The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi
Typed by: Kathy Sewell, ksewell@gate.net,
April 14, 1997
This book is in the public domain.
THE
OF SAINT FRANCIS
OF
ASSISI
IN THE FIRST ENGLISH TRANSLATION
ROGER
HUDLESTON
THE HERITAGE PRESS
NEW YORK
CONTENTS
PART ONE
HERE
BEGIN THE LITTLE FLOWERS
OF SAINT FRANCIS
OF ASSISI
CHAPTER I
First let us consider how the life of the glorious St Francis was conformed in every act with that of our Blessed Lord. For as Christ, before he began to preach, made choice of twelve Apostles, teaching them to despise all the things of this world, to follow him in poverty and in the practice of all other virtues, so St Francis, on the first founding of his Order, chose twelve companions, all lovers of poverty. And even as one of the twelve Apostles, being reproved by Christ, hanged himself by the neck, so among the twelve companions of St Francis was one, called Brother John della Capella, who apostatised, and finally hanged himself by the neck. This should be for the elect a great example and cause of humility and fear, when they consider how no one is certain of persevering in the grace of God to the end. As the holy Apostles, being filled with the Spirit of God, shone forth mightily before the world in holiness and humility, so too did the companions of St Francis; for from the time of the Apostles till this present day the world had never seen men so wonderful and so holy.
On of them, Brother Giles,
like St Paul, was raised to the third heaven; another, Brother Philip the
Tall, like the prophet Isaiah, was touched upon the lips with a burning
coal by an angel. Brother Silvester held converse with God, like one friend
with another, as did Moses of old. Another, the most humble Brother Bernard,
through the penetration of his intellect, reached the light of divine science,
like the eagle - the emblem of St John the Evangelist - and explained all
the deepest mysteries of Holy Scripture. One there was who was sanctified
and canonised in heaven, whilst still living on earth; this was Brother
Ruffino, a nobleman of Assisi. And thus all bore singular marks of sanctity,
as we shall see hereafter.
CHAPTER II
The first companion of St Francis was Brother Bernard of Assisi, who was converted in the following way: St Francis had not yet taken the religious habit, though he had renounced the world, and had so given himself to penance and mortification that many looked upon him as one out of his mind. He was scoffed at as a madman, was rejected and despised by his relations and by strangers, who threw stones and mud at him when he passed; yet he went on his way, accepting these insults as patiently as if he had been deaf and dumb. Then Bernard of Assisi, one of the richest and most learned nobles of the city, began to consider deeply the conduct of St Francis; how utterly he despised the world, how patiently he suffered injuries, and how his faith remained firm, though he had been for two years an object of contempt and rejected by all. He began to think and say within himself, "It is evident that this brother must have received great graces from God"; and so resolved to invite him to sup and to sleep in his house. St Francis having accepted the invitation, Bernard, who was resolved to contemplate the sanctity of his guest, ordered a bed to be prepared for him in his own room, where a lamp burned all night. Now St Francis, in order to conceal his sanctity, so soon as he entered the room, threw himself upon the bed, pretending to fall asleep. Bernard likewise soon after went to bed, and began to snore as if sleeping soundly. On this, St Francis, thinking that Bernard was really fast asleep, got up and began to pray. Raising his hands and eyes to heaven, he exclaimed with great devotion and fervour, "My God! my God!" at the same time weeping bitterly; and thus he remained on his knees all night, repeating with great love and fervour the words, "My God! my God!" and none others.
And this he did because, being enlightened by the Holy Spirit, he contemplated and admired the divine majesty of God, who deigned to take pity on the perishing world, and to save not only the soul of Francis, his poor little one, but those of many others also through his means. For, being enlightened by the Holy Ghost, he foresaw the great things which God would deign to accomplish through him and through his Order; and considering his insufficiency and unworthiness, he prayed and called upon the Lord, through his power and wisdom, to supply, help and accomplish that which of himself he could not do.
Then Bernard, seeing by the light of the lamp the devout actions of St Francis and the expression of his countenance, and devoutly considering the words he uttered, was touched by the Holy Spirit, and resolved to change his life. Next morning, therefore, he called St Francis, and thus addressed him: "Brother Francis, I am disposed in heart wholly to leave the world, and to obey thee in all things as thou shalt command me." At these words, St Francis rejoiced in spirit and said, "Bernard, a resolution such as thou speakest of is so difficult and so great an act, that we must take counsel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and pray to him that he may be pleased to show us what is his will, and may teach us to follow it. Let us then go together to the Bishop's palace, where we shall find a good priest who will say Mass for us. We will then remain in prayer till the third hour, imploring the Lord to point out to us the way he wishes us to select, and to this intent we will open the Missal three times." And when Bernard answered that he was well pleased with this proposal, they set out together, heard Mass, and after they had remained in prayer till the time fixed, the priest, at the request of St Francis, took up Missal, then, having made the sign of the holy cross, he opened it three times, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The first place which he lit upon was at the answer of Christ to the young man who asked of him the way to perfection: If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell all that thou hast and give to the poor, and come, follow me. The second time he opened at the words which the Saviour addressed to the Apostles when he sent them forth to preach the Word of Truth: Take nothing with you for your journey: neither staff, nor scrip, nor bread, nor money; wishing to teach them thereby to commit the care of their lives to him, and give all their thoughts to the preaching of the Holy Gospel. When the Missal was opened a third time they came upon these words: If any one will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Then St Francis, turning to Bernard, said: "This is the advice that the Lord has given us; go and do as thou hast heard; and blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ who has pointed out to thee the way of his angelic life." Upon this, Bernard went and sold all that he had. Now he was very rich, and with great joy he distributed his wealth to widows, to orphans, to prisoners, to monasteries, to hospitals, and to pilgrims, in all which St Francis assisted him with prudence and fidelity.
Now it happened that a man
of the name of Silvester, seeing how St Francis gave so much money to the
poor, being urged on by avarice, went to him and said: "Thou didst not
pay me enough for the stones I sold thee to repair the church; now that
thou hast money, pay me what thou owest." St Francis, much surprised at
such a demand, but, according to the precepts of the Scriptures, not wishing
to dispute with him, gave it to Silvester, saying that, if he wanted more,
he would give it to him. Silvester, being satisfied, returned home; but
in the evening of the same day he reflected on his avarice, and on the
holiness and the fervour of St Francis. That night also he saw St Francis
in a vision, and it seemed to him as if a golden cross came out of his
mouth, which reached up to heaven and extended to the extreme east and
west. After this vision he gave all he possessed to the poor, for the love
of God, and made himself a Brother Minor. He became so holy, and was favoured
with such special graces, that he spake with the Lord as a friend speaks
with a friend, of which St Francis was often a witness, as we shall see
further on. Bernard likewise received from God many graces - he was ravished
in contemplation, and St Francis said he was worthy of all reverence, and
that he had founded the Order, because he was the first who had abandoned
the world, giving all he possessed to the poor of Christ, keeping back
nothing for himself; and practising evangelical poverty, placing himself
naked in the arms of the Crucified, whom may we all bless eternally. Amen.
CHAPTER III
St Francis, the devoted servant
of the crucified Jesus, through constant weeping and penance, had become
nearly blind, so that he could scarcely see. Wishing one day to speak with
Brother Bernard on things divine, he left the place where he was and went
to join him. Being told, upon arrival, that he was in the forest praying,
St Francis proceeded thither, and, calling out, said; "Come, O Brother
Bernard, and speak with this blind man." But Brother Bernard did not make
answer; for, his soul being rapt in divine contemplation, he did not hear
him call; one of the special graces of Brother Bernard being that of holding
converse with God Almighty, of which St Francis had often been a witness.
The saint, therefore, since he wished specially to speak with him at that
hour, called him again a second time and a third. Brother Bernard, not
having heard him, neither answered nor went to him; at which St Francis
went away somewhat saddened, and wondering in himself how it was that,
having called him three times, Brother Bernard had not come to him. With
this thought on his mind, when he had proceeded a little way, he bade his
companion wait for him, and retiring to a solitary spot, fell on his knees,
praying that God would reveal to him why Brother Bernard had not answered
his call. As he prayed, a voice came from God, which said, "O poor little
man, why art thou troubled? Is it meet for man to leave God for the creature?
When thou didst call Brother Bernard he was with me, and could neither
hear thee, nor go to thee; be not then surprised if he answered thee not,
for he was rapt out of himself, nor did he hear aught of all thou saidst."
St Francis, having received this answer from God, went back with great
haste to Brother Bernard, to accuse himself humbly of the thought he had
allowed to enter his mind against him. Brother Bernard, seeing St Francis
coming towards him, went to meet him, and threw himself at his feet. Then
St Francis bade him rise, confessing most humbly what his thoughts has
been and the answer which God had made him; and with these words he concluded:
"I command thee, by virtue of holy obedience, to do whatsoever I shall
order thee." Brother Bernard, fearing St Francis would oblige him to inflict
upon him some great punishment, as was his custom, would most willingly
have avoided obeying him. "I am ready," he answered, "to obey thee, father,
if thou also wilt promise me to do whatsoever I shall command thee." To
this St Francis consented; and Brother Bernard then asked him what he wished
him to do. "I command thee," said St Francis, "under holy obedience, in
order to punish my presumption and the evil thought of my heart, when I
lie down on the ground to place one of thy feet on my neck, and the other
on my mouth. And this shalt thou do thee! Be humbled, thou son of Peter
Bernardoni, for thou art but a vile wretch; how camest thou to be so proud,
thou miserable servant of sin!" On hearing this Brother Bernard was much
grieved, but out of holy obedience he did what St Francis had ordered him,
striving withal to acquit himself thereof as lightly as possible. Then
St Francis, having promised obedience to Brother Bernard, asked what he
wished him to do, whereto the latter answered: "I command thee, in virtue
of holy obedience, that whenever we are together thou reprove and correct
with great severity all my defects." This order much surprised St Francis,
for Brother Bernard was so holy that he held him in great reverence, and
did not believe it possible to find in him any fault. From that time, therefore,
the saint avoided being much with Brother Bernard, fearing lest, out of
holy obedience, he might be obliged to reprove him; and when he was obliged
to see or to speak with him, he parted from him as soon as possible. Most
edifying it was to hear with what charity, what admiration and humility,
St Francis, who was his superior, spoke of Brother Bernard, who was his
first son in God - to the praise and glory of Jesus Christ and his poor
servant Francis. Amen.
CHAPTER IV
In the first beginning of the Order,
when there was as yet but few brothers and no convents established, St
Francis went, out of devotion, to San Giacomo di Galicia, taking with him
Brother Bernard and one or two other brothers. As they travelled on together,
they met by the way a poor sick man. St Francis, moved with compassion
at the sight of his sufferings, said to Brother Bernard: "My son, I will
that thou stay here, and take care of this sick man." And Brother Bernard,
meekly falling on his knees, received the order of his revered father and
remained behind, whilst St Francis and the others proceeded to San Giacomo.
On arriving there, they spent the night in prayer in the Church of St James,
and God revealed to St Francis how he would found many convents all over
the world, and how his Order would increase and multiply into a great multitude
of brethren. After this revelation St Francis began to found convents in
that country. Then returning by the way he had come, and finding Brother
Bernard with the sick man, who had quite recovered, he allowed him to go
the following year to San Giacomo, whilst he himself returned to Val di
Spoleto, and took up his abode in a desert place with Brother Masseo, Brother
Elias, and others. All these were very careful never to interrupt St Francis
in his devotions; and this they did out of the great reverence they bore
him, and because they knew that God revealed to him great things in prayer.
Now it chanced one day, as St Francis was praying in the forest, that a
handsome young man, dressed for traveling, presented himself at the convent-gate,
knocking thereat so loudly, so quickly, and so long, that the brothers
marvelled greatly at a way of knocking so strange and unusual. Brother
Masseo, who went and opened the gate, thus addressed the young man: "Whence
comest thou, my son? for the strange manner in which thou knockest makes
me to think thou hast never been here before." At this the young man asked:
"How then ought I to knock?" Brother Masseo answered: "Thou shouldst give
three knocks, one after the other, and then wait time enough for a brother
to say an `Our Father,' and come and open to thee; should he not arrive
by that time, then thou mayest knock again." "I was in great haste," replied
the stranger; "for I have made a long journey, and am come to speak with
St Francis, who at this hour is praying in the forest, wherefore I would
not interrupt him. I pray thee; then, to call Brother Elias; for I wish
to put a question to him, having heard that he is full of wisdom." Then
Brother Masseo going, called Brother Elias; but he, being angry, refused
to go, so that Brother Masseo was at a loss what answer to make the stranger.
For if he told him Brother Elias could not wait on him, he would say an
untruth; while if he told how he spoke in anger, he feared to give scandal.
Whilst Brother Masseo was hesitating how he should act, whether or no he
should return with the message, the stranger knocked again as he had knocked
before. On this Brother Masseo hastened back to the convent-gate, and said
reproachfully: "Thou hast not observed what I said to thee as to how thou
shouldst knock." To this the young man made answer: "Since Brother Elias
will not come to me, go, tell Brother Francis that I came here to speak
with him; but, not wishing to interrupt his prayers, I beg him to order
Brother Elias to come to me." Then Brother Masseo went to St Francis, who
was praying in the forest with his eyes lifted up to heaven, and gave him
the message of the young man, with the answer of Brother Elias. Now the
young man was the angel of God, under the form of a traveller. St Francis,
without moving and still looking up to heaven, said to Brother Masseo:
"Go, tell Brother Elias, in virtue of holy obedience, to go and speak with
that young man." So Brother Elias, having received the order of St Francis,
went to the convent-gate in an angry mood, and opening it with violence,
asked of the young man what he wanted with Him. The latter answered: "Beware
of being angry, as thou appearest to be; for anger woundeth the soul,j
preventing it from discerning the truth." Brother Elias said again: "Tell
me what thou wantest with me." "I wish to know," answered the stranger,
"if it be permitted to such as follow the Holy Gospel to eat whatever is
served before them, according to the words of Christ to his disciples;
and I wish to ask thee, likewise, if it be lawful for any man to teach
a doctrine contrary to the liberty preached in the Gospel." On this Brother
Elias answered proudly: "I know what answer to make thee, but I am not
inclined to give thee one. Be gone about thy business." The young man replied:
"I know better than thou dost what answer to make to these questions."
Then was Brother Elias much troubled; and, being very angry, he slammed
to the door, and went his way. But afterwards, considering the questions
which had been put to him, he doubted within himself whether he could answer
them; for being Vicar of the Order, he had made a law which went beyond
that of the Gospel, and passed the Rule of St Francis: to wit, that none
of the brethren should eat flesh; so that the question was put expressly
against himself. Not knowing in what way to clear his doubts, and being
struck by the modest appearance of the young stranger, remembering also
how he had said that he could answer the questions better than himself,
he hurried back to the convent-gate in hopes of finding him. But he had
disappeared, for the pride of Brother Elias made him unworthy to converse
with an angel. In the meantime St Francis, to whom all had been revealed
by God, returning from the forest, addressed himself reproachfully to Brother
Elias, saying: "Thou doest wrong, proud Brother Elias; for thou hast sent
away the holy angel of God, who came to instruct us. I tell thee that I
greatly fear lest thy pride will make thee end thy days out of the Order."
And so it happened even as St Francis said, for he died out of the Order.
The same day and the same hour at which the angel had disappeared from
the convent-gate, he appeared to Brother Bernard, who was making his way
homewards from San Giacomo, along the bank of a great river. The angel,
clad in the same guise as a traveller, greeted him with the words, "God
give thee peace, good brother." Now Brother Bernard, considering the beauty
of the young man, who with so sweet a look pronounced the salutation of
peace, according to the custom of his own country, asked of him whence
he came. "I come," answered the angel, "from the convent where dwells St
Francis. I went thither to speak with him, but to do so I was not able,
for he was in the forest contemplating divine things, and I would not disturb
him. In the same convent were Brother Giles, and Brother Elias, with Brother
Masseo, who taught me how to knock at the convent-gate according to the
custom of the brethren. Brother Elias would not answer the questions I
put to him; but afterwards he repented, seeking to see and hear me; but
it was too late." After these words, the angel asked Brother Bernard why
he did not cross the river. "Because," answered Brother Bernard, "I fear
to perish in the waters, which are very deep." The angel said to him, "Let
us cross together; fear naught." And, taking him by the hand, in an instant
they were both on the other side of the river. Then Brother Bernard knew
him for the angel of God, and with great joy and great reverence he exclaimed:
"Blessed angel of God, tell me thy name." The angel answered: "Why dost
thou ask my name, which is Wonderful?" Having said these words, he disappeared,
leaving Brother Bernard greatly comforted; so that he ended his journey
with much joy, noting the day and the hour when the angel had appeared.
On arriving at the convent, where St Francis was with his favorite companions,
he related to them word for word his adventure; and they knew with a certainty
that it was the very angel who, on the same day and at the same hour, had
appeared to them also.
CHAPTER V
St Francis and his companions, being
called by God to carry the cross of Christ in their hearts, to practise
it in their lives, and to preach it by their words, were truly crucified
men both in their actions and in their works. They sought after shame and
contempt, out of love for Christ, rather than the honours of the world,
the respect and praise of men. They rejoiced to be despised, and were grieved
when honoured. Thus they went about the world as pilgrims and strangers,
carrying nothing with them but Christ crucified; and because they were
of the true Vine, which is Christ, they produced great and good fruits
in many souls which they gained to God. It happened that, in the beginning
of the Order, St Francis sent Brother Bernard to Bologna, there to accomplish
many good works, according to the grace which God had given him. So Brother
Bernard, making the holy sign of the cross, in the name of holy obedience,
set out for Bologna; but when he arrived in that city, the little children
in the streets, seeing him dressed so strangely and so poorly, laughed
and scoffed at him, taking him for a madman. All these trials Brother Bernard
accepted for the love of Christ, with great patience and with great joy,
and seeking to be despised yet more, he went to the market-place, where,
having seated himself, a great number of children and men gathered round
him, and taking hold of his hood pushed him here and there, some throwing
stones at him and others dust. To all this Brother Bernard submitted in
silence, his countenance bearing an expression of holy joy, and for several
days he returned to the same spot to receive the same insults. Now, patience
being a work of perfection and a proof of virtue, a learned doctor of the
law, seeing such virtue and constancy in Brother Bernard, who had endured
for so many days such contempt and such injuries without losing his temper,
said within himself: "Without doubt this man must be a great saint"; and
going up to him, he asked him who he was, and whence he came. Brother Bernard
put his hand into his bosom, and taking out the Rule of St Francis, gave
it to him to read. The doctor, having read the Rule, was struck with wonder
and admiration at the sublime perfection therein prescribed, and turning
to his friends, he said: "Truly this is the most perfect state of Religion
I have ever heard of, and this man and his companions are the holiest men
I have met with in all the world; guilty indeed are those who insult him;
we ought, on the contrary, to honour him as a true friend of God." And
addressing Brother Bernard, he said to him: "If it is thy wish to found
a convent in this town, in which thou mayest serve God according to thy
heart's desires, I will help thee most willingly, for the salvation of
my soul." Brother Bernard answered: "I believe that our Saviour Jesus Christ
has inspired thee with this good intention, and most willingly do I accept
thy offer, to the honour of Christ." Then the doctor, with much joy and
great charity, conducted Brother Bernard to his house, and soon after gave
to him a place as he had promised, which he arranged and furnished at his
own expense, and from that moment he became a father to Brother Bernard,
and the special defender of the Friars Minor. Brother Bernard, through
his holy conduct, began to be much honoured by the people, so much so that
those who could see and touch him accounted themselves as most blessed;
but he, like a true disciple of Christ and a son of the humble Francis,
fearing lest the honours of the world should disturb his peace and endanger
the salvation of his soul, set out one day and returned to St Francis,
whom he thus addressed: "Father, the convent is founded at Bologna, send
other brothers there to keep it up and reside there, as I can no longer
be of any use; indeed, I fear that the too great honours I receive might
make me lose more than I could gain." Now St Francis, having heard, one
after another, all the things which the Lord had wrought through Brother
Bernard, rendered thanks to God, who thus began to spread abroad the poor
disciples of the Cross; then sent he others of the brethren to Bologna,
and to Lombardy, and these founded many convents in divers countries.
CHAPTER VI
The holiness of Brother Bernard
shone forth so brightly, that St Francis held him in great reverence, and
often was heard to praise him. One day, as St Francis was in prayer, it
was revealed to him by God that Brother Bernard, by divine permission,
would sustain many painful combats with the devil. Now St Francis felt
great compassion for Brother Bernard, whom he loved as a son; wherefore
he wept for prayed for many days, imploring the Lord Jesus Christ to give
him the victory over the evil one. As he was praying thus devoutly, the
Lord answered his prayer, and said to him: "Fear not, Francis, for all
the temptations which will assail Brother Bernard are permitted by God,
to increase his virtue and win for him a crown of merit; for at length
he will gain the victory over all his enemies, because he is one of the
ministers of the kingdom of heaven." This answer to prayer filled St Francis
with joy; he thanked God; and from that moment, Brother Bernard became
even dearer to St Francis than before, and many proofs of affection did
he give him, not only during his life but more especially at the hour of
his death. For when St Francis was about to leave this world, being surrounded
like the holy prophet Jacob by his devoted sons, all grieving at the departure
of so beloved a Father, he thus addressed them: "Where is my first-born
son? let him come to me, that my soul may bless him before I die." Then
Brother Bernard said in a whisper to Brother Elias, who at that time was
vicar of the Order: "Go to the right hand of the saint, that he may bless
thee." On this Brother Elias placed himself on the right side of St Francis
- who had lost his sight through much weeping - and the saint, putting
his right hand on the head of Brother Elias, said: "This is not the head
of my first-born, Brother Bernard." Then Brother Bernard placed himself
on the left side of St Francis, who, crossing his arms in the form of a
cross, put his right hand on the head of Brother Bernard and his left on
that of Brother Elias. Then said he to Brother Bernard: "May God, the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, bless thee with every blessing, spiritual and
celestial; for thou art my first-born son in God, chosen in this Order
to set an example of every virtue, and to follow Christ in evangelical
poverty; for not only didst thou give all thy possessions and distribute
them freely and liberally to the poor, but thou didst likewise offer thyself
to God in this Order as a sacrifice of love; blessed be thou, then, by
our Saviour Jesus Christ and by me, his poor servant, with eternal blessings,
when thou goest out and when thou comest in, when thou wakest and when
thou sleepest, both living and dying; he that blesseth thee shall be blessed,
he that curseth thee shall not remain unpunished. Thou shalt be at the
head of all thy brethren, and all thy commands the brethren shall obey.
I give thee power to receive into this Order whomsoever thou willest; no
brother shall rule over thee. Thou art free to go where thou wilt, and
to remain where it pleaseth thee best." So, after the death of St Francis,
the brethren loved and revered Brother Bernard as their father, and when
it was his turn to die, many brethren came from all parts of the world
to take leave of him; amongst them the angelic Brother Giles, who when
he saw Brother Bernard exclaimed, with great joy, "Sursum corda!
Brother Bernard, Sursum corda!" and Brother Bernard ordered secretly
one of the brothers to prepare for Brother Giles a place meet for contemplation,
which was done even as he ordered. Now when the last hour of Brother Bernard
arrived, he begged to be raised in his bed, and thus addressed the brethren
who surrounded him: "Beloved brethren, I have not many words to say to
you; but I wish you to consider that, as the religious order which has
been my choice has been yours also, the hour which is now come for me will
also come for you; and this I find in my soul to tell you, that for a thousand
worlds I would not have served another Lord than our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Now I accuse myself before my Saviour and before you all of every offence
I have committed; and I pray you, my dear brethren, to love one another."
And having said these words, and given other good advice, he lay down on
his bed, his face radiant with joy and shining with celestial brightness,
of which all the brethren were witnesses; and in that ecstasy of joy his
holy soul, crowned with glory, passed from this present life to the blessed
life of the angels.
CHAPTER VII
The true servant of Christ, St Francis, was in certain things like unto a second Christ given to the world for the salvation of souls. Wherefore God the Father willed that in many points he should be conformed to his Son, Jesus Christ, as we have already explained in the calling of his twelve companions, as also in the mystery of the holy stigmata, and in a fast of forty days which he made in the manner following:
St Francis, one day of the
Carnival, was near the Lake of Perugia, in the house of one of his devout
children, with whom he had spent the night, when he was inspired by God
to go and pass the time of Lent in an island on the lake. Wherefore St
Francis begged his friend, for the love of God, to convey him in his boat
to an island uninhabited by man: the which he should do during the night
of Ash-Wednesday, so that none might know where he was; and the friend,
because of the great devotion he bore to St Francis, agreed to his request,
and conveyed him to the said island, St Francis taking with him naught
but two small loaves. When they had reached the island, his friend left
him and returned home; the saint earnestly entreating him to reveal to
no one where he was, and not to come and fetch him before Holy Thursday;
to which he consented. St Francis being left alone, and there being no
dwelling in the island in which he could take shelter, entered into a thick
part of the wood all overgrown with brambles and other creeping plants,
and forming as it were a kind of hut, there he began to pray and enter
into the contemplation of divine things. And there he passed the whole
of Lent without drinking or eating save half of one of the small loaves
he had taken with him, as we learned from his friend who, going to fetch
him on Holy Thursday, found one of the loaves untouched and the other only
half consumed. It is believed that St Francis ate this half out of reverence
for our Blessed Lord, who fasted forty days and forty nights without taking
any material food; for by eating this bit of bread he put aside the temptation
to vainglory, and yet fasted forty days and forty nights in imitation of
the Saviour. In later times God worked many miracles, through the merits
of the saint, on the spot where St Francis had fasted so wonderfully, on
which account people began to build houses and dwell there, and little
by little a town rose up, with a convent called the Convent of the Isle;
and to this day the inhabitants of that town hold in great respect and
great devotion the spot in which St Francis passed the time of Lent.
CHAPTER VIII
One day in winter, as St Francis
was going with Brother Leo from Perugia to St Mary of the Angels, and was
suffering greatly from the cold, he called to Brother Leo, who was walking
on before him, and said to him: "Brother Leo, if it were to please God
that the Friars Minor should give, in all lands, a great example of holiness
and edification, write down, and note carefully, that this would not be
perfect joy." A little further on, St Francis called to him a second time:
"O Brother Leo, if the Friars Minor were to make the lame to walk, if they
should make straight the crooked, chase away demons, give sight to the
blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, and, what is even a far
greater work, if they should raise the dead after four days, write that
this would not be perfect joy." Shortly after, he cried out again: "O Brother
Leo, if the Friars Minor knew all languages; if they were versed in all
science; if they could explain all Scripture; if they had the gift of prophecy,
and could reveal, not only all future things, but likewise the secrets
of all consciences and all souls, write that this would not be perfect
joy." After proceeding a few steps farther, he cried out again with a loud
voice: "O Brother Leo, thou little lamb of God! if the Friars Minor could
speak with the tongues of angels; if they could explain the course of the
stars; if they knew the virtues of all plants; if all the treasures of
the earth were revealed to them; if they were acquainted with the various
qualities of all birds, of all fish, of all animals, of men, of trees,
of stones, of roots, and of waters - write that this would not be perfect
joy." Shortly after, he cried out again: "O Brother Leo, if the Friars
Minor had the gift of preaching so as to convert all infidels to the faith
of Christ, write that this would not be perfect joy." Now when this manner
of discourse had lasted for the space of two miles, Brother Leo wondered
much within himself; and, questioning the saint, he said: "Father, I pray
thee teach me wherein is perfect joy." St Francis answered: "If, when we
shall arrive at St Mary of the Angels, all drenched with rain and trembling
with cold, all covered with mud and exhausted from hunger; if, when we
knock at the convent-gate, the porter should come angrily and ask us who
we are; if, after we have told him, `We are two of the brethren', he should
answer angrily, `What ye say is not the truth; ye are but two impostors
going about to deceive the world, and take away the alms of the poor; begone
I say'; if then he refuse to open to us, and leave us outside, exposed
to the snow and rain, suffering from cold and hunger till nightfall - then,
if we accept such injustice, such cruelty and such contempt with patience,
without being ruffled and without murmuring, believing with humility and
charity that the porter really knows us, and that it is God who maketh
him to speak thus against us, write down, O Brother Leo, that this is perfect
joy. And if we knock again, and the porter come out in anger to drive us
away with oaths and blows, as if we were vile impostors, saying, `Begone,
miserable robbers! to to the hospital, for here you shall neither eat nor
sleep!' - and if we accept all this with patience, with joy, and with charity,
O Brother Leo, write that this indeed is perfect joy. And if, urged by
cold and hunger, we knock again, calling to the porter and entreating him
with many tears to open to us and give us shelter, for the love of God,
and if he come out more angry than before, exclaiming, `These are but importunate
rascals, I will deal with them as they deserve'; and taking a knotted stick,
he seize us by the hood, throwing us on the ground, rolling us in the snow,
and shall beat and wound us with the knots in the stick - if we bear all
these injuries with patience and joy, thinking of the sufferings of our
Blessed Lord, which we would share out of love for him, write, O Brother
Leo, that here, finally, is perfect joy. And now, brother, listen to the
conclusion. Above all the graces and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit which
Christ grants to his friends, is the grace of overcoming oneself, and accepting
willingly, out of love for Christ, all suffering, injury, discomfort and
contempt; for in all other gifts of God we cannot glory, seeing they proceed
not from ourselves but from God, according to the words of the Apostle,
`What hast thou that thou hast not received from God? and if thou hast
received it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?' But
in the cross of tribulation and affliction we may glory, because, as the
Apostle says again, `I will not glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ.' Amen."
CHAPTER IX
Once, as the beginning of the Order,
St Francis was with Brother Leo in a convent where they had no books wherewith
to say divine office. So, when the hour of Matins arrived, St Francis said
to Brother Leo: "My beloved brother, we have no Breviary wherewith to say
Matins, but in order to employ the time in praising God, I will speak,
and thou shalt answer me as I shall teach thee; and beware thou change
not the words I shall bid thee say. Thus will I begin: `O Brother Francis,
thou hast done so much evil, and hast committed so many sins in the world,
that thou art only worthy of hell'; and thou, Brother Leo, shalt answer:
`It is very true thou art worthy of the nethermost hell.'" And Brother
Leo said, with the simplicity of a dove, "Right willingly, Father; begin,
then, in the name of God." St Francis therefore began thus: O Brother Francis,
thou hast done so much evil, and hast committed so many sins in the world,
that thou art worthy of hell." And Brother Leo made answer: "God will work
so much good through thee, that thou wilt certainly go to heaven". Do not
speak thus, "Brother Leo," said St Francis; "but when I say, `Brother Francis,
thou hast committed so many iniquities against God, that thou art worthy
to be cursed by him,' thou shalt make answer: `Yes, indeed, thou art worthy
to be numbered among the cursed.'" And Brother Leo answered: "Most willingly,
O my Father." Then St Francis, with many tears and sighs, striking his
breast, cried with a loud voice: "O Lord of heaven and earth, I have committed
against thee so many sins and so great iniquities, that I deserve to be
cursed by thee." And Brother Leo answered: "O Brother Francis, among all
the blessed the Lord will cause thee to be singularly blessed." And St
Francis, much surprised that Brother Leo answered quite the contrary to
what he had ordered him, reproved him for it, saying: "Why answereth thou
not as I taught thee? I command thee, under holy obedience, so to do. When
I say, `O wicked Brother Francis, dost thou think God will have mercy on
thee, when thou hast so sinned against the Father of mercies that thou
art not worthy of finding mercy,' then thou, Brother Leo, my little lamb,
shalt answer: `Thou art not worthy of finding mercy.'" But when St Francis
began to repeat, "O wicked Brother Francis," and so on, Brother Leo answered:
"God the Father, whose mercy in infinitely greater than thy sin, will show
great mercy upon thee, and will grant thee likewise many graces." At this
answer St Francis, being meekly angry, and patiently impatient, said to
Brother Leo: "How canst thou presume to act against obedience? Why hast
thou so often answered the contrary to what I ordered thee?" With great
humility and respect Brother Leo answered: "God knows, my Father, that
I had resolved in my heart each time to answer as thou didst command me,
but the Lord made me to speak as it pleased him, and not as it pleased
me." Then St Francis, being greatly astonished, said to Brother Leo: "I
entreat thee, beloved, this time to answer as I command thee." And Brother
Leo said: "Speak, in the name of God; for this time most certainly I will
answer thee as thou desirest." And St Francis, weeping, said: "O wicked
Brother Francis, dost thou think that God will have mercy on thee?" And
Brother Leo answered: "Not only will he have mercy on thee, but thou shalt
receive from him especial graces: he will exalt thee and glorify thee to
all eternity, for he that humbleth himself shall be exalted; and I cannot
speak otherwise, because it is God that speaketh by my lips." After this
in humble contest, they watched till morning in many tears and much spiritual
consolation.
CHAPTER X
St Francis once was living at the
Convent of the Portiuncula, with Brother Masseo of Marignano, a man of
great sanctity and great discernment, who held frequent converse with God;
for which reason St Francis loved him much. One day, as St Francis was
returning from the forest, where he had been in prayer, the said Brother
Masseo, wishing to test the humility of the saint, went forth to meet him
exclaiming: "Why after thee? Why after thee?" To which St Francis made
answer: "What is this? What meanest thou?" Brother Masseo answered: "I
mean, why is it that all the world goeth after thee; why do all men wish
to see thee, to hear thee, and to obey thy word? For thou art neither comely
nor learned, nor art thou of noble birth. How is it, then, that all the
world goeth after thee?" St Francis, hearing these words, rejoiced greatly
in spirit, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, remained for a long space
with his mind rapt in God; then, coming to himself, he knelt down, returning
thanks to God with great fervour of spirit, and addressing Brother Messeo,
said to him: "Wouldst thou know why all men come after me? Know that it
is because the Lord, who is in heaven, who sees the evil and the good in
all places - because, I say, his holy eyes have found among men no one
more wicked, more imperfect, or a greater sinner than I am; and to accomplish
the wonderful work which he intends to do, he has found no creature more
vile than I am on earth; for which reason he has chosen me, to confound
all strength, beauty, greatness, noble birth, and all the science of the
world, that men may learn that every virtue and every good gift cometh
from him, and not from any creature, that none may glory before him; but
if any one glory, let him glory in the Lord, to whom belongeth all glory
in eternity." Then Brother Masseo, at such a humble answer, given with
so much fervour, was greatly impressed, and learned of a certainty that
St Francis was well grounded in humility.
CHAPTER XI
One day, as St Francis was travelling
with Brother Masseo, who was walking in front, they arrived at a spot where
three roads met, one leading to Florence, one to Siena, and one to Arezzo,
and Brother Masseo asked of St Francis which road they should take. "The
one which God wills," answered St Francis. Said brother Masseo: "And how
are we to know the will of God?" "By the sign I shall show thee," answered
St Francis; "I order thee, by the merit of holy obedience, on the spot
where now thou art, to turn round and round, as children do in play, and
not to stop or rest until I bid thee." On this Brother Masseo began to
turn round and round, until his head became dizzy, as is wont to happen
from such turning, and he fell down several times. But, as St Francis did
not bid him to stop, he went on, out of obedience, till at last St Francis
said: "Stand still, and move not; but tell me towards which of the three
roads thou art turned?" "Towards that which leadeth to Siena," answered
Brother Masseo. "That is the road," said St Francis, "which it pleaseth
God we should take." As he went on his way, Brother Masseo wondered to
himself why St Francis had made him turn round like a child, in the presence
of all those who passed that way, but out of reverence to the saint he
did not dare ask him. As they reached Siena, the people of that city, having
heard that the saint was approaching, went, out of devotion, to meet him,
and taking him and Brother Masseo on their shoulders, carried them to the
Bishop's palace, so that their feet touched not the ground. In that same
hour some of the inhabitants of Siena were fighting among themselves, and
two of them had been killed. Then St Francis, hurrying to the spot, spoke
to them so devoutly and in such holy words, that he constrained them all
to make peace and give over quarrelling. The Bishop, having heard tell
of the holy action of St Francis, invited him to his house, and received
him with great honour, retaining him with him all that day and the following
night. The next morning, St Francis, who in all his acts sought only the
glory of God, rose very early with his companion, and went his way, without
even taking leave of the Bishop; at which Brother Masseo murmured within
himself, saying, as he went, "What is this that this good man has done?
He has made me turn round and round like a child, and he leaves the Bishop,
who has received him with such honour, without saying a word, or even thanking
him"; for it seemed to Brother Masseo that St Francis had acted indiscreetly;
but, inwardly checked by a divine inspiration, he thus reproached himself
for indulging in such thoughts: "Thou art too proud who darest to judge
the operation of divine grace; thine indiscreet pride makes thee worthy
of hell; for Brother Francis yesterday performed such holy actions, that
they could not be more wonderful had they been accomplished by an angel
of God: so that even were he to order thee to throw stones, thou shouldst
do so out of obedience; for that which he has done at Siena is the work
of God, as the result proveth, for had he not pacified the men who were
fighting together, not only would many have fallen victims, but the devil
would have drawn many souls to hell. It is thy folly and thy pride which
make thee to murmur at that which preceeds so manifestly from the will
of God." Now all these things which Brother Masseo said in his heart were
revealed to St Francis, who, coming up to him, said: "Hold fast the things
which thou art thinking of at this moment, for they are good and useful,
and inspired by God; but thy murmurings, which preceded them, were blind
and vain and full of pride, being sent into thy soul by the devil." Then
Brother Masseo clearly saw that St Francis knew the secrets of his heart,
and understood of a certainty how the spirit of divine wisdom directed
all the actions of his holy father.
CHAPTER XII
St Francis, wishing to mortify Brother
Masseo, that pride should not enter his soul, because of the many graces
and gifts he had received from God, and also that, through the grace of
humility, he should advance from virtue to virtue, once when he was residing
in a solitary convent with his first companions, who were all examples
of holiness, of which number Brother Masseo was one, he said unto the latter,
before all the brethren: "O Brother Messeo, all these thy companions have
the grace of contemplation and of prayer; but thou hast the grace of preaching
the word of God and of pleasing the people. I will therefore, in order
that they may give themselves to contemplation, that thou fill the office
of porter, of almoner and of cook, and that, when the other monks shall
be at their meals, thou alone shalt eat outside the convent-gate, so as
to be ready to say a few godly words to such as come to the convent, before
they knock at the gate, and so that none other shall be obliged to go out
but thee; this thou shalt accomplish, through the virtue of holy obedience."
Then Brother Masseo put down his hood, bowed his head, and meekly received
and executed this order; filling for some days the offices of porter, of
almoner and of cook. At this his companions, who were all men enlightened
by the Spirit of God, seeing him thus employed, began to feel in their
hearts great remorse, considering how Brother Masseo had reached a greater
state of perfection than any of them, and how all the work of the convent
fell to his share, and none to theirs. Then went they all to St Francis,
begging him to divide among them those charges, since they could not in
conscience allow Brother Masseo to bear all the burden of the convent.
At this St Francis, heeding their request, granted what they asked, and
calling Brother Masseo, said unto him: "Brother Masseo, thy brethren wish
to share the charges I have given thee, wherefore I will that the charges
be divided among you all." Said Brother Masseo, with great humility and
patience: "Father, whatever charge thou puttest upon me, be it small or
be it great, I accept it as ordained by the Lord." Then St Francis, seeing
the charity of the brethren and the humility of Brother Masseo, made them
a most wonderful sermon on holy humility, teaching them that, the greater
the gifts and graces we receive from God, so much greater must be our humility;
for without humility no virtue can be acceptable to him. Then, having finished
his sermon, he distributed the charges among them with great charity.
CHAPTER XIII
The wonderful servant and follower
of Christ, St Francis, wishing to be in all things conformed to his Master
- who, as the Gospel tells, sent his disciples two by two into all the
cities and lands whither he intended to go to prepare the way for him -
after he had assembled his twelve companions, sent them forth two by two
into the world to preach. In order to set them an example of holy obedience,
he first began to act himself like the Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore,
having sent his companions to divers parts of the world, he took with him
Brother Masseo, and set out towards the province of France. On arriving
in a certain town, being very hungry, they went, according to the Rule,
begging their bread for the love of God. St Francis took one street, and
Brother Masseo the other. St Francis, being a little man, with a mean exterior,
did not attract much attention, and gathered only a few bits of dry bread,
whereas Brother Masseo, being tall and good-looking, received many large
pieces of bread, with several whole loaves. When they had ended their task
of begging, they met on a spot outside the city where there was a beautiful
fountain and a large stone, on which each placed what he had collected.
St Francis, seeing that the pieces of bread which Brother Messeo had collected
were much larger and better than those he had received, rejoiced greatly,
and said: "O Brother Masseo, we are not worthy of this great treasure";
and he repeated these words several times. At this Brother Masseo answered:
"Father, how canst thou talk of a treasure where there is so much poverty,
and indeed a lack of all things? for we have neither cloth, nor knife,
nor dish, nor table, nor house to eat in, nor servant or maid to wait upon
us." St Francis answered: "This is indeed the reason why I account it a
great treasure, because man has had on hand in it, but all has been given
to us by divine Providence, as we clearly see in this bread of charity,
this beautiful table of stone, and this so clear fountain. Wherefore let
us beg of God to make us love with all our hearts the treasure of holy
poverty." Having spoken thus, they returned thanks; and when they had refreshed
themselves with the bread and water, they rose and went on their way to
France. And meeting with a church on the road, St Francis said to his companion,
"Let us enter this church and pray." And entering in, St Francis cast himself
down in prayer before the altar, and during his prayer the Lord visited
him with a great increase of fervour, which so inflamed his soul with affection
for holy poverty, that it seemed as if flames played around his head, and
preceeded from his mouth; and going thus, all shining and burning with
divine love, to his companion, he said to him, "Ah! ah! ah! Brother Masseo,
give thyself to me"; and these words he repeated three times. At the third
time he breathed on Brother Masseo, who, to his great surprise, was raised
above the earth, and fell at some distance before the saint. He told his
companion afterwards that, while thus raised in the air, he had felt such
a sweet sensation in his soul, and had received such consolations from
the Holy Spirit, as he had never before experienced. After this St Francis
said to his companion: "Let us go to St Peter and St Paul, and let us pray
them together that they may teach us and help us to possess the unbounded
treasure of holy poverty, for it is a treasure so great and so divine,
that we are not worthy to possess it in these vile bodies of ours. It is
this celestial virtue which teaches us to despise all earthly and transitory
things, and through it every hindrance is removed from the soul, so that
it can freely commune with God. Through this virtue it is that the soul,
while still on earth, is able to converse with the angels in heaven. This
virtue it is which remained with Christ upon the Cross, was buried with
Christ, rose again with Christ, and with Christ went up into heaven. This
virtue it is which even in this world enables the souls who are inflamed
with love of him to fly up to heaven; it is also the guardian of true charity
and humility. Let us then pray the holy Apostles of Christ, who were perfect
lovers of this evangelical pearl, to obtain for us from the Saviour Jesus
the grace, through his great mercy, to become true lovers, strict observers,
and humble disciples of this most precious, most beloved, and most evangelical
grace of poverty." And thus conversing they arrived at Rome, and entered
the church of St Peter, where St Francis knelt in prayer in one corner
and Brother Masseo in another. After praying for some time with great devotion
and many tears, the most holy Apostles Peter and Paul appeared to St Francis
in much splendour, and thus addressed him: "As thy prayer and thy wish
is to observe that which Christ and his holy Apostles observed, the Lord
Jesus sends us to thee, to tell thee that thy prayer has been heard, and
that it is granted to thee and to all thy followers to possess the treasure
of holy poverty. We tell thee also from him, that whosoever, after thy
example, shall embrace this holy virtue, shall most certainly enjoy perfect
happiness in heaven; for thou and all thy followers shall be blessed by
God." Having said these words they disappeared, leaving St Francis full
of consolation. Then rising from prayer, and returning to Brother Masseo,
he asked him if God had revealed anything to him in prayer. He answered,
"No." Then St Francis told him how the holy Apostles had appeared to him,
and what they had said. And both being filled with joy, they resolved to
return to the Valley of Spoleto, giving up the journey into France.
CHAPTER XIV
In the beginning of the Order, St
Francis, having assembled his companions to speak to them of Christ, in
a moment of great fervour of spirit commanded one of them, in the name
of God, to open his mouth and speak as the Holy Spirit should inspire him.
The brother, doing as he was ordered, spoke most wonderfully of God. Then
St Francis bade him to be silent, and ordered another brother to speak
in the same way, which having done with much penetration, St Francis ordered
him likewise to be silent, and commanded a third brother to do the same.
This one began to speak so deeply of the things of God, that St Francis
was convinced that both he and his companion had spoken through the Holy
Spirit. Of which also he received a manifest proof; for whilst they were
thus speaking together, our Blessed Lord appeared in the midst of them,
under the form of a beautiful young man, and blessed them all. And they,
being ravished out of themselves, fell to the ground as if they had been
dead, and were all unconscious of things external. And when they recovered
from their trance, St Francis said to them: "My beloved brothers, let us
thank God, who has deigned to reveal to the world, through his humble servants,
the treasures of divine wisdom. For the Lord it is who openeth the mouth
of the dumb, and maketh the tongues of the simple to speak wisdom."
CHAPTER XV
St Francis, when residing at Assisi,
often visited St Clare, to give her holy counsel. And she, having a great
desire to eat once with him, often begged him to grant her this request;
but the saint would never allow her this consolation. His companions, therefore,
being aware of the refusal of St Francis, and knowing how great was the
wish of Sister Clare to eat with him, went to seek him, and thus addressed
him: "Father, it seems to us that this severity on thy part in not granting
so small a thing to Sister Clare, a virgin so holy and so dear to God,
who merely asks for once to eat with thee, is not according to holy charity,
especially if we consider how it was at thy preaching that she abandoned
the riches and pomps of this words. Of a truth, if she were to ask of thee
even a greater grace than this, thou shouldst grant it to thy spiritual
daughter." St Francis answered: "It seems to you, then, that I ought to
grant her this request?" His companions made answer: "Yea, father, it is
meet that thou grant her this favour and this consolation." St Francis
answered: "As you think so, let it be so, then; but, in order that she
may be the more consoled, I will that the meal do take place in front of
St Mary of the Angels, because, having been for so long time shut up in
San Damiano, it will do her good to see the church of St Mary, wherein
she took the veil, and was made a spouse of Christ. There, then, we will
eat together in the name of God." When the appointed day arrived, St Clare
left her convent with great joy, taking with her one of her sisters, and
followed by the companions of St Francis. She arrived at St Mary of the
Angels, and having devoutly saluted the Virgin Mary, before whose altar
her hair had been cut off, and she had received the veil, they conducted
her to the convent, and showed her all over it. In the meantime St Francis
prepared the meal on the bare ground, as was his custom. The hour of dinner
being arrived, St Francis and St Clare, with one of the brethren of St
Francis and the sister who had accompanied the saint, sat down together,
all the other companions of St Francis seated humbly round them. When the
first dish was served, St Francis began to speak of God so sweetly, so
sublimely, and in a manner so wonderful, that the grace of God visited
them abundantly, and all were rapt in Christ. Whilst they were thus rapt,
with eyes and hearts raised to heaven, the people of Assisi and of Bettona,
and all the country round about, saw St Mary of the Angels as it were on
fire, with the convent and the woods adjoining. It seemed to them as if
the church, the convent, and the woods were all enveloped in flames; and
the inhabitants of Assisi hastened with great speed to put out the fire.
On arriving at the convent, they found no fire; and entering within the
gates they saw St Francis, St Clare, with all their companions, sitting
round their humble meal, absorbed in contemplation; then knew they of a
certainty, that what they had seen was a celestial fire, not a material
one, which God miraculously had sent to bear witness to the divine flame
of love which consumed the souls of those holy brethren and nuns; and they
returned home with great consolation in their hearts, and much holy edification.
After a long lapse of time, St Francis, St Clare, and their companions
came back to themselves; and, being fully restored by the spiritual food,
cared not to eat that which had been prepared for them; so that, the holy
meal being finished, St Clare, well accompanied, returned to San Damiano,
where the sisters received her with great joy, as they had feared that
St Francis might have sent her to rule some other convent, as he had already
sent St Agnes, the sister of the saint, to be Abbess of the Convent of
Monticelli, at Florence. For St Francis had often said to St Clare, "Be
ready, in case I send thee to some other convent"; and she, like a daughter
of holy obedience, had answered, "Father, I am always ready to go whithersoever
thou shalt send me." For which reason the sisters greatly rejoiced when
she returned to them, and St Clare was from that time much consoled.
CHAPTER XVI
The humble servant of Christ, St
Francis, a short time after his conversion, having already assembled and
received many brothers into the Order, was much troubled and perplexed
in mind as to what he ought to do; whether to give himself entirely to
prayer, or now and then to preach the Word. Through his great humility,
he had no opinion of himself or of the virtue of his prayers; and, wishing
to know the will of God, he sought to learn it through the prayers of others.
Wherefore he called to him Brother Masseo, and thus addressed him: "Go
to Sister Clare, and bid her from me to set herself with some of the holiest
of her sisters to pray the Lord that he may show me clearly whether he
wills that I should preach or only keep to prayer. Then go to Brother Silvester,
and ask of him the same favour." Now Brother Silvester had been in the
world, and was the same who had seen in vision a golden cross come out
of St Francis's mouth, whose height reached up to heaven and its breadth
to the farthest extremities of the world. Brother Silvester was so holy,
that whatever he asked of God was granted to his prayer, and very often
he held converse with the Lord; so that St Francis revered him greatly.
Then Brother Masseo did as St Francis had commanded him; carrying the message
first to St Clare, and then to Brother Silvester, who set about praying
immediately; and, having received the answer from the Lord, returned to
Brother Masseo, and said to him: "The Lord says, go and tell Brother Francis
that he has called him to this state to save merely his own soul but that
he may produce fruits in those of others, and that through him many souls
be saved." Having received this answer, Brother Messeo returned to Sister
Clare, to ask what she had learnt from God; and she told him that she and
all her companions had received from God the same answer as the Lord had
given to Brother Silvester. Then Brother Masseo hastened to St Francis
to bring him these answers; and St Francis received him with great charity,
washing his feet, and serving him at dinner. When the repast was over,
he called Brother Masseo into the forest, and, kneeling down before him,
put back his hood; and crossing his arms on his breast, he said to him:
"What answer dost thou bring me? what does my Lord Jesus Christ order me
to do?" Brother Masseo answered: "The Lord Jesus Christ has revealed both
to Brother Silvester and to Sister Clare, that it is his will thou shouldest
go about the world to preach; for thou hast not been called for thyself
alone, but the the salvation of others." Then St Francis, having received
the answer, and knowing it to be the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, arose
with fervour, saying, "Let us go in the name of God"; and taking with him
Brother Masseo and Brother Agnolo, both holy men, he let himself be guided
by the Spirit of God, without considering the road he took. They soon arrived
at a town called Savurniano, where St Francis began to preach, first ordering
the swallows, who were calling, to keep silence until he had finished;
and the swallows obeyed his voice. He preached with such fervour, that
the inhabitants of the town wished to follow him out of devotion; but St
Francis would not allow them, saying: "Be not in such haste, and leave
not your homes. I will tell you what you must do to save your souls." Thereupon
he founded the Third Order for the salvation of all; and leaving them much
consoled and well disposed to do penance, he departed thence, and reached
a spot between Cannaio and Bevagno. And as he went on his way, with great
fervour, St Francis lifted up his eyes, and saw on some trees by the wayside
a great multitude of birds; and being much surprised, he said to his companions,
"Wait for me here by the way, whilst I go and preach to my little sisters
the birds"; and entering into the field, he began to preach to the birds
which were on the ground, and suddenly all those also on the trees came
round him, and all listened while St Francis preached to them, and did
not fly away until he had given them his blessing. And Brother Masseo related
afterwards to Brother James of Massa how St Francis went among them and
even touched them with his garments, and how none of them moved. Now the
substance of the sermon was this: "My little sisters the birds, ye owe
much to God, your Creator, and ye ought to sing his praise at all times
and in all places, because he has given you liberty to fly about into all
places; and though ye neither spin nor sew, he has given you a twofold
and a threefold clothing for yourselves and for your offspring. Two of
all your species he sent into the Ark with Noe that you might not be lost
to the world; besides which, he feeds you, though ye neither sow nor reap.
He has given you fountains and rivers to quench your thirst, mountains
and valleys in which to take refuge, and trees in which to build your nests;
so that your Creator loves you much, having thus favoured you with such
bounties. Beware, my little sisters, of the sin of ingratitude, and study
always to give praise to God." As he said these words, all the birds began
to open their beaks, to stretch their necks, to spread their wings and
reverently to bow their heads to the ground, endeavouring by their motions
and by their songs to manifest their joy to St Francis. And the saint rejoiced
with them. He wondered to see such a multitude of birds, and was charmed
with their beautiful variety, with their attention and familiarity, for
all which he devoutly gave thanks to the Creator. Having finished his sermon,
St Francis made the sign of the cross, and gave them leave to fly away.
Then all those birds rose up into the air, singing most sweetly; and, following
the sign of the cross, which St Francis had made, they divided themselves
into four companies. One company flew towards the east, another towards
the west, one towards the south, and one towards the north; each company
as it went singing most wonderfully; signifying thereby, that as St Francis,
the bearer of the Cross of Christ, had preached to them and made upon them
the sign of the cross, after which they had divided among themselves the
four parts of the world, so the preaching of the Cross of Christ, renewed
by St Francis, would be carried by him and by his brethren over all the
world, and that the humble friars, like little birds, should posses nothing
in this world, but should cast all the care of their lives on the providence
of God.
CHAPTER XVII
A certain pure and innocent child
was received into the Order during the lifetime of St Francis, and the
convent in which he lived was so small that the monks were obliged to sleep
on mats. It chanced that St Francis came one day to that convent, and in
the evening, after Compline, he went to rest, so as to rise up early to
pray, as was his custom, when all the other friars were still asleep. The
said little child had made up his mind carefully to watch St Francis, to
learn something of his sanctity, and find out more especially what he did
in the night when he got up; and in order that he might not be overtaken
by sleep, he laid him down by St Francis, tying the end of the cord he
wore round his waist to the one which the saint wore, so that he was sure
of being awakened when the latter got up in the night; and this he did
so gently, that St Francis was not aware of his contrivance. When all the
other friars were fast asleep, St Francis rose from sleep, and finding
the child's cord tied to his own, he carefully untied it so as not to awake
him and went alone into the wood which was near the convent. Entering into
a little cell which was there, he began to pray. Shortly after, the child
awoke, and finding St Francis gone, and the cord untied, he rose up quickly
and went to seek him. Perceiving the door open which led to the wood, he
thought St Francis had gone that way; and entering into the wood, and hurrying
on to the little cell, he heard the sound of many voices. Approaching near
to hear and see whence they came, he saw a great and wonderful light all
round the saint, and in the light was Jesus Christ, with the Virgin Mary,
St John the Baptist, St John the Evangelist, and a great multitude of angels,
all talking with St Francis. On seeing this the child fell to the ground
as if he had been dead. The miracle of this holy vision being ended, St
Francis rose to return to the convent, and stumbling in the way against
the child, who appeared to be dead, with great compassion he took him up
in his arms and carried him in his bosom, as the good shepherd is wont
to carry his lambs. Having learned from him how he had seen the vision,
he forbade him to tell any man thereof so long as he, St Francis, lived.
The little child grew up in the grace of God, and had a great devotion
to St Francis. He became one of the most distinguished men of the Order.
After the death of St Francis, he related the vision to the brethren.
CHAPTER XVIII
The faithful servant of Christ, St Francis, once held a general chapter at St Mary of the Angels, at which chapter more than five thousand friars were present. Amongst them also was St Dominic, the head and founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, who chanced to be on his way from Bologna to Rome: for having heard of the chapter which St Francis had called together in the plain of St Mary of the Angels, he went there with seven friars of his Order. A certain Cardinal also, much devoted to St Francis, to whom the saint had foretold that he would one day be Pope, came expressly from Perugia to Assisi, and everyday he went to visit St Francis and his brethren. Sometimes he sang Mass and preached to them; and each time the said Cardinal visited the holy company he experienced much pleasure and devotion. Seeing the friars all seated in the plain round St Mary of the Angels, in groups - here forty, there a hundred, and elsewhere eighty, all occupied in conversing about God, or in prayer, or in works of charity - seeing them all so silent and so grave, and wondering how such a multitude could be