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 much S. Francis reioyced att the good example which his order gaue to the church, and how much displeased, when his Religious procured or caused any scandall.

THE XXV. CHAPTER.

THis glorious Father said, that the Frere Minors were sent of God in this latrer age to be an example of light to them that were en∣tangled in the obscurities of sinne. Therfore if he heard relation of any example of edification, that the Religious gaue to the holy Church, he with great feruour would say. The house of God shalbe filled with good & sweet sauours, which shalbe produced by the precious oyntmēt of vertues. He exceedingly reioyced att the good reputation of his deere childrē & at the exāple of piety which they gaue, because by meane therof they cōuerted sinners, to the loue & seruice of IESVS CHRIST, a thing

especially desired of him, and to such he gaue his holy benediction, And consequently because his Religious knew that their holy Father would haue them exercised in this vertue, and zeale of the saluation of soules, they so much the more endeauoured to giue him satisfactiō ther∣in.* 1.1 And if it happened that any one procured the least trouble to his neighbour, he presently asked him pardon, with great humility and of∣fered to doe pennance for the same.

It chaunced one time that an ancient Religious of the Order, in pre∣sence of a gentleman, vttered some wordes in choler to one of his Bre∣thren; but perceauing that he had troubled his Brother and disedified* 1.2 the other, acknowledgeing his fault, and impatient against himselfe, he incontinently tooke the dong of an asse, and putt it into his mouth: and forced himselfe to chew it, saying, tongue eat this dong sith thou hast presumed to arise against they neighbour and in his face to spett the ve∣nime of thy choller. Which the said gentleman seeing, was exceeding∣ly edified, and deuoted to the whole Order, presenting himselfe entier∣ly to the seruice of it.

* 1.3 The holy Father S. Francis was contrarily extremely afflicted when he vnderstood that any one had disedified his neighbour. To this pur∣pose it being related vnto him that a bishop had reprehended one of his Religious, for hauing seene him doe something sauouring of hy∣pocrisie, as to procure the growing of his beard and other thinges vn∣beseeming a Frere Minor, he stood vp right, and ioyning his handes, he weeping said: Lord IESVS CHRIST, who hauing cho∣sen twelue Apostles, one of them proued a traytor and was therfore damned, and the residue ouer all the world preached thy holie faith, by wordes and by pious and vertuous worckes: and now in this latter houre being mindefull of thy mercie, it hath pleased thee to plant the Religion of Frere Minors for helpe vnto they church, and for seruice of they holie faith and thy holie gospell, haue care therof I beseech thee for thy pietie: for if this Religion giue scandale in steed of good example, who shall satisfie thee for her? Thus vr∣ged by zeale of the honour of God and the saluation of soules, stret∣ching his armes a broad, with great effusion of teares he vrtered these* 1.4 wordes: Good God and Father, I beseech thee le••t all the Religious, who by their euill example and impious worckes shall destroy that which by meane of thy true Frere Minors thou hast edified, be accursed of thee, of thy cele∣stiall court, and of me thy humble seruant. Vpon a day reprehending a Religious that had giuen ill example, among other thinges he said this: Brother will you that I lett you know the displeasure which the Religious procure me that scandalize others? the same that one should doe, who hauing a rapiere in his hand should often

thrust me into the flanckes, and therwith I could not dye, so the nough∣ty Religious doe augment in my soule greifes vpon greifes, giuing euill example and doebucher my bowels: then he added: Ah my God! if one wounded could fly him that threatneth his death, would he not fly? and why then doe not I fly into the Mountaines and desertes, to auoid the hearing of such and the like matters of my Religious?

Notes

• * 1.1

  The hu∣mility of the first Frere Minors.
• * 1.2

  Marcke∣able sa∣tisfactiō.
• * 1.3

  How much S. F. was troubled to heare that his Religious gaue scandall.
• * 1.4

  Terrible impreca∣tion of S. Franc. against the scan∣dalous.