Brother Franc. that you shal not goe to hel, but to the glory of Paradice. Which the holy Father admiting, he commanded him againe not to say so, but as now I shall tell thee: I will begin to say, Francis thou hast so much offended God, that thou well deseruest to be eternally accursed, and you shall answeare, without any variation: thou art doubtles wor∣thy to be foreuer expelled from the face of God: which the good Bro∣ther Leo promising to obserue, the holy Father with a loud and fearefull voice, knocking his brest, began: O God lord of heauen & earth, I haue committed so many offences against thy diuine Maiesty, that I am well assured, I meritt to be eternally banished thy glory and perpetually dam∣ned: and Brother Leo answeared: God will accept thee for such an one, as among the great multitude of his elect thou shalt be especially blessed and glorious in his celestiall kingdome. S. Francis more admiring then before, in that he knew how obedient Brother Leo was, he said: why doe you not answeare me, as I enioyned you, and as you promised me? I now command you in vertue of obedience, that when I say: O wret∣ched and miserable Francis doest thou thinck euer to deserue pardon of the God of mercies, hauing alwayes so much offended him? thou art not worthy of grace: I command you, I say, to answeare me: thou in no sort deseruest the mercie of God. But albeit Brother Leo promised him, yet did he neuertheles answeare him: God the Father whose mercy is infini∣te, and infinitly greater then our sinnes, will giue you his grace, accom∣payned 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 ac∣cording 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 fin∣de pardon att Goddes handes; and Brother Leo incontinently answea∣red: Father thou shall finde it, and shalt besides obtaine so many spe∣ciall 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.