Father S. Francis hauing bin enformed that in this chapter were many Religious who to mortifie their flesh besides their other abstinences fastes and disciplines did weare insteed of haire a shirt of maille and certaine grosse hoopes of iron about theire loynes which procured them diuers sicknesses and euen that some died therewith the pitifull Father commanded by vertue of obedience that there should be brought him all the said mailles and hoopes and in an instant were brought him fiue hundred of the one the other sort wherfore he presently there vpon made a cōstitution that none should presume thenceforward to weare any sort of iron on their flesh There were in this Chapter certaine learned superiours who practised with their Protectour some meane to temperate the rigour of that their so extreme pouerty and liuing and to moderate it according to some other ancient rule that shunning extremities they might choose one more supportable Which being by the said Cardinall who also would haue him condiscend thervnto related vnto the holy Father S. Francis he tooke him by the hand and led him to the chapter where those said superiours were yet assēbled to whom addressing his speech he said My beloued Brethren our most mercifull Lord God hath called me vnto him by this way of simplicity pouerty humility and of this great asperity of life and not only my selfe but all those that will follow me therfore lett none of you thincke euer to make me espouse an other rule be it of S. Augustin S. Bernard or any other for my God hath shewed me this hath called vs vnto it and will that we be reputed insensible in this world because he will guide vs to heauen by an other path then this of the humane reasons of your sottish prudence and ignorance wherewith you are confounded yea I am so much assured from his diuine maiesty that he will chastice you by his executioners the deuils and then will remitt you into your former estate whence you are now fallen though it beagainst your will if first you doe it not of your selues This said he left them with this worthy conclusion The Cardinall hauing heard so resolute and terrible an answeare vtterly amazed att the great zeale of God which he demōstrated durst not reply so much as one word and the said superiors with such an exceeding terrour and feare of worse successe remayned mute A litle after the said chapter it was reuealed vnto the S. that whiles it was held many thousandes of deuils being assembled att the hospitall betweene our Lady of Angels and Assisium held an other where were present eighteen thousand conferring of some meanes wherby to hinder the holy progresse of the said Order of the Freer Minors where after many of the deuils had deliuered their opinion herein att length one more subtill then the rest thus proposed This Francis and his Religious shunne the world doe sequester themselues with so much feruour and for the present loue God with such force employing themselues in continuall prayer maceration of their flesh that whatsoeuer we shall now endeauour against them will litle or nothing preuaile therfore mine opinion is that we thincke not as yet of it but expect the death of the said Francis the head of this Order and the multiplication of the Religious for then we will procure into it yong men without zeale of Religion and saluation venerable old men and delicate gentilmen learned arrogants and men of feeble complexion such as shal be receaued to support the honour of the Order and to augment their number and then by their meanes we will draw them all to the loue of the world and of themselues to a great desire of knowledge and to blind ambition of honour and we will so allure them to our fantasie as we may dispose of them att our pleasure The other deuils approuing this opinion departed full of hope of a future reuenge which would to God had not in part so arriued How the Freer Minors were sent with authenticall letters into diuers Christian and Pagan Prouinces and how God miraculously releiued them THE LXVI CHAPTER IN the expeditiō of the foresaid great generall Chapter all the Christian and Pagan Prouinces were deputed to certaine Fathers who were sent thither with their companiōs carrying the letters patētes of the Pope in fauour wherof they were very ioyfully receaued and curteously entertayned of the Prelates and people among others six were sent vnto the citty of Morocco among the Mores of whome one remayned sick in Spaine and the other fiue that went thither were gloriously martyred as in the fourth booke shal be declared Many also were sent vnto Tunes there to preach against the false sect of Mahomet with Brother Giles the third disciple of S. Francis who being there arriued were by the merchantes with whome they came putt againe into the shippes against their willes for feare they might incurre some dommage by their occasion and so were sent againe into Italy there were also sent into diuers other places for many religiou◠entreated it of the S. for the desire they had of Martyrdome wherfore to giue them confort he permitted them to goe they did much fructifie in diuers places as in their liues shall appeare because hauing reposed all their confidence in God he wrought many miracles by them and miraculously releiued them in their necessities as in the accidentes following here placed for example doth appeare Many of the said Religious being in very vast mountaines were exceedingly afflicted with thirst by reason of the extreme heat that then was so that it could not be more violent when they came to any fountaine where hauing had the benediction of their superiour they drāck their fill of that water which they well knew to be more diuine then terrestriall considering that they found themselues therby so corroborated and reuiued that in vertue therof they coutagiously performed the rest of their iorney they yelded thanckes to God for the same Two others trauailling according to the Apostolicall manner without wallet and hauing spent almost a whole day in trauaile without getting any bread were so enffeebled with hungar that their extremety seemed att the full yet did it proue more when comming into a Church and demaunding a litle bread for the loue of God of the preist therof the honest man answeared that he had it not wherfore the poore Religious passing on in a kind of despaire mett on the way a yong man who hauing saluted them began to question with them in this manner whither goe you so sorrowfull and heauy that you appeare to be ouerchardged therewith they answeared that finding none that would giue them bread they walked whither their hungar did lead thē wherof they feared to die this yong man presently replyed goe to sitt downe and eat here are two loaues Whiles they were eating he began to discouer who he was saying vnto them O men of
naturally drawne att Venise in the church of S. Marck such as we haue formerlie described and with stigmates enameled after the Mosaicall manner Of the Buriall of the body of the blessed Father S. Francis THE LXXIII CHAPTER THe afore mentioned Lady Iaqueline of the Seauen Sunnes was the last that could not be satisfied with seeing and touching as an other Magdalen this sacred body of her deere master She did nothing but bath it with her gracious teares and dry it with her kisses the extreme swetnes that proceeded from this holie body but particulerlie from the sacred stigmates exceeded all other sweetnes neuerthelesse she held her eyes alwayes fixed on the wound of his side wherto she often applyed her mouth and handes whence she receaued such and so exceeding consolation that it seemed vnto her in this conuersation with her dead master and freâ—nd â—hat her soule with a straung and admirable ioy began to liue Butt to the cittizens of Assisium that desired to carry him to buriall finding much delay euery hower seemed an hundred by reason of the extreme feare they had that so precious a treasure by some extraordinarie accident might beÌ„ taken from them wherfore they placed a guard before the monasterie gate and soldiers diuided through the street euen to the gate of the citty which cittizens so importuned the said Lady that she annoynted him with precious iontment then cloathed him in a new gray habitt which she had expresly brought from Rome according to the aduertisement of the Angell and the Religious so opened this habitt that the wound of his side might easily be seene This glorious Sainct did alwayes in his life time desire that his bodie should be buryed in the basest place of all the citty of AssisiuÌ„ his hart excepted which he deputed to our Lady of Angels as during his life he had by affection there setled the same and in deed God did not frustrate him of this iust desire for his holy body was enterred though this were not till foure yeares after by reason that the monasterie was not yet build there nor the church which they sumptuouslie built there afterward in the most abiect place of Assisium where malefactours were executed called the mount of hell the common opinion is that his hart is in the chappell of S. Mary of Angels where according to report it is preserued with great reuerence On the sonday morning all the people being assembled with bowes of trees and the Religious Preistes and Gentlemen with their burning torches and lightes carryed this holie bodie as in procession first to the Church of S. Damian to S. Clare that the prophesie of the Sainct might be accomplished sending her worde some dayes before that she should shortlie see him to her exceeding consolarioÌ„ The grate being opened the body of the Sainct was brought in to the Religious who were so comforted therwith that greife could finde no place in their hartes particulerly in that of S. Clare who endeauouring in vaine to pluck out a nayle of his handes to keep it with her as a relique she began againe with her Sisters to bath this holy bodie with teares encourageing themselues together to proceed in the way begun of the crosse of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST which he had taught them And so after they had restored this holie bodie to the people who weare troubled att this long attendance they carryed it to be enterred in a new sepulcher within the Church of S. George as in a dispositorie where it remayned full foure yeares vnder guard till his church was builded att the Mount of hell as aforesaid It was not without mysterie that he reposed in the said church wherin he had bin baptised had learned his first letters and where he had deliuerd his first preachinges therfore it seemed verie reasonable that his bodie should begin to repose in that place whither the said Lady of the Seauen-Sunnes repayred neuer to abandon him forsaking her habitation in Rome and neuer left this body till her death when she went for euer to dwell with his blessed soule in Paradise How the glorious Father Sainct Francis Was canonized by Pope Gregorie the ninth THE LXXIV CHAPTER THe merittes and glorie of the holie Father S. Francis began by his great miracles to be diuulged whence succeeded that himselfe raigning in heauen his sanctitie was also by diuine power manifested here on earth which he had neuerthelesse alredy made sufficientlie apparant to the world in his life directing an infinite number of soules in the infallible way of vertue The brute of the admirable thinges which God wrought by his seruant Francis came euen to the eares of Pope Gregorie the ninth who resting assured that the S. was glorified with God not only in regard of the said miracles wrought after his death but euen of the experience had with his owne eyes desiring here below to comforme himselfe to the will of God as his true Vicar he determined with a pious and deuoted zeale to canonize him and propose him to the world for a remarckeable example of sanctity and to take all scruple from the Cardinals and others he caused all his principall miracles to be examined and approued by actes of publike Notaries and infinite testimonies worthie of beleife So the Cardinals and all the principall diuines of his Court being herein dulie aduertised concluded that it was iust and verie expedient vnto the Church of God to canonize this glorious Sainct his seruant The yeare 1228. the Pope himselfe went with his Court to Assisium expreslie with this resolution and the sixteenth of Iulie a yeare and nine monethes and halfe after the death of this glorious Sainct vpon a Sonday morning his holines with manie ceremonies and great solemnitie inscribed the blessed Father sainct Francis in the catologue of the sainctes and before they departed thence his Church was begun to be built in the said citty and in the foundation therof the Pope himselfe in presence of an infinite multitude of people laid the first stone and thenceforward the place which was called the Mount of hell was nominated the mount of Paradise The bulle of canonization of the holy Father S. Francis extracted out of the fift chapter of the tenth booke and here more aptly placed GRegory Bishop the Seruant of the seruantes of God To our venerable Brethren Archbishoppes Bishoppes and to our beloued children Abbottes Priors Archpreistes ArchdeacoÌ„s Deanes other Prelates of the church to whose knowledge these presentes shall come health and Apostolicall benediction As the vessels of gold which S. Iohn saw full of perfumes which are the prayers of SS powred out most sweet odours before the most high to destroy the corruption of our sinnes we also beleeue that it is a great furtherance to our saluation with great reuerence to haue memory of his sainctes on earth and with solemnity to publish the merittes of those whose assistance by their continuall intercessions we hope
CHAPTER THe couragious Seruantes of IESVS CHRIST being presented before the parlemental seate of the Mores with their handes manicled behinde their backes all bloudy and embrued with the blowes giuen them by the people the cheife president made them this demaund Obstinate men and temerariours ennemies of our faith whence are you whence come ye what is your designe whence proceedeth such a presumption thus to blaspheme our great Prophet The SS answeared that they were by nation Italians and came froÌ„ Portugal but said the president who permitted you to enter into this kingdome so presumptuously and boldly heere to preach a new doctrine cotrarie to the faith of the Mores Brother Otto a Preist constantly answeared that as for their preaching it came from God who is to be obeyed rather then men because said they our Lord IESVS CHRIST is the Creatour Redeemer and soueraigne master to whome whatsoeuer is in the world is subiect and none is able to resist his holie will he hath left vs this commandement that we should vniuersally preach his holy gospell therfore are we come to preach to your king and to your selues to denounce vnto you the wordes of life that being illuminated with diuine grace you may discerne in what errour you are to come afterward to the true way of saluation as we shall demonstrate vnto you if you please to giue vs audience Besides we are sent hither by our Generall Brother Francis who as well by himselfe as by his Religious trauelleth ouer all the world to preach vnto Insidels by an exceeding loue and desire of the saluation of soules that induceth him the true way of faith notwithstanding you carry vs so great an hatred The president answeared you poore blinded ignorant wretches deceaued as ye are to esteeme them for vtterly lost that follow not your doctrine but tell me a litle what is that truth which you haue found and whither it be possible that there may be an other way of saluation then what we professe Brother Otto replenished with the holy Ghost replyed IESVS CHRIST is the soueraine verity and the true and only way that can conduct to the port of saluation by meane of his holy faith which consisteth in belieuing him to be God and man God three and one Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and true man borne of the Virgin Mary Creatour of all this frame of the world true man conioyned to the diuinity and Redeemer of all the men in the world that were already lost and condemned by the sinne of Adam in which humanity he conuersed with all he instructed all and saued all those that would belieue in him both then att this present and euen till the day of the last iudgement he suffered death and passion to pay by his precious bloud our proper and particuler faultes and incontinentlie after arose againe to conduct vs all also to heauen whence he shall come hereafter to iudge on earth the liuing and dead he shall then come in his maiestie where neither humane forces nor richesse nor kingdomes nor Empires shall in any sort preuaile man being obliged to stand naked and alone accompanyed only with his worckes good or euill according to which he shall iudge him giuing to his SS eternall glory in heauen and to others that would not belieue in him eternall fire in hell The President smiling said And how know you these thinges to be so certaine as you auouch them Brother Otto answeared By the testimony of the holy scriptures dictated by the holie Ghost which haue reuealed vnto vs this verity by testimonie I say of the Patriarches and Prophâ—ttes of the old testament as also by the doctrine and testimony of our Redeemer IESVS who is the way out of which there is none att all the truth out of which is nothing but deceipt and the life out of which is only death likewise by the predication of his holy Apostles confirmed by manie great miracles which propheties for the most part are fulfilled and only remaine those that are for the end and consummation of the world in such sort as we ought also to belieue their doctrine and with greater reason and foundation then you haue for your superstition considering that you belieue only vpon the writing of your false prophett Mahomet which is not assured or confirmed by any testimony more then his simple deceiptfull and lying word and we besides the said confirmations and accomplishmentes of matters foretold by our Prophetes haue infinite miracles wrought by our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST and his holâ—e Apostles Martyrs Confessours and Virgins that giue vs proofe of the holy yea most holie and most assured faith for we haue seene to be cured an infinite number of diseased personnes infinite possessed creatures deliuered the necessarie vse of members restored to the maymed the blind illuminated hearing and speech restored to infinite deafe and dumme leapers cleansed and purified and finally the dead already putrified to be raised which you caÌ„not auouch of your false Mahomett therfore reiecting this vaine and abhominable beleife embrace ours approued by so many tokens and testimonies diuine and humane flye this manyfest illusion take from before your eyes this false cloud that obscureth them only by reason that you are borne in such an accursed law and nusled therin for beleeue that as soone as you shall begin to giue place in your hart to the holy Ghost you shall interiourly feele such a light and force that you will after doe more of your selues the we can by wordes expresse and by your example you shall open then gate of saluation to the simple people Take knowledge therfore with me I beseech you how your miserable prophett leadeth you together with himselfe to eternall damnation by meanes of many of his falsities and sinnes that he hath taught you which are out of the true and only way of saluation And if you desire to saue your soules you must necessarily follow the true light of life which is ready to illuminate each one and resist no longer the holy Ghost that calleth you to his kingdome Of the constancy of the fiue Martyrs in their tormentes and how they were visited in prison by our Lord. THE XIII CHAPTER BVt the President hearing this notable discourse and fearing the people might be conuerted by such pregnant reasons filled with a zeale towards his owne law proposed vnto the holy Martyrs one of these two elections either that they should yeld honour and glory to his Prophett for the blasphemies they had vttered against him and should freely preach his law or els should prepare themselues to endure such cruell tormentes as should enforce their death Wherto Brother Otho replenished with exceeding ioy for the desired aduertisement they heard of Martyrdome answeared if feare of death would terrify vs we should perhappes aduise to admitt your law as many miserable wretches that for feare to loose this traÌ„sitory life loose the eternall But our Redeemer hath strengthened and
blindesse that held him in the handes of the deuill in this life and led him to eternall damnation in the other inducing him to embrace the sole true faith of IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour who out of pure loue being God vouchsased to become man and to dye on the tree of the Crosse to deliuer him from eternall death and ascending into heauen prepared for him an immortall life But this Morian king and his people shewing themselues deafe to this discourse determined to separate these Religious one from an other and then to each in particular were offered in the behalfe of the king richesse and honours att lenght they were threatened with most cruell tormentes yea with death it selfe if they would not accept of their law Their threates auayled as much as their promises for God had so transpearced their spiritt with the sweet nailes of his loue that they all in their hartes spake these wordes of S. Paule Who shall euer separate vs from the charity of IESVS shall the sword afflictions worldly fauours and richesse the pleasures of the flesh or any other allu rementes and withall couragiously answeared and derided their threates accusing Mahomett whome they tearmed accursed and his law contemptible carnall and damnable A certaine Preuost then drew his sword and gaue their superiour Father Daniel a dash on the head then ayming his sword point att his face and att his hart he said conuert thee traytor or I will procure thee a cruell death which he did to terrifie the other six who were by the Iudge and the Counsailers there present persuaded not to misprise the fauour of the king and to haue compassion att least of their miserable liues but they confidently answeared them and exhorted them that being old and already as it were in the mouth of death so that they could not long enioy the contentmentes of this life they would not persist in obstinacy least their soules were eternally condemned to hell for adhering to men of this world and to a law that their owne consciences knew to be false as apparently as a thing to be touched with the finger But these old men held themselues so offended with this speech though they had bin very fauourable and respectiue vnto them that they resolued their death How the seauen Martyrs were condemned to death and beheaded THE XXXIV CHAPTER THe iudge therevpon gaue Order that as enemies of the law of God they should be beheaded wherwith the holy Martyrs exceeding well pleased did encourage each other and then the six Religious addressing themselues to their superiour Father Daniel and kissing his handes gaue him thanckes for procuring them these marriages each of them asked his benediction and the grace to be the first martyred for the loue of God This good Father hauing his eyes beteared with ioy thancking God for such a singuler gifte and giuing them his benediction he said My deerly beloued children lett vs all reioyce in God in this festiuall day which he hath pleased to ordaine for the last of our pilgrimage and be not terrified for all his Angels are present prepared to assist vs they haue opened vs the gate of Paradice whither if he please we shall this day arriue together to receiue the crounes of martyrdome and to be eternally glorious These wordes ended the executioners stripped the seauen martyrs inuincible champions of IESVS and hauing bound their handes behinde their backes they conducted them out of the kinges Pallace with a trompettt before them as if they had bin attainted of some notorious crime But these holy Religious as meeke lambes went to the slaughter and hauing their spiritt eleuated to the soueraigne God ceassed not preach to the Mores by the way Being come to the place of execution they fell on their knees and recommending thēselues to God they ioyfully receaued martyredome offering vp their innocent soules vested with the pious purple of their very bloud with a great admiratiō to the Mores who as enraged were not satisfied herewith esteeming themselues as indeed they had reason rather vanquished then to haue ouercome These Ministers of the deuill tooke those holy bodies dismembred them and trayned them thorough the dirt till they were weary and then the Christians secretly gathered them vp and carryed them into the suburbes where they were and are honoured and reuerēced for many miracles which by their merittes God wrought there wherof hauing no other asseurance then the affirmation of the inhabitants of the place I thought it not expedient to committ them to writing as determining to insert nothing in these chronicles but what is most true and autenticalll It sufficeth that Pope Leo the tenth graunted and permitted the Freere Minors to celebrate their feast on the day of their Martyrdome which was the tenth of October 1227. a yeare after the death of S. Francis So is it att this day celebrated in the bishopprick of Brague the Primacie of Spaine though in the office of Bracare it is put in the yeare 1221. but it is an errour of the Printer It is recorded in the end of the legende that a Prince of Portugall by a speciall fauour obtayned these resiques and carryed them into Spaine but there is not to be found any other perticuler mention of certainty in the bookes of the Order The 35. Chapter is put after the 39. of this very booke as more proper vnto it The triumph of two Martyrs of Valencia How two Religious which S. Francis sent to Valencia in Arragon were Martyred there THE XXXVI CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis sent two Religious of pious life to the kingdome of Arragon to witt Brother Iohn a Preist Peter a lay Brother who arriuing att the citty of Teruel they caused a chappell to be built there wherin they dwelt employing their time in pious exercises and prayers and liued vertuously with exceeding edification and by their preachinges filled the citty with a most sweet odour of their sanctity The citty of Valencia was then possessed by the Mores mortall ennemies of the Christians and therein raigned their king Azot a most cruell persecutor of the faith of IESVS CHRIST and therfore these two seruantes of God resolued to preach there and to offer their liues for the saluation of soules so passionate was their zeale of the faith and their desire of Martyrdome So then goeing and entring in to the Citty they began to confesse and resolutely denounce to that people the word of God condemning their erronious sect as pernicious and damnable Wherof the king hauing first made them all kinde of gracious offers to allure them to his law them vsing terrible threates to feare them and perceiuing that he no more auayled in the one sort then the other he caused their heades to be cutt off on the feast of the decollation of S. Iohn Baptist in the yeare 1231. and their bodyes were carefully gotten and buryed by the Christians God by their merittes working many miracles How the reliques
a hand and he heard a voice from aboue that said vnto him Brother Leo know that without this hand thou canst performe no good thinge Which Brother Leo hauing heard entierly enflamed in diuine loue he arose on his feet and beholding heauen he diuers times thus spake with a loud voice It is true my God that if thy puissant hand doe not helpe and assist our infirmity we can doe nothing of ourselues much lesse shall we resist our ennemies and obtaine the meritt of perseuerance in thy loue and seruice The 17. chapter is put after the last of the second booke and first volume of this first part where is related a vision which Brother Leo had of the vniuersall Iudgement as being a matter appertaining to the holy Father sainct Francis How Brother Leo burned the box which Brother Helias Generall of the Order had sett at the Church dore to gather almose for the fabrique against the purity of the rule THE XVIII CHAPTER BRother Helias who after the death of sainct Francis for many yeares gouerned the Religion as General was he that very sumptuously builded the Couent of S. Francis att Assisium where Pope Gregory the ninth layd the first stone the almose of the people of Assisium not sufficing for so great an edifice Brother Helias seeking all meanes possible to find mony for the worck sett a box att the Church dore with this inscription The almose for the sabriqâ—e which many good Religious hauing seene and especially Brother Leo in regard that it was a thing directly against the obseruance of the purity of their rule being zealous of the Euangelicall Pouertie they repaired to the venerable Brother Giles to consult with him and to aduise together by what meanes they might preuent this inconuenience who answeared that he dwelt att our Lady of Angels and therfore though one built a Couent as great as the Citty of Assisium he would notwithstanding be content to remaine wher he was and that was all his care But Brother Leo not satisfied with this answeare they added we haue a purpose to burne that box what think you of it Brother Giles then with teares of his eyes replyed If Brother Helias be dead you may doe so but if he liue lett him proceed for you will hardly endure his persec ution But Brother Leo and his companions leauing Brother Giles tooke the box and burned it which Brother Helias vnderstanding and being extremely vexed therwith he very cruelly disciplined them all and hauing detayned theÌ„ some time in prison he banished them from Assisium for which and other like matters the Pope put Brother Helias from his Prelature as we haue formerly related in the life of S. Antony of Padua Of certaine miracles and of the death of the glorious Brother Leo THE XIX CHAPTER WHiles Brother Leo resided att our Lady of Angels it happened that a poore woman of Assisium dyed in trauaile of child whose mother was also a very poore old widdoe who being much afflicted att the death of her daughter and not knowing how to bring vp the litle infant that was left vnto her she went to brother Leo for his counsaile to whome with teares discouering her greife she moued him to haue compassion of her misery so that he went and with feruour offred his prayers demaunding of God assistance for that so desolate poore old womaÌ„ His prayer ended he sayd vnto her Goe good woman and putt the child to thy breast and hope that almighty God will giue thee the milke that he would haue giuen the mother of the child Though this old woman was much amazed att this speech yet the infant being present she obeyed for she offered her breastes vnto it which were found very full of milke to relieue the child And the same continued as long as there was vse for it and the child attayning to competentage beame a man of the church He often recounted that he had bin miraculously nursed by the merittes of Brother Leo. This seruant of God meeting a yong man in the way and beholding his countenance sayd vnto him thou shalt be one of our Religious which wordes had such efficacie in his hart that he could neuer apply himselfe to any thing till he became a Frere Minor A woman of Codale in the vally of Spoletum hauing an apostume in her brest which ordinarily yelded forth corruption and being void of all helpe that might any way releiue her she repaired to Brother Leo with great deuotion praying him to make the signe of the crosse one the place greiued which being done the apostume vanished so that no apparance remayned therof A yong man being exceedingly afflicted with the falling sicknes and a continuall feauer did secretly cutt of a peece of the habitt of Brother Leo out of the great deuotion he carryed towardes him which hauing layd on his neck he was presently cured but hauing lost it the said infirmity retourned yet hauing gotten an other peece he was perfectly cured againe A man of Treuy being by commandement of the gouernour of Spoletum imprisoned and enchained he recommended himselfe to the prayers of Brother Leo who was att our Lady of Angels who appeared vnto him about the time of noone and in presence of all that were there vnchayned him then drew him out of prison and commanded him to goe as a Pilgrime to our Lady of Angels which hauing performed he there found Brother Leo att whose feet prostrating himselfe he thancked him for the great singuler fauour receaued of him But he answeared him that he should only thancke the Virgin Mary whose feast of her holy purification was celebrated that day Our lord wrought many other miracles by the merittes of his seruant Brother Leo to manifest his sanctity to the world which would be too tedious to be inserted That holy Father Brother Ruffinus and Brother Angel us by commandement of their generall composed the legend of sainct Francis which was afterward called the legend of three companions wherof the most worthy and remarckable hauing bin extracted and put in other histories of sainct Francis the same was afterwardy lost Brother Leo att length hauing in vertue and sanctity accomplished his dayes he left the desert of the world and retired to his celestiall contry He was enterred att Assisium in the Church of S. Francis The life of Brother Siluester Of the conuersation merittes and death of Br. Syluester THE XX. CHAPTER THe good Father Br. Siluester was the first preist that entred into the Religion of S. Francis In the first booke and first volume of this first part we haue sett downe his conuersion and how he became a Frere Minor This was his eleuenth disciple who so encreased and profited in the vertue of sanctity that he discoursed and conuersed with God as ordinarily one freind doth with an other which S. Francis often experienced and diuers times gaue testimony therof as when he reuealed vnto him that the will of God was
so rigorous to his Brethren as to himselfe Psal 21. Matt. 26. Necessity voluntarily supported is a kind of martirdome The Deceipt of the deuill to weary firme resolutions Iob. 41. Strange mortification of S. Fra. against a carnall temptation S. Fra. would not that his Bre. should frequent or behold women Ierem. 9. Iob. 32. A parabe le which S. Fran. vsed to his Bret. touching mortification of the eyes Apoc. 3. The recreations of the Freer Minors which S. Francis ordayned them Genes 9. Matth. 12. Prou. 18. Matt. 12. What ought to be the ioy of the true seruant of God Iacob 1. Rom. 12. A briefe but fruitfull exhortatiō Gen. 2. 3. Ioh. 12. Comparison of a dead body to one truly obedient Obedic̄ce is fruit full Great submisiō of the hohy Father What a rash Superious is Rigourus chasticement of a disobedient Luc. 15. Substantiall sermon of B. Ruffinus in notable speeches Mat. 13. Mat. 13. Luc. 9. The lawes of Pilgrimes imitated by the Freer Minors Pouerty the foundation of the Order of S. Francis Mat. 19. His exactnes for renouncing of the world Pennāce which S. Francis enioyned a Religious for hauing touched monie An illusion of the deuill to a Freer Minor to teach him not to touch monie A viper commeth out of a pursethat a Frier Minor would take vp to giue in almose Matt. 6. A notable speech to his Brethren Cōtracts passed betweene the world and the Frier Minors S. Francis him selfe begged att the beginning of his Order Praise of begging Exhortation of S. Fr. to his disciples sending thē to begge Psal 39. That the Freers richly pay their benefactours How he desired they should goe S. Fr. expelled a Religious out of the Order because he refused to begge Why the Freer Minors are in the world Mat. 25. Psal 77. On solemne feastes S. Francis liued only with what he begged Luc. 24. Being inuited to eat with a Cardinall he brought what he had begged and why Phil. 2. Acto 10. Luc. 6. S. Franc. gaue his cloake his companions also in the winter to a poore woman to cloath her Which he performed diuers times Likewise for the hire which a master detained from his seruant that cursed him He gaue his habit that was demaunded him for the loue of God Note that the loue of God ought neuer to be vttered with out reuerence S. Franc. gaue the new testament which they vsed att Matines hauing nothing els to a poor woman How he punished a rash iudgemēt What profit may be drawne out of the sight of the poore diseased 1. Tim. 4. Hauing seriously studied a sermon he could not recite it And yet he other wise deliuered worthy matters Mat. 10. 1. Reg. 2. Notable applicatiow of a place of scripture How much S. Fr. honoured the office of preaching Ios 8. 18. c. That one ought not to denie almose demaunded for the loue of God Psa 148. How deuout vnto the B. Sacrament Why S. Francis would not be Preist How deuout he was to the Virgin Mary To S. Michel and to S. Peter S. Paul Why S. Francis so much affiicted his body 1. Cor. 13. How much he honoured Preists Preachers respected old men and those that were in authority in the world and especially the poore How much He loued his disciples 2. Cor. 11 ◠Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 10. S. Franc. comman deth the deuill S. Franc. ordayned two generall chapters in the yeare God would not that S. Franc. should suffer martyrdome which he so much sought desired The shipmē would not admitt S. Francis by reason of his pouerty God prouided food for S. Franc. and for other in the ship for his sake Abbridged out of the conuersion of S. Clare Seuenty Frier Minors were miraculously transported from Italy into Spaine att the seruice of a benefactour of S. Francis A litle after 22. Freer Minors came also from Italy into Spaine att the obsequies of their benefactour S. Franc. foretold future thinges A vision of S. Dominick Why S. Dominick and S. Franc. would not their Religious should haue bevefices S. Dominick barc out of deuotion a girdle of S. Fr. The Freer Minors were not permitted to preach but were expelled for hauing no bull from the Pope The briefe of Pope Honorious in approbation of the Freer Minors and to permitt them to preach The Breif of the said Pope to the Prelates of Frāce Greant deuotion to the B. Sacrament in France S. Franc. pacifieth a great sedition by certaine wordes which he caused one of his Religious to vtter In this chapter held a litle after the institutiō of the order were fiue thousand Freer Minors Gen. 32. The ordinary sermon of S. Fr. vnto his brethrē S. Franc. would not that any of his should take care for their nourishment Psal 54. S. Dominick confesseth his fault before S. F. in that he had sinisterly iudged of the said prohibitiō which he had giuen to his Religious S. D. vowet◠pouertie giueth his male dictiō to al his Religious presēt to come that shall infringe the same There were 220 Iacobins present at a general chapter held by S. Dom. In this chapter of S. Fr. were receaued more thē 500. nouices Fiue būdred mailes hoopes of iron wer by obedience brought to S. Fr. which the Religious vsed insteed of haire Monopolie of certaine superiours and learned Freer Minors to moderate the rule of their Order The deuils hold a chapter to ruinate the order of S. Fr. S. Franc. sendeth his brethren to preach vnto infidels How God susteined the trauelling Freer Minors in their necessities Psal 54. How S. Francis knew the will of God for carrying with him those that accompanied him goeing to the Mores Psal 22. A most vehement and persuasiue speech exhortation of S. Francis vnto the Soldan The effect of the holy Fathers speech Matt. 10. S. F. hauing offered to put himselfe into a fire with the preists of the Soldā for proof of his Religion the high preist of the Soldan ran away S. F. for better affirmation of his faith offereth to goe into the fire S. F. refuseth contemneth the presents which the Soldan offered him S. Franc. lyeth on the coales A lewd More thincking to tempte S. Fr. was cōuerted A whole monastery of Benedictines became of S. Franc. Order S. Franc. retourned towardes the Soldan The resolution of the Soldan to become Christiā and his demaund to be instructed S. Franc. assureth the Soldan of his saluation And sēt him two of his Religious to baptise him a litle before his death Iames de Vitri Cardinal S. Franc. had a tēptation of Melācholy that continued two yeares Matt. 17. Marc. 11. The deuil entred into a pillow lent vnto S. Franc. for his infirmity How S. Francis was assured of his saluation A gentilman hauing promised the Emperour Frederick the secōd to induce S. Franc. to sinne with a woman did repēt the same and the Emperour also S. Francis