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 it being necessary that sainct Francis should haue a cautere made with a burning iron, the fire obeying him lost his force.

THE XL. CHAPTER.

NOt onlie the beastes obeyed S. Francis: but euen the very ele∣mentes, as may appeare by the example following, and others to be inserted hereafter. The glorious Father was long time afflicted with sicknes, and hauing no meanes of cure, he was, by reason

that the cold was aduersiue vnto him, as the Protectour had appointed, remoued from Rieta to Fonte Colombo, for better commodity of the Phisicion that had care of him; and to defend him from the aire that was verie dangerous vnto him, and from the splendour of the sunne which he could not endure, they made him a great capuce,, and put a gread bande ouer his eyes. Now the Phisicion being come and percea∣uing the danger of the disease, affirmed that there must necessarilie be applyed a cautere behind the eare, next that eye which was most offen∣ded, in which act, though the holy Father S. Francis deferred his cure, fearing perhappes to dye in the absence of the Vicar Generall who was to be there: neuertheles the infirmitie encreasing and the Vicar not comming, it was necessarie to proceed and to applie the fire, and espe∣ciallie because in a whole night he could take no repose. Wherfore the night following he made this exhortatiō to the Religious that attended and watched with him, taking compassion of him that by his occasion, he reposed neither night nor day no more then him selfe: Brother and my beloued sonne, I beseech thee lett it not afflict thee, to suffer and take paines for me in this my sicknes: for God will giue thee recom∣pense of thy labour both in this life and the other: and will reward thee euen for all the good worckes thou omittest to doe by meanes of mi∣ne infirmitie. Yea I aduertise thee that thou gaynest much more by this charitie, then thou shouldest by prayer; for they that serue and assist me in such necessitie, serue all the bodie of our Order and assist to mayntaine it. Therfore thou mayest securelie say vnto God, offering this thy seruice: My God I spend my time in seruice of this man, for which thou art indebted to me, considering that I serue him for thy sake. The S. spake this, to the end that being by the deuill ouercome of impatience, he should not loose his meritt. And therfore as we said a litle before, seeing the imminent perill wherin he laboured, and the trouble of his Religious, he consented that preparation should be ma∣de to administer vnto him the cautere appointed by the Phisicion, though his vicare were not present. Euerie thing necessa••ie then being prepared, S. Francis seeing the burning iron, had a naturall feare of the torment he was to endure: wherfore he mildlie vttered these wor∣des to the fire: My noble brother, most profitable of all other creatu∣res by the almightie created, I pray thee with my vtmost affection, haue compassion of me in this thine action, and vse not thy rigour against me, sith I loue thee so much for our Creatours sake, of whome I demaund so much fauour, as to moderate thy feruour and heat in such sort that my feeblenesse may support it. Then he made the sig∣ne of the crosse on the fierie bullet, when in meane while the Re∣ligious left him alone with the Surgeon, for great compassion they

had of him, and being vnable to behold his torment and endurance. Now the iron hauing bin applied the S. recalling them they retour∣ned, to whome he said: O weake of hart and more weake of faith! why did you fly? I would haue you know that I felt not any payne, yea if it be thought that the Surgeon haue not well made the cautere, I am content to haue an other made, then an other, till it be well made. The Surgeon and Religious being amazed att so strang a miracle, wherby he saw force did faile to annoy but not to benefitt, in such sort that the S. held himselfe immo∣ueable without hauing his head held, and insensible of the hoat iron, he knew not what else to say but that in effect, there was no other good in this world, but to be the true seruant of almighty God.