The Life of Saint Francis

Prologue 5 I. Of His Manner of Life in the Secular State 12 II. Of His Perfect Conversion unto God, and of the Repairing of the Three Churches 21 III. Of the Founding of his Religion, and Sanction of the Rule 32 IV. Of the Advancement of the Order under his Hand, and of the Confirmation of the Rule already Sanctioned 45 V. Of the Austerity of his Life, and of How All Created Things afforded him Comfort 61 VI. Of his Humility and Obedience, and of the Divine Condescensions shewn unto him at Will 76 VII. Of his Love for Poverty, and of the Wondrous Supplying of his Needs 91 VIII. Of the Kindly Impulses of his Piety, and of how the Creatures lacking Understanding Seemed To Be Made Subject unto Him 107 IX. Of His Ardent Love, and Yearning for Martyrdom 125 X. Of his Zeal and Efficacy in Prayer 139 XI. Of his Understanding of the Scriptures, and of his Spirit of Prophecy 150 XII. Of the Efficacy of his Preaching, and of his Gift of Healing 167 XIII. Of the Sacred Stigmata 183 XIV. Of his Sufferings and Death 198 XV. Of his Canonisation, and the Translation of his Body 207 Miracles Wrought after his Death 216 I. Concerning the Powers of the Sacred Stigmata 216 II. Of the Dead that were Raised 228 III. Of them that he Delivered from the Peril of Death 237 IV. Of them that were Saved from Shipwreck 248 V. Of them that he Set Free from Bonds and Imprisonment 253 VI. Of them that were Delivered from the Perils of Childbirth 260 VII. Of the Blind that Received Sight 266 VIII. Of them that were Delivered prom Divers Diseases 272 IX. Of them that did not Observe his Feast, and that Failed in Reverence toward the Saint 279 X. Of certain other Miracles of Divers Kinds 284 Translator's Note 294 PROLOGUE 1. The grace of God our Saviour hath in these latter days appeared in His servant Francis unto all such as be truly humble, and lovers of holy Poverty, who, adoring the overflowing mercy of God seen in him, are taught by his example to utterly deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live after the manner of Christ, thirsting with unwearied desire for the blessed hope. For God Most High regarded him, as one that truly was poor and of a contrite spirit, with so great condescension of His favour as that not only did He raise him up in his need from the dust of his worldly way of life, but also made him a true professor, leader, and herald of Gospel perfection. Thus He gave him for a light unto believers, that by bearing witness of the light he might prepare for the Lord the way of light and peace in the hearts of the faithful. For Francis, even as the morning star in the midst of a cloud, shining with the bright beams of his life and teaching, by his dazzling radiance led into the light them that sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, and, like unto the rainbow giving light in the bright clouds, set forth in himself the seal of the Lord's covenant. He preached the gospel of peace and salvation unto men, himself an Angel of the true peace, ordained of God to follow in the likeness of the Forerunner, that, preparing in the desert the way of sublimest Poverty, he might preach repentance by his example and words alike. For, firstly, he was endowed with the gifts of heavenly grace; next, enriched by the merits of triumphant virtue; filled with the spirit of prophecy and appointed unto angelic ministries; thereafter, wholly set on fire by the kindling of the Seraph, and, like the prophet, borne aloft in a chariot of fire; wherefore it is reasonably proven, and clearly apparent from the witness of his whole life, that he came in the spirit and power of Elias.