The chronicle and institution of the Order of the seraphicall father S. Francis conteyning his life, his death, and his miracles, and of all his holie disciples and companions / set foorth first in the Portugall, next in the Spanish, then in the Italian, lastlie in the French, and now in the English tongue.

Of the second exercise of pouerty, which consisteth in giuing: and how S. Francis denyed nothing to the poore.

THE XLVII. CHAPTER.

THe holy Father had besides, a most exceeding naturall cle∣mencie and liberalitie, which redoubled the giftes he had of holy pouerty, and the compassion that God had imparted vn∣to him, which was the cause why he did not only glory in demaunding, but much more in denying nothing for the loue of God. He declared by effect that it is a more happy thing, to giue for the loue of God, then to aske of them that are truely poore of spiritt, who possesse no∣thing * 1.1

in proper, but as from IESVS CHRIST and their neigh∣bour: And because the professors of Euangelicall pouerty beginne by this action of giuing all they haue to the poore of IESVS CHRIST, and therby obtaine the estate and title of poore of spiritt, they exercise, perseuer and consummate themselues therin, denying nothing that is in their power, yea giuing themselues, for the seruice of their neigh∣bour, because they who are such, are very ready and content to giue, hauing alwayes in memory the wordes of IESVS CHRIST,* 1.2 which he left as a law vnto his disciples, to witt: Giue, and it shalb•• giuen you: which wordes are so negligently obserued of Christians, that they may be iustly called in humane (be they of what estate and condition they please) sith they acknoledge no necessity in others, be∣cause they feele it not in themselues. And therfore the poore of spiritt, whosoeuer they be doe obserue this law: for if they acknoledge them∣selues in necessity and desire to be assisted, they must assist euery one towardes his salutaion. The said holie Father then instituting the true religion of pouertie, endeauoured to teach that the true nature of holie pouerty, did not so much consist in asking, as in giuing any thing that one hath or possesseth, if it be demaunded in the name of God: and this to the end that auarice or cruelty enter not into the house of holy pouertie and of Christian piety. He also taught them in all poore to consider IESVS CHRIST: and therfore, meeting any poore on the way, were he neuer so miserable, he did not onlie giue him (as to the person of IESVS CHRIST) what he had, though it were necessary to the entertainment of his owne life: but he euen estee∣med it of right to be rendred as appertaining to the poore party: wher∣of I will deduce and relate some few examples, of a great multitude which might be committed to writing of this holy Father.

In a verie extreame cold of the winter, a brother of one of the Re∣ligious lent him a peice of cloth to vse for a cloake: but meeting a* 1.3 poore old woman, that asked him an almose, he presentlie putt off the said cloake from his shoulders, and, albeit it were not his owne, gaue it vnto her saying: Hold, sister, make thee a coat of this cloath, in regard that thou hast need therof. She went very con∣tentedlie and ioyfull to her house, and hauing cutt out a coat of that cloath, she wanted yet a litle peice to finish the same: in which case not knowing what to doe, she att length considered the liberalitie of the said S. whome she sought out shewing vnto him the coat cutt out and what she wanted. The holie Father seeing the necessitie of this poore old woman, tourning to his companion, Brother, said he, behold the necessity of this poore woman: lett vs for the

loue of God endure the cold, giue her thy cloake, to supply her want of cloath, which the Brother incontinentlie performed: so that by cloathing her alone, they both remayned in so cold a season with∣out cloake.

The S. being an other time in the Couent of Cortona, he had a new cloake, which the Brethren had made him: but seeing a poore man* 1.4 that lamented his deceased wife and desolate family; he endeauoured to comfort him: but the afflicted answeared, that the occasions of his teares were great and diuers; but that which most afflicted him was, the great chardge of his distressed familie that remayned desolate and forlorne, by the death of his wife. The S. moued with compassion, gaue him his cloake with these wordes: I giue thee this for the loue of God: yet with this condition, that if it be required of thee, thou de∣liuer it not except thou be payed for it. Now the Brethren that had very latelie before giuen him this cloake, went whence he came, and would haue taken the cloake from the poore man: but he being emboldened vpon the wordes of the S. would not restore it, nor could they euer recouer it by other meanes, but by praying one to redee∣me it.

Retourning from Sienna, he found a poore man by the way and tourning to his companion he said, it is necessary that I giue my cloake to this poore man, because it is his: for it is lent me of God, with chardge to restore it to the first that I mett poorer then my selfe; and this man is much poorer, wherfore if I doe o∣therwise I shalbe a theefe: and therwith he gaue it vnto him: not withstanding the considerations that his companion alleadged, wher∣by he endeauoured to persuade him, that he was bound to satisfie his owne necessities before an others.

Comming neere to Perusia, he mett a poore man whome he had formerlie knowne in the world, whome hauing salu∣ted and asked how he fared, the poore man with greife, answea∣red,* 1.5 ill: then began to curse his master, that withheld his hire, affirming it to be the cause of his dispaire. The saint exhorting him to pardon it, least he should with all loose his soule, he replyed that whiles his dew was retayned, he could not pardon him: The holie Father then putt of his cloake and gaue it him saying: Hold brotther, and freind, I giue thee my cloake, for the hire which they master oweth thee, and I require onlie of thee that thou pardon him for the loue of God, and by this worthy act he so mollified the hardnes of this seruants hart, that he pardoned his ma∣ster.

The Phisitian of Rieta, that medecined his eyes, one day as he was dressing him, recounted vnto him, that he in like sort dressed and me∣decined a poore woman of the same disease, to whome, besides the seruice he did vnto her, he was constrained, out of compassion he con∣ceaued of her miserie to giue her releife. Which the S. vnderstanding, and moued with pitty towardes this woman, not so much for her di∣sease, as for her pouerty, he instantlie called the Guardian, to whome he sayd: Brother we must restore that which we haue appertayning to an other: The Guardian admiring, answeared: Father what haue we belonging to others? S. Francis replied, this cloake whome we hold as borrowed of a poore woman, to whome it is now requisite to restore the same. Wherto the Guardian answeared: Doe as you please. The S. then called a very Religious seculer man, and said: Take this cloake, and twelue loaues that shalbe giuen thee, and goe to such a poore sick woman, and tell her that the poore man to whome she Lent the same sendeth it againe vnto her with thanckes, and leaue it all with her, and then retourne. This good man did as the holy Father had en∣ioyned him, but the poore woman thincking that he had iested with her, answeared him: Freind I lent not this cloake to any man: so that I vnderstand not what you meane: but the man left the cloake and the bread, without other replie then, it is yours, make vse therof: which the poore woman with thanckes to God, accepted.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Acto. 10.
• * 1.2

  Luc. 6.
• * 1.3

  S. Franc. gaue his cloake & his com∣panions also in the win∣ter to a poore woman to cloath her.
• * 1.4

  Which he per∣formed diuers times.
• * 1.5

  Likewise for the hire which a master detained from his seruant that cur∣sed him.