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 humility of the Virgin saincte Clare.

THE VII. CHAPTER.

PRofound humility was the first assured stone and foundation which the holy Virgin layd in the beginning of her Religion, after she

had began to labour in the way of God, so to aduance and sett forward the building of all other vertues. She vowed obedience vnto sainct Francis, which vow in all her life she neuer transgres∣sed; and for three yeares after her conuersion she desired rather, with great humility to be subiect, then a superiour shunning the tit∣le and office of Abbesse, taking more content to serue among the seruantes of IESVS CHRIST, them to be serued. But being att lenght by the holy Father sainct Francis thervnto constray∣ned, she vndertooke the gouernement of the Religious, which bred in her hart more feare then presumption, so that she rather continued and became a seruant, then free from subiection. For the more she seemed to be raysed to the office and title of dignity, the more did she repute and esteeme her selfe vile, and the more shewed her sel∣fe ready to serue, and made her selfe more contemptible then all her Religious, both in habitt and base seruice. She disdained not to doe the office of seruantes, giuing water to the Religious to wash, who∣me she made often to sitt, her selfe standing and seruing them att ta∣ble. When she commanded any thing, it was vnwillingly, rather desiring to doe, then to command others. She performed to the sic∣ke all kind of seruices, were they neuer so loathsome, as to make cleane the immondicities and filthines, shunning with so worthy a spiritt, the loathsome actions, nor abhorring or disdaining the most offensi••e sauours. She often washed the feet of the lay sisters, when they came from abroad, made them cleane, and with great humility kissed them. It one time chaunced, that washing the feet of a seruant, and offering to kisse them, the seruant vnwilling to permitt such humility, pulled away her foot to auoyd it, but she did it so rudely, that she gaue the holy virgin a dash on the fa∣ce. Yet so farre was this Sainct from being offended therwith, that on the contrary she mildly tooke the foot of the seruant againe, and kissed the sole therof. Thus did this true espouse of God accomplish the doctrine of IESVS CHRIST, and* 1.1 the example which he left when he washed the feet of his Apo∣stles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioa.