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 what arriued to two Religious of S. Francis, with a Tyrant whome they conuerted to pen••tence.

THE VII. CHAPTER.

WHen first S. Francis with the Benediction of God and his own sent his first disci••les to preach penāce ouer the world, to the end they might communicate vnto men the fruites of their good life, and by their example and the edification of their pious worckes, renew the church of God, being in forraine con∣tryes among barbarous natiōs, they that saw thē, with admiration sayd, what ••a••ity is this? we haue neuer seene men thus attyred, bare-footed, liuing so austerely, and so different from all other Religious, that they rather seeme wild men, then other. Neuertheles when they entred into any particuler place or house, they would say: God giue you peace: and would admonish the inhabitants to feare and loue God, as the Creatout of heauen and earth, and exhort them to labour alwayes in the ob∣seruation of his holy commandements: to doe penance, and to amend their liues. And albeit few were found to whome these exhortations were gratefull, yet they mett with curious persons that made so many demandes, as they were much troubled to giue them answeare: As whēce they were, whence they came? Of what Order they were? how and wherof they liued? who was their cheefe? And in fine, by what auctho∣rity they preached? Whereto with patience and humility thy answeared that they were Religious of penance, of our Ladyes of Angels att Assi∣sium: that their p••incipall head and directour was Brother Francis: and that by ordinance and commandement of the Pope they preached pe∣nance. Others seeing them so disguised, and hearing them speake with such simplicity, reputed them fooles, cousening or deluding companiōs, and would not admitt them into their houses, for feare thy would rob∣be them: whence it often arriued that none hauing compassion to har∣bour them, they slept in the church porches or vnder pent-houses: & so perseuering, by their example of pouerty and humility, they att length moued the most obdurat harts to compassion and deuotion, & left many places edified in the feare of God. And the••fore the reputation of their vertues encreasing, they daily produced singuler fruites of good exam∣ple, among which this is one which we now intend to relate.

It happened one time that two new Religious, but true children of the holy Father saint Francis, trauelling through a contry which they neither knew, nor they knowne to any, they came to a castell that was a retuge to certaine theeues, of whome was captaine a noble man

of great family, but of most vicious life: whither being come, weary, feeble, and halfe starued with hungar and cold, not able to passe far∣ther, they there stayed, without dreaming what danger might there befall them, and sent to pray this tyrant, to entertayne, lodge, and refresh them that night, for the loue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST. This noble man by diuine inspiration, willingly receaued them into his house, and commanded incontinently a good fire to be made them, then caused them to cat with his people. At which time, one of the Religious that was a Priest, and had a speciall grace in preaching well, perceauing that att this table there was no speech but of robbing, kil∣ling and pilling, each one vaunting of his villanies, and glorying in his murders and theftes committed, the good seruant of God resolued, after supper to make them an exhortation in the behalfe of our Sa∣uiour IESVS CHRIST, with the greatest feruour he could procure. And so, grace being sayd, vnable any longer to retaine his zealous spi∣ritt, he addressed himselfe to the tyrant and sayd: Hauing receaued of you such a charity for the loue of God, we should proue too ingrate∣full if we did not beseech the diuine maiesty to reward you for vs, and did not endeauour to requite you by some documents conforma∣ble to our pouerty, that may benifitt your soules and your peoples, whome I beseech you heere to assemble together, we desiring to giue to you all, a spirituall refection for the corporal which you haue giuen vs. This noble man hauing conuocated all his people, and they hauing setled themselues to heare the sermon, the Religious began with ex∣ceeding feruour to discourse of the glory of Paradise, in these termed: My beloued Brethren in CHRIST IESVS, if the eternall felicities, for which God hath created vs, were knowne vnto vs, and that we did often well consider them, what paine would we not vndertake to serue him, and neuer to offend him, for feare to loose that ioy and glory without end, for so base a trifle as the world? that sweet society of the Angels? that life and security of the blessed? that glorious satiety of the elect? that supreme light without night and darcknes? that perpe∣tuall peace and amity without any feare or perturbance? and all the happines that we can desire, free and secure from all disaster, with that diuine fountaine of the presence and glorious commu∣nication of the eternall God? And sith that man (so blinded and mise∣rable) for so base and loathsome a thing, so short and of so sclen∣der value as is sinne, will loose such innumerable and infinite felici∣ties: he shall deseruedly goe into hell, there to endure eternall hun∣gar, thirst, cold, all kind of torment, and perpetuall affliction in the company of cruell deuils, serpents and dragons, where is a continuall death without end, and without hope of life,

with palpable darcknes. And finally greater miseries then we can ima∣gine, considering that there is nothing but howlinges, lamentations, despaires and eternall torments, and all euill voyd of all good, wherin∣to my brethren you haue merited to be throwne and imprisoned, for the sinnes which you haue perpetrated ••o precipitiously without any ap∣prehension of the diuine iustice, att least according to the inference of your discourses, which haue testified vnto me your vicious and detesta∣ble life, you therby giuing demonstration that you neither feare God, nor esteeme of his commandements, nor regard the doeing of any good wo••ck. Therfore my beloued brethren, doe I admonish you in the be∣halfe of our Lord IESVS CHRIST, who for you was fastened on the hard wood of the crosse, and pardonned the theefe, to giue vs confidē∣ce of his mercy: and doe counsaile you by the ••euerence of the omnipo∣tencie of the Creatour of althinges, not to make ship wrack and exchaung of the celestiall and eternall richesse, for the briefe pleasure of sinnes, which as you experience, vanish as a shadow. Retourne then with great promptitude vnto God, to the end he thrust you not into hell, denying you time and space to doe penance: so many yeares hauing fleeted away wherin he hath so patiently expected you, though you haue giuen no signe of regarding it. This Religious vttered these thinges and much mo∣re with such a zeale, that they pearced the hart of the Tyrant, who being touched by the holy Ghost, and already stricken with contrition, fell to the ground together with all his people, bittetly lamenting their sinnes. They shewed signes of penitence, and after many teares the tyrant with great instancie required the Religious to sett them in the way to saue their soules, sith God had sent him hither for their saluation. And the Religious aduised them to make a generall confession of all their sin••es: Which being with notable deuotion and contrition performed, he sayd: It is now necessary, that for penance for your sinnes which are enor∣mous and in nomber infinite, you goe in pilgrimage to visi•• the holy pla∣ces, and that you mortifie your flesh by fastes, watchings and prayers, giuing many almoses and performing other worckes of piety. But you must begin with satissaction, restoring what you ini••stly de••aine. Wher∣to he answeared: Father, I am content to satisfie whatsoeuer I am boūd vnto. But because I was neuer out of this cont••y, nor can write, not read, no not the Pater noster, nor can fast, I beseech you for the loue of God to giue me some other penance that I may be able to performe. The Religi∣ous replyed: I will for the loue of God doe penance and pray vnto IE∣SVS CHRIST for you, that your soule be not lost. I will not for the present giue you other penance then for mortification, your selfe to bring vs hither a litle straw wheron to repose our selues. The tyrant becom∣ming a lambe presently brought straw for the Religious to rest on, and

prepared their place himselfe: Then considering with himselfe the dis∣course that the Religious had made him, and how speedily he had con∣uerted him to penitence, he reputed him a sainct, and resolued to watch him all that night to see what he would doe. Now the Religious att his houre layd himselfe to repose, and when he thought they all slept, he arose & went out of the house, to doe penance for the penitent as he had promised him. Lifting then his handes to heauen, he with many teares demāded pardon of almighty God for the sinner, & praying with excee∣ding feruour, his body was eleuated frō the earth the hight of a tour, & in that manner, bitterly bewayled the soule of that noble man, begging pardon of IESVS CHRIST for his offences in such sort and with a cha∣rity so passionate, that he merited to be heard, as appeareth by what ensueth: for the penitent hauing seene and heard all this, not without exceeding terrour, contrition and abundance of teares, accompanyed with consolation, perceauing with what feruour the seruant of God offered his prayers to the diuine Maiesty for the saluation of his soule: very early in the morning he sell att the feet of the Religious, praying him with great compunction to setle him in the direct way of saluation, he being ready to execute whatsoeuer he should command him. The Re∣ligious hauing consailed him to sell all he had, he did his vtmost to ma∣ke restitution where he was obliged, and according to Euangelicall coū∣saile gaue the rest to the poore: then offered him••elfe to God becōming a Frere Minor, where he perseuered in vertues and piously ended his life: all his people were also conuerted and did penance. So the holy simpli∣city of this Religious produced a merueillous fruit, not preaching of high and subtill matters, nor with elegant wordes, but only of the pai∣nes of hell and glory of Paradise; as he had bin instructed by the holy Father sainct Francis.

The 8. and 9. chapters are put after the 72. chap. of the first booke, the 10. chap. after the 5. of the second booke, and the eleuenth chap. after the 74. of the second booke.