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.

How the S. went to Moroccho to seeke Martyrdome.

THE LVI. CHAPTER.

SAinct Francis euer thirsting to be martyred for the faith of IESVS CHRIST, being peruented of his iorney into Siria, in the yeare 1214. he attēpted a voyage together with Brother Bernard & Bro∣ther Macie, towardes Moroccho through Spaine, supposing thence to find passage vnto the Emperour of the Mores att Moroccho, called Mi∣ramoline, to preach vnto him the faith of IESVS CHRIST. He enter∣prised this iorney with such alacritie, that albeit he were very feeble and infirme; he notwithstanding did alwayes so much out goe his com∣panions that he seemed to fly. But being arriued in Spaine, his in∣firmityes did so oppresse him, that he could hardly trauell vnto S. Iames in Galicia, where prostrating himselfe before the altare of the said S. and praying with his accustomed feruour, God enioy∣ned him to retourne into Italie, because many places were offered vnto him wherin to accommodate his family, and that his retourne thither was very necessary, to confirme the greene places of his erected vingneyard.

In this iorney S. Francis was att Guimaranes a citty of Portugall,

where it is said that he raysed the daughter of the master of the house where he lodged: thence he visited the queene Vracca wife of king Al∣fonsus the second, who beheld him with great reuerence and deuotion▪ and was exceedingly comforted and edified by him. Proceeding after∣ward on his iorney, he lighted on a riuer in the said prouince of S. Iames, betweene the citties of Nonis and Orgogno, which he knew no meanes how to passe by reason there was not any house in that part nor personne to conduct him ouer. Not knowing then what to doe he had recourse to prayer, and att the very instant whiles he was praying to God, there came a boy from the citty of Nonis, who hauing pitty of them, gaue thē encouragment saying, that hauing passed ouer his horses that were loa∣den with bread, he would vnload them and retourning, would conduct them ouer: which he performed, and hauing guided them to Orgog∣no, he lodged them in a house of his where he putt his bread, wherin he gaue them the best entertainement he could deuise: for which the holy Father gaue him many thanckes att his departure, and said: God giue you the payment which he hath promised to good people: and so departed.

That very yeare (which is worthy admiration) this yong man re∣tourning from Rome hauing visited the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul he demaunded of God as a speciall grace that he would please to take him out of this world before he lost the meritte of so many holy in∣dulgences which he had gotten. His prayer was not frustrate, for by the merittes of the blessed Father S. Francis, as by the consequence is apparent, God heard him from heauen, and so he died in the very pilgrimage. His Father by letters from freindes being aduertised of his death, after much lamentation, procured the office of piety to be per∣formed for his soule, att the end of which office, there appeared in the* 1.1 said citty of Nonis, about seuenty Frier Minors, though those people neuer supposed so many to be in all the world, and they were all present att the church in procession, singing with such melodie and with so pious a sweetnes, that they drew teares of deuotion from all the audience. After they had sung masse, the parentes of the deceased inuited them to eat with them, which they did, and then departed, and a great multitude of those people conducted them very farre: the table was afterward found furnished with meate, as if they had not eaten. This miracle being perceaued, many ran after them to see if they could recouer them, and know the place of their residence, but they could neuer see nor heare of them. It was then iudged, that this was the re∣compence of the curtesy which the deceased had done to S. Francis and his companions, when he entertained them att Orgogno: and thence, forward those people were euer exceeding deuot vnto the Freer Minors.

In the same iorney betweene Barcelone and Ghirone, neere vnto S. Celony, one of the companions of S. Francis being very hungry entred into a vineyard which he happelie found there and did eat of the grapes. The keeper of the vines hauing perceaued it, tooke from him his cloake (which he very patientlie permitted him to take) and would not restore it whatsoeuer instance S. Francis vsed: but carryed it to his ma∣ster,* 1.2 of whome the said S. so graciously demaunded it, that he did not only restore it, but withall inuited him to eat with him, where he in such sort comported himselfe, that this good man entierlie edi∣fied by the wordes of the S. and by his doctrine, offered himselfe to be a perpetuall host vnto all the Freer Minors that thenceforward should passe that way. To whome the S. reciprocally replyed: I accept thee for a Freer of our Order: and so proceeding in continuall performance of that charity when they passed that way, he died ma∣ny yeares after: and as his kinred procured his obsequies to be per∣formed, where were present many Preistes, some did deridingly be∣ginne to murmure, saying that the Freer Minors did not appeare att the death of one of their so affectionate Brethren, of who they had receaued so many curtesies: and vpon the deliuerie of these wordes there came two and twentie Religious, singing the Psalmes of Dauid with an ex∣ceeding melodious harmony, who hauing finished the office in the Church, did all disappeare. The kinred of the deceassed prepared for them to eat: but they rested content with only giuing thanckes to God with the rest of the people, for the recompence he affordeth those that entertayne his seruantes, euen after their death. It was then ordayned in that citty, that the Freer Minors should thenceforward there be lod∣ged and entertayned with all thinges necessary att the chardge of the common purse. S. Francis passing afterward through the kingdome of France, preaching in a hospitall att Montpelier, he prophetically foretold that in that citty should shortlie after be erected a monastery of Freer* 1.3 Minors, which was accordingly verified soone after, in that a Couent was there built which was very worthely mayntayned, till the fury of the Caluinian heresie did vtterly ruinate the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Seuenty Frier Mi∣nors were miracu∣lously transpor∣ted from Italy into Spaine att the seruice of a benefa∣ctour of S. Francis.
• * 1.2

  A litle after 22. Freer Minors came al∣so from Italy in∣to Spai∣ne att the obse∣quies of their be∣nefa∣ctour.
• * 1.3

  S. Franc. foretold future thinges.