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 S. Francis drew the virgin S. Clare out of the world, and made her Religious.

THE IV. CHAPTER.

ANd to the end the most cleare Mirrour of her soule might not be stayned and blemished with the dust of this world, and that the contagious seculer life did not corrupt her innocencie, the holy Father prudētly endeauoured to sequester this virgin from worldly peo∣ple. And the solemnity of palme-sunday approching, the holy espouse of IESVS CHRIST, wit a great feruour of spiritt repayred to this man of God, and most instantly demaunded of him, when, and how she should make her retyre from the world. Whervpon the holy Father S. Francis ordayned, that one the day of the sayd feast she should goe to the procession of palmes with the people, decked and adorned the most richly and gorgiously that she could procure, and the night

following goeing out of the citty and withall out of all conuersation of the world, she should change seculer pleasures into lamentations of the passion of our Lord.

Palme-sunday being come, the glorious S. Clare went in the cōpany of her mother and other ladies to the great Church, where there happe∣ned a matter worthy to be recorded, as not done without the prouidē∣ce of the diuine goodnes. Which was, that all the other ladyes goeing, as is the custome of Italie, to take holy palme, and S. Clare, out of a vir∣ginall bashfulnes, remayning alone without mouing out of her place, the Bishop descended the steppes of his seat, and putt into her hand a branch of palme.

The night approching she began to prepare her selfe for effecting the commandement of the holy Father, and to make a glorious flight and honorable retyre frō the world, in honest company. But it seeming to to her impossible to goe foorth att the ordinary and chieffest dore of the house, she bethought her selfe to take the benefitt of a back dore, which (though it were damned vp with grosse stones and mighty blockes) she with an admirable courage, & a force rather of a strong man then a tēder yong woman, her selfe brake open. Thus then leauing her fathers house, her citty, kinred and friendes, she with extraordinary speed arriued att the Church of our lady of Angels, where the Religious that in the hou∣se of God, were employed in pious watchinges, receaued with bur∣ning wax lightes in their handes, this holy virgin, that sought her Spou∣se and Redeemer IESVS CHRIST with a lampe not extinct and empty, but filled with diuine loue. And incontinently in the selfe sa∣me hour and place, hauing left and abandonned the immondicities of Babilō, she gaue the world the ticket of defiance and repudiation before the altar of the soueraine Queene of Angels, where the glorious Fa∣ther sainct Francis, inspired of God, and neglecting all other world∣ly respect, cutt off her haire: then he cloathed her with a poore habitt of the Order, reiecting the iewels and gorgious attire which she brought, to be giuen to the poore of IESVS CHRIST. It had not bin in deed conuenient that the new Order of florishing virginity towardes the end of the world, should otherwhere begin then in the Angelicall Pallace of that most emminent lady, who be∣fore had alone bin a mother and Virgin, and consequently more worthy then all others. In the very same place had the noble che∣ualrie of the poore of IESVS CHRIST, the Frere Minors, their beginning vnder the valerous Captaine sainct Francis: to the end it might euidently appeare that the mother of God in this her habi∣tation ingendred and produced the one and the other Religion. And so, as this new espouse had raceaued the habitt and ensignes of holy penitence before the altar of the most sacred virgin Mary, the

humble seruante was accepted by IESVS CHRIST for his espouse, and the glorious Father sainct Francis conducted her to the Monastery of sainct Paul in Assisium, where were Religious women of the Order of S. Bennet, there to remayne till almighty God prouided an other Monastery.