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.

The processe of the eleuenth chapter of the same booke.

THe infirmity of S. Francis vehementlie encreasing, in such sort that all the Brethren thought he would die, by reason that from the euening to the houre of mattines, he ceassed not to auoyde bloud, and had also very frequent accidentes happened vnto him; all the Religious began lamentingly to say vnto him: Father who after IESVS CHRIST haue ingendred vs in the world, how without you shall we remayne orphanes and desolate, depriued of your presence, with which our hartes were edified, and did walke in the seruice of God? Wherfore, O Father, doe you so leaue vs without a guide? Alas most deere Father, who shall comfort our feeblenes? who shall cure the infirmities of our soule? who shall giue moysture to the dryed roote of our hart, that it persist in charity? sith these vertues were conserued in vs, by your holy aduertisementes, and by the example of your holy life, and by these vertues we most strictly obserued Euangelicall pouerty. Gi∣ue vs, O Father, some consolation, if it be now your houre, because we who are here, in the name of all your children, that are and shalbe, doe

demaund your Fatherly benediction. Leaue vs Father some memoriall in signe of your holy will, that God hauing called you vnto him, we as your most obedient children, may persist in the continuall exercises of your holy aduertismentes, and may say: Our Father deliuered vs such speeches, and recommended vnto vs such thinges att his death.

S. Francis intending to comfort them, caused to be called Brother* 1.1 Benedict of Pirra, one of the most ancient of the Order, A Religious of great doctrine and sanctity, who was his Confessour, and said masse vnto him euery morning: he being come, the S. faid vnto him: Write Brother Benedict, these wordes which I leaue as a testament vnto my children. I giue my benediction to all them that are and shalbe in my Order, euen to the worldes end. And because, by reason of my extreme weakenes I cannot speake much, I declare my last will, and intention to all the Religious present, absent and that hereafter shalbe in my Religion by these three last wordes only. The first in signe and memory of my benediction and testament, I command you mutually to loue each other, as I haue and doe loue you. The second, that you loue and alvayes kee∣pe holy pouerty which is my mistris. The third, that you be alwayes faithfull and subiect to the superiours, of our Order, and to all Prei∣stes of the holy church, and that you be humble and respectiue vnto them.

But God who saw that his seruant was yet very necessary to this his flock, and that he should pourchase himselfe a greater crowne in hea∣uen, prolonged his life. S. Francis was absolutely contrary to those that desired and procured to haue priuiledges and exemption from the Pope, touching their life, because it had bin reuealed vnto him of God, that how much the Religious were priuiledged, so much the lesse fruit did they produce: he would that the intelligence of the rule should be ta∣ken of his wordes, being so cleare as they were, to any vnderstanding, prouided that it were free from passiō: though they seemed very obscure to such as would not conforme their life thervnto, but endeauoured to wrest & draw the sence to their libertine life: seeking against all equity to haue this their licentious life, called the life of Euangelicall perfectiō: And to proue this to be true, we see that those first children of the holy Father, so simple, vertuous, and pious, found no such difficulties therin, and the reason was, because seeking to imitate him, they simply vnder∣stood, and most dilligentlie obserued this rule, which many that were learned neither could nor can vnderstand with all their declarations and exclamations, of whome may be said, and not without reason that they would not, or will not vnderstand it, as it hath bin vnderstood of those ••••, though they were simple and vnlearned.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Te∣stament of S. Fr.