thee 'with our whole soul,' ever longing for Thee, 'with all our\nmind,' referring to Thee all our views, seeking Thy glory in all things;\n'with all our strength,' employing in Thy service, for Thy love, all\nthe strength,' of our bodies and souls, without making any other use\nof them; that we may love our neighbor as ourselves, using all our\nefforts to draw them to Thy love; rejoicing in all the good that happens\nto them, as if it was our own; being grieved at any ills which may\nbefall them, and giving offence to none. 'Give us this day our daily\nbread:' it is Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ; we ask Thee for Him, in\norder to remind us of the love He has shown us, and of what He has\nsaid, done and endured for us; we ask Thee to make us fully comprehend\nthese things, and cause us to revere them. 'Forgive us our trespasses,'\nby Thy infinite mercy, by the passion of Thy beloved Son, our Lord\nJesus Christ, by the merits and intercession of the Blessed Virgin\nMary, and of all the elect. 'As we forgive them that trespass against\nus:' what may be not altogether remitted on our part, grant us the\nfavor, O Lord! to remit entirely, in order that, for love of Thee, we\nmay sincerely love our enemies, and may intercede for them fervently\nat Thy throne; that we may not render to any one evil for evil, and\nthat in Thee we may endeavor to do good to all. 'And lead us not into\ntemptation,' hidden, manifest, sudden, grievous. 'But deliver us from\nevil:', past, present, and to come. Amen: willingly and gratuitously\"\nThese two words show that he ardently desired what he prayed for; and\nthat it was purely for the glory of God, without any temporal interest.\n\nHe recited the Divine Offices with a devotion full of respect, and\nwith great fervor. St. Bonaventure says that, although he suffered\ngreatly from pains in his head, from his stomach, and from his liver,\nhe never leant while reciting it; that he stood during the whole time,\nwith his head uncovered, his eyes looking down. In travelling, he\nalways stopped to say it; however much it might rain, he never omitted\nthis pious practice, and he gave this reason for it: \"If the body\nrests, in order to take its food, which will, as well as himself, soon\nbecome the food of worms, with how much tranquillity ought the soul\nto take its spiritual nourishment, which is to cause it to live\neternally!\"\n\nThe verse, Gloria Patri, etc., made a lively impression on his heart;\nonce he repeated it in thankfulness to God for His bounty after each\nverse of the Magnificat, which Brother Leo was reciting, and he exhorts\nall to say it frequently. A lay brother, who was strongly tempted to\napply himself to study, having come to ask his permission, was told:\n\"My dear Brother, learn the Gloria Patri, and you will know the whole\nof the Holy Scriptures.\"--The brother obeyed, and had no further\ntemptation on that head.\n\nThe distractions which his lively imagination caused him during the\nholy exercises, appeared to him to be great faults, and he never failed\nto confess them, and to expiate them by penance, asserting that we\nought to be ashamed of being distracted by trifles when speaking to\nthe great King. Once during Tierce, the thought of a little vase which\nhe had made came into his head, and called off his attention; he\nimmediately went and took it, and threw it into the fire, saying: \"I\nwill sacrifice it to the Lord, whose sacrifice it has hindered.\" But\nhe acquired the habit of reciting the Office so attentively, that this\nsort of distractions seldom importuned him.\n\nHis application was equally strong and respectful in reciting the\npsalms, as if God had been present in a sensible manner; and he found\nso much sweetness in the name of God, that he seemed to have the taste\nof sweetness on his lips, after having pronounced it. Thus the Prophet\nsaid to the Lord: \"How sweet are thy words to my palate! more than\nhoney to my mouth.\" Francis had also an interior joy in pronouncing\nthe holy name of Jesus, which communicated itself to his exterior, and\nproduced on his senses a similar effect as if he had tasted something\nagreeable to his palate, or heard some harmonious sounds.\n\nHe desired that all the holy names should be peculiarly reverenced,\nnot only when people thought of them, or pronounced them, but whenever\nthey saw them written. This is the reason why, in his last will, he\nrecommends his brethren to pick them up should they find them scattered\nabout in unseemly places, and put them in a better locality, lest they\nshould be disrespectfully trampled upon. This must be considered not\nas a mere nicety of feeling, but as a sentiment inspired by faith,\nwhich teaches us to venerate the word of God. If a great bishop has\nthought it proper to compare the abuse of the sacred word, when it is\nannounced, to the profanation of the Body itself of Jesus Christ, may\nwe not, in the same spirit, say that he who permits that word to be\ntrampled upon when it is written, becomes in some measure as guilty\nas if he had allowed the Sacred Body of our Saviour to be treated with\nsimilar indignity?\n\nIt was the love of God which gave St. Francis so much zeal for mental\nprayer, as well as for that which is vocal. He sought his Beloved,\nfrom whom he was only separated by the wall of his flesh. To be present\nto Him in spirit, and to contemplate Him, were his sole consolations,\nand his anxiety to gain these was intense. But then the frequent\nexercise of prayer increased his love, and inflamed it to that degree,\nthat St. Bonaventure does not think it possible to find words to express\nit. This Divine charity penetrated his whole interior, as fire\npenetrates a burning coal. Only by hearing the term of the love of God\npronounced, he was moved and inflamed, and this movement made the\naffections of his soul thrill, as the strings of a musical instrument\nsound on being touched.\n\nTo incite himself more and more to the love of God, he made use of all\ncreatures, as of so many mirrors, in which he viewed the Supreme Reason,\nthe Sovereign Beauty, and the Principle of being and of life. They\nwere for him as so many steps by which he raised and united himself\nto the object of his love, as so many streamlets in which he tasted,\nwith inconceivable unction, the Infinite Purity of the source from\nwhence all that is good is derived; so many delightful strains whose\nharmony resounded on his ears, and which, as David in his psalms, he\ninvited to praise and glorify Him who had given them their being.\nWholly inflamed with love, he prayed to be enabled to love still more,\nand he addressed the following prayer to God, which is found among his\nworks: \"Grant, O Lord! that the mild vehemence of Thy ardent love may\nseparate me from everything which is under Heaven, and may consume me\nentirely, in order that I may die for the love of Thy love, since it\nwas for the love of my love that Thou didst deign to die. I solicit\nthis through Thyself, O Son of God! who livest and reignest with the\nFather and the Holy Ghost for ever and ever. Amen.\"\n\nAnd here is another, which he used to say every day: \"My God and my\nAll, who art Thou, O sweet Lord! and who am I, Thy servant, a miserable\nworm? I wish to love Thee, most holy Lord, I wish to love Thee. O God!\nI have consecrated to Thee my heart and my body. If I had the means\nof doing more for Thee, I would do it, and I ardently wish I had the\nmeans.\"\n\nThis poor Evangelical could not give more to God than his body and\nsoul. He continually offered the sacrifice of his body, by the rigor\nof his fasts, and that of his soul, by the vehemence of his desires;\n\"by which,\" says St. Bonaventure, \"he conformed in a spiritual manner\nto the practice of the Old Law, which was to offer holocausts out of\nthe tabernacle, and to burn incense within it.\"\n\nThe sacrifice of his desires went to a great extent. For the love of\nGod he had renounced all the things of this earth; he had stripped\nhimself of everything; he had embraced the severest poverty, and\npractised the most austere penitential life; he had devoted himself\nto the ministry of preaching, and to the establishment of his Order;\nhis life was but a course of labors and fatigue, but he reckoned all\nthat as nothing; he wished to do much more, to mortify himself more\nrigorously, to forward thereby the glory of God, because, according\nto the words of our Saviour, this is the greatest mark of love which\na friend can give to his friend. This was the motive of the ardent\ndesire he had to endure martyrdom, and of the three voyages he undertook\nin search of it; seeing that he could not succeed, he lowered his views\nto wishing for and soliciting grace to know what he could do, to testify\nhis love for God. The Lord granted his desire, favoring him with the\nimpression of His five wounds, which rendered him a living and, at the\nsame time, an expiring martyr; but it inflamed his heart to such a\ndegree, that then he wished to die for love, and to be absorbed in the\nlove of Him whom he loved.\n\nInflamed with divine love, he endeavored to spread the fire on all\nsides. He often made it the subject of his discourses, and it was\nusually the motive he employed to animate his brethren to the practice\nof virtue. When he proposed anything that was difficult to them, such\nas to go about soliciting alms, \"Go,\" he would say, \"and ask it for\nthe love of God.\" He found a noble prodigality in asking it for that\nmotive, and he thought those demented who preferred money to the love\nof God, the price of which is incalculable, and sufficient to purchase\nthe Kingdom of Heaven, and which the love of Him who has so loved us\nmust make infinitely dear to us. They were surprised one day to find\nthat he could bear the severity of winter in so miserable a habit as\nthat which he wore, and, full of fervor, he gave this reason, which\ncontains a very useful lesson; \"If we were inwardly inflamed with a\nlonging for our celestial country, we should easily bear exterior\ncold.\" It was his wish that a Friar Minor should love God with an\neffective, liberal, and generous love, which should enable him to\nsuffer calmly and joyfully pain and opprobrium for the object of his\nlove. This is what he said one day to Brother Leo, on the subject, in\na conversation which Leo himself has recorded at full length: \"If a\nFriar Minor had a clear and distinct knowledge of the course of the\nstars, and of all other things in the universe; if he possessed all\nthe sciences, all the languages, and a perfect knowledge of the Holy\nScriptures; and if he spoke with the tongues of angels, cast out devils,\nperformed all sorts of miracles, even that of raising one from the\ndead who had been four days in the tomb; if he had the gift of prophecy,\nand that of discerning the affections of the heart; if he preached to\nthe infidels with such success as to convert them all, and if he should\nedify the world by his sanctity, all that would not be to him the\nsubject of perfect and true joy.\"\n\nAfterwards, to show in what this true joy consisted, he proposed a\nsupposition, similar to one he had made on another subject, and very\nlike to the hypothesis of St. Paul: \"Who shall separate us from the\nlove of Jesus Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or\nnakedness, or persecution, or the sword?\" From which he concluded,\nthat all that there is in Heaven or on earth could not separate him\nfrom the love of God, which is grounded on Jesus Christ, our Lord.\n\n\"Suppose,\" said St. Francis, \"that we were to arrive at the Convent\nof St. Mary of the Angels very wet, covered with mud, perishing with\ncold, dying of hunger, and that the porter, instead of letting us in,\nwere to leave us at the gate in this pitiable state, saying angrily,\n'You are a couple of idle vagabonds, who stroll about the world, and\nreceive the alms which the real poor ought to get.' If we bear this\ntreatment with patience, without being discomposed, and without\nmurmuring; if even we think humbly and charitably that the porter knows\nus well for what we are, and that it is by God's leave that he behaves\nthus to us, mark this down as perfect joy.\"\n\n\"Suppose, moreover, that we continue to knock at the door, and that\nthe porter, considering us importunate, should come out and give us\nsome severe boxes on the ears, and say, 'Get along, scoundrels, go to\nthe hospital, there is nothing for you to eat here.' If we bear all\nthese things patiently, and we pardon him from our hearts, and with\ncharity, note, this would be a subject for perfect joy.\"\n\n\"Let us, in fine, suppose, that in this extremity the cold, hunger,\nand the night, compel us to entreat, with tears and cries to be allowed\nto enter the convent, and that the porter, in great irritation, darts\nout with a stick full of knobs, takes us by the cowl, throws us down\nin the snow, and beats us till we are quite covered with bruises:--if\nwe bear all this ill usage with joy, with the thought that we ought\nto participate in the sufferings of our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ,\nnote this, and note it carefully, that this is, for a Friar Minor, the\nsubject of a true and perfect joy.\"\n\n\"Now hear the conclusion of all this. Amongst all the gifts of the\nHoly Ghost, which Jesus Christ has granted and will grant to His\nservants, the most considerable is, that of conquering one's self, and\nof suffering pain and opprobrium for the love of God, in order to\nrespond to the love He has for us. In all the miraculous gifts which\nI have noticed, there is not one from which we may derive so much\nglory; we have no share in it, it is all from God; we only receive\nwhat He gives us, and, as St. Paul says, 'If thou hast received, why\ndost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?' But we have our\nshare in the tribulations which we suffer for the love of God, and we\nmay make it a subject of glory, as the same Apostle has said: 'God\nforbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.'\"\n\nSt. Francis was far from thinking that we may glory in our sufferings,\nas of a favor which we have not received, since he acknowledges that\nit is the greatest gift of the Holy Ghost, conformably to what St.\nPaul said to the Philippians: \"To you is given not only to believe in\nJesus Christ, but also to suffer for His sake;\" and to what is written\nof the Apostles: \"And they, indeed, went from the presence of the\ncouncil, rejoicing that they were accounted to suffer reproach for the\nname of Jesus.\" He only proposed to say that our sole cause of glory\nis, that God permits us to be associated to the Cross of Jesus Christ,\nin which alone we are glorified. Thus it is to God that he refers all\nthe glory of our sufferings, which indeed is His, since, without the\naid of His grace, we should not suffer as we ought, and without the\nCross of Jesus Christ we should have no merit. But he correctly says,\nand he speaks the true orthodox faith, when he adds, that we have a\nshare in the merit of what we suffer, and when he draws the distinction\nbetween that and miraculous gifts. St. Chrysostom has spoken in the\nsame manner, and says that our virtues are in so far the gifts of God,\nthat they are also merits of our will, for which God has been pleased\nto render Himself indebted to us, by the promise He has made to reward\nthem.\n\nThe mystery of the Incarnate Word, \"that great mystery of piety, which\nhas been manifested in the flesh,\" produced in the heart of St. Francis\nsentiments so pious and so tender, that they were observable exteriorly,\nby actions of extraordinary fervor, as we saw in the grand solemnity\nwhich he celebrated at Grecio on Christmas night. \"Consider,\" he says,\nin his letters, \"that the most high Father has sent from Heaven His\narchangel, St. Gabriel, to announce that His most worthy, holy, and\nglorious Word should descend into the womb of the most Blessed Virgin\nMary. And, in truth, He did so descend, and took from her true human\nflesh, passible and mortal, such as ours is: 'Being rich, He became\nof His own accord poor.' He chose, by preference, poverty in this world\nfor Himself and for His Blessed Mother. He gave Himself thus to us,\nin conformity to the will of His Father, to wipe away our sins on the\ncross, by the sacrifice of His Blood, and to leave an example for us\nto follow in His traces, for it is His wish that we should all be saved\nthrough Him; but there are few who desire the salvation He proffers\nthem, although His yoke is sweet, and His burden light.\"\n\nWhen he spoke of the incarnation and birth of the Son of God, it was\nwith affectionate devotion; he could not hear the words, \"the Word\nmade flesh,\" without manifesting great joy. The religious of a monastery\nwhere he was one day, remarked this emotion, and took occasion to ask\nhim if it was right to eat meat on Christmas-day, when it fell on a\nFriday, or if it was not better to abstain from it. \"Not only do I\nthink,\" he replied, \"that men may eat meat on this day, on which the\nWord was made flesh, but I wish that princes and rich persons would\nthrow meat and corn in the highways, in order that the birds and beasts\nof the field should rejoice, in their way, in the joys of so great a\nfestival; I wish, even, that some was placed on the walls, if they\ncould derive sweetness from it.\"\n\nWe see plainly that these are hyperbolical expressions, flowing from\nhis heart, by the emotions of his spiritual joy, by which he was\nactuated; but, in saying that men might eat meat on Christmas-day,\nalthough it fall on a Friday, he speaks in conformity with the usage\nof the Church, which, however, is a permission, and not a law. Pope\nHonorius III. pointed it out clearly to the Bishop of Prague, in\nBohemia, in the following rescript of the year 1222: \"We answer that,\nwhen the Feast of the Nativity of our Blessed Lord falls on a Friday,\nthose who are not under the obligation of abstinence by a vow, or by\na regular observance, may eat meat on that day, because of the\nexcellence of the festival, according to the custom of the universal\nChurch. Those, however, who abstain on that day, from devotion, are\nnot to be censured.\"\n\nSt. Francis was, moreover, much affected by the goodness of our Saviour,\nwho, after His baptism, went into the desert, and there fasted forty\ndays and forty nights, without eating anything during that time, for\nthe expiation of our sensuality, and to set us an example of fasting.\nHe honored this holy retreat by a fast of forty days, which he commenced\non the seventh day of January, and which he passed in some solitary\nplace, confined to his cell, keeping strict abstinence in fasting and\ndrinking, and employing himself solely in praising God and in prayer.\nIt was also during this Lent that he received the most signal favors\nfrom Jesus Christ.\n\nHis soul was penetrated with ardor for the mystery of the Sacred Body\nand Blood of our Lord. The work of so tender a love, and of such\ncondescending goodness, threw him into an excess of admiration, and\nput him quite beside himself. He communicated frequently, and with so\nmuch devotion, that it inspired others with similar feelings; they saw\nhim almost always, after having communicated, as if in a spiritual\nintoxication, and raised into ecstasy by the sweetness he tasted in\npartaking of the Body and Blood of the Lamb without spot. At Mass,\nwhen at the Elevation, he said this prayer: \"Celestial Father, my Lord\nand my God, cast Thine eyes on the glorious countenance of Thy Christ,\nand have pity on me and on other sinners, for whom Thy beloved Son,\nour Lord, has condescended to die, and who has chosen to remain with\nus in the Sacrament of the Altar, for our salvation and consolation:\nwho with Thee, eternal Father, and the Holy Ghost, sole God, liveth\nand reigneth to everlasting ages. Amen.\"\n\nThe profound veneration which is due to the august mystery of the\nEucharist, the solicitude which we ought to have to hear Mass, to\napproach to the sacred altar, and to prepare ourselves, in order\nworthily to communicate, were points on which he used to dilate in his\nconversations, in his instructions, and in his letters.\n\nThe life of the holy man has furnished many examples of the ardent and\nrespectful zeal which animated him in all that regarded churches or\naltars, or all the things which were used for the Sacrifice of the\nMass, and for the divine service. As he could not bear anything dirty\nor slovenly, in the country churches, he took the trouble of cleaning\neverything himself; and lest they should want altar breads for Masses,\nhe made them himself in iron forms, which were made in a very\nworkmanlike manner; he took them into the poor parishes: some of these\nmoulds are carefully preserved in the convent of Grecio.\n\nThe great love which he had for Jesus Christ, and for the sacrament\nwhich contains His Body, His Blood, His Soul, and His Divinity, inspired\nhim with a zeal and a tenderness of devotion to His Blessed Mother,\nwhich cannot be expressed, as St. Bonaventure remarks. He placed himself\nand his Order under the protection of this Blessed Mother of God, whom\nhe chose for his advocate; and in her, after Jesus Christ, his chief\nconfidence rested: \"for,\" said he, \"it is she who made this God of\nMajesty our brother; through her we have obtained mercy.\" He used, as\nwe have noticed, to keep a Lent of six weeks, in honor of her glorious\nAssumption; and he observed it with great sentiments of piety. These\nare the prayers and eulogiums he was in the habit of addressing to\nher:--\n\n\"Hail, Mary! Mother of God, ever a Virgin, most holy Lady and Queen,\nin whom is all the plenitude of grace and every sort of good. Amongst\nwomen there are none born like unto thee; thou art the daughter and\nthe handmaid of our celestial Father, the great King; and he has chosen\nthee for the Mother of His beloved Son. Thou art the Spouse of the\nHoly Ghost, the Comforter. Hail to thee, who art the palace, the temple,\nand the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ! I honor all the virtues with\nwhich thou art filled. Thou who art as mild as thou art beautiful,\nimplore thy very dear Son, conjure Him by His great clemency, by the\nvirtue of His most sacred incarnation and that of His most painful\ndeath, to pardon our faults. Amen.\"\n\nThe indissoluble ties of spiritual love, says the holy doctor whom we\nhave quoted, united Francis to the hierarchy of the angels, caused in\nhim marvellous fire which absorbs man in God, and influences the elect\nwith noble aims. The ardent zeal he had for the salvation of souls,\nattached him intimately to the Archangel St. Michael, because his\nemployment is to present man to the throne of the Divine Majesty. It\nwas to honor these blessed spirits, that he kept every year a Lent of\nforty days, before the Feast of St. Michael, adding to it a continual\nexercise of prayer. He had prescribed to himself another Lent, to\nprepare for the Festival of All Saints, who seemed to him to be,\naccording to the expression of Ezekiel, precious stones, glittering\nas fire, the memory alone of which excited him to a more fervent love\nof God. The great love which all the Apostles had for Jesus Christ,\nled him to revere them with peculiar devotion, particularly Saints\nPeter and Paul, in honor of whom he fasted from Whit-Sunday to their\nfeast.\n\nIt is useful to remark here that this great Saint, who was raised to\na sublime degree of prayer, did not neglect, nevertheless, the usual\npractices of piety with the rest of the faithful. This may serve as\na preservative against an illusion which might lead to the belief that\nthey are useless to the spiritual, and that those who are mystical,\nmay dispense with them, to devote themselves to contemplation. His\nheart was so full and so penetrated with that true and sincere piety,\nof which charity is the soul, that it seemed to have entire possession\nof him. It united him incessantly to God, to the friends of God, and\nto everything which was holy; but, as the Apostle says, \"prayer is\nprofitable to all things\"; it gave him a fund of all that was good,\na spirit of meekness, of condescension, and of zeal, to communicate\nwith his neighbor.\n\nAll men were dear to him, because he saw in them the same nature, the\nsame grace, the image of the Creator, and the Blood of the Redeemer.\nIf he had not taken care of the salvation of souls, which Jesus Christ\nhad redeemed, he would not have considered himself among the number\nof His friends. \"Nothing,\" he said, \"is preferable to the salvation\nof souls;\" and he gave several reasons for this, and principally this\none: that, for them, the Only Son of God had condescended to be nailed\nto the cross. It was also for them that he labored and lived; for them,\nin some measure, he called in question the justice of God in prayer,\nand powerfully solicited His mercy; for them he frequently forewent\nthe sweets of a contemplative life; he undertook journeys, he preached\neverywhere, he exposed Himself to martyrdom, and their edification was\none of his motives in the practice of virtue. Although his innocent\nflesh, already perfectly under the control of the spirit, did not\nrequire to be chastised for any faults, he, nevertheless, mortified\nit in various ways for the edification of his neighbor. When he was\ncensured for his too great austerities, he replied:--\"I am sent to\ngive this example; if I had not the charity to give it, I should be\nof little use to others, and of none to myself, although I spoke all\nthe languages known to men and angels.\"\n\nSeeing that a multitude of persons, stimulated by his example, fervently\nembraced the Cross of Christ, he became animated with fresh courage\nto put himself at the head of these pious troops, as a valiant captain,\nin order to gain with them a victory over the devil, by the practice\nof perfect and invincible virtue.\n\nThe sanctity of his life gave him great freedom in his manner of\npreaching. He spoke fearlessly, without any apprehension of what critics\nmight say, because he had acted before teaching, and he felt and had\nexperienced all he said. The zealous preacher knew not how to flatter.\nFar from sparing sinners by complacence, he reproached their vices in\nforcible language, and attacked their disorderly conduct with great\nvehemence. The presence of the great of the world did not intimidate\nhim; he spoke to them as plainly and forcibly as he had done to the\ncommon people; and, as all souls were equally dear to him, he preached\nas willingly, and with as much zest, to a few people, as to a crowded\nauditory.\n\nThe tender love which St. Francis bore for souls redeemed by the Blood\nof Jesus Christ, rendered him very sensible to their misfortunes. When\nhe knew of any one stained by the filth of sin, he lamented over it\nwith deep grief. His charity, fertile in expedients, inspired him\nsometimes to give to wicked persons temporal assistance, with a view\nof getting them to return to the ways of salvation. One day, when he\nwas at the Convent of Mount Casal, Brother Angelo, who was the guardian\nof it, told him that there were in the neighborhood three notorious\nrobbers, who injured considerably the farmers of the vicinity, and\ndaily came and extorted from them the bread which was destined for the\nconvent, without their being able to prevent it. \"Brother,\" he replied,\n\"if you will do what I will point out to you, my confidence in God\ntells me that you will reform these men, and gain their souls. Go and\nseek them out: although they are robbers, they are still our brothers.\nTake them the best bread you have, and some wine, spread a cloth on\nthe ground, and invite them to eat with you; while they are eating,\nspeak to them of holy things, in an insinuating manner, both yourself\nand your companion; humbly entreat them to injure no one any more. If\nthey promise you this, return to them the next day, and take them\nsomething to eat, with bread and wine as before, and tell them that\nyou bring that, as to brethren and friends, who have granted you what\nyou asked of them. If you do this a third time, do not doubt but God\nwill enlighten them, and touch their hearts, and bring them into the\nright way.\"\n\nBrother Angelo followed this advice, and gained over the robbers so\ncompletely, that they gave up their lives of plunderers, and began to\nrender service to the convent, supplying them with fire-wood, which\nthey carried to them on their shoulders. Their conversion was complete:\none of them entered the Order, and the other two went elsewhere to\nembrace a penitential life. The guardian used similar means for\nconverting three other robbers, who retired into the recesses of the\nmountain, after having induced the Saint to pray for them. All three\nafterwards entered the Order of Friars Minor and lived holy lives.\n\nThe affection which our Saint had always shown for the poor from his\ninfancy, during the first years of his youth, and at the beginning of\nhis conversion, became stronger and stronger, and was manifested on\nall occasions. St. Bonaventure says that he spared nothing to come to\ntheir assistance. Cloaks, tunics, books, the ornaments of the Church,\nall that he had he gave to them. Many times he has been seen taking\nthe burdens from the poor he met on the road, and bear them on his own\nweak shoulders. When he returned from begging, he shared what he had\nreceived with any that solicited alms at his hands; and as long as\nanything remained, he never refused any one.\n\nAt Sienna, a small cloak had been given to him, which was very necessary\nfor his infirmities; but, in leaving the town, he met a poor person,\nwhose wretched state excited his pity, and he said to his companion:\n\"Let us restore this cloak to him, for it belongs to him; we have only\nborrowed it, until such time as we should see some one poorer than\nourselves.\" The companion, knowing that Francis really required it,\nendeavored to prevent his parting with it, but the father made him\nthis answer: \"If I did not give this cloak to a poor man, who had more\nneed of it than I have, I should think I had committed a theft, which\nI should be convicted of by our Sovereign Lord, who is the universal\nalmoner.\" It was for this reason that, when anything was given him,\nhe asked leave to give it away, if he should meet with any one poorer\nthan himself.\n\nOn the same principle, notwithstanding his infirmities, when he was\nat the convent at Celles, he gave another cloak, which he had received\nin charity, to a poor woman. One of the brothers having taken it back,\npromising to give the woman something else instead, the Saint said\nimmediately:--\"My brother, kneel down and acknowledge your fault; give\nthe cloak back to the woman: she is poorer than I am.\" His companions\ngot him another, and he gave it again to a man of Cortona, who came\nto solicit alms for the love of God, at the same convent at Celles.\nHe told Francis that his wife was dead, that he had several little\nchildren, and that he had no food for them: \"I give you this cloak,\"\nsaid the Saint, \"on this condition, that, if you are asked to give it\nback, you do no such thing, unless you receive its full value.\" The\nbrethren, indeed, did all they could to induce him to give it back:\nthey told him there was no one poorer than the person who had given\nit to him, or who wanted it more on account of his bad health and the\nrigor of the season. But the man, referring to what his benefactor had\nsaid, answered that the cloak was his, and that he would not part with\nit, unless he received its full value. In order, therefore, to have\nit returned, they were under the necessity of taking him to a friend\nwho gave him in money what the cloak was considered to be worth.\n\nA very old woman, the mother of two of the Friars Minor, having come\nto the Convent of St. Mary of the Angels to ask for charity, Francis\ntold the guardian to give her something; and he having said that there\nwas not anything then in the convent which could be given, unless it\nwas a book of the Gospel which the brethren read out of, when they\nwere in the choir the Father said:--\"Give it that the poor woman may\nsell it to provide for her necessities. I believe that this will be\nmore agreeable to God, than reading out of it. What is it that a mother\nhas not a right to require from us, who has given two of her sons to\nthe religious?\"\n\nAnother time, a poor man came to ask for an old habit. Francis desired\nthem to look about well for one that was not used. As such an one was\nnot to be found, he stole aside and began to unpick some breadths of\nhis own, in order to give them to the man; the guardian, being informed\nof this, came down hastily and forbade his taking them out: \"I will\nobey you, because you are my superior, but give this poor man something\nto cover himself with; otherwise I shall have a scruple, and shall be\ngrieved to be obliged to wear an entire habit which is lined, to keep\nme warm, while this poor man is shivering with cold at the gate.\" He\nwent to the poor man to console him, and did not leave him until the\nguardian had given him something wherewith to clothe himself; and this\nalms was no less comforting to his charitable feelings, than the\nclothing was to the misery of the poor man. By a similar impulse of\ncharity, and in order to prevent curses against God, he gave his cloak\nto a servant who complained of the great injury his master had done\nhim, cursing him and blaspheming Providence for allowing the poor to\nbe so ill used. He gave him his cloak on the condition that he would\nleave off cursing and blaspheming.\n\nThe physician who saw the saint in his illness, near Rieti, having one\nday mentioned the extreme poverty of an old woman who was begging, he\nsent for the guardian and said: \"Here is a cloak which I have worn\nuntil such time as some one should be found who has a greater right\nto it than I have; I beg you to send it, with some of the bread which\nhas been received on the quest, by one of the brethren, to our sister,\nwho is very poor, and let him say that we only give her what belongs\nto her. I conceive that what is given to us can only be ours until\nsuch time as some one shall come forward, who is more in want of it\nthan we are.\" Not to vex the holy man, the commission was faithfully\nexecuted.\n\nThe blessed Patriarch wished that such of his children who had not\nstudied, and had no talent for preaching, should be employed in serving\ntheir brethren, and should frequent the hospitals, there to render the\nmeanest offices to the lepers, with humility and charity.\n\nBrother James the Simple, who came from Perugia, was greatly\ndistinguished by his zeal in this charitable exercise, insomuch that\nthey gave him the name of the steward and physician of the lepers.\nFrancis recommended one to him, whose body was a mass of sores, from\nhis head to his feet. James took such care of him, that, by degrees,\nhe regained his strength; and, thinking fresh air would contribute to\nhis restoration, he took him with him, although still full of ulcers,\nto the Convent of Saint Mary of the Angels. This appeared to the Saint,\nwho met him, to have been very indiscreet, and he said to Brother\nJames: \"You should not lead about, in this manner, the Christian\nBrothers; it is neither proper in you, nor good for them. I wish you\nto serve them in their hospital, but I do not wish you to take them\nout of it, for there are many persons who cannot bear the sight of\nthem.\" The leper was distressed at hearing his benefactor thus\nreprimanded, and he blushed for shame. Francis, perceiving him to have\nbeen mortified, threw himself immediately at his feet, and begged his\npardon, and, in order to console him, he ate at the door of the convent,\nout of the same plate with the leper, after which he embraced and\nkissed him, and dismissed him satisfied.\n\nThere was in the hospital a leper who was so impatient and so violent,\nthat he abused and struck the Friars Minor who served him, and even\nwent so far as to blaspheme God. They reported this to their Father,\nwho offered himself to the sick man, to wait upon him: \"What can you\ndo for me more than your companions have done?\" replied the invalid.\n\"Ever since I have had this insupportable disorder, God has forgotten\nme. I am in despair, I can live no longer; no one can mitigate my\nsufferings; neither you nor any one else.\" Francis, seeing that he was\nagitated by the evil spirit, left him for a while, prayed for him, and\nreturned to exhort him by the most urgent motives, to be patient. As\nhe saw that the man became calmer, he asked him what might seem most\nagreeable to him; what he should do for him. He said that he should\nnow wash his whole body, that he could no longer endure the stench of\nthe infection. The saint quickly got some water warmed, into which he\nput aromatic herbs, and began to wash him himself, while his companion\npoured out the water. As he washed, his cure advanced, and, at the\nsame time, the grace of God made such impression on the mind of the\npatient, that, as the water flowed from his body, the tears flowed\nfrom his eyes. The washing having terminated, the leper being perfectly\ncleansed and converted, publicly confessed his sins, asked for mercy,\nand went through a rigorous course of penance. He died a few months\nafterwards, and appeared to the Saint, thanking him that, by his means,\nafter a light punishment in purgatory, he was about to enjoy eternal\nglory.\n\nGod performed a different miracle on another occasion, to justify the\ncharity of His Servant to the poor. At Alexandria de la Paille, a town\nof the Milanese, where he was received as a Saint, he was invited to\ndinner by a wealthy and pious man. While he was at table, a man of bad\ncharacter, who was, however, jealous of Francis's reputation, watched\nall his actions, in order to decry and criticise them: this man\ncounterfeited a beggar at the door, and solicited an alms for the love\nof God. As soon as Francis heard the appeal for the love of God, he\nsent him the wing of a fowl, to which he had been just helped. The\nsham beggar, to whom it was taken, kept it. The next day he produced\nit, in a large concourse of people, where the Saint was preaching,\nand, interrupting the discourse, he said in a loud voice: \"This is the\nfood on which the preacher feeds: should such a man be honored as a\nsaint?\" His malice received a signal check; the wing of the fowl which\nhe exhibited, appeared to the bystanders to be fish, and he was thought\nto have lost his wits. He himself perceiving that what he held up was\nnothing but fish, was ashamed of what he had said, was touched with\nremorse, and published himself what had happened. After which, one\nmiracle succeeded another; it was found that what had appeared to be\nfish, was in reality flesh. Thus did the Lord vindicate the virtue of\nHis Servant, punish envy, and convert the envious. The malignity of\nenvy often finds its punishment in the artifices it employs to injure\npersons of virtue, but it is very unusual for the envious to be so\nconverted.\n\nSt. Bonaventure says that St. Francis felt a most tender compassion\nfor all who suffered from temporal ills; that, indeed, he had naturally\na feeling heart, but that the goodness of the heart of Jesus Christ,\ncommunicating itself to his, rendered it still more compassionate. He\nwas the more sensible of the afflictions of others, as in all the poor,\nand in all those who suffered, he represented to himself his Divine\nMaster, poor and suffering; in which, continues the holy doctor, he\nwho was himself poor, showed that he was so as a perfect Christian.\n\nWhen he had it not in his power to alleviate the sufferings of those\nin indigence or sickness, he endeavored, at least by soothing words,\nto assuage their feelings. One day, when he was about to preach, he\nwas entreated by a poor and infirm man to recommend him to the auditors.\nHis compassion was excited, and, with tears in his eyes, he said to\nhis companion that he felt the man's ills as if they were his own. His\ncompanion answered the man rather drily, who was importunate in asking\nfor alms, and in order to moderate the feelings of the Saint, he said:\n\"If we judged by exteriors, this man is apparently in great misery;\nbut, if we could penetrate his interior, we should, perhaps, find that\nin the whole province there is not an individual richer in wishes, or\nmore eaten up with pride: such characters are frequently found among\nbeggars.\" Francis censured him severely for having repulsed the poor\nman, and for judging him with so much asperity, and pointed out to him\nthat in this he offended God. The religious acknowledged his error,\nand asked pardon on his knees. \"I shall not pardon you,\" said Francis,\n\"unless you take off your habit, prostrate yourself before the poor\nman, acknowledge your fault, entreat him to pardon you, and to pray\nfor you.\" The humble penitent did immediately all that he had been\ndesired to do, after which Francis embraced him, and said, with great\nmildness: \"My son, it is not so much against the poor man that you\nhave sinned, as against Jesus Christ, for He is in all the poor: they\nare so many mirrors, in which He represents to us His own poverty, and\nthat of His Blessed Mother. Therefore, as often as you see the poor\nand the sick, respect them, and humble yourself in their presence;\nconsider, with sentiments of piety, that the Son of God made Himself\npoor for our sakes, and condescended to take upon Himself our\ninfirmities.\"\n\nIf we cherish these Christianlike views, we should not judge so harshly\nof the poor, of whom it is no less faulty to judge, than of the rich;\nand in their poverty we should find as powerful motives for loving\nJesus Christ, as for affording the succor they require.\n\nThe heart of St. Francis was naturally so kind and so tender, that he\nfelt an affection for creatures, but it was from a profound sentiment\nof piety that he called them his brothers and his sisters. Going back\nto the origin of things, St. Bonaventure says that he considered all\nthat had being as having emanated from the bosom of the Divinity, and\nhe acknowledged that they had the same principle as himself. In fact,\nthe creation established amongst them a sort of fraternity: God being\nthe parent of all nature, it is not to be denied that, in this sense,\neverything which composes it is brotherly. And who can censure a man\nwho is wholly religious, for expressing himself in a manner which is\ngrounded on the first principles of religion? This trait shows both\nthe elevation of his mind, and the piety of his heart; heretics alone\ncan blame it.\n\nAmong animals, those he preferred were such as reminded him of the\nmildness of Jesus Christ, or were the symbol of some particular virtue,\nor which gave rise to some edifying reflections; and God has sometimes\nshown by miracles, how much the motive of these feelings was pleasing\nto Him. Lambs were peculiarly agreeable to the holy man, in memory of\nthe meek Lamb who permitted Himself to be led to the slaughter, for\nthe redemption of sinners; he frequently had them purchased, to prevent\ntheir being killed.\n\nWhile he was staying at the Monastery of St. Vereconda, which is in\nthe Diocese of Gubbio, he found that on the previous night a sow had\nkilled with its teeth a lamb, which had just been born. The Lamb without\nspot, whom sinners put to death, flashed immediately upon his\nrecollection, and the pity this excited in him, caused him to lament\nsorely the death of the little animal, which was a symbol of meekness;\nto curse the cruel beast which had killed it, and to wish that neither\nman nor beast might eat of its flesh. The sow was at that moment struck\nwith a disease, of which it died in three days. It was thrown into a\nravine, not far distant from the monastery, and no animal ventured to\ntouch it: it became dry and hard as a piece of wood. St. Bonaventure\nremarks, on this occasion, that if God was pleased to punish with death\nthe cruelty of a beast, how infinitely more severe must not the\npunishment of cruel and pitiless men be in the other world.\n\nA lad went to Sienna to sell some turtle-doves, which he had taken\nalive. Francis met him on his way, and said: \"These are innocent birds,\nwhich are compared in Scripture to chaste and faithful souls I beg you\nearnestly not to put them into the hands of persons who would kill\nthem, but to confide them to me.\" They were given to him, and he put\nthem immediately into his bosom; he spoke to them as if they were\ncapable of reasoning, not only by that natural impulse which induces\nus constantly to speak to animals, when we caress them, but also by\nan impression of the spirit of God. He told them of a great miracle,\npromising to prepare a nest for them, where they might increase and\nmultiply, according to the intention of their Creator. Having taken\nthem to his Convent of Ravacciano, near the walls of Sienna, he forced\nhis stick into the ground before the gate, and the stick became, by\nthe following day, a large evergreen oak. He let the turtle-doves fly\ninto it, desiring them to make their nests there, which they did for\nmany succeeding years; and they were so familiar with the religious,\nthat they came to feed from their hands. Wading says that the tree was\nstill there at his time and that many saw it.\n\nNor did the young man go unrewarded. Francis told him that he would\nbecome a religious of his Order, and that he would acquire eternal\nglory: he did, in fact, enter the Order, and lived so holily as to\nearn Heaven. The miracle was the cause of his vocation, and at the\nsame time sanctioned the affection the Saint showed these birds: he\nonly loved God through the affection he showed to His creatures. So\nalso, St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, according to the testimony of St.\nGregory of Nyssa, having planted his stick in a spot where a river was\nbreaking down the dyke and doing damage through the country, the Lord\nchanged it suddenly into a large tree, which checked the flood entirely,\nand served to honor the faith of his Servant, and incite the infidels\nto believe in Jesus Christ.\n\nThe Divine love which inflamed the heart of St. Francis, made everything\nappear amiable to him which could tend to the love and service of God.\nFor this reason he was fond of birds, whose carol seemed to invite\nmankind to publish the glory of their Creator, for, according to the\nwords of Jesus Christ, \"neither do they sow nor reap, nor gather into\nbarns: yet their Heavenly Father feeds them.\" It was gratifying to him\nto remark the gray and ash color of larks, the color he had chosen for\nhis Order, so that the minors might often think on death. He also loved\nto admire the disposition of the plumage of such as were crested, which\nseemed to him to have some relation to the simplicity of his habit.\nOn the lark rising into the air, and singing as soon as it has taken\nsome grains of corn for its nourishment, he remarked with sensible\npleasure that this example ought to teach us to give thanks to our\ncommon Father, who gives us wherewithal for our sustenance, only to eat\nfor His glory, to despise the earth, and to raise ourselves up to\nHeaven, where our conversation ought to be. He was more fond of these\nsmall birds than of any others, because they induced holy thoughts,\nand he took as much care of them as he could.\n\nAs he had noble and spiritual motives for his simplest and most common\nactions, God made use of this for the instruction of men by the example\nof a bird. Near the Convent of Mount Ranier, or Mount Colombo, there\nwas a nest of crested larks, the mother of which came every day to\nfeed out of the hand of the Servant of God and took sufficient for\nherself and her brood: when they began to be strong, she brought the\nlittle ones to him. He perceived that the strongest of the brood pecked\nthe others, and prevented them from taking up the grain. This displeased\nhim, and addressing himself to the little bird as if it could understand\nhim, \"Cruel and insatiable little animal,\" he said, \"you will die\nmiserably, and the greediest animals will not be willing to eat your\nflesh,\" In fact, some days afterwards, it was drowned in a basin, which\nwas placed for them to drink out of. It was given to the cats and dogs,\nto see if they would eat it; but neither would touch it. It may be\nthought that so trifling an anecdote was not worth recording, but there\nis nothing trifling in the moral it contains. It is a natural\nrepresentation of those greedy and insatiable men who devour the\nsubstance of their brethren, and envy them all that they cannot despoil\nthem of; enemies of mankind, unworthy of the name of men, thieves,\nruffians, ravaging wolves, as they are designated in Scripture, whose\nvoracity, say the Holy Fathers, surpasses that of wild beasts; whose\nlife is a public calamity; hated and detested by all, during their\nlives, they die as they have lived, and their memory is held in\nexecration.\n\nThe tender-heartedness which Francis evinced for animals has been\nridiculed by heretics. Nevertheless, the Holy Ghost tells us, by the\nmouth of Wisdom, that \"the just man regardeth the lives of his beasts.\"\nThe Patriarch Jacob excused himself from following his brother Esau,\nbecause his ewes and cows were heavy, and he was fearful he should\nkill them if he hurried them. When St. Paul said, \"Doth God take care\nof oxen?\" he only wished to insinuate that God is far more interested\nin what regards men.\n\nIn this view St. Chrysostom, commenting on the words of Wisdom, which\nwe have just quoted, says that the saints are tender-hearted; that\nthey love all men, strangers as well as their own countrymen and their\nown families, and that their good feelings are extended to senseless\nanimals.\n\nSulpicius Severus relates of St. Martin, that, seeing some hounds\npursuing a hare, which they were on the point of catching, he ordered\nthem to stop; he had no sooner spoken, than the hounds became immovable\non the spot where they were, and they did not stir till the hare was\nplaced in safety.\n\nAn author of the life of St. Bernard, who had been his secretary, says\nthat not only men, but irrational animals, even birds, and other beasts,\nfelt the effects of his tenderness. He adds that the Saint, in one of\nhis journeys, coming close to a hare, which the dogs were about to\ncatch, and where a bird was nearly seized in the talons of a hawk,\ndelivered them both miraculously by the sign of the cross, and then\ntold the sportsmen that all their efforts would be useless for taking\nthis prey.\n\nIf it had been thought proper not to omit in his life, and in that of\nSt. Martin also, these anecdotes of the goodness of their hearts, which\nwere enhanced by supernatural evidence, and of which God approved by\nHis wisdom and His power, what right can critics have to censure\nprecisely similar circumstances in the life of St. Francis?\n\nThe glorious Patriarch, who praised God in the minutest things, procured\nhis glory in the greatest. His principal care was to lead his brethren\nto perfection; to render them worthy imitators of Jesus crucified,\ncapable of exciting His love in all hearts. It would be difficult to\npoint out the founder of an order who had spoken more, taught more,\nor exhorted more, than St. Francis; and it may have been noticed that\nhe instructed his disciples in the most solid and eminent virtues. He\nrecommended them to put the Gospel in practice, as they had promised\nto do in making profession of the rule; to adore profoundly and with\ngreat devotion the Body of Jesus Christ; to hear Mass most devoutly;\nto celebrate the Divine Office with attention; carefully to keep all\nthe ordinances of the Church; to have the greatest veneration for all\npriests, humbly to bow in their presence, and to kiss their hands. He\neven said that, if it could be done, they ought to kiss the feet of\nthe horses on which they rode, to honor the power which they have of\nconsecrating and administering the Divine mysteries.\n\nWhen abroad, it was his desire that his religious should appear with\nso much modesty, reserve, and circumspection, that every one might be\nedified thereby, and glorify God therein. \"Do not despise the men of\nthe world,\" he said, \"and judge not ill of them. You are not to judge\nother persons' servants, who are not yours; whether they stand or fall,\nit is not your affair, but that of their masters. Have peace in your\nown mind, make it known to others, inspire it to all; labor for the\nconversion of sinners, for that is your vocation.\"\n\nAttentive to the regulation of the interior, he incessantly exhorted\nthem to correct the smallest defects; to exercise themselves in the\npractice of holy prayer, to meditate on the Passion of our Blessed\nSaviour, and to use all their efforts to preserve union and fraternal\nlove. \"Happy,\" said he, \"is the man who loves his brother when absent,\nas well as when they are together, and who would not say in his absence\nwhat charity would prevent his saying in his presence.\"\n\nIn the view of rendering his brethren more perfect, he frequently\ncounteracted the bent of their devotion. Brother Masse was a very\nspiritual man, who was much attached to prayer. Francis, in order to\ntry him, said to him one day, in presence of the others: \"Brother,\nthese have received from God a greater gift of contemplation than you\nhave. For which reason, in order to give them more time to give\nthemselves very freely to it, it seems proper that you, who seem more\ncalculated for exterior duties, should have the care of the door and\nof the kitchen, and, if there is any time over, you will employ it in\nquesting. Take great care that the strangers who may call, do not\ninterrupt your brethren in their meditations. As soon as they may knock\nat the door, be there ready to receive them, satisfy them with fair\nwords, and do everything which the others would have done, so that it\nshall not be necessary for any of them to make their appearance. Go\nin peace, and fail not in doing all these things, in order to have the\nmerit of obedience.\"\n\nMasse, bowing his head, submitted to the order of his superior, without\nhesitation or murmur, and, during several days, he acquitted himself\nfaithfully of what had been directed. His companions, who knew his\nvirtue, and the love he had for prayer, had scruples at seeing him in\nthese employments, and begged their father to permit them to share\nthese duties with him. He assented, and, sending for Masse, said to\nhim: \"Brother, your companions wish to relieve and assist you, and I\nalso wish that they may have a share in the labors.\" To which Mass\nreplied, \"Father, I consider as coming from God whatever duties you\ndirect, whether it be my work or prayer.\" St. Francis, seeing the charity\non the one part, and the humility on the other, gave them an exhortation\non these two virtues, and distributed the duties among them, with his\nblessing.\n\nWhat he had ardently desired for himself, and what he was rejoiced to\nsee some of his brethren look forward to most anxiously, was the\nperfection which consists in suffering martyrdom: in shedding one's\nblood for the faith. As he could not obtain this favor, and as it was\nonly granted to a few of his brethren during his lifetime, he\nendeavored to make up for it by another species of martyrdom, which,\nas St. Bernard says, is indeed less cruel than the first, but is\nrendered more bitter by its duration. It is the martyrdom of\nmortification, and principally that of voluntary poverty. In fact,\nthis poverty, as he compelled its observance, not only placed him and\nhis brethren in the most humiliating situation in the eyes of the\nworld, but deprived them, moreover, of all the comforts and conveniences\nof life; exposed them to hunger, thirst, want of clothing, and various\nother annoying discomforts. All this, however, was not, in his view,\nthe consummation of this description of martyrdom. It was still further\nrequisite to suffer patiently, in time of pain and sickness, the want\nof assistance, which poverty cannot command, to see the disease\nincrease, and death about to follow, from want of necessary succor.\n\nHis charity had taken all possible precaution for procuring assistance\nto the sick of his Order. He had directed that, if any of the brethren\nfell sick, the others should attend upon them, as they would wish to\nbe themselves waited upon in like circumstances, and with more affection\nthan a mother has for a beloved son. Notwithstanding the great aversion\nhe had to money, he required that the superiors should make application\nto their spiritual friends, to induce them to give coins, in order to\nassist the brethren in their sickness. But, as he foresaw that this\nmeasure might not always be successful, and that poverty in such a\ncase would put it out of the power of the superiors to procure what\nwas absolutely necessary for the sick, he pointed out to the brethren\nwhat perfection called upon them to do:\n\n\"If one of the brethren, in health or in sickness, finds himself unable,\nthrough poverty, to procure what his absolute necessities require,\nprovided he has humbly applied to his superior for them for the love\nof God, let him bear with the privation, for the love of Jesus Christ,\nwho sought for consolation, but found none. It is a suffering which,\nwill be in His sight a substitute for martyrdom; if this should even\nincrease his disease, he must not fear being guilty of suicide, for\nhe has done all he ought to have done, by applying humbly to his\nsuperiors.\" The maxim is well grounded. St. Chrysostom maintains, that\nto suffer generously the loss of all goods, as did holy Job, is a\nspecies of martyrdom. St. Bernard says the same thing of voluntary\npoverty, and remarks that, in the Beatitudes, a similar reward is\npromised to the poor and to martyrs. On those principles, is not a\nFriar Minor to be looked upon as a martyr, who, having embraced the\nstrictest poverty, for the love of Jesus Christ, would, rather than\ncontravene it, endure with patience every evil, and even death, and\nwould generously make to God the sacrifice of his health and of his\nlife, in order to practise this virtue to his last breath? St. Augustine\naffirms that a Christian suffers martyrdom in his bed, when he declines\nprocuring his cure by forbidden means: thus, a sick Friar Minor, who\nhas not the necessary assistance, brought about by his having embraced\npoverty, according to the Evangelical counsel, is a martyr to poverty.\nEven supposing that it was less owing to poverty, than to the neglect\nor harshness of his superior, that he was without assistance, he would\nequally have gained the crown promised to this description of martyrdom,\nsince it would be as an Evangelical pauper that he would suffer and\ndie. But woe to that superior who should procure him such a crown! He\nwould be like to those who have made so many martyrs in the persecution\nof the Church.\n\nWhen St. Francis learnt that his brethren, by the sanctity of their\nlives, and by the efficacy of their preaching, brought back numbers\nof sinners into the paths of truth, and enkindled in their breasts the\nlove of God, he said that such intelligence was to him as most pleasing\nodors and precious perfumes, by which he was wholly embalmed; and, in\nhis spiritual joy, he loaded these holy and edifying religious with\nthe most ample benedictions. On the other hand, he fulminated dreadful\nmaledictions against such as dishonored religion by their conduct.\n\"Most holy Lord,\" he would say, \"may those who overthrow and destroy\nby their bad example what Thou incessantly raisest up by the saintly\nbrethren of the Order, be accursed by Thee and by the whole celestial\nchoir, and also by me, Thy little servant.\"\n\nAny scandal given to little ones gave him so much affliction and\nheartsore, that he often might have died of it, if God had not supported\nhim by interior consolations. One day, when he was suffering extreme\ngrief on a subject of this nature, and was praying the Father of Mercies\nfor his children, St. Bonaventure informs us that he received the\nfollowing answer: \"Poor little man, why do you disquiet yourself?\nBecause I have appointed you the pastor of this religion which I have\nestablished, are you unmindful that I am its principal protector? I\ngave you the direction of it, to you who are a simple man, in order\nthat what I should do through you might be attributed, not to human\nindustry, but to my favor. It is I who called those who have entered\nit; I will preserve them, and provide for their wants; I will substitute\nothers for those who will die off; I will cause some to be born, in\norder to come into it; and whatever may occur to shake this religion,\nwhich is founded on strict poverty. I will assist by My grace, that\nit shall be always upheld.\" Up to this day, the world has seen the\nverification of this prophecy. The Order of Friars Minor has been\npowerfully attacked, and has still many enemies; nevertheless, it still\nsubsists.\n\nTo animate his brethren to perfection, he employed example, rather\nthan precept. When he imposed punishments, if they appeared to him to\nbe very severe, he took them also on himself. Having sent Brother\nRuffinus to preach at Assisi without his hood, because he had sought\nto be excused from preaching, he reflected on the severity of this\norder, and went himself to the church where Ruffinus was preaching.\nThe latter having left the pulpit to give it up to Francis, he began\nhis discourse, and instilled into his audience so much compunction,\nthat it was evident that God had blessed the obedience of the disciple\nand the example of the master.\n\nThis admirable preceptor taught no virtues which he did not himself\npractise in an eminent degree; and as those which are exterior make\nthe greatest impression, he practised extreme austerity, in order that\nthe others should imitate him. Having noticed, on a certain occasion,\nthat some of his brethren had relaxed from the extreme poverty of their\nnourishment, he thus slyly reprimanded them: \"My brethren may well\nbelieve that, with so infirm a body as mine is, I require better\nnourishment than what I get, but I am obliged to be their model in\neverything; for which reason I propose to give up every alleviation,\nand to cast aside, with disgust, everything resembling delicacy; to\nbe satisfied with little in everything; to make use of those things\nonly which are the commonest, vilest, and most conformable to strict\npoverty.\"\n\nBeing in a hermitage in some mountains, in mid-winter, when the weather\nwas rigorously cold and severe, his companions prepared a habit for\nhim, in which they lined the breast, to make it somewhat warmer for\nhim, but he made them take this out, saying: \"I am placed here to give\nexample to others; my life must be their rule. I know that there is\nno harm in wearing a warmer habit in the state I am in, but I see many\nof our brethren who require it as much as I do, and who could not get\nit. I must therefore bear this poverty with them, and not differ from\nthem in anything, lest it should be thought that I take greater care\nof myself than of the others. They will more willingly bear the\nprivation of these wants, when they shall see that I voluntarily go\nwithout aid.\" His three companions, the writers of his life, observed\nthat he refused his body the most lawful indulgence, in order that his\nchildren should be ashamed of taking those which were less so; and\nthat his maxim was, always to give instruction more by example than\nby discourse.\n\nHe recommended his brethren, also, to preach by example, and, farther\non, we shall see some beautiful sentiments in his maxims, relative to\npreaching. Rodriguez, of the Society of Jesus, an excellent master of\nspiritual life, mentions, on this subject, a lesson which our saint\ngave to one of his religious, which we give here, in the very words\nof the talented academician, who translated the Practice of Christian\nPerfection, of the pious author. St. Francis, taking one day one of\nhis religious with him, said:--\"Let us go and preach\"; and thereupon\nhe went out, and after having made a tour round the town, he returned\nto the convent. \"But, Father,\" said his companion, \"are we not going\nto preach?\" \"We have done so already,\" replied the Saint. It was the\nreligious reserve which they had used in walking through the streets,\nwhich he considered to be an excellent sermon for the whole town. And,\nin fact, a mortified and humble exterior leads the people to piety and\ncontempt of the world, it excites to compunction for sin, and raises\nthe heart and desires to heavenly objects. It is a mute exhortation,\nwhich has often more effect than the most eloquent and sublime sermons.\n\nTo example and precept, the holy Patriarch added frequent and fervent\nprayers for the spiritual advancement of his children; well knowing\nthat neither he who plants, nor he who waters, contributes to the fruit\nwhich the tree bears, but that the interior virtue which fructifies,\ncomes from God. In fine, in order not to be wanting in anything which\nmight be in his power, when his infirmities absolutely prevented his\nwatching over the conduct of his children, he unceasingly exhorted the\nsuperiors to fulfil this duty with exactness, and he enforced it by\nthe following powerful motive: that, if one of the brethren should be\nlost by their fault, they would be accountable for him to Jesus Christ\non the day of judgment.\n\nSt. Francis, being ill at Assisi, cured a spiritual wound of a more\nserious nature than that of a scruple. One of his children, named\nRicer, of Bologna, Provincial in the Marches of Ancona, a man of a\nvery saintly life, had taken it into his head, at the suggestion of\nthe devil, that the patriarch hated him, because he knew that he was\nto be damned, and he came to Assisi, in the hopes that this thought\nwould be dissipated, if the saint should receive him kindly. The Saint,\nwho had a revelation as to the state of his mind, and of his arrival\nat Assisi, said to Brothers Masse and Leo: \"Go and meet Brother Ricer,\nembrace him, and kiss him from me, and tell him that, among all my\nbrethren in the world, I love him the most tenderly.\" They executed\nthe commission given them, and Ricer found himself strengthened in his\nfaith, and filled with joy, and thanked God for the happy success of\nhis journey. As soon as he appeared, Francis, weak as he was, ran to\nhim, and, embracing him, said, with paternal affection: \"Ricer, my\ndear son, you are, among all our brethren, he whom I love from the\nbottom of my heart;\" and, after having made the sign of the cross upon\nhis forehead, he gave him several kisses, and then added: \"Ricer, my\ndear child, this temptation was visited upon you for your greater good.\nBut if you do not choose to be a gainer at this price, you will\nhenceforward suffer no more from this temptation, nor from any other;\"\nand from that time, he never had another.\n\nThe holy Patriarch had so tender a love for his brethren, that he could\nnot bear that a shade of sorrowfulness should pass over their minds,\nlest they should lose their spiritual joy. \"My dear brethren,\" he said\nto them, \"entertain interiorly and exteriorly the holy joy which God\ngives. When His servants seek to obtain and preserve His spiritual\njoy, which has its source in purity of heart, in the fervor of prayer,\nand in other virtuous practices, the devils can do them no injury; and\nthey say: 'We can do no injury to these servants of God; we have no\nentry to them; they are always joyful, whether in tribulation or\nprosperity.' But they are highly gratified when they can deprive them\nof this happy temper of mind, or, at least, lessen its intensity;\nbecause, if they can succeed in instilling any of their own venom into\nthem, they will soon turn what has only the breadth of a hair into a\nbeam, by adding something by little and little, unless we endeavor to\ndestroy their work by the virtue of prayer, of contrition, of\nconfession, and satisfaction. For this reason, my brethren, since\nspiritual joy comes from purity of conscience and the frequent exercise\nof fervent prayer, labor principally to acquire these two blessings,\nin order that you always possess it; I am very anxious to see it in\nyou, and to feel it in myself. It is for the devil and his satellites\nto be sorrowful; but as to us, we can always rejoice in the Lord.\"\n\nAlthough the holy man had occasionally reason to be sorrowful, in\nconsequence of the temptations to which he was exposed, or from the\nfear of the pains of hell, arising from the remembrance of his sins,\nyet he was ever gay. He was one day asked the reason of this, and he\ngave this answer: \"My sins sometimes, indeed, make me very sorrowful,\nand Satan would wish to imprint this sadness on me, in order to make\nme fall into slothfulness and weariness; but when that occurs, I look\non my companion: the spiritual joy I see in him, renews mine, and the\ntemptation passes off. My joy is a torment to the devils, for they\nenvy me the favors I receive from God. I know and see that, when they\ncannot injure me by making me sorrowful, they endeavor to strip this\nspiritual joy from my companions, and, if they cannot succeed either\nwith them or with me, they retire in confusion.\"\n\nWe must notice, in this answer of the holy Father, two sorts of sorrow:\nthe one arising from the anguish caused by sin, of which St. Paul says,\nthat \"it is according to God, and works penance unto salvation.\" This\ndoes not do away with spiritual joy; on the contrary, it produces it:\nnothing is sweeter, or more consoling, than the tears shed from the\nimpulse of sincere contrition. The other sorrow is a depression of\nspirits, brought about by the devil, who endeavors to render us tepid\nand sluggish, to give us a disgust for pious exercises, and to induce\nus to give them up. A good conscience causes spiritual joy. No one has\ntruly cause to rejoice, but he who is well with God, faithful to His\nlaw, and submissive to His will. A tranquil mind, free and disengaged\nfrom the tyranny of the passions, is, in the opinion of Wisdom, a\ncontinual feast. It is true happiness: \"For a happy life is nothing\nmore,\" says St. Augustine, \"than the joy which is found in truth; that\nis, in God, who is truth, the sweet light of our souls, our salvation\nand our repose.\" Therefore David excites the just of Israel to manifest\ntheir joy, and St. Paul said to the Christians: \"Rejoice always in the\nLord; I say again, rejoice.\" What constitutes the Kingdom of God is\nthe justice, peace, and joy, which come from the Holy Spirit.\n\nThis disposition of the heart enables it to resist the evil spirit,\naccording to the words of Esdras to the Jewish people: \"The joy of the\nLord is our strength.\" What can the evil spirit do against a soul whose\nsole pleasure is to serve God, who has no other solace than to love\nand praise Him? There is, moreover, nothing which makes so great an\nimpression on the people of the world, as witnessing the interior\ncontentment of a truly good man, which is seen in the serenity of his\ncountenance. This is, according to St. Augustine, what compels them\nto admit that they themselves have not true joy, for that is reserved\nto God's servants.\n\nIt was not alone by the ardor of his zeal, and the tenderness of his\naffection, that the holy Founder led on his brethren, but by a wonderful\ndiscretion and prudence in the government of his Order. Although he\nused every endeavor to induce his religious to live austerely, he,\nnevertheless, recommended them to be guided by moderation; he did not\ncountenance indiscreet penances.\n\nBrother Sylvester, the first priest in his Order, having fallen into\nan illness of languor, brought on by excess in his mortifications, had\na wish to eat some grapes: Francis, having been informed of it, hastened\nto procure him this relief. He took him, as well as he could, into the\nvineyard of one of his friends, which was near the convent, and, having\nmade him sit down near a plant of vine, he blessed it, and ordered him\nto eat the grapes, and ate some with him. As soon as the sick man had\neaten of them, he found himself perfectly cured, and he frequently\nafterwards related the circumstance to his brethren, with tears in his\neyes, as a proof of the love the holy father bore to his children; it\nwas, also, an effect of his discretion, for, disapproving of Sylvester's\nexcessive austerities, he chose that he should take this sort of remedy,\nwhich nature seemed to call for, and it pleased God to render this the\nsubject of a miracle.\n\nThis prudent and charitable Father came to know, one night, that one\nof his children who had fasted too rigidly, could not take repose, in\nconsequence of the hunger which oppressed him. Not to leave him in so\ndeplorable a state, he sent for him, offered him some bread, and pressed\nhim to eat of it, eating some himself first, to give him confidence.\nThe religious got over the shyness he at first felt, and took the\nnourishment he so greatly required, being well pleased to have been\nrelieved from the peril his life was in, by the prudence and kindness\nof the Saint, and to see so edifying an example. In the morning, Francis\nassembled his brethren, and having told them what had occurred in the\nnight, said:--\"Brethren, take a precedent from this, not as to what\nI ate, but that I had recourse to, what was charitable.\" Then he pointed\nout to them that virtue should always have discretion for its rule and\nfor its guide; not that discretion which the flesh inspires, but that\nwhich has been taught by Jesus Christ, whose most holy life is the\nfinished model of all perfection.\n\n\"Let each man,\" he continued, \"have regard to his constitution. If\nsome of you are strong enough to support life well, while eating very\nlittle, I do not wish, on that account, that one who requires more\nnourishment, shall imitate them in this respect: such a one might give\nhis body what is necessary for it; for, as in eating, we are obliged\nto avoid whatever is superfluous, which is hurtful to the body and\nsoul, so also we must guard against excessive abstinence, and the more\nso because the Lord requires mercy rather than sacrifice. This is what\nGod says by the Prophet Osee, which means that He prefers the practice\nof works of mercy to our neighbor, to the exterior exercise of religion;\nand that this worship which must be rendered Him, is not pleading to\nHim without mercy. Now, as we are commanded to love our neighbor with\na love of charity, St. Thomas teaches us, as does St. Augustine, that\nthe same love obliges us to have a similar regard for our own body;\nfrom whence it follows that, this charity not being found in immoderate\nabstinence, God does not approve of the sacrifice. To this we may add,\nthat it is sometimes the devil who instigates a person to undertake\nimmoderate fasting, in order to render that person incapable of\nspiritual exercises, and for other evil intentions.\"\n\nThe holy Founder cautioned his brethren to avoid excess in fasting,\neven more than excess in eating, because he knew that they were all\nanimated by the spirit of mortification. Their fervor was so great\nthat, in fasting very rigorously, they at the same time wore iron\ngirdles, coats of mail, coarse hair-shirts, and took severe disciplines,\nwhich brought on frequent illnesses. For this reason he often\nrecommended discretion to them. \"My brethren,\" he said, \"if a servant\nof God gives his body what is reasonable for its nourishment and for\nits repose, and if the body is nevertheless sluggish, lazy, sleepy at\nprayer, in watchings, and other good works, it must, then, be chastised,\nand treated as a horse that refuses to work, or an ass that won't go\non, although they are well fed. But, if the body is deprived of its\nreal wants, it is disabled from bearing the yoke of penance, and\nperforming the functions required by the soul; it has, then, every\nright to complain.\"\n\nWe shall, perhaps, be surprised that St. Francis, who preaches\ndiscretion so admirably to his brethren, should have carried his own\nausterities to excess; but we must bear in mind that he was a man,\nguided in all things by the Holy Spirit, in whom God was pleased to\nshow the abundant riches of His grace, and whose prodigious penitential\nexercises were to draw down an abundance of mercy on sinners. Thus,\nwhat appeared excesses in his mortifications, arose from his perfect\nfidelity to the extraordinary impulse he received from above; and this\nis true prudence.\n\nFervent persons are occasionally found who would wish to imitate the\nfastings and other austerities of the saints, but this is presumption,\nunless they are called thereto by God, and unless the vocation has\nbeen well sounded and approved by legitimate authority. The general\nand safe maxim, in cases of austerities, is not to undertake anything\nextraordinary, without the consent of superiors and confessors. Before\ngranting any permission of this nature, the constitution and character\nof the person must be carefully examined, and inquiry minutely made\nwhether the applicant practises regularly the ordinary mortifications,\nand if he is as zealous in controlling his passions and acquiring the\nvirtues requisite in his station, as for the maceration of his body;\nfor it is often found that those who solicit extraordinary penances,\nneglect those which are ordinary and common, and who, in mortifying\ntheir bodies, do not take sufficient pains to purify their hearts, to\nbecome humble, obedient, mild, and charitable.\n\nIt may not, perhaps, be believed that the holy Patriarch carried his\ndiscretion and condescension even to the buildings and the habits,--he\nwho advocated extreme poverty on these two articles. He had carefully\nrecommended to his brethren to build only small, low houses, surrounded\nonly by hedges, in remote and solitary situations; but, as his own\ncompanions tell us, he admitted that in towns, and near towns, it was\nproper to act otherwise; that, in consequence of the number of religious\nwho were there for the service of the faithful, it was necessary to\nhave the convent surrounded by walls.\n\nHis companions also say that he allowed those who required it, to wear\na softer and warmer tunic; on this sole condition, however, that the\noutward garment should be very poor, to keep up the spirit of humility\nby the contempt the world entertains for such as are poorly clothed.\nFinally, the same authors testify that, although he was very austere\nfrom the moment of his conversion, to his death, with a constitution\nvery delicate and weak, yet he prudently moderated the austerities of\nhis brethren; and that many things which he rigidly refused himself,\nhe allowed to the others, from discretion and from charity. This,\nindeed, is characteristic in the saints; severe and inflexible to\nthemselves, they spared their neighbors, and were indulgent in their\nregard; while hypocrites, such as the Pharisees, and certain heretics\nwho resemble them, put heavy burdens on the shoulders of others, which\nthey are unable to carry; overwhelm with austerities those whom they\ndirect, often for the most trifling faults, while they themselves live\nin comfort and at their ease.\n\nThe discretion of St. Francis was apparent in every part of his conduct.\nBernard de Besse, one of the writers of his life, and secretary to St.\nBonaventure, says that he never spoke to his brethren but in terms of\nmoderation and mildness; that he compassionated the weak, and encouraged\nthe young in the practice of virtue; that he had great respect for old\nage; that whatever faults a priest might commit, he never reprimanded\nhim but in private; in fine, that he had proper consideration for all\nthose whose birth, merit, or dignity required it.\n\nBrother Guy, who was beatified by the Holy See, and of whom we have\nbefore spoken, begged the saint to allow him to build a cell in the\nfissure of a rock which was opposite to the convent of Celles, near\nCortona, in order that he might live there in great solitude, and give\nhimself up to contemplation. Francis, who knew that Guy, although he\nwas only in the novitiate, had the virtue of the ancients, and would\nraise himself up to an eminent degree of sanctity, permitted him this\npeculiar retreat, but upon this condition, that it was not to prevent\nhim from attending all the offices said by the community, in order to\npreserve the uniformity of the observance, and to obviate the illusion\nwhich might mix itself up with unusual practices. This was also what\nthe Saint himself practised; he quitted regularly his contemplation,\nto join in singing the praise of God in community.\n\nSt. Bonaventure says that some of his religious asked him one day if\nhe thought it proper that persons who were already learned, when they\nwere admitted into the Order, should continue to study the Holy\nScriptures? To which he replied: \"This is very pleasing to me, provided\nthey follow the example of Jesus Christ, whom we find to have prayed\nmore than He seems to have read.\"\n\nA novice, to whom the vicar-general had allowed the particular use of\na psalter, came to solicit Francis' confirmation of this permission,\nand this is the reply he got: \"Charlemagne, Orlando, and other great\ncaptains, rendered themselves illustrious by their exploits; the martyrs\nare celebrated in the Church by their sufferings and death; but there\nare others who aspire to glory by the sole reading of the feats of\nthese persons.\" The Saint intended to give him to understand that no\none is estimable unless by his actions and conduct, and that there is\nnothing more vain than a reputation grounded on fruitless science.\n\nDoubtless the holy Patriarch wished his brethren to have psalters and\nbreviaries, since they were obliged to say the Divine Office. He knew,\nalso, that books were necessary for them, to enable them, by study,\nto be capable to instruct their neighbors, according as their vocation\nrequired, for he himself read the Scriptures. But he did not approve\nthat any one should have a book for his own peculiar use.\n\nAll study which is entered upon more through vanity than piety, and\nless to gain souls to God than to gain for oneself the praise of man,\nwas his abhorrence.--He said of those whose desire for learning was\nout of curiosity: \"In the day of tribulation, they will find nothing\nin their hands. It would be better that they should labor now to improve\nthemselves in virtue, in order to have the Lord on their side at that\ntime; for the time will come, when books will be thrown aside as\nuseless. I do not choose that my brethren shall be curious in learning\nand books; what I wish is, that they be well grounded in humility,\nsimplicity, prayer, and poverty, our mistress. It is the only sure way\nfor their salvation, and for the edification of their neighbor, because\nthey are called to imitate Jesus Christ, who followed and pointed out\nthis path. Many will forsake this path, on pretence of edifying other\nmen by their knowledge; and it will turn out that understanding the\nScriptures, by which alone they fancied themselves filled with light,\ndevotion, and the love of God, will be the cause of their remaining\ncold and empty. Thus, in consequence of having, in pursuit of vain and\nuseless literature, lost the time which ought to have been given to\nliving according to the spirit of the state they had embraced, they\nwill not have it in their power to return to their primitive vocation.\"\n\nSt. Francis looked upon the ministry of preaching as the most agreeable\nsacrifice which could be offered to the Father of Mercies; this is\nalso the grand idea which St. Paul entertains of it, when he says:\n\"God has given me the grace that I should be the minister of Jesus\nChrist among the Gentiles, sanctifying the Gospel of God, that the\noblation of the Gentiles may be made acceptable, and sanctified by the\nHoly Ghost.\" St. Chrysostom concludes from this, that preaching is a\nsacrifice; that the preacher is the priest; that an attentive and\ndevout audience is the victim; that the Word of God is the sword which\nimmolates, spiritually, and the grace of the Holy Ghost the fire which\nconsumes. What exalted sentiments must not a preacher entertain, in\nexercising this sort of priesthood; and with what spirit of devotion\nshould not those attend who are thus holily immolated!\n\nThe ardor of his love for Jesus Christ, and his great zeal for the\nsalvation of souls, made him esteem all preachers very venerable. His\nintention was, that some of his Order should be brought up to that\nduty, and that they should be respected by the others, because it is\nthey who instil life, who combat the infernal enemy, and who enlighten\nthe world. But he desired that they should exercise their ministry in\na spirit of charity, even more by example, by prayers, and tears, than\nby eloquent discourses.\n\n\"I desire,\" he said, \"that these ministers of the Word of God should\napply themselves solely to spiritual exercises, and let nothing turn\nthem from this; for, as they are chosen by the great King to declare\nHis will to the people, it is requisite that they should learn, in the\nprivacy of prayer, what they are to make known in their sermons; and\nthat they should be interiorly warmed, in order to make use of language\nwhich shall kindle fire in the hearts they address. Those who make use\nof their own lights, and who savor the truths they preach, are very\npraiseworthy; but it is a bad division when all is given to preaching,\nand little or nothing to devotion. As to those who sell their labors\nfor the oil of approbation, such persons excite my pity.\"\n\n\"They are true brethren, whom I call Knights of the Round Table, who\nhide themselves in solitary places, to have better opportunities of\ndevoting themselves to prayer, and whose sanctity, well known to God,\nis sometimes unknown to men, or even to their brethren. One day they\nwill be presented by angels to the Lord, who will say to them: 'My\nbeloved children, here are the souls that have been saved by your\nprayers, by your tears, by your good example. Receive now the fruit\nof the labors of those who only make use of their learning for this\nobject. Because you have been faithful over a few things, I will set\nyou over many.' They will thus enter into the joy of the Lord, loaded\nwith the fruit of their virtues; while the others, who have employed\nthemselves in studying the way of salvation, in order to teach it,\nwithout following it themselves, will appear naked and empty-handed\nat the tribunal of Jesus Christ, having on them marks of grief and\nconfusion.\"\n\nAll that St. Francis says against vain learning,--a learning which is\nostentatious and void of devotion,--is founded on the beautiful words\nof our Saviour: \"Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we\nnot prophesied in Thy name? And then I will profess unto them, I never\nknew you, depart from me you that work iniquity;\" and on these of St.\nPaul: \"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not\ncharity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.\" \"I\nchastise my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, perhaps, when\nI have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.\"\n\nBut it may not be concluded from this that the holy patriarch had any\nwish to prevent his brethren from studying and becoming learned; for,\n1st, he was not unaware of what St. Augustine teaches on that head.\nThat learning is good in itself; that it is a gift of God; that it is\nmost useful, when charity employs it; that it serves as a guide to\npiety; and that, when it has the Holy Scripture for its object, it\npowerfully excites to the love of God. How many learned men there are\nin whom humility, simplicity, and all the other virtues, are combined\nwith deep reading! 2d. He positively declared, as has been reported\nupon the evidence of St. Bonaventure that he was well pleased that his\nbrethren should study; it was his wish that schools should be opened\nin his Order, and he himself, as has been already noticed, instituted\nSt. Anthony of Padua lecturer in theology. 3d. He wished to have his\nbrethren Apostolical men, employed in the holy ministry for the\nsalvation of souls, and he had inserted in his Rule a chapter which\nsolely relates to the instruction of preachers. He desired, in\nconsequence, that the Friars Minor should acquire the learning requisite\nfor fulfilling their functions, which, in the ordinary course of things,\nis impossible without study. \"It was, certainly, his intention,\" adds\nSt. Bonaventure, \"that his brethren should apply themselves to the\nstudy of the Holy Scriptures, for, one day, having but one copy of the\nNew Testament, he divided it into leaves, which he distributed among\nthem, that all might read and instruct themselves at the same time.\"\nThe holy doctor maintains, in another place, that there are no religious\nwho, by their position, are more employed in preaching than the Friars\nMinor; and he adds, that, as St. Francis required them to be correct\nand accurate in their discourses, it is clear that he himself obliges\nthem to study, since, without such application, it is impossible to\nbe accurate.\n\nIf the blessed founder has spoken more of humility and piety than of\nlearning and study, it is, in the first place, because he well knew\nthat, naturally, persons are more prone to learn than to practise;\nand, secondly, because the virtues which purify the heart, are gifts\nmore precious and necessary than learning, which only enlightens the\nmind; and, in the third place, because he knew what St. Paul says,\nthat \"knowledge puffeth up,\" that a learned person easily becomes proud\nand presumptuous, if charity does not keep him in humility, and in\nmistrust of himself. Finally, let not his words be misconstrued to\ngive color, under pretence of piety, to laziness and ignorance. He\npreferred, to vain and sterile learning, the humility and simplicity\nof the poor brethren, who spent their time in prayer: this was no more\nthan right. \"A rustical holiness,\" St. Jerome remarks, \"is more valuable\nthan vicious learning and criminal eloquence.\" But the blessed patriarch\nonly spoke of the lay-brethren, who were not intended for the sacred\nministries, or of those clerics whose talents were not equal to being\nemployed in them, and whose occupations were limited to prayer and\nlabor. In respect to the others, who, by study, might render themselves\ncapable of serving their neighbor spiritually, he certainly would have\ncensured them, had they continued in ignorance, even under the pretext\nof prayer and manual labor,--he, who had adopted, as we have seen, the\nmaxim, that \"nothing is preferable to the salvation of souls.\" He well\nknew that all the brethren did not resemble some among them whom God\nhad supernaturally enlightened, and who, without any other aid than\nthat of prayer, had sufficient light to be able to announce the Word\nof God. St. Jerome says, that as a man of talent must not persuade\nhimself that holiness consists in the beauty of his composition, and\nin the ornament of eloquence, so also a simple and unpolished man must\nnot imagine that his ignorance constitutes him a saint. This is even\nstill clearer, when this man may not be ignorant. Now, it is self-evident\nthat a Friar Minor, cleric, or priest, is obliged, in conscience,\naccording to the talent he has received from Heaven, to study carefully,\nin order to be competent to fulfil properly the ministries of preaching\nand of the confessional; since the spirit of his vocation, and of his\nOrder, is to labor for the salvation of souls. But he must always have\nbefore his eyes what his blessed Father wrote to St. Anthony of Padua:\n\"I agree that you should teach the brethren sacred theology, in such\nmanner, however, that the spirit of holy prayer be not extinguished,\neither in yourself or in others, according to the rule of which we\nhave made profession.\"\n\nWhile the holy Patriarch was ill at Sienna, a religious of the Order\nof the Friars Preachers, who was a doctor of theology, and a truly\nlearned man, put several very difficult questions to him: he answered\nthem so learnedly, and so clearly, that the doctor was quite surprised,\nand spoke of the circumstance with admiration. Truly, said he, the\ntheology of this holy Father is an eagle, which soars to a great height;\nit is raised up, as if with wings, by the purity of the heart, and by\ncontemplation, while our knowledge is as that of animals which crawl\non the ground.\n\nThus, according to St. Athanasius, the great Anthony, who was\nilliterate, showed admirable knowledge in his controversy with the\nheretical Arians, and in his replies to pagan philosophers who strove\nto puzzle him. So also, according to the testimony of Sulpicius Severus,\nno one explained the Holy Scriptures more clearly than the celebrated\nBishop of Tours, St. Martin, who had never studied.\n\nAnother Friar Preacher asked St. Francis how he was to understand these\nwords of the Saviour to the Prophet Ezekiel: \"If thou speakest not to\nthe impious that he may be converted from his wicked way and live, the\nsame wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood\nat thy hand.\" The humble Father having at first excused himself! saying\nthat he should apply to learned theologians to learn the sense of the\nHoly Scriptures; but, as the religious urged him, nevertheless, to\ngive his opinion, and expressed a great wish to have it preferably to\nthat of others whom he had consulted, he gave him this answer: \"I\nbelieve these words, if taken in the full extent, to mean, that the\nservant of God must be by holiness, and the good odor of his life, a\ntorch which burns and enlightens, in order that the splendor of his\nexample may be as a voice which censures the impious; for this is the\nway to warn and reprehend them all: if he act otherwise, and scandalize\nhis neighbor, he will not escape the punishment of heaven.\"\n\nSt. Francis was not ignorant that the literal and immediate sense of\nthis passage is, that pastors, and all those who are in authority, are\nobliged to instruct, warn, censure, and correct those who are committed\nto their charge; that they become guilty of the loss of souls, if they\nare silent when they ought to speak. He himself, faithful in the mission\nhe had received from God and the Holy See, never ceased from exhorting\nhis brethren to sanctify themselves, and from urging sinners to be\nconverted; but he found in the above passage a more extended sense,\nand one of greater moral influence, which was, to preach by example;\nand he adhered to this for many reasons:--1. Because words produce\nsmall effect when they are not backed by example. 2. Because there are\na greater number of superiors who instruct and censure, than of those\nwho edify by example. 3. Because the number of persons who have no\nright to instruct and reprove, is the greater, and it is good that\nthey should know that God will call them to account for the good example\nwhich it was their duty to have given, which might have contributed\nto the conversion of sinners. All this shows how solid and proper the\nSaint's reply was.\n\nHis style is plain, because he formed it on the Gospel, from which he\nwould not in any degree deviate--besides that, his was not the age of\nelegant Latinity; but in all that he has written we do not find anything\nthat is not clear and intelligible--there are even passages insinuating\nand persuasive: we have also reason to admire some parts which are\nbeautiful from their simplicity. Let the cleverest men read his\ndescription of the rich sinner on his death-bed, and he will be obliged\nto admit that it would be impossible to draw a more natural or more\nstriking portrait.\n\nHe had so completely the talent of persuasion, that neither popes,\ncardinals, nobles, nor any other persons could resist his appeals;\nwhatsoever he wished, they complied with. It is not easy, for the sake\nof piety, to persuade to that which is contrary to the interests of\na family: nevertheless, St. Francis succeeded in this. The following\nis an example, which, relating only to a very common subject, we,\nnotwithstanding, select, because it contains wholesome instruction:--\n\nThe Saint was one day sweeping in a country church, according to his\nusual practice, when a man, whose name was John, and who was ploughing\nin an adjoining field, came and took the broom from his hands, and\nafter having swept the whole church, he said to him: \"Brother, what\nI have heard of you and of your brethren, has inspired me with an idea\nof serving God as you do. I did not know how to come to you, but, since\nit has pleased God that I should find you here as I had wished, I offer\nmyself to you: do with me as you please.\" Francis, knowing by an\ninterior light, that this man had been sent him by the Lord, resolved\nto receive him into his Order, and after having instructed him in the\nRule, he said to him: \"If you resolve upon joining this Institute, you\nmust renounce all you have, and give it to the poor.\" John went\nimmediately to his plough, unyoked the oxen, and brought one to Francis,\nsaying: \"I have been long in the service of my father, and I maintain\nthe family by my labor; I think I may take this ox for my reward, and\ndo with it as you shall direct me.\" He immediately went home to take\nleave of his parents, and desired them to take care of the plough.\n\nThe parents, alarmed when they learnt his intention, ran in despair\nto the church, where Francis still was, and conjured him not to take\na man from them who was so useful in work, who earned their means of\nliving. He replied with mildness, and then said that he would come to\ndine with them, and sleep at their house, and would endeavor to console\nthem. He went, and after dinner, addressing himself to John's father,\nhe said: \"My dear host, your son wishes to serve God, and it is God\nwho has inspired him with this thought. This ought not to give you any\ndispleasure; on the contrary, it ought to be gratifying to you, and\nyou should give God thanks that He has been pleased to select one of\nyour family for His service. This will be no small gain to you; for,\nin place of this son whom you give up, you will gain as many children\nand brethren as there are religious in the Order he is about to join.\nMoreover, your son is one of God's creatures; and if God has destined\nhim for Himself, who shall dare to resist His will? Who shall say to\nHim, 'Why dost Thou do thus?' He is all-powerful, and He is also just.\nHe only asks for what belongs to Him. May His will therefore be done,\nand may His mercy be extended to your son, whom I cannot and ought not\nto refuse to receive into the house of God, which he so anxiously\nwishes me to do. All that I can, and will do for you, is, to inform\nhim to leave you the ox he had destined for the poor, according to the\nGospel, and that, abandoning to the world what belongs to the world,\nhe come stripped of everything, to throw himself into the arms of Jesus\nChrist.\"\n\nThis reasoning was so convincing to the parents, that they assented\nwillingly and cheerfully to their son's leaving them, whom before they\nthought they could not part with. Human prudence will not fail to say\nthat he ought to have remained with his parents, to provide for their\nsubsistence by his labor; but will it say that James and John, being\ncalled by Jesus Christ, ought not to have left Zebedee, their father,\nwho was poor, and whom they maintained by their fishing? Our Lord, in\ncalling them, desired that they should obey His voice, and leave to\nProvidence to provide for the subsistence of their father. St. Francis\nwell knew that, under any other circumstances, this laborer would have\nbeen bound to work to provide for his parents; but, as he knew that\nhis call was from God to a religious state of life, he wisely judged\nthat the Lord would assist the family by some other means, and that\nthe vocation ought to be followed.\n\nThe supernatural and miraculous gifts which St. Francis had received\nfrom God, gave great weight to his discourses. A man, who casts out\ndevils, who raises the dead to life, who cures the sick, whose\nprophecies are verified, who discovers spirits, who commands animals,\nand makes them obey him,--a man who performs these prodigies, and many\nothers, is listened to as if he were an angel, when he speaks.\n\nThe polish of language which St. Francis neglected, was wonderfully\ncompensated by Divine Power. St. Bonaventura says that the Holy Ghost,\nfrom whom he had received his unction and his mission, inspired him\nwith abundance of words to preach His holy doctrine, and continually\nassisted him; and that Jesus Christ, who is the strength of the Father,\ncame invariably to his aid; that, indeed, he had recourse to the\nornaments of human eloquence, in his discourses, but that inspiration\nwas very perceptible; that his preaching was a great fire, which\npenetrated quite to the bottom of hearts, with so much efficacy, that\nthe most obdurate were softened, and had recourse to penance. Men and\nwomen, young and old, nobles and plebeians, flocked in crowds to see\nand hear this extraordinary man, whom God had sent them. He seemed to\nthem, in fact, to be a man from the other world, when they saw him,\nwith his eyes elevated to heaven, with the view of drawing them thither;\nand, as soon as he spoke, they felt their hearts moved to compunction.\nAll that he said against the public scandals, was received with respect;\nthose whose crimes he censured, whatever confusion they might feel\nfrom it, did not dare complain--not even those in the highest station.\nSome of the learned were likewise noticed amongst his auditory, and\nthey, more than any others, admired the powerful influence of his\ndiscourses, knowing him to be a man who had not gone through any course\nof study. In short, the public was so charmed by hearing him, that,\nafter preaching one day at Cortona, and wishing to return to the convent\nof Celles, the guards at the gates of the town would not let him pass.\nAfter having preached for three successive days there he only got leave\nto go, after the strongest entreaties, and after having promised to\nleave Brother Guy there, whose sanctity he assured them would free\nCortona from many evils. God punished, in a most frightful manner, an\ninsolent young girl, who was making a noise with a sort of drum during\nthe Saint's sermon; he called upon her three times to be quiet, but\nshe laughed at him, and he was then inspired to say, in a loud voice,\n\"Devil, take what is thy own.\" At the same moment the girl was raised\nup into the air, and she was seen no more. By this dreadful example,\nGod proposed to teach them the respect they were bound to have for the\ninstructions which His servants teach them, as once He taught the\nfaithful not to lie to the Holy Ghost, by the deaths of Ananias and\nSapphira, which followed the reproach which St. Peter had made them.\n\nSt. Bonaventure assures us that the gift of prophecy appeared in our\nSaint with great splendor; that not only did he foretell things to\ncome, but also spoke of those things which were happening in his\nabsence, as if they were present before his eyes; that he penetrated\nto the bottom of hearts, and saw the most secret recesses of\nconsciences, so that it might have been said that he inspected the\nmirror of eternal light, and that its admirable splendor uncovered to\nhim what was most hidden.\n\nGod revealed to him, in prayer, the loss of one of the religious, who\nhad the reputation of being a saint, but who was so peculiar in\neverything, that, in order the more rigidly to keep silence, he usually\nconfessed by signs. The blessed Father having come to the convent in\nwhich this religious was, he saw him, and spoke of him to the others,\nwho were loud in their praises of him. \"Brethren,\" said he, \"cease all\nthese praises, and give them not to inventions of the devil; know that\nall this is but a temptation, and an extraordinary illusion.\" The\nbrethren could not persuade themselves that so many marks of perfection\nwere but covers to imposture; but, a few days after, this pretended\nsaint left the Order, which proved that St. Francis had probed to the\nbottom of his soul.\n\nHe knew, in the same manner, why another, who seemed to be adorned\nwith every virtue, had thrown off the habit of the Order; and he replied\nto his brethren who expressed their surprise at it: \"Do not be\nastonished, my brethren; this wretch is lost, because he was not\ngrounded in humility, and in the fear of God. Believe me that, without\nthis foundation, it is fruitless to endeavor to become virtuous.\"\n\nOf two religious who were returning from the Terra di Lavoro, he saw\nin spirit that the senior did not by any means edify his companion.\nOn their arrival, he asked the younger what had occurred on the road,\nwho then replied, that all had gone on well. \"Take care,\" answered\nFrancis, \"take care, and don't say what is false, on pretence of\nhumility. I know, I know; but wait a little, and you will see.\" In\nfact, the giver of scandal abandoned his vocation shortly after.\n\nThe charitable father received, with great kindness, one of the brethren\nwho had apostatized from the Order, and now returned, he even gave him\nthe kiss of peace. But, pointing out to him the gallows erected upon\na height, at some distance, he said: \"If the devil induce you to leave\nthe Order a second time, he will lead you to be hanged on the gallows\nwhich you see from hence.\" This weak penitent did not profit from this\nwarning, but left the Order again, and led a libertine life, was taken\nup for a robbery, and hanged on the spot pointed out. St. Francis might\nhave said of those, as St. John did of the apostates who left the\nChurch, \"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for, if they\nhad been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us:\" that is\nto say, that they were not firm in the Christian religion.\n\nThe knowledge of the human heart belongs to God alone; even the angels\nhave it not unless imparted to them by His light, and He was pleased\nto communicate that light to Francis. We have had several instances\nof this, but we must add the following: The blessed Father, being at\nthe hermitage of Grecio, two of his brethren came, from a great distance\noff, urged by a strong desire to see him, and to receive his blessing,\nwhich they had long been desirous of. Unfortunately, they reached the\nhermitage when he was retired to his cell, from which he did not come\nout to receive visits, and they could not see him. As they were going\naway, greatly disappointed, he came out, contrary to his usual custom,\ncalled them, and blessed them in the name of Jesus Christ, and made\nthe sign of the cross upon their foreheads, as they had wished. Humanly\nspeaking, he could not have known that they were come, but he knew it\nin spirit, as well as if he had seen them.\n\nHaving restored peace, and performed some splendid miracles in a town,\nhe left the place early in the morning, without having taken leave of\nthe bishop, who had given him a most honorable reception. At a spot\nwhere three roads diverged, he did not know which one he ought to take,\nand desired Brother Masse, who was his companion, to turn round and\nround, no doubt to put his obedience to the test. When he began to be\ngiddy, he ordered him to stop, and to follow the road which was before\nhim. Masse went first, and said to himself, \"How uncivil! how simple!\nHe not only has not taken leave of the bishop who received him with\nso much kindness, but he makes me turn round and round as a child.\"\nThis interior murmuring did not last; these reflections followed: \"How\ncould I have so much pride as to despise a man who is so evidently\nbeloved by God? Fool that I am, I deserve to go to hell for daring to\ncensure the actions of Francis, through whom the Lord works such\nwonders, and whom I ought to look upon as an angel. And, after all,\nwhat reason has he given me for censuring him? He left the town without\nhaving taken leave of the bishop, but it was to avoid fresh honors\nbeing shown him; he made me turn round and round, but he made me take\nthe right road.\" Then Francis exclaimed: \"Ah, Brother Masse, how\ndifferent are these feelings from those first entertained! From whence\ndo these come, and from whence did those others arise?\" Masse, seeing\nthat his thoughts were discovered, threw himself at the Saint's feet,\nand solicited his pardon.\n\nA particular gift which Francis received from God, was the control of\nanimals. He gave them his commands, and they obeyed him, they did\nwhatever he pleased; it was, moreover, noticed that they showed a sort\nof affection for him, and applauded what he did in their way. Upon\nwhich two observations occur. The first is taken from St. Bonaventure,\nwho says that the state of innocence was represented in the power which\nGod gave to His Servant over animals. Adam, just and innocent, had\nabsolute control over them, and he exercised it in giving to each of\nthem its proper name, when God made them pass before him, as we read\nin Genesis. His sin caused him to lose his privilege, with all the\nothers which had been attached to this happy state; and we experience,\nas he did, the revolt of the animals, in punishment of his having\ndisobeyed God. But when an eminent sanctity has brought men more to\noriginal justice, and has, in some measure, reestablished them in a\nstate of innocence, it has sometimes pleased the Almighty to restore\nthem to some of the privileges which man enjoyed in those times, and,\nin particular, this control over animals. This is what is seen in\nwell-authenticated acts of many saints, and, in what St Bonaventure\nrelates of St. Francis, on the testimony of ocular witnesses, as well\nas on the evidence of facts which were of public notoriety.\n\nThe second thing which deserves notice is, that, when this holy man\ncompelled animals to obey him, and when they appeared to be attached\nto him, it never occurred but when it was to give authority to the\nWord of God, to do some good to a neighbor, to give a salutary lesson,\nor to excite to the practice of some virtue, as we shall now see. It\nis another proof that these marvels had their source in God, who\nproposes, in all He does, some end worthy of His wisdom.\n\nFrancis left Assisi one day, to go to preach, not having any longer\na doubt but that he and his brethren were called for the service of\nsouls, after the mission they had received from God, and from the\nSupreme Pontiff; this was confirmed by supernatural lights, as we have\nseen above. Being near to the Town of Bevagna, he saw on a particular\nspot a number of birds collected, of various species, and he went up\nto them, and said: \"My sisters, listen to the word of God; you have\ngreat reason to praise your Creator; He has covered you with feathers;\nHe has given you wings wherewith to fly; He has placed you in the air,\nwhere the breathing is so pure; and He provider you with everything\nwhich is necessary, without giving you any trouble.\" While he was thus\nspeaking and saying other similar things, the birds remained where\nthey were, turning towards him, and those which were perched on the\nbranches of trees, bending their heads, as if to listen to what he\nsaid. It was a curious thing to observe the joy they appeared to feel\nand make known by their motions; they stretched their necks, they\nspread their wings, opened their beaks, and looked anxiously at the\nzealous preacher, who walked about in the midst of them, and sometimes\ntouched them with his habit, without any of them stirring. They only\ntook to flight after he had given them leave, and made on them the\nsign of the cross, to bless them.\n\nIt was God's intention to honor the ministry of the Saint, in the eyes\nof his companions, by this miracle, which they witnessed, and the\ncircumstances of which they communicated to St. Bonaventure. It was\nalso to show the attention which ought to be given to the truths of\nsalvation; and this is the reason why Francis, in turning to them,\nsaid, with admirable candor: \"I am very neglectful in not having as\nyet preached to the birds.\" He observed, by this apparent simplicity,\nwhich was full of good sense, that men often fail to listen to the\npreachers, as the birds had seemingly listened to him; in the same\nsense in which St. Martin had said, when complaining of the\ninsensibility of the men of his times: \"They do not attend to me,\nthough the serpents obey me.\" This means that, with the aid of reason\nand grace, they will not do what unreasonable animals necessarily do,\nby the impulse of divine power.\n\nBut why preach to birds? will the sages of this age ask; but why did\nDavid say what the Church repeats daily in her Divine Office? \"Whales,\nand all that move in the waters, bless the Lord. All ye beasts and\ncattle, fowls of the air, bless the Lord.\" The three young men who\nwere in the furnace at Babylon, said the same thing. A heart full of\nlove and gratitude would wish that all creatures should have hearts\nand tongues, to glorify the Author of their being; he knows that even\nthe beasts praise Him by the marks they bear of His power, wisdom, and\ngoodness; in seeing them, in speaking to them, he commemorates His\nsovereign greatness.\n\nOn leaving Bevagna, Francis went to preach in the Borough of Alviano,\nand not being able to make himself heard, in consequence of the noise\nthe swallows made, who had their nests there, he spoke these words to\nthem: \"Swallows, my sisters, you have made yourselves heard long enough;\nit is now my turn to speak. Listen, then, to the Word of God, and keep\nsilence while I preach.\" Immediately, as if they had understood what\nhe said, they ceased their noise, and remained where they were, to the\nend of his sermon. The fruit of this miracle was to revive the fervor\nand piety of the assembly, who glorified God, and listened to the\npreacher with wonderful deference. The circumstance was soon spread,\nand produced everywhere a similar effect.\n\nSt. Bonaventure, who gives us this anecdote, adds, that, some time\nafterwards, a scholar at Paris, who was of good conduct, having been\ninterrupted in his studies by the chirping of a swallow, said to his\ncompanions: \"This is one of those who interrupted the blessed Francis\nin his sermon, and which he silenced;\" having then addressed the\nswallow, he said, with great faith: \"In the name of Francis, the servant\nof God, I order you to be silent and to come to me.\" It was instantly\nsilent, and came to him; in his surprise he let it go, and was not\nagain troubled by it. It was thus it pleased God to honor the name of\nHis servant.\n\nOther examples are found in the Saint's life, of the power he exercised\nover animals, when, by their noise, or by any other means, they\ninterrupted his sermons or prayers, as on his return from Syria, near\nthe lagunes of Venice, where he saw a great number of birds who were\nsinging. He went into the midst of them to say his office, with his\ncompanions, but the noise the birds made prevented their hearing each\nother; Francis, upon that, ordered them to cease singing, till he had\nfinished his office, and, in fact, says the holy doctor, the author\nof his life, from that moment they ceased their chirping until the\noffice, being finished, he gave them leave to resume their song, which\nthey did, as before. He took this opportunity to settle some of his\nreligious there, to celebrate the praises of the Lord, as has been\nbefore noticed, St. Ambrose speaks of a circumstance as well known to\nall the world, that some of the faithful, having been assembled in a\nspot where the croaking of the frogs greatly disturbed them, a priest\ncommanded them to be quiet, and to show respect for holy things, and\nthat they immediately ceased from making any noise, and that these\nirrational animals respected what they were incapable of understanding.\n\nWe have already seen that when Francis was at Grecio, he freed the\ncountry from the wolves which had ravaged it. At Gubio, he tamed one\nin an extraordinary manner. He took it into the public square where\nhe preached, and having pointed out to his auditors that God sends\nsometimes these carnivorous animals to warn sinners to return to their\nduties, he addressed the wolf, and made an agreement with it, the\nclauses of which were, that the inhabitants should feed it, and that\nthe wolf should do no injury to any of them. This was faithfully\nattended to on both sides. During two years the animal came to the\ntown to feed, and did no injury to any one. The holy man had tamed,\nin a similar manner, at Carinola, a fox that stole all the poultry of\na poor old woman, and from which she received no injury afterwards.\nSimilar traits are found in the lives of many saints, whose acts are\nadmitted to be authentic and certain, by the most talented critics.\nSt. Athanasius remarks, in the life of St. Anthony, that wild animals\ncausing great damage in a field which he cultivated, he took one gently,\nand said to all the others, while speaking to the one he had caught:\n\"Why do you injure me, who never did you any harm? go, and in the name\nof the Lord, never come here any more.\" The holy doctor adds, that\nfrom that time they were never again seen in that place, as if they\nhad been afraid of disobeying him. Sulpicius Severus relates of St.\nMartin, that he had an extraordinary control over all animals. Resting\nhimself one day with his disciples, on the bank of a river, he saw a\nsnake swimming over, and he ordered it in the name of the Lord to swim\nback again, upon which it was seen to return with as much speed as it\nhad come. James, who wrote the life of St. Columban, given by the\nlearned Father Mabillon, after Surius, states that the crows and the\nbears obeyed him, and that all the beasts of the field came at his\ncall, in the same manner as those which are domesticated. It was in\norder to teach men to esteem and imitate a virtue which the Lord caused\nto be respected, even by dumb animals.\n\nSt. Francis, when at Rome, in 1222, had always with him a little lamb,\nto remind him of the Lamb of God, who chose to be sacrificed for us.\nWhen he was about to leave the eternal city, he confided the little\nanimal to the care of the Lady of Septisal, the illustrious widow of\nwhom we have often had occasion to speak. The little lamb, as if it\nhad been trained to spiritual exercises by the holy man, followed this\nlady to church, stayed there, and returned with her, never leaving\nher. If she was behind her usual time of rising in a morning, it would\ngo to her bed, where, by bleating or striking the bed with its head,\nor other motions, it seemed to call upon her to rise, and offer her\ngrateful prayer to God. The lady was much attached to this lamb, and\ntook care of it, says St. Bonaventure, as a disciple of Francis, which\nhad become her instructor in devotion. A present was made to the holy\nFather, at St. Mary of the Angels, of a sheep; he received it\nthankfully, because of the innocence and simplicity of which it was\na symbol, and he said to it, as if it could understand him, that it\nwas necessary it should assist at the praises of the Lord, without\nincommoding the brethren; the sheep obeyed with great punctuality.\nWhen the religious went to the choir, to sing the office, the sheep\nwent of itself to the church, placed itself at the foot of the altar\nof the Blessed Virgin, bent in its fore-legs, and bleated in a low\ntone, as if to pay its homage. It did the same at Mass, when the Host\nwas elevated. St. Bonaventure remarks, that this animal, by the respect\nit manifested during the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries, taught\nthe Christians the deep reverence with which they ought to assist at\nMass, and at the same time passed a deserved censure on those who are\nirreverent or indevout during its celebration.\n\nThe smallest things raised the heart of St. Francis to God, and he\nmade use of them to create similar feelings in the hearts of his\ndisciples. The chirping of a grasshopper, which was on a fig tree,\nnear his cell, inspired him with fresh fervor; he called it, and it\ncame to him directly, and he made it sing on his hand, which it began\nanew, whenever he required it. At the end of eight days he said to his\ncompanions: \"Let it now go; it has incited us long enough to praise\nGod;\" at the very moment the grasshopper flew away, and was seen no\nmore. One day, as he was about to take his collation with Brother Leo,\nhe felt himself interiorly consoled, on hearing a nightingale sing.\nHe begged Leo to sing the praises of God alternately with the bird;\nthe latter having excused himself, alleging the badness of his voice,\nhe himself responded to the bird, and continued to do so till night,\nwhen he was obliged to give over, acknowledging that the little bird\nhad beaten him. He made it come upon his hand, and praised it for\nhaving sung so well, fed it, and it was only after he had desired it\nto leave him, and given it his blessing, that the nightingale flew\naway.\n\nIn the impression which the power of God affected upon animals, in\nfavor of St. Francis, there was this further circumstance, which was\nmarvellous: that they seemed to have an affection for him, and appeared\npleased when they saw him. It is St. Bonaventure who gives several\nexamples of this.\n\nThe Servant of God, going to Sienna, passed near a flock of sheep which\nwere feeding in a meadow. He greeted them, as was his custom, with an\nair of kindness, and immediately the sheep, the rams, and the lambs,\nleft their pasture, came to him, lifted up their heads to greet him\nin their manner, which was greatly wondered at by the shepherds and\nby his companions. Hares and rabbits were presented to him, which had\nbeen caught alive; they were put before him on the ground, and they\nimmediately sprang into his arms. Although he gave them their liberty,\nthey remained with him, and he was obliged to have them removed far\noff into the country, by some of his religious, and put in a place of\nsafety.\n\nOn the banks of the Lake of Rieti, a fisherman gave him a live water-\nfowl. After having kept it a little while, he tried to make it fly\naway, but in vain. He then raised his eyes to Heaven, and remained for\nmore than an hour in a state of ecstasy, after which he mildly ordered\nthe bird to go away and praise the Lord, and he gave it his blessing.\nThe bird showed signs of pleasure by its motions, and flew away. On\nthe same lake, a large fish which had been just caught, was presented\nto him; he held it for some time in his hand, and then put it back in\nthe water. The fish remained in the same place, playing in the water\nbefore him, as if out of regard for him; it could not leave him, and\ndid not disappear till it had received the Saint's leave, together\nwith his blessing.\n\nThe first time that St. Francis went to Mount Alverno, he was surrounded\nby a multitude of birds, which lit upon his head, on his shoulders,\non his breast, and on his hands, evincing by their beaks and wings the\npleasure his arrival caused them, which he noticed to his companions,\nas a mark of the will of God that he should remain in this mountain.\nWhen he came thither, and received the stigmata there, the birds greeted\nhim in a similar manner; and a hawk, which could only have come thither\nby a supernatural impulse, attached itself peculiarly to his person.\nWhen the hour of the night drew near, at which Francis rose to pray,\nthe bird did not fail to come and make a noise at the door of his cell.\nThis punctuality was very pleasing to the Saint, because it caused him\nto be watchful; but when his infirmities were more severe than usual,\nthe bird, well taught by Him who controlled its movements, did not\ncome to wake him till sunrise, and even then did not make so much noise\nas usual.\n\nThe numerous miracles of St. Francis attached men to him in a scarcely\nless degree than his extraordinary sanctity; and the gift he possessed\nof unbounded love--called for their admiration. This is the portrait\nwe find of him in the legend we have before alluded to: \"Our blessed\nFather was agreeable to all. Joy, serenity, kindness, and modesty,\nwere perceptible in his countenance. He was naturally mild and affable,\ncompassionate, liberal, prudent, discreet, gave sound advice, was\nfaithful to his word, and full of courage; he was easy in his manners,\naccommodating himself to all sorts of tempers; he was all to all, he\nwas a saint among the saintly, and among sinners, as if he was one of\nthem; his conversation was graceful, and his manner insinuating; clear\nin his reasoning, energetic and compliant in matters of business; and,\nfinally, simple in his actions and words.\"\n\nThese are qualifications well calculated to make their possessor\nbeloved, particularly when joined, as in the case of St. Francis, with\nthe purest morals, with the most ardent charity, the most profound\nhumility, and a countenance which seemed angelical. After the portrait\nof his mind, we find in the same narrative the following description\nof his person: \"He was of middle size, neither short nor tall, but\nwell shaped. His face was oval, his forehead smooth, his eyes black\nand modest, his mouth pretty; his hair was of chestnut color, his beard\nblack, but scanty, his body very thin, his skin delicate, his speech\npleasing and animated, his voice strong and piercing, but altogether\nmild and sonorous.\"\n\nWe must receive in their true sense what was understood in saying that\n\"he was simple in his actions and words.\" The term simplicity has two\nsignifications in English.--Firstly it is used to describe a person\nof little mind, narrow-minded, dull, not well informed, weak and\ncredulous; it is also used to express candor, ingenuousness, and\nuprightness; to describe a person who is natural, without artfulness.\nIt is in this sense that it is said that the greatest geniuses are the\nmost simple; enemies of subtlety and trick, which are only appropriate\nto narrow minds. The simplicity of the just, in Scriptural language,\nis true virtue, solid without drawback, purity of heart, uprightness\nof intention; in opposition to every sort of duplicity or\ndisguise--everything that St. Paul calls \"the prudence of the flesh;\nthe wisdom of this world.\" St. Gregory so explains it. This does not\nexclude prudence, but only malice and double dealing. Our Blessed Lord\nwarns us \"to be prudent as serpents, and simple as doves.\" St. Paul\nsays: \"I would have you to be wise in good, and simple in evil.\" Every\nChristian must be simple in faith, submitting himself purely and simply\nto the decisions of the Church, without any endeavor to elude them by\ncrafty evasions, as some do in so scandalous a manner; simple in the\nintercourse of society, being frank and sincere, doing injury to no\none; simple in devotion, going straight to God; following the way\npointed out by the Gospel; not resembling those of whom the wise man\nsays: \"They go two ways, and have two hearts,\" the one for God, and\nthe other for the world.\n\nSuch was the simplicity of St. Francis. He was simple because he had\nno other intention in his mind, no other movement in his heart, than\nto be conformed to Jesus Christ. In order to imitate His poverty, His\nhumility, His sufferings, all His virtues, he did many things far above\nthe ordinary rules of human wisdom; and, as to his language, it was\nformed on that of the Gospel.\n\nSt. Francis was simple, but he had great qualities of mind and heart;\nand his simplicity was a perfection in him--not a defect. If it induced\nhim to do things of which human prudence disapproves, it was because\nhe was guided by Divine light; it was because he sought to be despised\nby the world, to render himself more conformable to Jesus Christ. Men\nof his age were not deceived by it; they discovered the principle which\nmade him act and speak with such simplicity. His constant endeavor to\nhumble himself, and draw on himself contempt, only gave them a greater\nesteem for his person, and they loaded him with honors. If our age\ndeems itself wiser, what reason has it for not doing similar justice?\n\nMay the tender holiness of St. Francis, which we have endeavored to\nportray, excite all those who read his life to love God, and to manifest\ntheir love, not only by their actions, but by their patience in\nadversities! May they love Him so, that the sweet violence of their\nardent love separate them from all that is beneath the Heavens, and\nwholly absorb them, may they be enabled to kneel in spirit at the side\nof St. Francis and pray with him from the bottom of their heart:\n\nMy God and My All!\n\nTHE END","title":"The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":163199}