neuertheles I hope in God that the inuisible ennemies the deuils that are his executioners to chastice the disobedientes in this world and in the other will also chastice the transgressours of the vow of their profession therby to their shame and forciblie to make them retourne to their first vocation to this effect I will not omitt to assist them whiles I liue att least by prayers and example sith otherwise I cannot and to instruct them the secure way which I haue learned of my God as I haue formerly done that they may haue no excuse before his diuine maiesty No further doe I hold my selfe obliged Such was his answeare which satisfying the Religious procured an inestimable greife to all the hearers wherby it also manifestlie appeared what reason the S. had to leaue them and what occasion they had to know themselues and by a pious acknowledgement of their fault and true repentance to haue recourse vnto him The end of the first booke of the Chronicles of the Friere Minors THE SECONDE BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS PROSECVTED THE discourses of the life death and miracles of the Seraphical Father S. Francis translated out of french into English Of the plenary indulgence graunted by Iesus Christ to the Church of our Lady of Angels of Portiuncula THE FIRST CHAPTER THE more the glorious Father S. Francis profited in perfection and endeauoured to vnite himselfe with God the more did he poure out teares and felt intollerable greife att the losse of soules redeemed by the price of the precious bloud of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST Wherfore not ceassing to desire mercie of God for sinners as he thirsted to haue all saued the yeare of grace 1223. being to that effect in prayer an Angell appeared vnto him and bid him incontinentlie to repaire vnto the church because our Lord IESVS CHRIST with his glorious Mother and a great number of Angels there expected him Hauing receaued this gracious embassadge he hastened thither and there found our Sauiour sitting in a Royall throne on the high altare and the Virgin Mary att his right hand enuironned with an innumerable multitude of blessed spirittes The holy Father incontinentlie falling prostrate on the earth heard the diuine voice of IESVS saying Francis Know that I haue heard thy feruent prayers and because I know with what solicitude thou and thy Religious procure the saluation of soules aske me what grace thou wilt for their soules benefitt and I will graunt it thee The S. being by such an answeare emboldened most humbly answeared My Lord IESVS CHRIST I miserable and vnworthy sinner with the greatest reuerence I can require of thy diuine maiesty that it will please thee so much to fauour all Christian people as to graunt them a generall pardon and plenary indulgence of all their sinnes I meane to all them that shall enter into this church confessed and contrite I also beseech thee O glorious holy Virgin mother and our Aduocatrix that it would please thee to make intercession to thy most gracious sonne for me and for all Christian sinners Our Lady was instantlie moued with these wordes and began in this sort to pray our Redeemer in his behalfe O my most high Lord and sonne of my bowels I beseech thee graunt vnto this thy faithfull seruaunt this grace which he hath demaunded with so great a zeale of the saluation of soules which thy selfe aboue all other thinges disirest My God graunt him this grace in this place to thine honour and the edification of thy holy church Our Lord sodenlie answeared Francis that which thou demaundest is great but this thy desire conformable to mine deserueth much more and therfore I graunt thy request But goe to my Vicar to whome I haue giuen al power of vnbinding and binding here on earth and in my name demaund it of him which said he disappeared The Religious that had their celles neere therevnto saw the splendour and heard some speach but durst not approach for reuerence and great feare that possessed them The holy Father S. F. hauing thācked God presētly called Bro. Macie in whose cōpany he wēt to Perusia where thē was Pope Honorius with his court befor whose holines he thus spake Holy F. I haue reestablished a church that was very ruinous desert called S. Mary of portiūcula very neere vnto the citty of Assise wherin are residēt your Religious the Frere Min. I beseech your holines by our Redeemer I. C. his most glorious mother to voutsafe for the benefitt of the soules of all faithful Christiās to graūt a plenary indulgēce and remission of all their sinnes to all them that shall visitt this church in good estate without giuing any almose in the same The Pope answeared him that the Apostolike sea did not accustome to graunt indulgēs without giuing of almose because it will that they be gayned by thē He thē asked him for how many yeares he desired the indulgēce S. Francis answeared Holy Father I desire not yeares but soules How soules said the Pope S. Frācis replyed I require that euery Christian confessed and contrite that shall come to visitt the said Church receaue plenarie absolution in earth and in heauen and that of whatsoeuer sinnes he shall haue committed from his Baptisme to that very houre I require not this in myne owne name but in our Lord IESVS CHRIST who hath sent me to your Holines Which the Pope hearing inspired of the holy Ghost he thus spake thrice with a loud voice I am content to graunt it as thou hast demaunded it But the Cardinals present aduised the Pope to consider well what he graunted because by that act he would destroy the indulgences of the holy land and of Sainct Peter and S. Paul att Rome which would no longer be regarded The Pope answeared that he would not reuoke what he had att that present graunted They replyed that att least it were requisit he should limitt the said indulgence to a certaine time and moderate it to a certaine prefixed day of the yeare The Pope then said We graunt to all faithfull Christians that being truely confessed and contrite shall enter into the Church of our Lady of Angels plenary indulgence and absolution both of paine and fault and we will that the same be of force for euer for one entier day that is from the first euensong till the sunne sitting of the day following Which the holy Father Sainct Francis hauing obtayned he kissed his feet then demaunded his benediction which receaued he arose to depart But the Pope recalling him said Whither goest thou simple man what specialtie hast thou of the indulgence obtayned The holy Father answeared that his word should suffice and besides that this worck was of God and therfore it should be published and supported by his diuine Maiesty and withall that he would haue no other Bull but the Virgin Mary IESVS CHRIST for Notary and the Angels for witnesses Which
nor sowe I admonish you all my Sisters who are shall be that you labour to follow the way of simplicity humility pouerty and also the modesty of holy conuersation as we in the beginning of our conuersion haue bin taught of Christ and of our holy Father saint Francis through which not through our meritt but through the mercy of the liberall giuer the Father of mercies hath spread abroad the sauour of our good name as well vnto those who are far off as to such as are neere And for the charity of our Lord IESVS lett thē keepe the vniō of loue The charity which you haue interiourly shew it exteriourly by worckes to the end that through your exāple the sisters who are called vnto your profession may encrease in the loue of God mutuall charity Also I pray all those who shal be chosen in the offices of the sisters that they study to excell the others rather in vertue and modest conuersation then in their office to the end that by their example the Sisters that were called vnto the religion before them be moued to obey them not only in respect of their office but for loue The Abbesse must be carefull discreet towardes her Sisters as a good mother towardes her children She must also haue a prouident care of euery one according to their necessity of the almose which it shall please God to send her She must withall be so sweet and indifferent vnto all that the sisters may with out feare or doubt declare vnto her their necessity and that they confidently haue recourse vnto her when the Abbesse and the Sisters shall thincke it to be necessary The Sisters that are subiect lett them remember that for the loue of God they haue renounced their owne willes wherfore I will that they obey their mother as they of their one accord promised vnto God to doe to the end that their mother seeing the humility charity vnion which they haue vnto each other may easily beare the chardge with the office shesustaineth and because it is heauy bitter they must through their holy conuersatiō turne it into sweetnes And because the way is narrow the gate streight which leadeth vnto life few there are that walke in it and few that perseuer therin blessed are they that haue receiued the grace to walke in it and to perseuer vnto the end lett vs therfore be carefull if we be entred in the way of our lord that by out fault and negligence we doe not fall from the same to the end that we committ not that iniury vnto our lord to this blessed mother the glorious Virgin Mary to our holy Father sainct Francis and to the triumphant and militant church for it is written accursed are they who decline from your commandement For to obtaine this grace I bend my knee vnto the heauenly Father through the merittes of lord IESVS and of his blessed mother of our holy Father saint Francis and of all the Sainctes that it well please him of his diuine Maiestie who hath giuen a good beginning to graunt grace also that it may augment and perseuer euen vntill death Deerly beloued Sisters present and to come to the end that you may the better perseuer in your vocation I leaue vnto you this writing and in token of our Lordes benediction and of the benedictiction of our holy Father saint Francis and of me your mother and seruant The end of the testament of the glorious Virgin saincte Clare Here ensueth S. Clares Benediction vnto her Sisters present and to come IN the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen My deerly beloued Sisters our lord giue you his holy benedictiō and behold you with his holy eye of mercy giuing you his peace as also to all those that shall enter and perseuer in this our Colledge and monastery and vnto all other of the Order who shall perseuer vnto the end in this holy pouerty I Clare seruant of IESVS CHRIST and litle plante of our holy Father S. Francis your mother Sister though vnworthy doe beseech our lord IESVS CHRIST that by the intercession of his most holy mother of the holy Archangell S. Michaell and of all the holy Angels of our holy Father S. Francis and of al the holy Saintes that it wil please him to giue and confirme vnto you this benediction in heauen and in earth by multiplying in you his holy grace and in heauen by eleuating you into the eternall glory with his saintes And I giue you my benediction in my life and after my death in all that I am able and more then I am able Withall the blessinges wherwith the Father of mercies hath or shall blesse his spirituall children both in heauē and earth or that the spirituall mother doth or shal be able to blesse her spirituall chirldren Amen Be alwayes louers of God of your soule and of your Sisters and be alwayes carefull to keepe that which you haue vowed to God Our lord be alwayes with you and you with him Amē Of the death of the blessed Virgin S. Clare and of a vision which one of her Religious saw THE XXVI CHAPTER THe holy virgin and seruant of IES CH. was many dayes towardes the end of her life afflicted with diuers diseases The faith deuotiō which att that time each one boare her exceedingly encreased yea so far foorth as she was honoured as a S. being ordinarily visited by Cardinals Bishoppes and other Prelates But which is more admirable to heare hauing bin seauenteen dayes without force to receaue any sustenāce that was presented vnto her she was neuertheles so fortified of God and encouraged of his diuine Maiesty that she exhorted all those that would comfort her to be prompt in the seruice of God A Religious mā intending to comfort her and to persuade her to haue patience in so grieuous a sicknesse that procured her so much torment she with a smiling countenance cleare voyce answeared him Brother since the time that I knew the grace of my God by meanes of his seruant saint Francis no paine hath bin troublesome vnto me no penance hath seemed difficult nor no sicknesse ircksome And as almighty God approached neere vnto her her soule being as it were att the dore to goe forth the blessed virgin would haue the most pious and spirituall Frere Minors to be present to discourse vnto her of the passiō of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and by their pious wordes to enflame her more in the loue of God Wherfore some of them who were vnto her true Brethren in our Redeemer CHRIST IESVS were present and amōg others Br. Iuniperus the familier of our Lord IESVS CHRIST who often vttered vnto her such fiery and enflamed wordes of the omnipotēt God that she by his presēce being filled with an extreme ioy one day demaunded of him if he then knew nothing new of almighty God whervpon Br. Iuniperus opening his
procured thē The first name also that this holy Religion had was Preachers of penance which title and ministery was giuen them by Pope Innocent the third in the first confirmation of the Order therfore was it that S. Francis did institute the third Order called of Penitents The second matter he was to be employed in by the holy Ghost was for himselfe and his disciples by profession and rule to renouate the Euangelicall life and perfection the which to effectuate he instituted with the spirit of IESVS CHRIST and ordeyned the rule of the Frier Minors which he being desirous to found with exceeding deepe foundations of humility he would that his Brethren should be called Minors that is the least of all other Many holy Fathers haue florished in this Order who haue bin glorious in sanctity doctrine as S. Antony S. Bonauenture S. Lewis the bishop S. Benardine and many other Confessours and Martyrs of IESVS-CHRIST S. Francis did also institute the Apostolicall rule and life of S. Clare and hir Disciples who by their sanctity and example drew an innumerable multitude of Virgins that espoused thēselues to IESVS-CHRIST Finally the third thing that this Seraphicall sainct was to attempt was to teach all faithfull Christians voluntarily to take vp and carry on their shoulders the crosse of our Sauiour IESVS-CHRIST demonstrating vnto them that with pouerty and the crosse they should gaine and gett possession of true incorruptible richesse and with labour should attaine true repose that with humility is gotten true glory and with the familiarity and frequent communication which is had with our Lord IESVS-CHRIST is purchaced his loue and amity The stigmates also and woundes of our Redeemer were imprinted in this glorious S. Francis not only in his soule but euen visibly in his body that the carnall might haue no excuse of not following IESVS CHRIST crucified in his seruant Francis Now out of these obligations which this holy Father had as out of a new spiritt of IESVS CHRIST there proceeded in him that nouelty of so merueillous worckes in all sortes of vertues as those excesses of humility contempt of himselfe the austerity of discipline wherwith he afflicted his body the great feruour he had of the saluation of his neighbour wherby he entierly employed both himselfe and his to reforme Christians to reduce them into the way of obedience vnto God his law These things are vnderstood of few also of few prised according to their worth by reason that they seeme cōtemptible to earthly eyes yea mē shunne iest at thē because the sensual mā guided only by natural light cōceiueth not the thinges that are of God The deuout Christian then ought now to demaund humbly of this soueraigne God as of the author of this worck the light of his grace wherby being freed of humane iudmentes and conceiptes he may vnderstand tast and gather the fruit of the spiritt of IESVS CHRIST so bcuntifully communicated to S. Francis to his true children for the reformatiō assistance and comfort of his elect and of all true Christians The summe of that which is contained in each of these Ten bookes IN the three first are written the life workes death and miracles of the holy Father S. Francis these first three bookes make the first volume In the fourth booke are recorded the Martyrdomes of many of his disciples In the fift the doings and miracles of S. Antony of Lisbone called of Padua In the sixt the conuersations of many other disciples of S. Francis In the seauenth the exemplar life of the blessed Br. Giles his third disciple In the eight the life of S. Clare the beginning of her Order In the ninth the institution of the Rule and Order of Penitentes called the third Order of S. Francis In the tenth and last is treated and discoursed of diuers thinges happened and worthy to be obserued in the first time of the said Religion of the Frier Minors THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS Wherin is treated of the conuersion life and actions of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis Englished out of French by F. C. Of the Birth Education and naturall incl nation of S. Francis THE I CHAPTER THE grace of our Sauiour IESVS-CHRIST hath appeared vnto vs in these later dayes particulerly in his seruant Francis to whome the Father of mercy and light would by his benignity impart such benedictions and so excellent fauours that as by the discourse of his life appeareth he did not only draw him out of the darckenes of the world to setle him in the true light but he made him great in the merites of the perfection of all vertues And hauing extraordinarily communicated vnto him many note-worthy mysteries of the crosse he merueillously eleuated and exalted him in his holy Church wherin he gaue him a right eminent place and degree This great seruant of God Francis was borne the yeare of grace 1182 in the citty of Assissium scituate in the valley of Spoletum in Italy His Father was a rich Marchant of an honest familie called Mariconi his name was Peter Bernardone taking for his name the proper name of his father the grand father of the said Francis called Bernardone de Mariconi his mother was called Pica who was a very pious honest woman who procured him in his baptisme to be called Iohn but his Father afterward att his Confirmation would that he should chaung his name and was called Francis Some affirme that he was called Francis because he had with exceeding facility learned the French tongue Before his birth his mother endured very much being many dayes in labour of deliuery in meane while there came a poore pilgrime to the doore of the house who hauing receiued an almose said to him that brought it cause that woman who endureth such throwes of trauaile to be carryed into a stable and she shal be incontinently deliuered Which being done she was instantly deliuered and for that respect there was built in that place a chappell where in memory of the birth of this S. the history of this miracle was depeinted whome our Lord IESVS-CHRIST would in regard of his birth in a poore and contemptible place make like vnto himselfe This chappell is now called S. Francis the litle Francis was nourtured and educated of his parentes as their eldest sonne And hauing in short time learned the French tongue though it be very difficult they putt him to learne Latin as most vniuersall in ail Europe for to merchantes it is of no small importance to know many tongues which hauing learned and being of age capable to manadge affaires he trayned him to his trafique both in his citty and abroad And though he where busyed and employed in the vanities and folies of the world yet was it not possible for the deuill to corrupt his good and naturall inclination which God who had sowed the same in him as in a
disciple of this holy Father The Canon afterward did as much for hauing renounced his Canonry he gaue all the rest to the poore therfore he also was worthy to be a Sonne of this holy Father S. Francis the sixteenth of Aprill of the yeare 1209. gaue to them both his habitt Vpon this occasion there are some of opinion that the Order of the Frier Minors began on that day because say they this word Order signifieth no other thing but a congregation of certaine personnes vnited together The S. with his two disciples departed from Assisium and went into a solitary place where he laboured to instruct them and to exercise them in pouerty humility and prayer the true and solid ground worckes and foundations of Religious How Brother Giles was the third disciple of S. Francis then other foures and of the reuelation which S. Francis had that his and his disciples sinnes were pardoned and that his Order should augment to a great nomber THE IX CHAPTER THese tow disciples were tripled by an other of Assisium named Giles who was not in the towne when Bernard and the Canon sold their substance and distributed the same to the poore to follow S. Francis But att his retourne vnderstanding by his parentes and kinred the resolution of those his two freindes who gaue an amazement to each one he resolued also to associate himself vnto them in the seruice of God and to this effect he left his kinred and not knowing where S. Francis then was falling on his knees he most affectionately prayed God to fauour him so much as that he might finde him A litle after which prayer he miraculously arriued in short time where those three great and true contemners of the world were As soone as S. Francis saw him he was ready to embrace him but Giles falling to the ground and reputing himself vnworthy of such a fauour besought him with abondance of teares to fauour him so much as to admitt him into his society The holy Father seeing the humility the faith and deuotion of a man so note-worthy said vnto him My deerly-beloued Brother acknowledge the great mercy which God sheweth you to receiue you this day for his seruant Then he comforted him and exhorted him to perseuer in the vocation whervnto God had called him And conducting him to his compagnions he said vnto them Our God hath this day giuen vs a good Brother They then very affectionatly and desiredly embraced him reioycing together with him att the secure acquisition and election of the good which he had made Then they went together to prayer and next to dinner afterward S. Francis called Giles vnto him to take him with him to Assisium to gett an habitt in the way they chaunced to meet a very poore woman that asked them an almose S. Francis hauing nothing to giue her tourned to Giles and said Brother giue your cloake to this poore woman for the loue of God and he with so ready a wil obeyed that he seemed to see that almose to ascend vnto heauen so great was the contentment he conceiued therin Now eight dayes after the foresaid two had taken the habitt which was S. Georges day Giles also receiued the same hauing first distributed his goodes to the poore and so the third place was possessed by this man of God worthy of glorious memory famous and renowrned by the exercise of his vertues as S. Francis foretold And albeit he was of nature very simple and had not studyed he was notwithstanding so eleuated to the sublimity of most high contemplation that one might truely affirme of him that he led a life more Angelicall then humane as in his history we shall recount The holy Ghost a litle after sent foure other disciples vnto S. Francis so that they were seauen in nomber and yet but one in will Now to giue a beginning to some deuotion S. Francis ordayned that to each Canonicall houâ—e of the seruice of our Lord excepte the masle they should say thrice the Pater noster Brother Giles said that the reason why S. Francis ordayned so short a prayer was because he would not haue their deuotion restrayned by the obligation of their constitutions but that the prayers and seruices of each one should proceed of the feruour of deuotion S. Francis thus liuing with his companions in continuall prayer and abstinence in that hermitage being one day retired into a place a part and very remote from his disciples to offer his prayer and bitterly to lament his former life which had not bin without offence against God and demaunding pardoÌ„ of the soueraigne God not only for himselfe but for his companions also he was filled with an vnspeakcable contentment by the holy Ghost who assured him that his prayers were heard and affirmed that the infinite bounty had graunted to him and to all his disciples a plenary indulgence and remission of all their sinnes euen to the vtmost minute And immediatly in faith and confirmation hereof he was rauished and absoâ—pt with a merueillous light and knowledge which opening his spiritt gaue him clearly to vnderstand what God had wrought in him and in all his Hauing then thus knowne the diuine will he sought to encourage his simple company telling them that they should not be deiected in regard of their small nomber but should proceed in hope because as the diuine Maiesty had reuealed vnto him they should multiply in great nomber and should performe great matters in the world notwithstanding their and his owne simplicity and should after possesse the eternall kingdome in the next with which wordes all his Brethren were exceedingly comforted How S. Francis began to send his Religious ouer the world what succeeded them in the way and how they were miraculously reunited THE X. CHAPTER VNitie ioined it selfe to the nomber of seauen which signisieth perfection to demonstrate euen exteriourly how well these new champions of IESVS CHRIST were vnited in charity this was an other that tooke the habitt of S. Francis whose name with the others shal hereafter be recorded so that they were now eight with the S. who as a pious Father hauing assembled them discoursed vnto them of the kingdome of God of contempt of the world of the abnegation of their proper will and of mortification of their owne flesh then he discouered vnto them that his intention was they should diuide themselues and trauell ouer the foure quarters of the world because not content with that litle nomber which then his poore and sterile simplicity had regenerated in God he desired also to renew the birth of al Christians inducing them to contrition and teares of repentance He therfore enioyned his deere Religious children to prepare them selues to goe to denounce and publish peace to men to preach vnto them penance to obtaine remission of their sinnes which he did in these wordes Be you patient in supporting iniuryes vigilant and assiduous in prayer couragious
in trauailes modest in your speches graue in your deportmentes and thanckfull for the grace and fauours which you shall receiue These deerly beloued disciples vnderstanding his holy aduertismentes being replenished with the holy ghost and desirous to obey their Pastour especially where it concerned the saluation of Christian soules coupled themselues two together and fell all seauen at the feet of the S. whome they honoured as their true father and demanded his benediction But causing them to arise he embraced them with a fatherly charity then gaue them the benediction of the father of mercies vsing to each of them those wordes of the Prophett Dauid Cast your care on our Lord and he will prouide for you He accustomed to vse this speech to all the Religious that he sent vnder obedience And knowing well that he was to serue for patterne and good example to the world to doe that first which he intended to teach he tooke for companion one of the seauen Religious and then tooke leaue of the rest hauing yet precedētly diuided thē in forme of a crosse that is sending two of thē towardes the east two towardes the west two towardes the south and two towards the north each one went with his companion on his way rich wel cloathed with diuine grace but with habitts torne patched tussed vp bare-foote and as it were all naked destitute of all tēporall prouisiōs preaching thorough the world more by worckes then by word giuing example of humility patience and pouerty They wanted no laborious accidentes being afflicted in many places and in diuers maners For of that which we find recorded of two we may collect the exercises of the rest The West was alloted vnto Brother Quintaualle who being with his companion arriued att Florence and not finding where to lodge the night being come they setled them selues against a wall vnder a penthouse the master whereof refusing to lodge thē by reason of the strange fashion of their habitt fearing that they were some lewd personnes and theeues they all the night endured much cold yea in great extremity in regard of the sharpnes of the season neuertheles they continually prayled God In the morning they went very early to masse praying with deuotion Now the mistresse of the house vnder whose roufe they had slept the night being present att that masse knew them to be those whome neither her husbād nor her selfe would entertaine for a nightes lodgeing She then said to her selfe These men doubtles are no theeues as my husband did coniecture for they seeme to be holy personnes These Religious in the meane time were beheld of each one for the nouelty of their habitt but much more when they refused the mony which one present offered them for an almose Eor therby were they knowne to be voluntarily poore for the loue of IESVS CHRIST And therfore the man and woman that before refused to entertaine thē by prayers conducted them to their house by whome they were exceedingly edified as wel by example of their life as by the pious and heauenly discourses wherwith they induced them to haue care of their soules Thus did these Religious passe Florence The inconuenience of the night which they endured was litle in regard of that which befell them afterward for both in respect of the strange forme of their habitt and for the austerity of their life they were most commonly iniuried and buffeted because almost euery one treated thē as senceles or distracted personnes Some gaue them tātes and mockes others cast dirt att them some pulled them by the cappuce others caused children with clamours to follow them These iniuries were not only procured them by the malice of idle personnes but also by the subtilty and inducement of the diuill who thought by these ignominies to terrifie them and make them desist from theire holy resolution But they being armed with the grace and patience of IESVS CHRIST did not only support the extremity of hunger cold and disgraces but euen did not by any exteriour signe appeare to be moued withall So farre also were they from replying to them that abused them that receiuing their persecutions as a great fauour they ordinarily prayed to God for them in such sort that these remonstrances of patience and charity hauing bin by certaine weighed and considered their vertue and sanctity did consequently appeare They therfore repenting to haue offended them repayred vnto them as to holy personnages humbly to require pardon vertue being of such force and efficacie that albeit for a time it be resisted and contemned yet in the end it doth alwayes conquere and triumph ouer the enemies therof Some certaine time being spent after the separation of these good Religious their compassionate Father being vnable any longer to endure and support this ircksome absence had a vehement desire to recollect his deerly beloued children But the difference and distance of the places where they were being such as it could not be don but by the diuine prouidence the sainct fell to his deuotion and prayed God that as he had sormerly assembled certaine Israelites very distantly separated and dispearced so he would also now vouch-safe to vnite and assemble his deerly beloued Brethren After a short time he miraculously knew the approbation of his prayer for without any humane dilligence or industry they were all as S. Francis had desired present in one very place which was not without an exceeding astonishment vnto his Brethren who admired the diuine prouidence The holy Father entertained his children with incredible ioy they then began among them selues to recount what they had endured in their trauaile and what was the fruit of their labours amongst the faithfull Christians Thus did these new Apostles in very short time beginne to exercise thē selues in the seruice of God by the footesteppes of his holy disciples About that time four other honorable gentlemen did adhere vnto them so that they were eleuen whose names were these Brother Bernard Quintaualle Brother Peter Catanio Br. Giles of Assisium Br. Sabadin Br. Morigo the lesse Br. Iohn Capelle Brother Phillip the long Br. Iohn of S. Constant Br. Barbarus Br. Bernard of Veridant and Br. Angelus Tancredas of Riete Of the first rule that S. Francis ordained THE XI CHAPTER S. Francis perceiuing his disciples to aproach to the Apostolicall nomber began to write downe the forme and rule of life which they should obserue wherto for foundatiō he gaue the obseruance of the gospell therto adding certaine other pointes necessary for such as liue in Congregation and this to the end the professours of his rule should not vary and differ in any thing from the intention and will of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST as well in his Preceptes as Councels which rule is this ensuying hauing since that time bin augmented by S. Francis as in his proper place shal appeare THE FIRST RVLE OF THE HOLY FATHER S. FRANCIS In the name of the Father and of
a fatherlie affection embraced them very amourously and said Feare not for if till this day I haue and doe maintaine strangers how much more reason haue I to maintaine you you I say that are my most deere children And this affection will I shew to all those that henceforward shal be borne of your mother my deerly affected wife Applying which parabole he said Holy Father our rule and life is this poore woman by the mercy of the king of kinges accepted for his espouse of whome he hath begotten many children whome his diuine maiesty neither hath nor euer will faile to sustaine and as he hath a care to releeue strangers your holines need not doubt but he will also haue regard to maintaine and support his true and ligitimate children that the heires of the eternall king perish not by hunger who are borne according to his likenes by vertue of the holy Ghost of a poore mother to witt of the euangelicall pouerty and nourced with his proper milk And if the king of heauen promise the eternall kingdome to those that follow him with faith and verity how much rather will he giue them such thinges as he ordinarily with so bountifull liberality bestoueth indifferently on the good and the wicked The Pope hauing with carefull attention heard this similitude and so patheticall and strong argument of the S. he admired and sincerely acknowledged that our Lord IESVS CHRIST dwelled in S. Francis Without farther delay therfore and without admitting any other difficulty he approued his rule permitted him with the title of precher of pennance to preach ouer all the world and caused litle crounes to be made to all the lay Brethren that were with him And thervpon S. Francis with all his companions made his solemne profession vnder the handes of the Pope promising to obserue the euangelicall life and rule and he was by his holines established Minister generall of all his Order who offered and promised him his assistance when soeuer he should need it But because this confirmation of the rule was then only made Viuae vocis oraculo by the Popes worde of mouth the yeare of grace 1209. and the thirteenth of the Popedome of the said Pope Innocent the third nor hauing no Bulle of this confirmation therfore the beginning of the Order is not reckoned from that time but from the time that it was afterward confirmed by writing which was in the eight yeare of Pope Honorious with an authenticall Bulle fifteene veares after this first verball confirmation as in place and order shall hereafter be inserted How S. Francis retourned to Assisium and how God declared vnto him that his Order was instituted for the saluation of the soules of the faithfull THE XXIV CHAPTER SAinct Francis exceedingly encouraged by obtaining the so much desired confirmation departed from Rome towardes the vally of Spoletum there to beginne to preach the gospell of IESVS CHRIST discoursing alwayes with his companions by the way in what sort they might most perfectlie obserue the profession formerlie made In which discourse hauing spent a good part of their way and being wearied they rested themselues in a solitary place no lesse afflicted with hunger then with trauaile not hauing with them any prouision nor humanely cause to hope after any meanes of releife But our most mercifull God who is euer true and neuer faileth his faithfull of himselfe prouided for them causing in a moment a man to appeare loaden with bread who as soone as he had distributed it to those poore of IESVS CHRIST disappeared and was neuer by any of them seene againe These poore Religious therfore acknowledging this grace and fauour to be afforded them by the handes of God were exceedingly comforted and there purposed and irreuocablie confirmed neuer to breake that strict and rigorous vow of pouerty for any want of food or whatsoeuer other necessity or affliction that might befall them and with this feruour and good resolution they trauailed through the vally of Spoletum discoursing with themselues whither it were better for them to dwell in solitary places for their particuler repose or to conuerse in the world for edification of their neighbour Vpon which point S. Francis hauing long time conferred with his disciples not minding of himselfe to determine in such a case wherin he would not relie on his owne resolution he made his prayer vnto God that touching this point he would manifest vnto him his holy will which he knew by this meane He vnderstood that he was sent of God to endeauour to gaine many soules vnto him as Satan sought to robbe him of them to carrie them together with himselfe into hell He therfore resolued rather with his companions to conuerse in the world for the profitt of manie then to liue in an hermitage to benifitt only himselfe Hauing then setled himselfe with his Brethren in a desolate house neere to Assisium they there liued conformably to their rule in very simple pouertie seeming rather to sustaine themselues with the bread of teares then with temporall consolations They ordinarily employed themselues in prayer and especially mentall because they were not as then fournished with bookes nor brouiaryes to say their cannonicall houres and so in supplie therof they made their exercise in the excellent booke of the life of IESVS CHRIST meditating therō day night according to the instructiō that their blessed Father gaue thē for he cōtinuallie preached vnto thē the crosse of our Lord IESVS CHRIST And wheras the Brethrē most instantlie besought S. F. to teach thē some forme of prayer he vsed vnto thē the wordes of our Lord When you praye say Pater noster qui es in caelis c. and afterward Adoramus te Christe c. We adore thee our Lord IESVS CHRIST and we praise and honour thee here in all the churches of the world because by thy crosse thou hast redeemed the world He also taught them to praise and honour God in all creatures to reuerence preistes to beleeue simply and to confesse firmely the truth of the Faith as the holie Catholique and Romane Church beleeueth and confesseth and his disciples with admiration of his doctrine were attentiue vnto him They fell on their knees when they saw any Church a far of and there they made theyr prayer as the S. had instructed them Of the admirable vision of a fiery chariott wheron the glorious S. Francis appeared vnto his disciples THE XXV CHAPTER THe poore colledge of S. Francis was neere to a place called Riuotorto in an old house and so litle that they could hardly accōmodate themselues sitting one close by an other From thence went foorth the louer of pouerty to preach pennance and contempt of the world first by worckes and then by wordes But being one saterday in the euening gone thence he went with a Brother to Assisium there to preach the sunday as he was accustomed to doe And to this effect he
euen the will of his Superiour They vndoubtedly beleeued that whatsoeuer was commanded them was the will of God and by that meanes obedience was easy and pleasing vnto them that they might not be iudged by others they accused and condemned themselues and if any so much forgatt himselfe as to vtter a scandalous word to one of his Brethren he would conceaue such remorce and greife theratt that he was not well nor could repose till he fell att his feet whome he had offended to whome with demaund of pardon he acknowledged his fault and herewith not content he would pray the Brother offended to sett his foot on his mouth and tread hard vpon it In this manner chastissing themselues did they suppresse and trample pride vnder foot This was not practised only among the simple Brethren but among the Superiours themselues For in whatsoeuer place one found himselfe to haue with out reason offended any Brother he commanded the offended to sett his foot on his throat that by this meane the malice and tyrannie of the deuill being suppressed loue and fraternall charity might be conserued among them They also armed themselues against vices and exercised vertues beside this they vsed their habites bookes and other moueables in common that none among them might presume to call any thing mine And albeit they were in deepe degree of pouerty they were neuertheles in their hartes exceeding rich and most liberall and very freely and ioyfully gaue what was demaunded of them for the loue of God fulfilling his word who saith Giue that Gratis which you haue receiued for nothing If any poore people begged the almose which had bin giuen them they gaue it them He that had not what to giue to the poore that asked him an almose would giue them part of the habitt that couered him When the rich of this world came to visitt them to conferre with them of some spirituall matter they ioyfully entertayned them and delighted sometime to frequent their company so to finde occasion to persuade them to leaue their sinnes and to induce and moue them to doe doe pennance When their holy Father was to send them into the world they would instantly and as a singuler father craue of him not to send them into their owne country therby to auoyd the conuersation of their kinred and freindes of this world because this seemed vnto them a certaine kinde of retourne to the world For what soeuer necessity that might befall them in their trauaile they took neither gold siluer nor otherkind of mony because they singulerly contemned it and aboue all thinges did from their hartes tread it vnder foot Being so freed and exempted of all wordly desires they numbred themselues with those of whome Isai said how beautifull and swift are the feete of the Euangelistes and preachers of peace and eternall Saluation Thus did these true Religious circuit the world by the streight and sharpe way of their pouerty surmounting the hard stones of selfe desires and euill inclinations breaking the thicke cloudes of the sinnes and depraued customes of worldly men with great paine of their life walking on the thornes of tribulations and contrarietyes with exāples vertues and doctrine of pennance because such is the path way that leadeth them to liue who with a perfect resolution seek the same The holy Father did also exercise his children in hauing care of leapers so to plant in their soule a firme root of humility and mortification of themselues and therfore ordayned his Brethren to be att the hospitall of leapers when occasion required to serue and minister vnto them If any Gentilman presented himselfe to be receiued into the order among many things propounded vnto him one of the principall was that he should serue leapers and dwell in their house when he should be commanded considered withall that S. Francis himselfe did the same with much contentment of body and spiritt and with him all his beloued and holy Religious And in regard that the holy Father was very zealous of the honour of the most blessed Sacrament he would that not only the altares but euen the churches and house of God were conuenient neat and well ordered and if he found any one vncleane he would sweep it himselfe or if he could not he would commaund some Brethren to make cleane and accommodate the same that by this worck of God they might nourish in themselues humilitie a reuerence to his diuine maiestie and feruonr of spiritt to enrich with him the conscience of all the soules of faithfull Christians which are the true temples of the liuing God Of the doctrine and documents of S. Francis THE XXXI CHAPTER SAinct Francis did often make spirituall lectures to his children in IESVS CHRIST putting them in mind of their profession and the state whervnto God had so graciously called them which he performed by these wordes My welbeloued Brethren lett vs haue alwayes before our eyes the first vocation wherto with so great mercie we haue bin called of God not only to saue our selues but also for the saluation of many And sith it is so lett vs trauaile ouer the world with good example and behoufull wordes exhorting and teaching euery one that sinners may repent their sinnes past and call to minde the diuine preceptes which they seeme to haue already forgotten Now whiles you thus trauaile you ought to haue a firme faith that God will procure you to encounter faithfull men gentle and gracious who will of charity receiue you ioyfully and you shall gaine them When you shall meet with vnfaithfull and proud personnes that shall resist your speeches support them with patience and humilitie for theloue of him who being iniuryed misprised and dishonoured by the Iewes did not answeare them one crosse word nor would reuenge himselfe of the outrages which they had done him but presented himselfe with an extreme charitie to support all in satisfaction of our sinnes When S. Francis sent his brethren to any place he gaue them this document Haue alwayes humility and honestie in your company and in the morning till the third hower keepe silence strictlie and in the meane while offer your deuotion and pray to God in your hart Vtter not wordes that are idle and without fruit neither doe you giue eare vnto them because in whatsoeuer place you walke or be your conuersation ought to be no lesse humble and modest then if you were in your oratory or cell sith that where soeuer we goe or be we haue alwayes with vs our cell which is our body wherof our soule is the hermite which resideth therin to pray vnto God and to meditate on his benefittes And therfore if the soule rest not in peace in this celle that of the monastery will litle auaile vnto a Brother Liue in such sort as no man be scandalized att you but that each one by your sweetnes be induced to peace to benignity and concord considering that
CHRIST the one by an ardent feruour and the other by abstinence and discipline sacrificing the flesh exteriourly in holocaust and interiourly burning in the temple of his soule the sweet incense of piety eleuating his spiritt vnto God by a most seruent loue and extending it by his interiour benignity ouer all creatures that were associated vnto him by nature and grace and redeemed by the precious bloud of our lord IESVS CHRIST He had not bin reputed the freind of IESVS CHRIST if he had left desolate the soules redeemed by such an inestimable price Wherfore he affirmed that one ought to preferre the safty of soules before al thinges sith that the only Sonne of God the Father would be crucified on the crosse for their saluation Therfore when he prayed he poured out an infinite quantity of teares When he preached he extremely heated himselfe and in this consideration it was that he so rigorously afflicted his body for it was not to punish it for sinnes which he had desisted to committe nor to preserue himselfe therefrom by reason that the hand of God was with him But it was to the end that by his example and merittes he might free and deliuer the poore soules of IESVS CHRIST from that horrible and insatiable gulphe of hell vsing those wordes of S. Paul If I speake with the tongues of men and of Angels and haue not charity I giue no good education to my neighbour and very litle doe I profitt others and much lesse my selfe Therfore he deuided this his charity as an abondant Fountaine into many and diuers chanels wherby he dispersed it louing and honouring each one in his degree and estate He particulerly honoured Preistes as the Ministers of God which he performed with exceeding reuerence acknowledging them to be sanctified by diuine aucthority with power to celebrate his sacred mistery and to absolue soules his mysticall body from detestable sinnes He would not see nor consider any imperfection in them as people that alwayes represented vnto him IESVS CHRIST He left by testament vnto his disciples this notable respect which he had vnto Preistes and shewed by example that euery man ought to reuerence them as personnes in whose authority next after God consisteth the recouery of our saluation He exceedinglie honoured Preachers and diuines as they who administred vnto vs the spiritt and life of the word of God He also much respected old people and gaue due honour to men of power and authority in the world But in especiall manner did he ground his affection on the poore He had peace and charity with all the world and would that his Religious should endeauour the like that none might be scandalized or troubled by their occasion He manifested vnto them the cordiall loue wherwith he affected them as his children in IESVS CHRIST in that he did not conuerse with them as their head lord or Superiour but as Father brother and seruant perticipating of all their necessityes afflictions and temptations so that he might well say with the Apostle Who among you is weake and I am not weake who is scandalized and I am not burnt and on the other side he congratulated extremely att the spirituall progresse they made he corroborated and conforted the feeble and they that were tempted as by these examples may appeare He was on a time entreated by one that was violently tempted to pray vnto God for him to whome conforting him he said My child be not disquieted for this ought to be vnto thee an assured testimonie that thou art pleasing and gratefull vnto God None may esteeme himselfe the seruant of IESVS CHRIST but in afflictions and temptations There are many though ignorant that glory not to haue tasted any infirmity and not to know what temptation is wheras they might iustly be greiued and therby vnderstand their weak spiritt and sclender loue towardes God and assuredly beleeue that they haue much more to endure in the other world For God doth here chastice the faithfull to free them from feare of correction otherwhere giuing them the meritt of a more worthy crowne and doth neuer permitt them to be tempted aboue their forces but causeth his seruantes to make great benefitt of these teÌ„ptations The said Religious was so comforted by these wordes that albeit he disposed himselfe thenceforward to endure and support his teÌ„ptations yet he incontinently felt all the bitternes he had sustayned to tourne into ioy and alacrity An other Religious being tempted with the spirit of blasphemy farre more insupportable then any other fell att his feet with abondance of teares and such sobbes that he could not vtter so much as one word Wherevpon the S. knowing the exceeding torment which this Religious endured â—oued with pitty and zeale of his soule he said I command you yee deuils in the name of our lord IESVS CHRIST that you presume not henceforward to tempt this Religious and he was incontinently deliuered yea in the very instant Here then appeared the deepe compassion of the holy Father and his power against wicked spiritts How he trauailed towardes Siria there to receiue Martirdome THE LIIII CHAPTER THe yeare of grace ' 1212. the order of S. Francis still florishing in nomber and in fame of sanctitie he ordayned that they should twice in the yeare assemble att our lady of Angels att the feast of Pentecost and of S. Michael tharchangel to suck the milke of Euangelicall pouertie from this their holy mother and there to conferre of matters necessarie to their Order and of accidentes occurring as also to vnite themselues in fraternall loue animating each other in vertue of the spiritt There were the preachers deputed to their places and other obediences ordayned The holie Father desiring to assist not onlie the faithfull but euen Infidell Pagans to sow the faith euery where and to offer himselfe in sacrifice to the fire of Martyrdome a liuely host vnto God and by his death after the example of IESVS CHRIST to lay open vnto erring foules the way of saluation in the aforsaid yeare which was the fourth of the institution of his order being no longer able to suppresse the flame of desire of martyrdome he resolued to passe the sea to goe preach vnto the Infidels in Siria He embarqued himselfe to this purpose but the vessell which carryed him was encountred with a most cruell tempest that forced it into Sclauonia where he remayned diuers dayes his companie refusing to proceed any farther Wherfore perceauing himselfe frustrated of his holy desire esteeming it to arriue by the prouidence and pleasure of his diuine maiesty and vnderstanding that there were certaine mariners retourning to Aucona he besought them for the loue of God to conduct him with his companion back againe into Italie They perceiuing him to be extremelie poore and that no benifitt was to be gotten by him they made excuse that they had sclender prouision But the holy Father relying on the mercie
knowne and experienced by the world and reuealed by IESVS CHRIST himselfe wherfore the S. merited to be crowned hauing bin so valiant in the fierce assaultes of so many ennemies and att length vanquished so tedious a combatt as he had from the beginning of his conuersion First by his very parentes and afterward by infinite other meanes that neuer permitted him in repose But how much more the deuill gaue him occasion to sinne so much more did he endeauour to meritt and became pure as gold in the fire Wherfore he often said If my Religious knew what warre mine ennemies raise against me they would perhappes haue compassion of me and hold me excused if I cannot be sometimes with them as I would desire One time when God permitted him for his greater good to be tempted the deuill drawe him into so deepe a melancholy of spiritt that exteriourly there appeared many signes therof he being no longer able to conceale nor moderate the same in such sort as he seemed to be vtterlie abandoned of God If he would conuerse with his Religious he could not if he would be sequestred from them it was worse abstinence and mortification of the flesh annoyed him haircloth and prayer auayled not He continued in this sort more then two yeares though one would not haue imagined it had bin of an houres continuance till att length God determining to haue compassion of him as he prayed with effusion of teares he heard the voice of God that said If thou hast so much faith as a mustard seed and sayest to this mountaine remoue from hence thither it shal be done S. Francis then answeared which is this mountaine my God and the voice replyed The temptation then S. Francis My God lett thy word then be accomplished And from thence he was freed and gaue infinite thanckes to God for the same Of many other temptations with S. Francis had THE LXXIII CHAPTER SAint Francis being in continuall prayer in the hermitage of Grecio a gentleman one night sending him a pillow to vse in regard of the infirmity of his eyes he could neuer repose nor pray for he had such a trembling in his head that all his body was distempered therwith Now hauing a long time discoursed with himselfe whence this distemperature should proceed he att length resolued and concluded that it could not be occasioned but by the pillow wherinto the deuill was entred wherfore he caused it to be carryed out of his cell by his companion who hauing to that purpose layed it on his shoulders and carryed it out incontinentlie lost his speech and which was yet worse stood immoueable with the said pillow He continued in this affliction which how it tormented him may of each one be imagined till sainct Francis admiring his long tariance called him att which voice the Religious retourned to himselfe cast the pillow instantlie to the ground and ran to the S. to whome he recounted all whervpon he answeared him My Brother last night whiles I was att compline I vnderstood that this deuill came hither and know that finding no other place he entred into the soft pillow learne therfore now how subtill and malicious he is that hauing no power to endommage the soule because it is protected by diuine grace he seeketh to hinder the repose of the body that it may not pray and performe other exercises in time conuenient or to make it diseased to procure it to murmure and therby to fall into sinne Being an other time afflicted with the said infirmitie of his eyes in such sort as for the space of fifty dayes together he could see no light he was placed in a very darck cell made of rushes mattes and earth there did he endure such excessiue greife as he could not haue one hower of repose The deuill to augment his affliction sent him into his celle a very great quantity of huge mice that they might prouoke him to impatience wherfore the S. being entierly resigned into the handes of God feeling a vehement anguish in his hart vttered these wordeâ— Help me my God in such a multitude of infirmities diseases and afflictions that I may patiently endure them Whereto a voice answeared Tell me S. Francis if for thyne infirmities and afflictions one should promise thee such a treasure and of so great valew as if all the earth were gold and all the stones diamondes or other precious stones and all the waters baulme wouldest thou not esteeme all thy miseries filthy dirt in comparison of the said treasure and wouldest thou not be content more then voluntarily to supporte the same herevnto the S. answeared yea I should be very glad therof Well reioyce thee then replyed the voice that thou mayest liue content and secure as if thou wert in my kingdome Hauing concluded his prayer with exceeding ioy of this vision deliuerance diuine promise he incontinently said to his companions If a king had giuen a kingdome to a seruaunt should not he haue cause to be alwayes ioyfull And they answeared yes And if added he he gaue him all the Empires of the world should he not haue yet greater cause of ioy they likewise answeared yes I ought then said he infinitely to reioyce in mine infirmities and greifes and for them to giue thanckes vnto the Father of mercie vnto my Redeemer IESVS CHRIST to the holy Ghost the true comforter sith he hath shewed such mercie to me his vnworthy seruant as to vouchsafe att this present to assure me of his kingdome In respect wherof I will compose himnes to singhenceforward and to yeld him infinite thankes for the same Of many other temptations and subtilties wherby the dâ—uiâ—â— tormented him THE LXXIV CHAPTER THe deuils not content to disturbe him with infinite temptations did also assault him by occasion of sinne as by the ensuyng accident shall appeare Preaching one day in Apulia in a church very neere vnto the Pallace of the Emperour Frederick being as yet vnknowne many Courtiers were there present who perceauing him so freelie to reprehend vices affirming that whosoeuer would follow and satisfie his sensuall appetites could neuer haue part in heauen they retourning did scoffingly relate the whole vnto the Emperour who answeared them These Preachers in deed do say much but they performe litle Wherfore I would willingly know if this maÌ„ be such a one lett some one amongest you vndertake to inuite him to supper lodge with him and hauing giuen him good entertainement let him dexterously conuey into his chamber a faire courtisane to try if he can vse that vertue of continence which he so forcibly preacheth vnto vs. A gentleman did presentlie offer to putt this proiect in practise for in princes Courtes there want not men that seeke rather to please their master in these friuolous and sottish toyes then in matters that concerne the honnour and saffety of the soule This Courtier then when he had found a time conuenient to the purpose
which done he retourned and said vnto him Goe to my good freind sith these Religious doe not serue you well I will serue you my selfe The Leaper answeared Tell me I pray what will you doe more then they the S. replyed I will doe whatsoeuer you shall cammand me begin from this instant to tell me what you please to haue and I promise to doe it I will said the leaper that you wash all my body for I cannot endure the filthy sauour therof I will most willingly doe it answeared the S. and sodenly caused to be prepared a bath of veri◠pleasing hearbes then discloathed him to his skinne and washed him one of the Religious powring water on his body But there hapened a notable miracle whiles the holy Father with his pitifull handes washed him all the scurfes of his leapry one after an other fell off so that the flesh remayned cleane and neat as of a litle child in fine he was entierly cleansed and cured within and without The diseased person therfore knowing this great miracle began very bitterly to lament saying I am worthy not of one but of a thousand helles as well for hauing blasphemed against God as for the contempts iniuries and buffettes wherby I haue offended your poore Religious that so louingly haue ministred vnto me And after his cure he remayned fifteene dayes in this lamentation then he made a generall confession imploring the ayd of our Lord IESVS CHRIST S. Francis left him not till fearing himselfe for the great concourse of people that repayred to this miracle he was constrayned to depart so leauing the man in the grace of God who shortly after passed from this world into an other And incontinentlie the holie Father being in prayer he appeared vnto him in heauen more bright then the sunne and said Father know you me The S. asked him who are you And he answeared I am the soule of that leaper whome liuing in the world God cured by your prayers and humility I now enter into the kingdome of glory for which I giue thanckes to God and you blessed be your wordes and your actions also whereby many soules in the world are saued Know that there passeth no day but the Angels and SS in heauen giue glorie and prayse to God for the innumerable fruites which by your meane and your Order are procured in the Church and therefore perseuer to the time predestinated to your great crowne hauing said thus much he disappeared leauing the S. exceedingly comforted who gaue thanckes to God for all and particulerly for the sauing of that soule who was in such imminent perill of damnation Of three famous theeues conuerted by the humility and charity of S. Francis the eight chapter of the tenth booke transferred to this place as most proper vnto it THE LXXXVI CHAPTER BRother Angelus being Gardian att Mount Casal three famous theeues haunted that place doeing cruell murders thereabout who being one day oppressed with hungar came to him demaunding somewhat to eat The good Guardian knowing them not only refused to giue them almose but began to check and reprehend them alleadging that they feared not God nor men whome they so miserablie slew liuing by the labours of others and leading a life more diabolicall then humane robbing dishonouring tormenting and cutting the throates of their neighbour as they did and that he admired how the earth did sustaine them that it did not swallow them quick as they were and so bad them hast away and withall rudely shutt the dore against them wherevpon they in extreme choller departed S. Francis a litle after came with one of his companions vnto that place to whome the Guardian recounted the precedent whereto the holy Father answeared that he had done very ill because such sinners retourne to God and are conuerted rather by sweet and pittifull wordes then by such reprehensions which did rather harden them and that therfore God said They that are in health need not a Phisition but they that are ill att ease that he came not to call the iust but sinners to repentance And therefore added he because you haue done against charity the commandemēt of the gospell the example of IESVS CHRIST I command you in vertue of obedience for pennance to cary them to the mountaine where they are this loafe of bread this flagon of wine which was giuen vs by the way when you come in their presence fall one your knees at their feet and aske thē pardō for the wordes you haue spoken when they haue taken the bread entreat them in my behalfe to Ieaue that miserable kinde of life and I will prouide for all their necessities and vse all the art you can deuise to induce them hither The most obedient Guardian presentlie went on and the holy father in the meane while went to the Church to pray for them whence he departed not till God had heard him Brother Angelus comming to the theeues and hauing performed the commandement of S. Francis whiles they did eat the bread one of them said to the others Alas what shall become of vs sottish wretches what must be our lott what horrible torments are prepared for vs in hell for so many theftes and murders as we daylie perpetrat neither yet haue we any scruple much lesse feare of God or repentance for so many enormous sinnes And this Religious who hath brought vs to eat is come thus farre with so great humility to aske vs pardon for one only word iustlie vttered vnto vs admonishing vs according to our desert in the meane while we wretched theeues and detestable robbers neuer demaund pardon of God Besides this he hath sheuen vs charity praying vs to repaire to that holy Father who hath sent vs releefe who for the zeale he hath of our soules doth so freelie offer vs alwayes to prouide vs all our necessities They are true servantes of God who haue already gayned heauen but what shall we doe who being children of the deuill euery day heape sinnes vpon sinnes considering withall that our sinnes are so enormous as deserue of God rather punishment then pardon Myne opinion therfore is that it were very conuenient sith God doth seeme to call vs by this Religious that we make no longer delay nor abuse the patience of his diuine maiesty but that we repaire vnto him and he will instruct vs in the direct way how to free our selues att length from hell and euen to meritt mercy The other two theeues being of the same opinion they went together with the Guardiā to the holy Father in whose presence being com they kneeled att his feete saying Father we haue litle hope by reason of the enormity of our sinnes that God will vse mercie vnto vs but if you assure vs that we may yet finde grace behold vs here ready to doe whatsoeuer you shall command vs. The holy Father receaued them verie amiably cherished and encouraged them affirming withall that they should not
God But albeit Brother Leo promised him yet did he neuertheles answeare him God the Father whose mercy is infinite and infinitly greater then our sinnes will giue you his grace accompayned with most singuler giftes The holy Father therfore halfe angry said vnto him Brother Leo why would you not giue me cōtentement in so reasonable a demande and why haue we thus misprised the precept of obedience Brother Leo falling prostrate on the earth humbly answeared him God knoweth that I alwayes purposed to obey you but he would haue me speake according to his will and not according to yours The S. herewith not fully satisfied replyed and with instance said I beseech you my deere child to comfort me att least for this once and when you shall heare me to accuse myselfe answeare me that I am not worthy of mercy Brother Leo answeared him Father if it lye in me for your satisfaction I will most willingly doe it S. Francis then all bathed in teares with a loud voice cryed out Ingratefull wretch doest thou thinck euer to finde pardon att Goddes handes and Brother Leo incontinently answeared Father thou shall finde it and shalt besides obtaine so many speciall graces of God that he will exalt thee on earth and in heauē then he added pardō me Father if my power hath not bin to speake otherwise as you desired for God speaketh by my mouth thus did they spend the night in other like exercises wherin God did apparētly manifest how gratefull vnto him is humility as also the true misprise of ones selfe How S. Francis prepared himselfe to prayer and what conditions be that prayeth ought to haue THE LXXXXIII CHAPTER SIth we haue spoaken of the holy Fathers Marines it seemeth now conuenient time to make some mention of his so perfect prayer Mine opiniō is that there is no place more proper to speake therof then after the description of his great humility whereon as on a firme stone and true foundation prayer to haue it penetrate euen to heauen ought to be builded Wherfore he merited to obtaine all the conditions requisite to a true and worthy prayer the first wherof is the knowledge of ones owne misery according to Salomon when he saith O liuing God if any one acknowledgeing the wound of his hart to witt his sinnes doth lift his handes to thee in this thy temple heare him Now who hath more perfectly knowne himselfe who hath more clearly confessed his fault and who hath more humbly discouered it to God and men then this glorious S. Therefore also were his prayers admitted before the presēce of God who fixeth his eyes on the humble and reiecteth not their pious prayers as the Prophett saith The deuout Iudith affirmeth the same saying My God the prayers of the humble are alwayes pleasing vnto thee The second condition of prayer is to keepe the soule euer separated from terrestriall thinges and eleuated vnto God as saith Isodorus If the soule will be illuminated with spirituall light she must precedently purge her selfe of the filth of worldly cogitations and so she may be neat and pure before her God That prayer is pure which is made without any mixture of worldly thoughtes and that impure where the spiritt is employed in terrestriall thinges And therfore IESVS CHRIST leauing vs the forme of perfect prayer saith When thou shalt pray enter into thy camber in secrett that thou mayest leaue out all care excepting only of speaking with God shutt the dore of thy hart that nothing enter in to robbe his substance call thy soule and make her be in her selfe without any distraction and attentiue in God and then thy prayer shal be perfect before God and thou shalt be heard The holy Father S. Francis performed the same for he so reiected all other care of the world to transforme himselfe into God that he had no remembrance of himselfe or of his worldly affaires And therfore most commonly when he prayed his body was eleuated into the aire hauing nothing in it that could poise it downe to the earth God teacheth vs the third condition of prayer by his Prophet Isaie saying Giue thy bread to the hungry and thy coat to him that is naked and releiue each one in his necessities then offer thy prayers to God and he will heare thee call him by this meane and he will come vnto thee On the contrary he that shutteth his eares to the demaund of the poore when in his necessity he shall crye to God he will not heare him This piety and compassion was such and so great in S. Francis that he absolutely gaue or bestowed his only coate occasion presenting yea which is the most that may be he desired to giue entierlie himselfe for the only loue of God as is formerlie alleadged In regard of this extreme charitie towardes the poore and for his example vnto the world he also merited to be so interiourly affected of his God The fourth conditiō of prayer necessary to a Christian is to giue good eare to God if we desire to be heard of his diuine Maiesty for God will abhorre the prayers of him saith the Sage that hath not eares to heare his holy commandements therfore the sinner hath no cause to complaine that God doth not heare him because himselfe did not first heare God and if he heare him in one only thing or two or three he proueth deafe in all the rest And therefore on the other side one Pater noster or one Aue Maria of a Christian fearing God is with greater reason heard then a thousand of a vicious and disobedient person the holy Father S. Francis obeyd God in such degree of perfection that hauing called him by his grace he did not only labour to accomplish his diuine preceptes but euen the Counsailes of his ghospell without omitting the least point therefore also did God afterward graciously graunt him what he demaunded so farre foorth as he permitted other creatures to obey him The fift condition is that he that prayeth doe also separate himselfe from the conuersation of the world not only when he would pray but euen alwayes if he will pray perfectly and that he sequester him selfe into some desert and solitary place if he will that his soule be alwayes disposed worthely to pray vnto God The contemplatiue Father S. Bernard speaking by experience saith If the world delight thee thou shalt euer be impure Our Lord IESVS CHRIST hath also left vs example hereof for he often went vp to the mountaine and left his best beloued disciples to vnite himselfe alone to his Father So this glorious Sainct found himselfe so much more gratified by the communication of the holy Ghost as he was farther estranged from the rumours of the world and farther sequestred into solitary places wherin he was so farre from being subdued by cogitations of the world and by the infections therof that he obtayned notable victories against the deuill He
retourne where the Religious were to whome hauing recouered his speech he presentlie acknowledged his fault in his presumptious enterprise Thenceforward he much more reuerentlie respected sainct Francis hen before The Abbott of S. Iustin in the diocese of Perusia meeting him one day alighted off his mule for the great deuotion he had vnto him and embraced him discoursing a long time of certaine affaires att their parting he besought the S. to pray for him which he promised and so being separated S. Francis withdrew himslfe from his companion saying that he must pay the dept which he would performe to the benefitt of the Abbott who in the same instant that S. Francis prayed for him felt himselfe as it were rapt out of himselfe by an extraordinarie feruour which ouer-past he knew right well the vertue and efficacie of the prayer of the Sainct and afterward related the same to diuers Brother Macie an other time saw S. Francis pray in such sort that there seemed liuelie flames to issue out of his mouth and eyes and so entierlie enflamed he went vnto him and calling him thrise he said Ah! ah Brother Macie come to me wheratt he amazed att such an excesse of spiritt cast himselfe into his armes and S. Francis lifted him vp into the aire the hight of a launce and afterward he recounted vnto the Religious that in that instant he felt such and so great sweetnes that he neuer after felt the like Passing by the Bourough of S. Sepulchre by reason of his infirmities riding on an asse he was almost stifled by the extreme concourse of people that flocked thither to kisse his feet coate handes and his habit whereat he remayned so immoueable that he seemed rather an image then a man Being past the Bourough and not one of those people neere him he demaunded of his companions how farre he had yet to the Bourough whereby they knew that being rauished in spiritt vnto heauen he had not felt that extreme presse of people The said Fathers affirmed that the same happened not vnto him once only but diuers times by reason of the great excesse of spiritt which was ordinarily incident vnto him How by prayer he obtayned of God what he would THE XCVIII CHAPTER THough God alone who endued him with so many graces is able to expresse them yet we must not forbeare to relate those that haue bin committed vnto vs by writting Goeing to an hermitage there to spend one of his lentes and being vnable by reason of his great infirmities to goe one foote he borrowed an asse of a poore man who of deuotion would also goe with him The season being extreme hoat on the barren and sharpe mountaines he had a great thirst and such as he feared to dye therof and being no longer able to endure it he acquainted the S. therwith who moued with compassion alighted off his asse and on his knees prostrated himselfe before God and praying did not arise till he was heard then arising he said to the poore man Goe to yonder stone and by the vertue of God it will yeld thee water sufficientlie He went thither found water and quenched his thirst which done the fountaine shutt againe to make it more manifest that by the only mâ—rittes of the S. God had made the water to issue out of an hard rockâ— as he did for Moyses The holy Father being att Spoletum a lay Brother called Brothre Andrew of Sienna that went a begging reported vnto him that there was a Bourgesse that had litle feare of God of whome he could neuer gett an almose whereto he answeared that he should endeauour to gett were it but one onlie loafe of him and should bring it vnto him The said Religious went vnto him and was so troublesome in demaunding that att lenght by importunity he gott a loafe Hauing it he carryed the same to S. Francis who deuided it into litle morcels and thereof gaue to each of the Religious with condition that they should all say a Pater and an Aue for the auaricious man and himselfe ioyning with them to pray vnto God they obtayned that this extreme nigard became liberall God permitting him to know his fault in such sort that thenceforward there was none more liberall vnto them then he A vertuous gentleman did often inuite the holy Father vnto his house where he extended so much charity vnto him that casting his affection on him he much desired to haue him of his Order and to that effect he prayed God that he would voutsafe to illuminate this his freind to leaue the world which he did with such feruour that being in extasie he was eleuated into the aire whiles it chaunced that the said gentleman passing by saw him so in the aire and God with him who seemed to graunt him this grace being therefore conuerted and touched by God he entred into the Order Passing by the forrest of Cortone a Lady of worth came before him and demaunded his benediction which he hauing giuen her she began to recount vnto him the miserable estate wherin she then was to witt that God hauing long time before inspired her to serue him she had a husband so contrary to that her good intention and such an ennemy to their faluation that therby she liued in perpetuall anguish And therfore she prayed him for the loue of God to assist her The holy Father answeared her woman haue faith in God for he knowing your holy and pious intention will accomplish your desire Goe therefore to your house and boldly vse these wordes vnto your husband I tell you in the behalfe of God that now is the time of mercie and the time of iustice will come hereafter And therfore by the woundes of our redeemer IESVS CHR. crucified I pray you so to dispose that we may liue in the peace and feare of God and you shall see said S. Francis that he will heare you the woman left him and his companion in prayer and she in the meane time went away full of consolation The successe was admirable for comming to her lodgeing her husband asked her whence she came she recounted vnto him all by order and on the part of God vsed vnto him the wordes S. Francis had taught her wherewith he became so mild that he seemed not the man he accustomed to be and in deed answeared his wife that he was resolued thenceforward to chaunge his life and to serue God as she desired Whereto his wife replyed sith it pleaseth you thus to obey God it seemeth requisite that we beginne the same by a vow of chastity it is a vertue exceeding gratefull vnto God and wil be very meritorious vnto vs the husband was content therwith and so they after liued piously This conuersion gaue a merueilous admiration to all those that knew them and much more when hauing perseuered piously together they also dyed in one same day the wife in the morning and the husband att night she as a
damnation he might manifestest the saluation of the other Whiles he was in the caÌ„p of the Christians vnder Damiette when he weÌ„t to preach to the great SoldaÌ„ he prophesied to the Christians that if they gaue battell they would loose the feild But they not beleeuing him their fault of incredulity was payed by the losse of the bodie of the army that was putt to flight where of one part was slaine Retourning afterward on this side the sea and arriuing att Celano he was inuited to dinner by a gentleman where being as according to his coustume he prayed before his sitting to the table he saw in his God on whome he had alwayes his eyes eleuated that which he fore told as it afterward arriued for incontinentlie calling vnto him the said gentleman Confesse and prepare your selfe said he for in short time you shall dye and from this time you shall receaue the recompence of all the good worckes you haue done particulerlie in harbouring the seruantes of God Doe then in such sort as without impediment you may goe directlie to God The gentleman therefore who had confidence in the wordes of the holie Father sodenlie taking leaue of him prepared himselfe to confession then calling the companion of sainct Francis who was preist he made an entiere confession vnto him afterwardes he recomended his patrimonie to the diuine prouidence so to auoyd all impediment And so with the greatest deuotion he could possible he expected when God would call and inuite him but he expected not long for whiles his familie were att table without other greife but very well disposed of body and spiritt he rendred his soule to his Creatour according to the prophesie of the holy Father armed by the diuine mercie with armour conuenient and necessarie to a true penitent How S. Francis saw the secrets of mennes consciences THE CXII CHAPTER OVr lord IESVS CHRIST hauing chosen the glorious Father S. Francis for Pastour of his flock he also so illuminated him interiourlie by his diuine vertue that he discouered vnto him the secrettes of the consciences of those that were his and likewise their priuate and hidden necessities so that by the same meane he knew both the grace which they had receaued of God and eueÌ„ that which they theÌ„ receaued By this knowledge he foretold the fall of manie who seemed to haue attayned the state of perfection and on the contrarie the saluatioÌ„ of manie wicked prophesying their conuersion He saw what should succeed them for manie yeares after as if it had bin present onlie beholding the vnspotted and cleare mirour of diuine light and his admirable splendour by a diuine prerogatiue and especially the successes and mutatioÌ„s of Religion which he would sometimes with aboÌ„dance of teares coÌ„municate to his coÌ„panions Touching that which concerned the consciences of his Religious he both with al possible speed and effect redressed the same and if they were far distant he appeared vnto them in their sleepe and instructed them what they ought to doe and froÌ„ what to abstaine as by the sequell shall appeare The holie Father comming from beyond the sea with his companion Brother Leonard a Religious of very worthie familie and being by reason of his infirmities verie wearie and feeble he had for ceraine dayes the vse of an asse But the poore Brother Leonard that followed him a foote being also very weary began to murmure saying to himselfe what doe I poore follow that I am to follow this man a foot Is there not great difference betweene his discent and mine why then contrary to that which should be doe I goe on foot and he on horseback and euen I follow him as a lackye driuing this asse with speed and so wearying my selfe as I can no longer endure The good Brother Leonard went on thus still discoursing with himselfe in his first motions when as the holy Father S. Francis seeing in spiritt the secret murmure of his companion called him and alighting from his asse he said Brother and Freind I confesse I haue litle discretion to see you so wearily to goe a foot and my selfe to ride att mine ease Gett vp therfore on this asse now att least whiles I remember me considering that being in the world you were farre more noble and more honnorable then my selfe Brother Leonard hearing this was vtterly confounded and amazed that the S. so soone knew his euill cogitation Falling therfore at his feet and confessing his vaine ridiculous discourse with a very deep contrition he asked and obtayned pardon Two very spirituall Religious came expresly from Rieta to the Oratory of Grecio to visitt S Francis and to haue his benediction But being there ariued it was told them that there was no hope of speaking with the holy Father by reason that hauing taken his refection he was retourned to his cell where he prayed and slept and came forth but once a day to eat it being lent and that being then so solitary he would not haue his companioÌ„ much lesse any other Religious to disturbe him vnles he so commaunded These two poore Religious exceedingly afflicted esteeming themselues by reason of their sinnes vnworthy of such grace not hauing oportunity any longer to expect because their superiour had commaunded them to retourne the same night to their Couent they hastened homeward S. Francis who in spiritt had seen all this contrary to his custome came hastely out of his câ—lle and went after the said Religious who by that time were farre gone and so in an instant giuing them consolation together with his benediction which they demaunded he dismissed them doubly satisfied knowing that the holy Father came by diuine inspiration to giue them his benediction Two Religious comming from Naples to visitt him the elder of them on the way committed some fault att which the yonger was extremely scandalized now comming to the presence of S. Francis he giuing them his benediction demaunded of the yonger how his companion had behaued himselfe he esteeming it indecent to discouer the faultes of his Brother answeared well The holy Father replyed My sonne beware that vnder colour of humility you doe not lye for I know what hath passed in your iorney and I would haue you know that you shall shortly see this man to proue worse Which so succeeded for this old man not long after went out of the Order according to that which S. Francis had foretold for the sinne for the scandall and for his neglect of doeing pennance which is the ladder to diuine mercie In the first beginning when none was admitted and receaued into the Order but by S. Francis himselfe a gentleman of Luca came expressy to demaund the habitt of him he had with him some of his coÌ„panions it being when he lay sicke in the Bishoppes lodgeing of Assisium The said gentleman being conducted to the S. he fell on his knees before him most instantlie beseeching him to admitt him into his Religion
in respect wherof he did euer after so disaffect him that he could not endure to behold him which was not long vnperceaued of Brother Helias and therfore being verie cautelous and subtill he so laboured and wrought by signes of humility and importunity that he gott knowledge of all wherewith he was so terrified and amazed that with abondant effusion of teares demaunding pardon of S. Francis he neuer ceassed to supplicate him that considering he was also by the passion of our lord one of the sheep of his fold he would not abandon him but that like a good Pastour as he was he would please to reduce the strayed sheep vnto the flock and so deliuer him from eternall death alleadgeing that vpon chaunge of the sinners life God could easily reuoke his sentence Father said he such is my confidence and deuotion vnto you that were I in hell it selfe I would hope to come foorth vpon your prayers for me so that I am fully assured that if you please for me to implore the diuine mercie my sentence shall be reuoked The holie Father moued by these prayers could not att lenght denie him so that with a very great feruour he entierly cast himselfe into the armes of God in such sort praying for this lost soule that God answeared him that he should doe penance for his sinnes and should not be damned but for dying out of the Order he could not be otherwise satisfied and so it arriued for he dyed out of the Order with manie signes of contrition according to the opinion of some in the habitt This that folloueth is of the aforesaid 32. chapter of the second booke the better to obserue the Order of all that appartaineth to renountiation of the office of Generall The holy Father S. Francis being by a Religious freind of his entreated to tell him what had moued him to make that renountiation and to committ it to the chardge of an other as if they were not his children who had bin such made nourished and instructed by him he answeared know my child that I loue you all more deerly then any man can imagine and if all would follow my will I would loue them more and would not haue left their administration But I haue bin cōstrayned therevnto because there are many Religious that esteeme more of the aduice of some of their superiours by whome they are drawne to other matters by example of the auncient and which is directly cōtrary to my rule and so they make very litle esteeme of mine aduertismētes but in the end they wil more euidētly find their errour The holy Father being on a time as it were oppressed with his infirmities and hearing some speake of the aforesaid matters and particulerly of the ouer-much indulgence of the superiours and of the euill examples they gaue their subiectes he lifted vp his head and cryed out Ah! ah couer me couer me who are they that withdraw the Religious from mine Order and from my way and my examples If I once goe to the Generall chapter I will shew my Brethren what is my desire and mine intention that they permitt not themselues to be deluded Being also an other time sick a Religious said vnto him O Father it seemed that att the beginning our Religiō we striued to liue in al austerity and pouerty we were poore in our habitt in our diet in our dwelling in our moueables in our bookes and in all our other corporal necessities for which we tooke no care by reasō of this pouerty exteriour the interiour daily proceeded frō good to better because we were al of the same feruour of the same will with one cōsent cōspiring to the entier obseruāce of our rule and alwayes to giue good exāple to our neighbour finally we obserued the gospell the most exactly that we could But of later time it seemeth that the purity of this our first vocatiō is much deminished vpon excuse that it cā no longer be obserued as before by reason of the great multitude of brethren yea there are some that beleeue that the people are much more edified by this theire moderne and new inobseruance and mortification of their proper will and of their sences then they were when they all liued in such deep austerity of life and they thinck it a matter more Religious to liue after this new manner thē according to the ancient and former which they hold for crowned as proceeding of simplicitie and holy pouertie which were the foundations of this our holy Religion Now perceauing this and beleuing that you likewise perceaue it and are therewith exceedingly displeased I meruaile you doe not labour with all speed to hinder the further progresse of this euill nor doe correct it whiles you haue power and meane to doe it S. Francis hauing with great affliction of spiritt heard this long discourse thus answeared Our Lord IESVS CHRIST pardon you that which you suppose I ought to doe which I am not obliged to haue care of neither by chardge nor by office for whiles I was Generall though from the beginning of my conuersion I haue almost continued in sicknes I haue not yet failed either in cogitations or effectes to satisfie my duety both by example and gouernment But hauing well considered that God did daily encrease the nomber of Religious and that they already began to leaue the secure strict and difficult way wherin they first walked and in such sortas you say strayed from it without correcting themselues notwithstanding all my demonstrations predications and good edification that I gaue them I then resolued to leaue the office of Generall as I did and though when I renounced it I failed not att the chapter to excuse my selfe by mine infirmities as was partly true alleadgeing that by meanes therof I could no longer dischardge so burdensome an office Neuertheles my sonne I assure you if the Religious would now liue conformably to my rule and to my pious intentiō I would againe accept the office of Generall and would excute it so long as it should please God to giue me life considering that so the care of that chardge would not be painfull vnto me for certaine it is that whē the faithfull subiect knoweth the good will of his superiour he striueth to obey him in euery thing so that it is no great difficulty to gouerne him yea I should reioyce and be exceedingly comforted in their spirituall progresse and in the honour that therby redoundeth to his diuine Maiesty and though I should be cōtinually sicke on my bed yet should it not be tedious nor troublesome vnto me to giue them content in all thinges but because I see I can no longer dischardge mine office which is spirituall and opposite to vices in correcting them either by loue or by aduertissement I will not retourne to the chardge to be their executioner chasticing them with the rodde of disciplin as the princes of the world doe iustly correct their rebelles
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
you from pride from the vices of auarice of enuy and vaine desires so detrimentall to your soules and by your example to your neighbours also you shall in your sermons exhort the people to pay their tythes to the Preistes of whome so doeing you shal be entreated to preach and heare their confessions though you should not so much respect that as to conuert them for a man conuerted will soone finde a confessour as for me I demaund no other priuiledge of God but to loue and reuerence each one and to conuert the most sinners that I can by obedience to God and his holy church and the same more by humilitie and example of the obseruance of our rule then by wordes Of the afflictions incident vnto the Order reuealed vnto the holy Father S Francis THE XXVII CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis being one time in prayer att our Lady of Angels most instantlie praying his diuine maiesty that he would please to shew mercy to the ChristiaÌ„ people on whome he had reuealed vnto him that he would lay a great scourge God answeared him Francis if thou wilt that I haue compassion of my people procure dilligentlie that thy Order perseuer in such sort as it is instituted that therin may be found such as may worthelie make intercessioÌ„ for them and in fauour of thy Order and of thee I promise thee not to lett fall on my church that great affliction which aymeth att it threateneth it But I will haue thee know that if thy Order doe preuaricate the first punishmentes which I shall inflict on my church shal be on the preachers therof and will giue to the deuill what authority ouer them he will Thence will grow so manie scandales betweene them and the world that none will aduenture to take the habitt but in the desertes where I will preserue this few number of elect as I preserued the children of Israel so manie yeares and so the good being conserued in my grace the Order shall afterward be reduced to his pristine estate Herevpon did S. Francis prophesie that a verie violent temptation should be raised in his Religion by pourchaced science wherwith in manner of a furious winde from the region of the desert as the affliction of Iob furiously striking the four corners of the house of his Religion his owne children would bring it to ruine because said he being puffed vp by their learning and relying theron they well lay ambushes and cast snares for the true and lawfull children framed by that huge damned woman called pride to whome they will sacrifice their child birthes that is their worckes and will liue in the delightes of the profitt of them and of the recompence of their impudencie and arrogancie Now the auctoritie of such Religious wil be extremelie bitter and insupportable to the iuste that shal be persecuted by them because their simplicitie obedience pouertie and zeale of the honour of God shall in a manner inexplicable secretlie confound them Wherfore they by reason of their pride being vnable to endure it relying on the wisedome and reputation of their valure and the authority of the nobility and Princes of the world pourchaced by meane of ambition will persecute them to death There is also found a prophesie of the holy Father S. Francis written by the hand of Brother Leo of the great schisme and diuision that was in the Church after the election of Pope Vrban the sixt the yeare 1378. that continued neere 40. yeares the tenour wherof was thus A time will come when the holy Church shal be full of schismes which will put men in extreme perplexitie as well in the spirituall as temporall estate and the deuill shall haue manie followers and shal be more dilligente then ordinary to take aduantage by this occasion to augment his kingdome then shall the beauty of this Order be defiled with that of others and prophane apostasie shal be accomplished to the dissention of two Realmes when few shall obey the holie Church with a true charitie and he that shall not be canonicallie elected to the Papacie yea suspected of heresie shall be obeyed because manie shal be subtillie peruerted by him by his contagious errours then shal scandales multiplie and Christianitie be diuided manie refusing to contradict the same the scismes and diuisions of the Clergie of Religious and of the people shal be so violent that if those dayes were not abbreuiated by God the elect if it were possible would fall into the same errours if God of his mercie should not deliuer them S. Francis in regard of this reuelation particulerlie put into his rule the vow of obedience vnto the Pope vnto his successours canonicallie elected and to the holie Romane church in the beginning and end of the same rule knowing how much it would profitt his order in that so turbulent time to perseuer firme therfore he gaue this instruction to his that foreseeing the same they might know to gouerne themselues well therein Of the liberty wherinto the Order should fall prophecied by S. Francis THE XXVIII CHAPTER THe holie Father S. Francis being one day in presence of the Cardinall Vgolino Protectour of the Order and of manie other of his Religious he vttered these wordes which he afterward also preached to the Brethren a time will come when the Religious of my Order by the malice of the deuill shallleaue the way of holie simplicitie and pouerty indifferentlie receauing all sort of mony and all such legacies as by testament shal be bequeathed them and leauing solitarie and humble places will build faire and sumptuous houses in cittyes and townes capable to entertayne Princes and Emperours then by fauour they will procure obtaine priuiledges of the Popes through art and humane prudence and by their earnest importunitie they will obtaine requestes merelie iniust though cloaked with truth by this meane they will not onlie abandon their rule instituted by IESVS CHRIST against their solemne profession but will also ruine and alter the puritie therof chaunging the good intention into peruerse and being armed by meane of the said priuiledges against obedience against other Religious and against all the Clergie when they shall expect to gett the victory the wretches shall â—inde themselues fallen into the trench which themselues shall haue made gathering no other fruit of their seminary but scandales which they shall offer to God in steed of the saluation of soules who seeing the same shal be no more thenceforward their Pastour but their ruiner according to their meritt And therfore he will leaue them entangled in the nettes of auarice and their vaine desires Which being naturalie considered of many shall cause that acknowledgeing this punishment of the hand of God they repent their faultes and retourne to their former estate notwithstanding that they be persecuted and derided of others as are all the vertuous and true seruantes of God by the wicked and impious But as the same temptations shall accomplish the
clock they stripp themselues naked sending their cloathes to the Monastery of S. Crosse leauing on their bodies only linnen breeches of very meane cloth to couer their naturall parts and a capuce of cloth to hide their face or a handkirchefe and so they goe in procession through the middest of the cittye to the said church of S. Crosse where hauing offered their prayers very deuoutly together they passe through the Cloister to enter into a great house adioyning where they reattire themselues and then each one departeth att his pleasure The 29. chapter is put after the 39. of this booke as a place more proper vnto it The history of seauen Martyrs att Cepte How seauen Frere Minors departed from Italy to goe to preach the faith of Iesus Christ vnto the Insidels THE XXX CHAPTER SAinct Antony of Padua and others haue left in record that seauen Frere Minors were ioyned together to goe into Tuscane a Prouince of Italy whence they demanded leaue of Brother Helias then viare generall of the Order to goe into Spaine to preach to the Mores he names of these Religious were Brother Daniel Br. Angelus Br. Saâ—uel Br. Danulus Br. Leo Br. Nicolas and Br. Vgolin they arriued att Arragon hauing elected for their superiour Br. Daniel Prouinciall of Caâ—bria hauing found a vessell ready prepared for that place could neuer â—btaine permission of the patron therof to carry more then three Religious with him so that he was constrained to leaue three to come afer him He being arriued att Cepte with his three companions did not beginne to preach to the Mores till the arriuall of his Brethren which was on the last day of September and in the meane time they preached to diuers strange merchantes and other Christians that from all partes flocked thither When they were all assembled they began to discourse and conferre together what might be the rediest meane for them to profitt in the saluation of the soules of the Mores or to pourchace Martyrdome reiecting farre all humane feare and fortifying themselues with a great feruour of spiritt and an ineffable zeale of their neighbours good And hauing till then remayned without the towne with other Christians that were not permitted to enter they resolued to steale in secretly without the knowledge of any person that they might not be hindered by the Christians who could haue stayed them or aduertised the Mores who would haue forbidden their entry How the seauen Martyrs preached the faith of Iesus Christ to the Mores by whome they were abused and imprisoned THE XXXI CHAPTER BEing thus encouraged mutuallie by each other in our Lord IESVS CHRIST they began one friday by deuout and feruent prayers to prepare themselues and on the saterday the six were confessed by their superiour who confessed to an other then they communicated and receaued the sacred body of our Redeemer spending the rest of the day in pious deuotions And the sonday morning replenished with the grace of the holy Ghost they entred very early into the citty where they began to preach freely and loudly vnto the Mores admonishing them to abandon the false beleefe of Mahomet and to embrace the true faith of our Redeemer IESVS The Mores admiring the confidence wherwith they spake began first gently to reprehend them then rudely to iniury them but seeing these good Religious did perseuer in this pious predication they did buffet and beat them outragiously then hauing bound them they brought them before the kinge where they continued their preaching freely confessing the true faith of IESVS CHRIST and giuing him remonstrance of the deceatefulnes treachery of the law of the accursed Mahomet which he must of necessity forsake if he would saue his soule The king beholding theÌ„ so poorly attired and considering their feruour iudged them to be fooles as did all his Courtiers But in regard they had presumed to preach against his law he imprisonned them and cast them into a dungeon where they were loaden with heauy chaines of Iron Manicles and fetters which exceedinglie afflicted them for they remayned there eight entier dayes in which time they endured much and in diuers manners Of a letter which the 7. Martyrs wrote to the Christians of Cepte THE XXXII CHAPTER NOw these holy Religious desirous to shunne idlenes wrote this letter vnder inserted to the Christians residing in the suburbes of Cepte which they addressed to Brother Hugo Preist and Curat of Geneuois and to other Religious one of the Order of Preachers and the other a Frere Minor who were newly arryued in Africa to administer the sacramentes to the Christians there and to worck the saluation of their soules the said letter was thus Blessed be God the Father of our Lord IESVS CHRIST Father of mercy and God of all consolations who comforteth vs all in our afflictions and appointed to our Father Abraham the Ramme he was to sacrifice and permitted him to trauell a pilgrime on earth and reputed his faith for iustice wherfore he merited the title of the friend of God teaching vs therby to appeare and become fooles before the world to please and proue wise in sight of the diuine maiesty And therfore saith he vnto vs Goe preach the Ghospell vnto all Creatures and tell them the seruant ought not to be greater then the master And if you be persecuted that they haue persecuted me likewise with which wordes we his least and vnworthy seruantes being moued haue left our contry and are come hither to preach for the glory of God and the benefitt of our soules to the edification of faithfull Christians and the confusion of obstinate Infidels as the Apostle saith we being vnto God a pleasing odour we are to some an odour of life and to others an odour of death which could not be vnderstood but that our Sauiour said If I had not come and had not preached vnto them they had not sinned We are entred into this citty of Cepte to preach his name and his holie faith before the people and the king himselfe who reputing vs sencelesse hath imprisoned vs it hath seemed expedient vnto vs to aduertise you hereof And albeit that by the grace of God we endure much here we are neuertheles exceedinglie comforted in our Lord in whose diuine Maiestie we haue a strong and assured confidence that he will please to accept our life for a gratefull sacrifice and therfore to him be giuen glorie and honour for euer How the holy Martyrs were againe presented to the king before whome they constantly preached the saith THE XXXIII CHAPTER THe sonday following which was the sixt of October in the morning the kinge caused the holy Religious to be taken out of prison and presented before him then prayed them to deny what they had vttered against his Prophett Mahomet and his law But they constantly answeared that they could not say otherwise then they had done sith it was truth it selfe on the contrary they exhorted himselfe to abandon his extreme
that according to the etymologie of his name he carryed IESVS CHRIST in his body by penance in his hart by seruent prayers and in his mouth by diuine prayses and wordes of his law which he imprinted in the memory of sinners And God by many miracles which he wrought by him would demonstrate how gratefull his worckes were vnto him and of what vertue and efficacie his prayers were before his diuine maiesty Being in the citty of Cahors in France a child of eight yeares old called Remond afflicted with so greiuous a disease that he was esteemed neere his end S. Christopher att the instancie of his mother prayed for him and hauing made the signe of the crosse and layd his hand vppoÌ„ the child he presently spake calling his mother who came with great ioy and gaue him to eat and so by the prayer of this holy Religious against all humane hope and apparance he was cured In the same citty an other child called Peter could not moue his right arme nor his foot and besides had almost lost his sight so that he was generally iudged as dead This holy Father att the request of the mother came to visitt him and read the gospell ouer him then made the signe of the crosse from his head to his feet and the child was instantlie cured A man of the same citty hauing bin long time afflicted with the falling sicknes prayed the holy Father to giue him his benediction which hauing receaued he was entierly cured of the said infirmity A woman of Sauueterre in the same citty was exceedinglie vexed with a fieuer and hauing great deuotion to the holy Father she sent vnto him to come visitt her which he hauing performed and prayed for her she was cured by the signe of the crosse A Priest that was very sicke drincking of the holy water giuen him by Br. Christopher that visited him was instantly cured Againe in the Bishopprick of Cahors a woman hauing left her child in the field whiles she was reaping corne by a sodaine sinister accident he became dumme The mother hauing carryed him to diuers churches recommended him to God by the inuocation of many sainctes the child found no cure Att length full of confidence and deuotion she presented him to this holy Father who hauing made his prayer and the signe of the crosse vpon him he restored him to his mother speaking as before and shee giuing thanckes to God and his seruant retourned full of consolation vnto her house Of the spiritt of prophetie and of some other miracles wrought by this glorious seruant of Iesus Christ THE LI. CHAPTER THere was without the citty of Cahors a very high mountaine by which this holy Father passing one day he saw many men and women on the banck of the riuer that ran vnder the sayd mountaine employed in diuers actions Br. Christopher sayd vnto theÌ„ Fly ye all from this place and that instantly for the mountaine will incontinently fall some of them seeing no appearance laughed first att this admonition Yet the sanctity of this good Father being manifestly knowen they all retired from that place which they had scarcely done but a great part of the mountaine fell downe without hurting any person wherfore they all gaue thanckes to God for the benefitt receaued and were the more deuout vnto this sainct A woman of the sayd citty hauing bin afflicted with a longe infirmity was visited by the sainct whome she prayed to obtaine of God for her either that he would please to restore her health or by death to deliuer her from such extreme anguishes This holy Father answeared her feare not but take courage my daughter for on such a day att the third houre thou shalt depart out of this life On the sayd day he expresly retourned att the same houre whome she seeing sayd vnto him Father that which you told me seemeth not to be accomplished he replyed doubt not my daughter for it shall incontinently be accomplished as in deed it was For as they did ring att the third houre this woman being coÌ„fessed and hauing performed what belonged to a Christian in the presence of this holy Father and of many others yelded her spiritt to our Sauiour This seruant of God in Marseilles saw two men in guise of Phisitians comming to visitt one that was sicke but knowing in spiritt that this sick person was in estate of mortall sinne and that the seeming Phisitians were two deuils he made the signe of the crosse against them and they instantly vanished then the holy Father admonishing the sick party he sincerely confessed his sinnes and being contrite and comforted with a quiett conscience he happely departed from this life to a better In the sayd citty a good deuout woman had a very auaricious husbaÌ„d and sparing in worckes of mercy whervpon she complayned to this holy Father that she had nothing to giue in almose but wine The S. bid her giue securely of that wine for the loue of God This woman obeyed him giuing therof to all poore that had need in such sort that there was not much left in the vessell her husband drincking knew by the tast of this wine that it was very low and neere the lyes wherfore he grew into choler with his wife examining her what was become of his wine she full of trembling answeared that there was yet much in the vessell The husband sent his seruant to be truely enformed what quantity was left she found the vessell full euen to the bung wherof she with great ioy incontinently aduertised her master which reuiued the soule of his wife that was dying with feare and thervpon she boldly recounted all to her husband who resolued thenceforward to be more charitable towardes the poore attributing the present miracle to the merittes of the glorious Br. Christopher and to the vertue of charity whose worckes our Lord doth not only recompence in the other world but euen in this also Of the glorious death of Br. Christopher THE LII CHAPTER AFter that almighty God had ennobled and enriched his seruant Christopher with many merittes and miracles and by the example of his holy life had singulerly planted the rule and Order of the Frere Minors in diuers places of France where he caused the erecting of many Couents which he furnished with Religious of holy life and exemplare conuersation he would att length recompence him with eternall reward as he ordinarily doth those that faithfully labour in the vigneyard of his holy Church The night when he passed from this miserable life to that which is blessed all the Religious being assembled about his bed he made them a long discourse of the kingdome of God exhorting them to perseuer with purity in his holy seruice they then demaunded his benediction which he gaue them very affectionatly in the name of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST then recommending his spiritt to his Creator he rendred it vnto him and his body remayned so â—elligiously composed that he
Giles sayd vnto him Father I am resolued to become Religious wherto he answeared if you be fully resolued so to doe goe first and kill both your parentes which the other hearing he weeping replyed Father I beseech you oblige me not to committ such euill and so grieuous sinnes The holy Father then said what my friend are you so simple and so ignorant as not to vnderstand me I meant not that you should kille your parentes with the materiall but with the mētall sword because according to the word of our Lord he cannot be his disciple that hateth not his father his mother his kinred and his Friendes Two Cardinals one time visiting Br. Giles to cōferre with him of spirituall affaires retyring att length frō the place of cōference they feruently besought him to remēber in his deuotions to recōmend thē to God Whervpon he answeared thē my lordes what need can you haue of my prayers sith you haue a greater faith and hope then I The Cardinals admiring this answeare asked him what he mēt therby he answeared Because you with so much richesse hōnour 's delightes tēporall contentmētes hope to be saued I with such and so cōtinuall labours feare to be damned Which so touched those Cardinals to the quick that they departed frō him very cōtrite in their soules their faces bathed in teares A very spirituall Religious was troubled with a greiuous temptatiō and very humbly and deuoutly prayed God to be deliuered therof yet could he not be heard Wherfore he repayred to Br. Giles who vnderstanding his affliction said vnto him Brother doe not admire if God of whome you haue receaued so many graces will that you continually fight against this your ennemy For when a kinge armeth his knightes with better and surer armure it is a signe that he desireth they should fight the more couragiously for him A Religious one day demaūding of Br. Giles how he could goe with a good will to prayer because he ordinarily wēt without deuotion and very coldly he thus answeared him lett vs suppose that a king hath two faithfull seruantes wherof the one is well armed the other vnarmed He will that they both goe to warre against his ennemies he that is well armed goeth with great security as being well accōmodated and furnished of what is necessary for the battell but the other sayth to the king Syr you see I am disarmed neuertheles for the affection I haue to performe your seruice I will not omitt in this estate to vndergoe this chardge with others The king considering taking notice of the loue and fidelity of this his seruant he caused presently to be brought him such armour as he wanted and was needfull vnto him So he that wanteth deuotion and yet assisted with a strong faith goeth boldly to the warre of prayer lett him be assured that our Lord will not faile to furnish him of what he seeth necessary for him to obtaine the victory A man asking his opinion touching entring into Religion The holy Father thus answeared Tell me if a poore begger knew a great treasure to be hidden in a field would he aske Counsaile to goe seeke whereto the other answearing truely no Br. Giles replyed how much rather then ought a man runne to seeke and purchase the infinite treasure of the kingdome of God so this man with this counsaile departed and hauing giuen all that he had to the poore for the loue of God he presently became a Frere Minor Of other like answeares of the blessed Br. Giles THE XXI CHAPTER A Certaine good spirituall personne said one day to venerable Brother Giles Father I find my selfe exceedingly incombred I know not what counsel to take for if I doe any good act I am presently tickled with vaine glory and if I committ any sinne I am so troubled that I am ready sometimes to fall into dispaire The holy Father answeared thou doest well to lament thy sinne and to haue feeling of the perill wherto it leadeth but it should trouble thee with discretion considering that the power of God is much greater to receaue thee to mercy then thine is to cause thee to offend God But the feare of vaine glory should neuer hinder thee from doeing good deedes For if the labourer before seed-season should say to himselfe I will sow no corne because the birdes wormes of the earth may eat vp the seed which I shall sow before it take roote in the earth or when it is sprung vp and greene it may be eaten by beastes before it ripen and be gathered in if I say the labourer should thus discourse with himselfe and conceaue such friuolous difficulties he would neuer sow and so consequently neuer reape whence would ensue that we should haue no bread but the prudent and wise labourer doth till and sow his land and doth his endeauour and committeth the successe to the diuine prouidence So should you endeauour to proceed in good worckes without feare of vaine glory for albeit it doe a litle trouble you for the time the better and securer part doth still remaine vnto you An other asking him if one could obtaine and possesse the grace of God remayning in the world he answeared that he could but I had rather said he haue one grace in Religion then ten in the world because in Religion grace doth easily encrease and is better there conserued a man being there sequestred from the tumult and affection of worldly folies the capitall ennemies of grace and with all the Religious his companions by charitable remonstrances and by example of their holy conuersation doe with draw him from euill and inuite and induce him to goodnes But the grace which some may haue in the world may also be easily lost because the solicitude of worldly affaires and cogitations which is mother of distraction doth hinder and trouble the sweetnes of grace and other worldlinges by prophane and dishonest conuersations by scandalous examples and by diuilish hauntes and companies doe diuert him from good and allure him to lewdnes so that as it were by force they depriue him of his soules saluation it being no part of their custome to further a vertuous life but indeed to deride and scoffe att such as liue Christianly nor to reprehend the vicious and ennemies of God but to flatter and sooth them Wherupon I conclude that it is farre more 7s ecure to possesse one grace with a helpe that may conserue it then ten with such hazard yea in such imminent perill A seculer man hauing once requested him to pray for him he answeared Brother pray for they selfe for sith they selfe mayst haue recourse and accesse to God why goest thou not why wouldest thou send an other on thine arrant this man againe told him that he acknowledged himselfe so great a sinner that he knew himselfe to farre remote and separated from God But he being holy and well beloued of his diuine maiesty had more
thou bestow on him that should giue thee feet and he answeared that he would giue him an hundred duckettes if he had so much And if one would giue thee handes he answeared he would giue him al his welth moueables immoueables If one would giue thee eyes to him sayd he I would oblige my selfe in seruice al my life You must now theÌ„ brother that in this world God hath giuen thee feet handes and eyes and the whole body with all thy teÌ„porall and spirituall substance therfore thou must endeauour to please him and to acknwledge such and so many benefites for which thou oughtest to serue him all the time of thy life A discourse of Faith THE XXIII CHAPTER ALl the thinges that can be seene related or imagined are as nothing in comparison of those that cannot be seene heard or coÌ„ceaued All the wisest and most holy personnes that haue bin are and shal be who haue spoaken and shall speake of God haue sayd nothing nor can say any thing in comparison of what he is no more then the point of a needle in respect of the heauens the earth and all the creatures therein contayned yea a thousand times lesse Two Religious of the Order of S. Dominick one day visiting Brother Giles and discoursing which him of faith one of them sayd sainct Iohn the Euangelist hath recorded many merueilous thinges of God Wherto the holy Father answeared Brother S. Iohn hath sayd nothing of God The Religious replyed Father consider well if you please what you say for S. Augustin is of opinion that if S. Iohn had spoaken more highly of God no mortall man could aue vnderstood him Br. Giles then againe I tell you brother and once againe I tell you that S. Iohn hath said litle or nothing of God These Religious being much troubled and scandalized att the holy Father would needes be gon and tourning away Br. Giles stayed them and shewed them a very high mountaine whereon was the oratory of Cettone neere where vnto they then were and sayd vnto them If there were one mountaine made of a thousand together so great as that you see and att the foot therof a litle bird did eat of it tell me brethren I pray you how much would he diminish of that mountaine euery day euery month euery yeare yea in an hundred yeares they answeared him that in a thousand yeares he would consume so litle as should not be perceaued The holy Father thervpoÌ„ inferred Know you my Brethren that the eternall diuinity is so immensiue and is a mountaine of such eminent hight that S. Iohn who was as a bird hath said litle or nothing in comparison of the greatnes of God These Religious acknowledgeing how prudently Brother Giles had spoaken fell att his feet confessing their errours and so retourned exceedingly edified Br. Giles one day discoursing of spirituall matters with a lawyer that was a Iudge in some place O Iudge sayd he beleeue you that the recompenses which God promiseth his seruantes are great the Iudge answeared he did Br. Giles proceeding sayd I will proue that you doe not How much are you worth the iudge answeared about a thousaÌ„d crownes Well said the Father se now how you beleeue it only in wordes for tel me if you could giue your thousand crownes for an huÌ„dred thousand would you not esteeme it a great gaine would you not presently employ them I beleeue you would and yet you will not giue them for the kingdome of heauen What followeth then but that you doe not much esteeme nor much valew the glory of the heauenly kingdome in regard of the friuolous follies of this world And the reason is because you haue no liuely faith Yet the Iudge vnwilling to yeld replyed to Br. Giles Father beleeue you that euery one worcketh as much as he beleeueth the holy Father answeared he that beleeueth well and perfectly worcketh and perfoâ—meth worckes correspondente as did the sainctes who did all the good they could and haue accomplished by pious desires what they could not performe in effect And if one haue a perfect and liuely faiâ—h he would arriue to that estate as God would giue him a perfect knowledge and assurance euen of diuine thinges as sayth the Apostle to the Romanes I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers neither thinges present nor things to come neither might nor height nor depth nor other creature shal be able to separate vs from the charity of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And the man that assuredly hopeth this eternall soueraine recompence doth not regard any afflictioÌ„ as on the contrary no good can satisfie him that despaireth of the eternal good in so much as a sinner should neuer despaire of the mercy of God whiles he hath life coÌ„sidering that there is no tree so thorny disordered but men if they list can prune and rectifie it Much lesse can there be so great a sinner in the world as that God cannot adorne him with his graces and vertues A discours of Charity and of what the Prophet meant when he said that all his friendes did deceaue him THE XXIV CHAPTER CHarity is the principall of all the vertues happy is he that feeleth not in himselfe any disgust of the thinges which he ought alwayes to desire Brother Giles put this question to a Religious with whome he was very familier doe you beleeue that I loue you the Religious answeared he did Wel then said the holy Father beleeue it no more for a creature ought not sincerely to loue but the Creatour who is pure and infinite An other Religious said to the holy Father I beseech you Father make me vnderstaÌ„d how that must be interpreted which the Prophet saith Euery friend deceiueth Wherto he answeared I deceiue you in that I doe not search your good as I doe mine owne For the more I repute your good to be mine owne the lesse shall I deceaue you the more a man reioyceth att his neighbours good the more doth himselfe participate therin therfore if you desire to participate therof striue to reioyce therat to procure Charity is the truest most sure way of saluation sith that therby one doth not only reioyce att the good of his neighbour but is also grieued att his crosses he beleeueth and iudgeth well of others and euill of himselfe he honoureth others and mispriseth himselfe He that will not honour an other shall not be honoured and he that knoweth not himselfe shall not be knowne he that will not weary himselfe shall not repose also the greatest of all labours and the most meritorious is to labour in piety and benignity he that doeth a good worck without loue and charity is not gratefull to God nor to his sainctes but he that for the loue of God maketh himselfe poore of temporall substance shal be rich of such as are celestial A man then ought
alsowhen we were in the captiuity vanity of the world for after his conuersion not hauing as yet any Brethren or companions being ro repaire the Church of saint Damian where he was visited with diuinecōsolation and cōstrained wholly to abandon the world filled with ioy and illumination of the holy Ghost he prophesied of vs that which our lord hath afterwardes fulfilled standing then on the walles of the said Church he called with a loud voice in the french tongue vnto some poore people dwelling therby saying Come helpe me in this Church of sainct Damian for there shall came women of whose good life and holy conuersation our heauenly Father shal be reioyced in his whole Church In this may we obserue the infinite bounty of God towardes vs who of his aboundāt mercy and charity hath vouchsafed to prophesie those thinges by his seruant of our vocatiō and election not only of vs hath our holy Father prophesied these thinges but also of those who hereafter shal be called vnto that vocation wherto our Lord hath called vs. With what care of soule and body are we then bound to keep the commādements of God of our holy Father saint Francis to the end that with the grace of God we may pay the multiplied talent And our lord hath not only placed vs as an example vnto the seculer but also vnto all our Sisters whome he shall call vnto our vocation that we may be vnto those who conuerse in the world a mirrour and example For our Lord God hath called vs vnto so great thinges that they may take example of vs who are giuen vnto others for an example for which we are bound greatly to blesse the more ought we for this to be strēgthened in our lord to doe well wherfore if we liue according to the forme aboue mentioned we shall leaue good example vnto those which follow vs with short paine we shall receiue the reward of euerlasting life After that our heauenly Father vouchsafed through his great mercy and grace to illuminate my hart in such sort that by the example and touching of our holy Father S. Francis I began to doe penance a litle after my conuersion I with a few Sisters whome our Lord gaue me haue willingly promised vnto him obedience like as our lord through the light of his grace inspired vnto vs by meanes of his merueillous life and holy doctrine Saint Francis then marcking that we were tender and fraile according to the body yet neuerthelesse nothing dismayed with any necessity pouerty paine tribulation or contempt of the world but that we esteemed all those thingees as great pleasure euen as he had experienced by the example of his Brethren he reioyced in our lord and with great charity inclining towardes vs he obliged himselfe his Brethren to haue alwayes ouer vs a speciall and diligent care We also by the will of God of our holy Father saint Frācis repaired to the Church of saint Damiā there to dwell a litle after which time our lord through his great mercy grace multiplyed vs and then was fulfilled that which our lord had foretold by his seruant for we had dwelt before in an other place litle after that he wrote vnto vs this forme of life and principally that we should perseuer in this pouerty and it was not sufficient vnto him to haue admonished vs therunto in his life by many sermons aduertisemētes to the end he might moue vs to the loue and obseruance of this most holy pouerty but he hath also giuen vs many writinges that after his death we should not fall from the same holy pouertye according to the example of the Sonne of God who liuing in this world did neuer leaue the same which holy pouerty our holy Father saint Francis and his Brethrē did honour and obserue during his life Wherfore I Clare seruant and handmayd of Christ and of the poore Sisters of saint Damian although vnworthy and the litle plant of our holy Father saint Francis considering this with my other Sisters as also the highnes of our profession made vnto such a worthy Father and the frailty of vs and others which we feare after the death of our holy Father who next vnto God was our only piller and comfort againe and againe we binde our selues vnto the holy lady pouerty to the end that the Sisters who are or shall come after my death may by no meanes decline from the same This Pouerty I haue alwayes bin carefull with the grace of God to obserue and to cause it to be obserued and for more surety of the same I haue made my Profession therof vnto our holy Father Pope Innocent the fourth in whose time we began and haue confirmed it by his successours that by no meanes in no time we should decline from this holy Pouerty which we haue vowed vnto God and vnto saint Francis Wherfore I bending the knee both of myne inward and outward man in all humility doe commend vnto the church of Rome to our holy Father the Pope and especially vnto the Cardinall to whose protection together wit the Franciscans we are committed that for the loue of God who was layd in the cribbe liued poorly in this world and dyed poorly on the crosse they will keepe the litle flock which God the Father hath gayned in his church through the wordes and examples of our holy Father saint Francis causing it to follow the humility and pouerty of his deerly beloued Sonne the Father of wisdome and of his holy mother and that they will cause the holy pouerty to be obserued which we haue promised vnto God and to sainct Francis as also strengthen thē for to obserue the same And like as God gaue vnto vs our Father saint Francis for our founder and helper in the seruice of God and of those thinges which we haue vowed vnto God and vnto him to obserue and as he was carefull whiles he liued to exercise vs his plantes by word examples so I commend and leaue my Sisters who already are as also those who hereafter shall be vnto the successours of saint Francis and to the whole religion that they wil be alwayes an assistance vnto vs to profitt from better to better to serue God and to accomplish and obserue this holy pouerty If it should happen att any time that the said sisters should leaue their country or citty to goe vnto an other they are firmely bound after my death in what place soeuer they are to obserue the holy pouerty which they haue vowed vnto God and to saint Francis Those which shall be in office as also the other sisters shal be carefull not to receiue more land then extreme necessity doth require as a garden for hearbes vnto their necessity And if for the defence or vse of the cloyster it weere needfull to haue more land they shall take but only to supply the necessity and in this lād they may neither plough