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 lent of S. Michael which he kept on the Mount Aluerne.

THE LIV. CHAPTER.

THe yeare of grace 224. two yeares before the death of this glo∣rious Father, some dayes before the natiuitie of the Virgin Marie, he repayred to the Oratorie of Mount Aluerne, the∣re to keep his lent that began the day after the said feast of the Virgin Marie, & continued til the feast of S. Michael the Archāgel, according to his perticuler deuotion, where he shutt himselfe into a celle, sequestred from all others. The first euening that he entred there, he demaunded this grace of God, that he would please to reueale vnto him in what he should serue him that lent, as he accustomed to doe, for he gouerned him in althinges according to the will of God, and not according to his owne. Now in the morning about the breake of day S. Francis arysing from prayer, there incontinentlie flocked a great number of birdes that began to sing one after an other and hauing sung, they tooke their flight and left the Sainct contented: In that instant he heard a voice that said: Francis, let this be a signe of a notable fauour which God intendeth to shew thee in this place. By which voice his hart was so altered that thence forward he felt a great quantitie of spirituall giftes in his interi∣our, God continuallie visiting him, and remayning there, he burned with an ineffable flame of his loue, and therfore, he was often in his contemplations eleuated so high, that as Brother Leo recounted who was then his companion and a curious obseruer of all his actions, he could not discerne nor comprehend him with his sight, surpassing the high cloudes of heauen; which is not ouer-greatly to be admired, considering that in this world he led a life more angelicall then huma∣ne. He, as he afterward recounted to his companions, there dema∣unded as a singuler grace of his God, to be entierlie transformed into his anguishes and dolours, sith his Maiestie had not voutsafed to ac∣cept of his life, which so manie times he had offered vnto him, as the onlie thing he had to offer, hauing no other thing in this world,

and hauing so often gone among the infidels there to receaue Martyr∣dome in the seruice of his diuine maiesty: Wherfore it was incontinent. lie reuealed vnto him of God, that as he had alwayes endeauoured perfectly to follow and imitate his life, and actions, so should he be permitted to be like vnto him, and to suffer with him in the dolours, of his passion. Which the holy Father vnderstanding, albeit he were already exceedingly weakned, by the rigour of his life past, and by the continuall crosse with he had carryed, yet he was fo farre from being troubled with all, that he encouraged himselfe, and enamoured him∣selfe the more to suffer a Martyrdome so noble and worthy aboue all others, and by the interiour burning flame he extinguished the water of all the afflictions and dolours that euer could befall him, and desired no lesse perfection, to receaue in himselfe so inestimable a treasure.