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 Brother Giles went to visit the reliques of S. Iames in Galu••a, and the holy Sepulcher of our Redeemer Iesus Christ in Hierusalē.

THE II. CHAPTER.

IT was the custome of the first Fathers of this Order, to goe often in pilgrimage, not to seeke their more liberty, nor to satisfie their appetite with better cheere, but for the exercise of perfection, and to suffer hungar, thirst, cold, heate, and the affi ontes which they often endured, as vnknowne in that new habitt, and so did they dispose thē∣selues to the incommodities of obedience, and were couragious: for they went barefoot, withone single habit, without wallets, edifying themselues in patience, and their neighbour in charitie. Now Brother Giles hauing gotten leaue of the holy Father S. Francis he went to visitt the church of S. Iames of Compostella, in which voyage he did not so much as once satisfie his hungar, such a desire had he to feele in him∣selfe the force of pouerty for the loue of IESVS CHRIST. Finding one day no meane to gett so much as bread (wherwith only he liued) ha∣uing found in a barne certaine huskes of beanes left there after the thres∣hing, he did eat them with great appetite, and after tooke his rest in the same place. The next morning he arose very early, as cheerfull and well disposed as if he had eaten the best and most delicate foode in the world. He was thus accustomed to suffer, being often in for∣restes and solitary places, which were more to his content then the conuersation of the world, as lesse subiect to distractions in his spirituall exercises, and more commodious for spending the night in watching and prayer. In this iorney meeting with a poore sick creature full of soares, and not knowing what to giue him, he ript of his capuce and gaue it vnto him: but this charity enforced him to trauell twenty dayes bare-headed, till att last was giuen him cloth to make an other, and so did he walke with a habitt, according to the common fashion of his Order, deformed, but en∣tierly conformable to the charity of the gospell. Being in Lom∣bardie, he was called by a man, of whome he thought to receaue a charitie, but comming to him, he tooke out a paire of dice, and de∣maunded if he would play with him: So did the wretch flout att this good Religious, who went on bowing downe his head with∣out replying a word. In this sort he was often the obiect of laughter vnto the sloathfull and idle companions, that made him their scorne, which he alwayes endured with patience correspondent. After he had also visited all the holy land, expecting commodity of shipping to re∣tourne

into Italy, it being necessary for him to liue vpon his labour as hauing no mony, he carryed water to passengers, for which seruice they gaue him bread, and remayning certaine dayes in the citty of Ason, he employed himselfe in the labour of his handes making baskettes and cases of ozier, and such litle conceates, wherwith he liued; and if he wanted either worck or matter, or knew not wherin to employ him∣selfe, according to the diuers occasions of the places where he re∣st••••ed, his last refuge was to haue recourse to the abondant table of God, demaunding almose att the peoples dores, according to the documentes of his rule. He went also to visit the mount saint Mi∣chael, then saint Nicholas of Bar; and in all these voyages into whatsoeuer place he entred, he exhorted those that he found, to doe pennance for their sinnes, and to apply themselues to the ser∣uice of God the bountifull giuer of all goodnes, and to doe this in loue and charity towardes their neighbour. As he one day trauail∣led, he became so weary and so oppressed with hungar, that he was enforced to rest himselfe, and with wearines he fell a sleepe. As he awaked he found by him halfe a loafe which God had sent him of almose, which he ioyfully did eat, thancking his diuine maiesty: and being by meane of this celestiall bread reconforted, he cheerfully pro∣ceeded on his iorney.