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 att one sermon of his, he conuerted 22. theeues.

THE XVII. CHAPTER.

TWo and twenty theues being assembled for robbery, retired into a very thick and bushy wood, where they murdered the passan∣gers: Italy was then (by reason of the warres there) full of such theeues, who feared not to goe disguised into the citties, as did these of whome we speake, who resolued to proue if the truth and effect ans∣weared the reputation giuen to the preachinges of S. Antony: for they had heard, that as an other Elias, he burned the hartes of men with the fiery light of the word of God: which they experienced in themselues: for att the beginning of his sermon, they began to feele their hartes to mollifie: then by litle and litle to receaue the heat of the Holy Ghost, so that att the end of the sermon, they went all to conferre with him, who after he had giuen them necessary reprehension, told them that he would absolue them on condition they would be very wary neuer after to retourne to their vomitt, assuring the in the behalfe of almighty God, that if they fell againe they would miserably perish: as it after arriued to some of them, who retourned to their filth againe as before: others per∣seuered piously, and especially one of them, who had seriously obserued and made his profitt of the endes of both his good and bad companiōs▪ who afterwardes affirmed and assured the same, and said that he was en∣ioyned, to goe twice to Rome in penance, to visitt the holy Apostles in remission of their enormous sinnes, saying that as he had accom∣plished his penance, so did he hope to obtaine remissiō of his misdeedes.