a mountaine where he found a litle chappell hauing bin an hermitage called S. Laurence farre distant from habitation and consequently very solitary there he resolued to spend his lent but three dayes after he was there arriued it did so snow and freeze that they could not possibly goe abroad The holy Religious seeing there was no meane to goe foorth to seeke bread sayd to his companion Brother lett vs make petition to almighty God that he will please in our necessity to send vs bread sith there is none but he that can heare and releiue vs. Then he recounted an history of certaine Religious who wanting bread in the like necessity had recourse to him and were heard Being moued by such an example they began on the euenning to pray with loud voice vnto almighty God so perseuered till the breake of the day following when as God inspired a good man of a neighbouring place who seeing the snow so extreme called to minde that he had seene att other times Hermites att S. Laurence thought with himselfe that if then there were any there they could not come foorth to seeke food which mouing him to compassion he went out of his house with bread and wine which he gaue to the Religious and being retourned to his house he aduertised his neighbours and friendes of the necessity of the said seruantes of God and so procured that they wanted not wherwith to liue the rest of the lent which happened to good purpose for them in regard of their extreme necessity Br. Giles desirous to acknowledge the great charity vsed vnto him by those people he said to his companion hitherto we haue prayed to God for our selues to be relieued in our necessity heceforward we ought to pray vnto him for our benefactors so that persisting night and day in these petitions our Lord bestowed such graces and fauours on the inhabitantes of that place that neuer Frere Minor hauing bin formely seene there many among them neuertheles being moued by the example and pious exhortations of the sayd Religious forlooke the vanity of this world and became Frere Minors and such as could not serued God by prayers and did penance in their owne houses and by this meane for corporall benefittes they gaue in exchaunge spirituall in double mesure Of the humilitie and obedience of Br. Giles THE V. CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis cordially loued Br. Giles for his great perfection in all vertues and his promptitude in doeing well and therfore did often obserue him and would say to his other Religious that he was one of his knightes of the round table so did he call the humble and deuout Religious Now Br. Giles one day demaunded obedience of S. Francis to goe where he pleased or to remayne where he was the holy Father answeared him your residence is prouided goe where you will whervpon hauing demaunded and receiued his benediction he went and walked in this freedome fower whole dayes but finding his spiritt much disquieted he retourned to S. Francis Father sayd he I beseech you designe me a certaine place whither to goe because goeing according to my owne liberty I cannot haue my conscience free the S. sent him to the Couent of Fabrian whither he went barefoote with a very ragged habitt though the season were extreme cold On the way he mett a passenger that sayd vnto him I would not goe so poorly cloathed in so cold a season were I therby to pourchace paradice by which wordes the deuill so augmented the cold that he expected death therby but he incontineÌ„tlie called to minde that our lord IESVS CHRIST went barefoote and poorely cloathed through the world and endured far more cold and other labours for our sakes these pious cogitations did in this sort warme first his hart and then all his body with a diuine heat wherfore he began to praise God his sweet lord who had thus warmed him not with materiall fier but by the only burning heatof his diuine loue So Br. Giles remayned many yeares in the sayd place where one day weighing his sinnes he ascended on a mountaine neere by whither he carryed a yoÌ„g Religious whome he commanded with a cord about his necke to lead him naked to the place where the other Religious were and entring in this sort before them he began with teares to cry Haue compassion and pitty of me miserable and detestable sinner The Religious beholding him in such a gastly plight began all to weep and prayed him to putt on his habitt but he answeared with bitter teares and extreme sighes that he was vnworthy to be a Frere Minor Yet if you will that I take the habitt againe said he I will as an almose receaued of you though I doe not deserue it and so he cloathed himselfe and there remayned labouring with his handes in making caskettes of straw to couer or keep glasses and litle baskettes which he and his companion carryed to the neighbour towne and villages and in exchauâ—ge receaued what they needed either of food or cloathing and with the rest he cloathed other Religious saying that such almose done to any Religious prayed for him when he slept and could not then pray himselfe This good Religious retourning one day from the fieldes hauing in his handes a reed and a hatchett he past before a church the Chappelaine wherof seeing him called him hippocrite which did so grieue and afflict Br. Giles that he wept bitterly A Religious finding him thus lamenting demandindg the occasion of his teares he answeared him because I am an hippocrite as a Preist did now instantly assure me The Religious replied poore man doest thou then belieue it to be true Br. Giles answeared that he belieued it because he was a Priest that auouched the same and he could not conceaue that a Priest would lie The Religious replyed Brother be no longer disquieted for it may be thou art no hippocrite because the opinion of men is most often farre from the iudgement of God Br. Giles with this reasonnable answeare was somewhat satisfied and comforted saying that if he were not such it was by the pure grace of God Hearing one day relation of the fall of Br. Helie that had bin Generall of the Order whence he was an Apostata then liuing excommunicated thence in the traine and seruice of the Emperour Frederic the second then a rebell vnto the Church he with extreme griefe fell flatt vpon the ground and there contemptibly tourned and tumbled himselfe affirming that he would discend as low as he could because the other had wrought his owne distruction by clymeing so high This great seruant of God being one day out of the Couent he receaued a letter and therby commaundement from his Generall to meet him att Assisium whither he instantly tooke his iorney his companion putting into his minde that it were good to retourne first to the Couent to aduertise the Religious therof he answeared Brother I am commanded to goe
shunned sensuall light as distractiue vnto the hart and hauing giuen some repose vnto his body in the beginning of the night he spent the rest in most deepe silence in high contentment with his beloued God The sixt condition of perfect prayer is a feruent charity towards God without all feare not like vnto that of the cold negligent and new beginners for this perfect charity expelling all base feare and labour doth by loue vnite the hart of man with the goodnes of God This loue was such in the holy Father that it continuallie burned in his hart as a liuing fire the flame wherof dilated it selfe in charity to the benefitt of his neighbour through all the partes of the world Of the perseuerance of his prayer and of the effect it wrought and continued in S. Francis THE XCIV CHAPTER THe seauenth condition is perseuerance therin because God saith we must alwayes pray and not ceasse Of this point it may be alleadged that the life of S. Francis was a continuall prayer vnto God either for his owne saluation or his neighbours desiring to communicate his Redeemer IESVS CHRIST vnto all Creatures that they might know and loue him as he did and that for his owne part he might euer dwell with his diuine Maiestie But being by the impediment of the weight of his terrestriall body that was a stranger and remote from his true country disabled to enioy his beloued he by perseuerant prayer endeauoured with all possiblity to keepe his soule alwayes vnited vnto him which was not ouer-difficult vnto him as hauing so mortified in himselfe earthly afflictions that he conuersed in spiritt on high with the blessed as a Cittizen of heauen and familier in the house of God Therfore prayer was vnto him a singuler refreshment in his labours an assured fortresse against temptations and a remedy in necessities for distrusting himselfe and his proper forces industry and knowledge he had setled and reposed all his hope in God by meane of prayer which he affirmed that euery faithfull Christian ought aboue all other things to demaund of God in this life considering that without it one can make no profitt nor progresse in spirituall life and therfore to be an example vnto his Religious he made alwayes to appeare exteriourly and interiourly that trauailing or praying being in action or rereposing his spiritt was continually attentiue vnto prayer And therfore it seemed that he had not only dedicated his soule and body vnto his beloued God but euen the very momentes of time to the end that no visitation of the holy Ghost should by his negligence passe and be lost as not finding him disposed to receaue it Therefore when in his iorney he felt the same he would stay and lett his companion passe on to know with a very deep attention what God inspired vnto him And when he was in solitary places he filled the mountaines with sighes and bathed the earth with a flud of teares he beat his brest for the offences committed against his God Sometimes he accused himselfe as if he had bin before a Iudge other times he demaunded mercy as a child of his gracious Father sometimes he sweetlie discoursed as if he had bin priuately with his intimous freind he hath att such time bin heard of his Religious to inuocate the clementie of God by the great commiseration which he felt in himselfe of the death and passion of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST as if he had seene him crucified He shewed exteriour gesture conformable to the interiour effect Sometimes he held his mouth against the earth now he was on his knees then vpright on his feet now he held his armes crossed then his handes ioyned towardes heauen And praying after this manner he was most commonlie seene enuirouned with a great light and lifted into the aire in testimony of the interiour light and affection towardes God and then did he participate of the diuine secrettes which he neuer reuealed but when it was requisite for he ordinarily said that one did often loose an inestimable treasure for a very base price offending the giuer with daunger neuer to haue it againe For which cause when he retourned from his exercises he in such sort composed and dissembled his countenance that he that had not much experienced it would neuer haue suspected that he had prayed in such excesse of spirit When he prayed with his Religious he retayned his sighes and all other gestures wherby he might be obserued He taught the manner to pray secretlie then to say My God I recommend vnto thee this consolation which it hath pleased thee without any meritt of mine to graunt me to the end I steale not this great treasure He assured them that by this meane they should obtaine that God inuiting them would say Freind because thou hast bin so humble ascend now vnto an higher place Of the attention which S. Francis had in his prayers and of the deuotion he had in diuine seruice THE LXXXXV CHAPTER HE said the canonicall houres with so great reuerence and deuotion that albeit he were most commonly weary and feeble by reason of his infirmities yet making no esteeme thereof he was alwayes standing or kneeling with his head bare reading verie distinctly If he trauiled when the time of prayer and saying the said houres was he would stay This practise did he neuer omitt whatsoeuer rayne or storme did happen saying If the body that is to be food for wormes desired to eat in repose with how much more reason ought one to giue repose to the soule when she receaueth the refection of the life which she is eternally to possesse without corruption He said his psalmes and what soeuer was to be said with such attention as if God had bin before his eyes When he was to name the name of God he pronounced it so sweetly that he seemed to lick his lâ—ppes such contentment felt he in his soule yea he commanded his Religious carefullie to gather vp all the papers they found wherin was written the name of IESVS that it might not be troddeÌ„ vnder foot He reputed it a great offence when one spake vnto God to thincke of other matters And if he chaunced sometimes to apply his spiritt on other affaires though spirituall he would accuse himselfe thereof in confession yea albeit he had his interiour powers so recollected within him by meane of the continuall and assiduous exercise therin employed that the flyes of the world molested him very seldome Being one lent att an hermitage he attempted for exercise to make an osier basket but the time of prayer being come because in saying the third houre the basket came to his minde he tooke it and incontinentlie threw it into the fire with these wordes I sacrifice thee vnto God in place of his seruice which thou hast interrupted This glorious Sainct held the feast of the natiuity of our Sauiour in particuler deuotion Being on
ennemyes and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you Blessed are they that suffer persecution for iustice for theirs is the kingdome of heauen and he that perseuereth vnto the end shall be saued That the Brethren shall not enter into Monastories of Religious women THE XI CHAPTER I Ōrdaine and command all my Brethren that they haue no suspected familiarities with women and that they enter not into the Couentes of Religious women those excepted who to that effect shall haue speciall licence from the Apostolicall sea Likewise I will not that my Religious be God fathers either of men or women that by such meanes there happen not any scandall among the Brethren or by their occasion Of such as shall goe among the Sarrazins and other infidels THE XII CHAPTER EVery Brother whosoeuer that by diuine inspiration desireth to goe among the Sarrazins and other Infidels lett him demaund leaue of his Prouinciall Minister who shal be very respectiue not to giue licence but to such as to him shall seeme fitt to doe good among such people And for all these causes I commaund the Ministers vpon obedience to procure of his Holines to haue a Cardinall for Gouernour Protectour and Correctour of this Confraternity that they may be alwayes subiect to the feet of the holy Romane Church stable and firme in the Catholike faith Lett pouerty humility and the holy gospell of our Lord IESVS CHRIST be entierlie obserued of vs as we haue faithfully promised The end of the rule of the Frere Minors The rest of the bulle touching the confirmation of the said Rule omitted in the beginning thereof LEtt it not therefore be permissible for any man to infringe this ordonnance of our confirmation or rashly to contradict the same And if anie presume so to doe know that he shall incurre the indignation of Almighy God and of S. Peter and S. Paul his Apostles Giuen att S. Iohn Lateran the 29. of Nouember the eight yeare of our Papacie The end of the confirmation of the rule of the Frere Minors Of the perfection of this rule and the abridgement therof THE IX CHAPTER AS the three yong men according to Daniel were ioyfull in the flaming fire of the burning fournace where Nabuchodonosor had caused them to be throwne as faithfull seruantes of God because they would not giue to his monstruous statua the honour dew to God alone and as they sung prayses to the Almightie together with a fourth like vnto the sonne of God so there were three Orders and holy Rules founded by three holy personnages S. Basill S. Augustin and S. Benedict in the burning fournace of temptations and worldly afflictions wherwith the prince of the world combatteth against the seruantes of God and often times surmounteth them which holy personnes as men freed from the fire and from feare haue with alacritie praysed God in the middes of it Afterward there was seene the fourth like vnto the sonne of God to witt The Seraphicall and crucified seruant of IESVS CHRISTS Francis that gaue a fourth estate vnto the church wherin men being deliuered from the prison of the world and taking more content in the honours and graces of God might more freelie serue IESVS CHRIST And such was his intention in all the wordes of his Euangelicall rule to witt that they who had made profession to imitate IESVS CHRIST should endeauour to become the most like vnto him in laboures of their life and exercises of spiritt that possibly could be procured He with the help of the holy Ghost founded on that onlie and firme foundation of IESVS CHRIST the edifice of the rule in meruaylous hight and perfection Therefore in the first chapter he saith The life and rule of the Frere Minors is such to keep and obserue the holie gospell liuing vnder holie obedience without possessing any thing in proprietie and in pure chastitie The life spiritt and wordes of the said holy Father considered his intention was that the Frere Minors should obserue not onlie the preceptes of the gospell but the counsailes also Neuertheles knowing and considering humane infirmitie he would not oblige them to all In the second chapter he teacheth to forsake and contemne the world with whatsoeuer is in it giuing them meanes to make such renunciation as the gospell teacheth which is to sell what they haue and to giue it to the poore that being deliuered of so great an impediment they might freelie serue IESVS CHRIST and with him say The Prince of this world is come in me he hath found nothing In the third he teacheth exercises to prayse God by the diuine offices and by fastinges and seuere abstinences mortifications of the flesh good examples and edification of our neighbour and particulerlie of seculer personnes He also teacheth them the vertue of penance humilitie and charity whereby they may with edification conuerse with all people In the fourth he expresly declareth that he will not his brethren shall haue mony vnder any pretence whatsoeuer but that the Prouincialls shall supplie their necessities knowing that auarice is daungerous to soules and principallie to Religious and how true is the sentence of IESVS CHRIST where he saith that no man can serue God and Mammon The holy Father therfore would that richesse should not onlie be remote but entierlie and absolutelie separated from the Order In the fift he bannisheth from his societie idlenes as contrarie to the true seruantes of God and capitall ennemy of mennes saluation In the sixt he rayseth the soule frō cogitations of the world and in as much as may be hoped or expected of him leauing neither place nor affection proper in thē wherby they might adhere to any cogitation of terrestriall loue to the end that they might ioyfullie say Our conuersation is in heauen as possessing nothing on earth In the seauenth he comforteth sinners and such as are sick teaching thē the conditions of their Phisicion that can and will cure them who is our lord IESVS CHRIST who will mercy and not sacrifice and who came not to call the iust but sinners that they might be conuerted and liue In the eighty chapter he teacheth the Superiours and all his Order in what manner they ought to gouerne the Religious and insinuateth that they should procure to haue alwayes a Generall sufficient and worthy of such a chardge In the ninth he teacheth his preachers to fly pride and arrogance in their life and doctrine and to be humble and zealous of the saluation of soules feeding them alwayes with holie and profitable doctrine without which they can neuer produce fruit redounding to the benefitt of the said soules In the tenth he admonisheth superiours and subiectes to be verie carefull in the diligent accomplishment of their obedience and the obligation which is reciprocallie betwen them but particulerlie that which they owe and is due to God by reason of their profession In the eleuenth chapter he demonstrateth vnto his Religious how
ruine of these so the temptations of the wicked and the afflictions of the perfidious which the elect shall support patientlie for the loue of IESVS CHRIST shal be to them so manie crownes of glory Of a merueillous statua that appeared to S. Francis and the exposition therof THE XXIX CHAPTER THis glorious Father being one time in prayer att S. Marie of Angels there appeared before his eyes a statua of merueillous greatnes and beautie resembling that of Nabuchodonoser as the holy scripture describeth for it had the head of gold with a most beautifull face the breaste and armes of siluer the bellie and thyghes of metall the legges of iron and the feet partlie of iron and partlie of earth and clay it was couered with a cloake made of course and grosse sackcloth wherof it seemed to be ashamed and exceedinglie disquieted which did much amaze the saint but the Angel that represented this vision thus spake vnto him Francis wherat art thou amazed know that God hath sent thee this vision full of mysterie that seeing it thou mayest know the mutation which wil be in thy Religion in future time and therfore hearcken the head of gold which thou seest so faire signifieth the beginning of thy Religion builded in the constancie of Euangelicall perfection Therfore as gold is of greater value then any other mettall and the situation of the head is much more eminent in the body then any other member so the beginning of thy Order is more precious in regard of fraternall and golden charity and Angelicall vertue and is of such beauty and nobilitie for the obseruance of Euangelicall pouertie that it shall fill all the world with admiration And the queene of Saba that is the holy church with all her faithfull shall admire it and feele in their hartes an incomprehensible ioy beholding so beautifull a mirour of sanctity and spirituall wisdome and all the first builded on this first rock shal be glorified by his diuine maiesty Because they shall endeauour to imitate IESVS CHRIST and his holy vertues The brest and armes of siluer represent the second estate of thine Order so much inferiour to the first as siluer is more base then gold But as siluer is of value in regard of the faire colour and worthy sound so this second estate of the Order shall haue many Religious Gentlemen of discent famous for learning and renowmed for their preachinges who shal be so honoured in the Church that manie of them shall gett the cheifest dignities therin as Abbeys Bishopprickes Cardinalships yea euen the Papacie and because the force of a man consisteth principally in the armes and breast God will then fournish thine Order with men of such valure and of sogood conscience as shall defend it from the potent ennemies that shall then persecute it they shall likewise helpe to support the holy church against the impetuous fury of heretikes and schismatikes that thē shall take armes against it After this shall come the third estate figured by the belly of brasse which is without comparison more base then the second But as the greatest quantity of monny is made of this mettall so in that time the number of such as shall esteeme their belly their God shal be exceeding great But in their greatest glory they shal be yet confounded for they shall only know the thinges appertayning to the earth And though they be followed of many for their learning and eloquence which they shall display in the pulpitt for which they shal be extolled of many people that consider only the exteriour barcke neuertheles spirituall men shall litle esteeme therof for they shall perceaue them to affect sensualitie not the honour of God and the saluation of soules Alas they shal be reputed of God in the same degree as the Apostle S. Paul mentioneth that preachers without charitie are like to metall or belles that haue good sound but it nothing profiteth them for according as they shall preach holy and spirituall wordes they shall bring foorth spirituall children and shall manifest to others the fountaine of life but themselues shall remaine withered in the desert land The fourth estate shal be sterill and terrible signified by the legges of iron for as iron doth mollifie brasse siluer and gold so this estate shal be of such malice and obstinacie in his owne opinion that by negligence and vnaccustomed conditions they shall forgett the good which they had built that is the golden charitie of the first founders of the Order the siluer verity of the second the preaching and voice of the third in the church of God And therfore as the feet support all the body so they by the force of iron and by a terrestriall hipocrisie shall sustaine the body of the Order and shall couer themselues in their course cloake and endeauour to make the world beleeue in exteriour apparence that they yet liue in their former pouertie and humilitie These interiourlie shal be rauening woulfes and to God knowne for such though to men concealed be it that they endure afflictions by diuers tribulations as iron in the fire not only by the hammers of the deuils but euen by Princes of the world for as the scripture saith the great for their malices shall also support great tormentes they neuertheles shal be so hard and stronge that as the iron resisteth all other mettals so shall they resist all aswell Prelates as seculer princes with a will to ouercome all and subdue euery thing by their hardnes compared to iron therfore shall they be in disgrace with God as hard-necked men But as his feet are not of pure iron but of clay also that signifieth hipocrisie they shal employ themselues in affaires and negotiations of the world to please and intrude themselues into the fauour of seculer persons notwithstanding because of the great contrariety that is betweene baked clay and iron in such sort as it is impossible to vnite them together there will arise such a contrariety among the Religious of that latter time that att length hauing litle resisted and their forces being weakened they shall begin to vse the art of hipocrisie being impossible to ioyne true pride with fayned pietie att least any long time they being att length discouered to be misprisers of the discipline of the Order and consequently of the gospell of IESVS CHRIST first they shal be diuided one from an other as baked clay is separated from iron though they seeme to be vnited together and therfore hatreds dissentions partialities and tyrannies shall begin to raigne among them and afterwardes the world perceauing such impieties and wickednes they shal be examined and chasticed euen by the seculers and this shall befall them because they shal be loosed from their head of the first charitie And therfore they shal be happy who shal be mindefull of the commaundements of God and of their Order for they shal be refined as gold in the fire
he dyed to the great greife of all the Cittizens who seeing him were induced to the loue of God by the memory of so rare a miracle and benefitt which he had done them by meane of his seruant S. Francis How it being necessary that sainct Francis should haue a cautere made with a burning iron the fire obeying him lost his force THE XL. CHAPTER NOt onlie the beastes obeyed S. Francis but euen the very elementes as may appeare by the example following and others to be inserted hereafter The glorious Father was long time afflicted with sicknes and hauing no meanes of cure he was by reason that the cold was aduersiue vnto him as the Protectour had appointed remoued from Rieta to Fonte Colombo for better commodity of the Phisicion that had care of him and to defend him from the aire that was verie dangerous vnto him and from the splendour of the sunne which he could not endure they made him a great capuce and put a gread bande ouer his eyes Now the Phisicion being come and perceauing the danger of the disease affirmed that there must necessarilie be applyed a cautere behind the eare next that eye which was most offended in which act though the holy Father S. Francis deferred his cure fearing perhappes to dye in the absence of the Vicar Generall who was to be there neuertheles the infirmitie encreasing and the Vicar not comming it was necessarie to proceed and to applie the fire and especiallie because in a whole night he could take no repose Wherfore the night following he made this exhortatioÌ„ to the Religious that attended and watched with him taking compassion of him that by his occasion he reposed neither night nor day no more then him selfe Brother and my beloued sonne I beseech thee lett it not afflict thee to suffer and take paines for me in this my sicknes for God will giue thee recompense of thy labour both in this life and the other and will reward thee euen for all the good worckes thou omittest to doe by meanes of mine infirmitie Yea I aduertise thee that thou gaynest much more by this charitie then thou shouldest by prayer for they that serue and assist me in such necessitie serue all the bodie of our Order and assist to mayntaine it Therfore thou mayest securelie say vnto God offering this thy seruice My God I spend my time in seruice of this man for which thou art indebted to me considering that I serue him for thy sake The S. spake this to the end that being by the deuill ouercome of impatience he should not loose his meritt And therfore as we said a litle before seeing the imminent perill wherin he laboured and the trouble of his Religious he consented that preparation should be made to administer vnto him the cautere appointed by the Phisicion though his vicare were not present Euerie thing necessaâ—ie then being prepared S. Francis seeing the burning iron had a naturall feare of the torment he was to endure wherfore he mildlie vttered these wordes to the fire My noble brother most profitable of all other creatures by the almightie created I pray thee with my vtmost affection haue compassion of me in this thine action and vse not thy rigour against me sith I loue thee so much for our Creatours sake of whome I demaund so much fauour as to moderate thy feruour and heat in such sort that my feeblenesse may support it Then he made the signe of the crosse on the fierie bullet when in meane while the Religious left him alone with the Surgeon for great compassion they had of him and being vnable to behold his torment and endurance Now the iron hauing bin applied the S. recalling them they retourned to whome he said O weake of hart and more weake of faith why did you fly I would haue you know that I felt not any payne yea if it be thought that the Surgeon haue not well made the cautere I am content to haue an other made then an other till it be well made The Surgeon and Religious being amazed att so strang a miracle wherby he saw force did faile to annoy but not to benefitt in such sort that the S. held himselfe immoueable without hauing his head held and insensible of the hoat iron he knew not what else to say but that in effect there was no other good in this world but to be the true seruant of almighty God Of the loue which the holy Father S. Francis boare to all creatures for the loue of his Creatour THE XLI CHAPTER BVt it is not so much to be admired that the fire and other creatures obeyed S. Francis when he commanded them for he in such sort honoured and loued them that he reioyced with them att their good and was so much afflicted att their detriment as a freind were he neuer so pittifull and affectionat would doe att the dommage or detriment of his deere freind He would discourse with them as if they had bin endued with iudgement and reason raysing himselfe by their meane condition to the consideration of the greatnes of him that had created them such therfore aboue others he carryed most affection to those creatures that had any relation vnto God or figure correspondence and proprietye with his seruantes as may be said of Larckes as hauing on their head a capuce like to his and his Religious And because they were humble and of earthlie colour and walked by ditches and ordinarie wayes to seeke their releife and then mounted sweetlie into the aire praysing their God Wherin they shewed him example as he said to his Religious to be cloathed with base and course cloth of earthly colour and to goe humblie seeking almose through the streetes and hauing conuersed here on earth as much as is necessarie to mount afterwardes into heauen with their cogitations praysing their Creatour And therfore he once said that if he were Emperour he would ordaine that no Larckes should be killed Discoursing afterwardes of other creatures he said that he would command all Gouernours of citties and borroughes to cause wheat to be scattered and cast abroad on ChristiaÌ„s day in the streetes feildes that the birdes might haue more occasioÌ„ on that day to reioyce hauing to feed att their desire and in memory that our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST was borne between an oxe and an asse they who had such beastes should be constrayned to giue them on such day hay and oates abondantly Among all creatures he particulerly affected the sunne the reason hath bin formerly expressed next vnto it the fire as a most noble element he would neuer putt it out in consideration of the innumerable benefittes which God by meane therof hath done vs as by the examples ensuying shall appeare Sitting one day before the fire there lept into his lappe vpon his habitt certaine litle sparckles as it often happeneth and albeit he saw it burne his habitt he would neuer extinguish it nor permitt a
your fault Br. Gerardin hauing a litle smiled acknowledged his fault then Br. Giles againe This fault is not of force When the penance is not admittable and in due forme no grace can be obtayned therby But tell me canst thou sing Br. Gerardin answeared he could sing then with me sayd Br. Giles and drew out of his sleeue a litle instrument made of willow like those litle gitternes or fidels wheron children play wherof touching the stringes he began to proue and demonstrate the propositiō of Br. Gerardin to be notoriously inuallible false thus affirming on the first Br. I speake not of the being of man before the creation I know then he was nothing and therfore could doe nothing but I speake of his being since the creation wherin man receiued of God a freewil wherby he might merit or demeritt meritt consenting to good and demeritt yelding to euill so that you haue very erroniously spoaken And I thinck you intended to circumuent me for S. Paul in the place by you alleadged speaketh not of the nullity of the substance nor of the puissance but of the nullitye of meritt conformably to what he sayth in an other place If I haue not charity I am nothing Neither did I intend to speake of the soule in separation or of the body dead but of man liuing who consenting to grace hath power if he list to doe well and being rebellious to doe euill which is no other thing then not to doe well Where as you say the corruptible body burdeneth the soule the holy scripture doth not yet say that the same taketh away freewill from the soule leauing her no power to doe good and euill but the signification is that it is an impediment to the vnderstanding and that the affection and imagination of the soule is imployed and entangled in terrestriall affaires therfore is it sayd a litle before The terrestriall habitation depresseth the sences distracted in many cogitations and in diuers scattered affaires which permitt not the soule freely to search the thinges of heauen where our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST sitteth att the right hand of the Father almighty because the sight is a subtility of the puissances of the soule which are made dull and obscure by the diuers inclinations and occupations of the inferiour and corporall powers Thus did Br. Giles by order refute all the reasons of Br. Gerardin who much admiring the same againe with affection and great deuotion acknowledged his fault Brother Giles then sayd this is the acknowledgement of the fault Brother that auaileth and striketh the stroake But will you that I yet more manifestly demonstrate that a creature can doe somewhat Brother Gerardin answeared Father I heseech you Brother Giles then getting vp on a graue cryed out O thou damned that art tormented in hell Then himselfe in the personne of the damned with a lamentable horrible and terrible voice that made those present to tremble answeared Oh that I am miserable that I am wretched and accursed then assuming his ordinary voice he proceeded Tell me caitife wherfore art thou damned And taking againe that lamentable voice he answeared himselfe Because I haue not done the good I could nor shunned and auoyded the euill as I might haue done He asked him againe in his naturall voice Thou damned wretch what wouldest thou doe or what wouldest thou giue if it were permitted thee to doe penāce He answeared in the gastly voice if al the world were mine I would giue it and would content my selfe to dwell in a fire for many worldes prouided that it were such as by litle and litle I could endure only to auoyd eternall death for so my paynes should one day att least haue end but my damnation is eternall Which said he retourned towardes Brother Gerardin and sayd Well haue you heard Br. haue you heard how a creature hath power to good or euill And after many other spirituall discourses Brother Giles said to Br. Gerardin Brother that you may not esteeme this to be a fiction tell me if a drop of water fall into the sea doth it then giue a name to the sea or the sea to it He answeared that the substance of the drop of water being swallowed vp it tooke denomination of the sea and not the sea of it Br. Giles replyed You haue reason and for proofe therof he was in the very instant rapt into extasie so that he demonstrated by effect that his soule casting it selfe into the profound ocean of the diuine loue and glory being entierly swallowed vp in God changed her essence of grace into that of glory How the blessed Br. Giles had the spirit of Prophesie THE XVI CHAPTER A Dominican Frere being Doctor of diuinity was assaulted with a grieuous temptation for the deuil would put him in doubt of the most pure virginity of the virgin Mother of God wherin whatsoeuer remedy he applyed nothing did auayle him and perceauing that his learning nor vertuous exercises would nothing profitt him he much desired to be assisted by some spirituall personne that could deliuer him of this grieuous affliction Wherfore hauing heard the same of the vertue of Br. Giles and that he was a Religious illuminated of God he repayred vnto him and att the same time the holy Ghost reuealed vnto Br. Giles the comming of this diuine and the occasion therof wherfore he went out of his cell and mett him And entertayning him curteously before the Religious began to speake he sayd vnto him Br. Preacher she was a virgin before her child birth then with a litle stick which he had in his hand he stroake the ground and presently there did spring vp a faire lilly then he sayd Br. Preacher a virgin in her childbirth and likewise striking the earth with his sticke there sprung vp an other lilly and thirdly he sayd Br. Preacher a virgin after her childbirth and hauing touched the earth as before the third lilly appeared Then hauing made these three admirable demonstrations and the sayd Religious being entierly freed of the temptations the lillyes vanished The holy Father with all speed retired into the Monastery leauing the Religious full of astonishment and admiration who gaue thanckes to God for his miraculous deliuery from so troublesome a temptation of the deuill Certaine Frere Minors determining to make a well on a mountaine neere to Perusia where Br. Giles was resident and not according together touching the place they repayred to him for his aduice and presently tooke a staffe went to the place that God had inspired him where striking the ground with his staffe there sprung vp a most delightfull violett and then he willed the Religious to dig there which vpon sight of that miracle they did and there found abondance of water wholsome and pleasant to drinck and so they finished their well to relieue their necessity How Br. Giles was visited by S. Lewes king of France and what passed betwene them THE XVII CHAPTER S. Lewes
hath receaued of God faithfully labouring therin for oftentimes the fruit doth perish by meane of the leafe and the graine by the huske God graunteth to some fruit and a few leaues and to others neither the one nor the other I doe more esteeme the conseruation of the benefittes receaued of God then the getting of thē He shall neuer be rich that knoweth how to gett but not to keep Wherfore many after much gaine haue bin neuer the richer because they knew not how to conserue yet is it not so great a matter to know how to conserue vnlesse also one know how to gett There are some that gainning but litle become incontinently rich because they know well how to keepe what they haue gotten The riuers would not be so often dry if running continually they did not cast thēselues into the sea Man demaundeth of God graces without measure and end and yet will make vse therof with measure and end but he that wil be loued and recompenced without end ought to loue and serue without end Happy is he that employeth his time body and spiritt in the loue of God that attendeth no recompence vnder heauen for the good he doeth If one should say to a very poore man Friend I lend thee this my house to make vse therof for three dayes in which time if thou knowest how to employ it thou mayest gaine an inestimable treasure this being assured and confirmed vnto him for most euident would not he vse all his endeauour to make this gaine That which is lent vnto vs of our lord is our flesh our life and whatsoeuer benefitt we can make therin is in a maner but as three dayes If the graine of corne doe not corrupt it cannot only produce no fruit but it also withereth and consumeth entierlie of it selfe without any encrease wherfore is it not better to make it to rott to the end it may spring be gathered threshed in due time and then layd vp into the garner of eternall life A man doth seldome take counsaile to doe ill but being to doe good the first thing is to take counsaile of all the world The prouerb sayth one must not putt the pott to the fire in expectation of a promise A mā is not happy for hauing only a good will but he must rather with all possibility labour to accomplish the same by good and pious worckes because God giueth his grace to a man to the end he follow the same A man one time praying Brother Giles to giue him some consolation he answeared Endeauour to doe well and thou shalt be comforted for if a man doe not prepare in himselfe a place for God he shall not find him in his creatures What man is there that will not doe that which is best not only for his soule but euen for his body in that which concerneth this life I can truely affirme that whosoeuer shaketh off the sweet and light yoke of our Sauiour shall find it afterward far more painfull and he that therwith burdeneth himselfe most att lenght shall find it most light Would to God all men would doe that which they may acknowledge to be best for their bodyes euen in this world for he that made the other world hath made this also and can giue to man in this world the benefittes which he giueth in the other and the body feeleth the happinesse of the soule A Religious hearing Brother Giles to speake these wordes sayd vnto him Tell me Father if you please we may perhappes dye before we haue any experience of any good The holy Father answeared The Furriers are knowen by skinnes Shomakers by shooes and forgers by iron But tell me Brother can a man be knowne by an art that he neuer practised Thinck you that Princes and Potentates bestow great fauours and prefermentes on sottish personnes and without iudgement there is no probability Good worckes are the true way and meane to the fruition of all happines as ill deedes to fall into all miseries happy is he that feeleth no scandall att whatsoeuer matter vnder heauen and he that is edifyed with whatsoeuer he seeth and heareth and that amongest all thinges chooseth only those that he may vse to the most benefitt of his soule A discourse of the contempt of the world THE XXIX CHAPTER VNhappy is the man that setleth his hart his desires and his hopes on earthly thinges for which he looseth all celestiall happinesse If the Eagle that soareth so high had to each of her winges fastened one of the beames of the Carpēters worck att S. Peters in Rome it is most certaine she could not mount into the ayre As I obserue many that labour for the body so doe I find few that trauell for the soule Many take exceeding paines for corporall affaires breaking and cutting the marbles digging mountaynes labouring the earth furrowing the sea and performing many other painfull exercises but who is he that laboureth manfully and with feruour for the soule The auaricious is like the Mole that thincketh there is no other good but to digge the earth and therfore therin setteth vp his rest yet doubtlesse ther is an other treasure vnknowne to the Mole The birdes of heauen the beastes of the earth and the fishes of the sea content thēselues when they haue sufficient to eat but because man cannot content himselfe with what the earth affordeth he alwayes sigheth after somewhat else It is certaine that he was not created principally for these base thinges but for such as are high and supreme for so much as the body was made for the soule and this world for loue of the other This world is a field of such quality as the that hath the better and greater part therof hath the worse share This holy Father to this purpose alleadged that the holy Father sainct Francis did not loue the Antes because of their ouer much care to assemble their prouisions but loued the birdes much more because they made no prouision to liue vpon but depending on the diuine prouidence made only search from houre to houre according to their need A discourse of Chastity THE XXX CHAPTER A Religious demaunded of the venerable Br. Giles how a man might best keepe himselfe from the vice of the flesh and he answeared he that will remoue a grosse stone or beame vseth therin more industry then force so must he doe that will preserue his chastity for it is like to a most cleare looking glasse which may be blemished and stayned in his brightnes by one only breath It is impossible that a mā can attaine the diuine grace whiles he is delighted in sensuall pleasures Consider althinges behold tourne and retourne vp and downe and from one side to an other you shall finde att lenght that nothing is more necessary then to fight against the fles◠which seeketh day and night to deceaue and betray vs he that surmounteth it hath ouercome all his ennemies and becommeth afterward