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 S. Francis would come into France. and what befell him in the way.

THE LI. CHAPTER.

SAinct Francis in an other of the foresaid Chapters, wherin the Freer Minors were distributed ouer Christendome, addressed himselfe to all the Religious and said: My beloued Brethren, I acknowledge my selfe obliged to giue edification to all the Bre∣thren: therefore my children being sent into diuers Prouinces, to endure hungar, thirst; labour, and other necessities, it seemeth rea∣sonable that my selfe doe likewise trauaile into some farre country, to the end that others the more voluntarily support their affli∣ctions, when they shall see me vndertake the like: and therfore (his manner being neuer to send forth any Religious, but first to pray vnto God that he would afford some fruit to be reaped therby) hauing with all his Brethren made prayer for himselfe, he arose,* 1.1 and said: In the name of our Lord IESVS CHRIST, of his most sacred mother, and of all the SS. of God, I make choise of the prouince of France, wherin there are many Catholike peo∣ple, and subiect to the holy Romane Church, and because they be exceeding deuout vnto the most blessed Sacrament, I beleeue I shall receaue much consolation in conuersing with them: hauing said thus

much, and chosen two companions, he tooke his leaue of his Reli∣gious, and enterprised his iorney.

Being arriued att the citty of Arezzo, and not permitted to enter there, because it was night, he lodged att an hospitall in the subur∣bes, where he vnderstood that the miserable cittizens of that place being diuided into two factions, did cruelly murder one an other. And the more to confirme the matter, as he was att his prayers about midnight, he heard such a noise of men and armour, that they seemed to be to armies ready to assault each other: wherby he perceaued ma∣nifestlie, the worck of the deuill that mayntayned them in warre. Wherefore moued with compassion, he spent the rest of that night* 1.2 in prayer with much feruour and abondance of teares: then he called Brether Siluester, a Preist, and man of worthy faith and puritie, to whome he said: Goe you to the gate of this miserable citty, and cry with a loud voice, the name of our Lord IESVS CHRIST be praysed and blessed. Ye deuils that keepe these people in warre and sedition: I command you on the part of almighty God, and in the ver∣tue of holy obedience, to depart all out of this citty: which Brother Siluester hauinge done, the deuils incontinentlie fled; and so with∣out any other prediction, or any other meane, the said citizens were reunited and appeased. S. Francis being desirous to prosecute his iorney, would not then stay in that citty, but preaching vnto them afterward att his retourne, he sharply reprehended them for their hatredes that had so furiously and inhumanelie enraged them against each other, and gaue them to vnderstand the great grace which God had giuen thē, by meane of the said wordes which were vttered by Brother Siluester, that was a holy man (not to speake of himselfe) deliuering them from the deuils, that maintayned them in so cruell a warre. By these considerations the S. exceedingly confirmed them in the peace already concluded, and besi∣des induced them to doe penance for their sinnes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Greant deuotion to the B. Sacra∣ment in France.
• * 1.2

  S. Franc. pacifieth a great sedition by cer∣taine wordes which he caused one of his Reli∣gious to vtter.