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 attention which S. Francis had in his prayers, and of the deuo∣tion he had in diuine seruice.

THE LXXXXV. CHAPTER.

HE said the canonicall houres with so great reuerence and deuo∣tion, that albeit he were most commonly weary and feeble by reason of his infirmities: yet making no esteeme thereof, he was alwayes standing or kneeling with his head bare, reading verie distinctly. If he trauiled when the time of prayer and saying the said* 1.1 houres was, he would stay. This practise did he neuer omitt what∣soeuer rayne or storme did happen, saying: If the body that is to be food for wormes, desired to eat in repose, with how much more rea∣son ought one to giue repose to the soule, when she receaueth the re∣fection of the life which she is eternally to possesse without corruption? He said his psalmes and what soeuer was to be said with such attention, as if God had bin before his eyes. When he was to name the name of God, he pronounced it so sweetly, that he seemed to lick his l••ppes, such contentment felt he in his soule: yea he commanded his Religious carefullie to gather vp all the papers they found wherin was written the name of IESVS: that it might not be troddē vnder foot. He reputed* 1.2 it a great offence, when one spake vnto God, to thincke of other mat∣ters. And if he chaunced sometimes to apply his spiritt on other▪ affai∣res, though spirituall, he would accuse himselfe thereof in confession; yea albeit he had his interiour powers so recollected within him by meane of the continuall and assiduous exercise therin employed, that the flyes of the world molested him very seldome.

Being one lent att an hermitage he attempted for exercise to make an osier basket, but the time of prayer being come, because in saying the third houre, the basket came to his minde, he tooke it and inconti∣nentlie threw it into the fire with these wordes: I sacrifice thee vnto* 1.3 God, in place of his seruice which thou hast interrupted.

This glorious Sainct, held the feast of the natiuity of our Sauiour in particuler deuotion. Being on a time neere vnto the citty of Grecio, he determined to celebrate that feast after a new manner, therby to stirre vp the deuotiō of the faithful: & hauing therfore, to auoid scādal, obtayned permission of the Pope, he caused a great stable to be prepared in an old houell, where he caused to be putt hay and a manger, then brought thither an oxe and an asse, and assembled so many of his Religious, that they neere exceeded the inhabitantes of the place. But because he had

published the solemnity, all the inhabitantes of the neighbour places flocked thither as who should be foremost, with flutes, cornettes, and other rusticall instrumentes, so that all the mountaines thereabout gaue ecchoe to their harmony, they ceassed not all night to sound and reioyce before that stable, wherin S. Francis and a great nomber of his Religious prayed before three images of wood, that represented our lord IESVS CHRIST, the Virgin Mary and S. Ioseph, befo∣re which images were lightened a great quantity of lightes that were with curious art exquisitelie sett foorth. S. Francis read the ghospell atr the midinght Masse, then preached to the people with such tender∣nes of hart, that when he would vtter the name of IESVS, he could not but called him the litle child of Bethleem. This feast was not spēt with∣out fruit for a famous gentleman named Iohn of Grecio, forsaking the cheualry and nobilitie of the world and the pompes therof, became ve∣ry familier vnto S. Francis and an imitatour of him, because he had seene him in vision that night with a child in his armes who seemed to sleep, and whome he sweetly awakened. The hay that was taken from that stable cured manie diseased beastes, yea verie manie men; whence may be iudged that God had singulerlie assisted that deuotion of his seruant.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The rea∣sō which S. Franc. gaue of his attē∣tion.
• * 1.2

  With what purity S. Francis serued God.
• * 1.3

  How he once ce∣lebrated the na∣tiuity & with what new fer∣uour.