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I.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Crucified, and of His Mother the Virgin Mary. In this book are contained certain Little Flowers, Miracles and devout ensamples of the glorious mendicant of Christ, Messer St. Francis, and of certain of his Holy Companions, to the praise of Jesus Christ. Amen

1

II.

Of Friar Bernard of Quintavalle, first companion of St. Francis

2

III.

How for an evil thought which St. Francis had against Friar Bernard, he commanded the said Friar Bernard to tread with his feet three times upon his throat and upon his mouth

IV.

How the Angel of God proposed a question to Friar Elias, guardian of a Place of Val di Spoleto, and because Friar Elias answered him proudly, departed and went on his way to St. James, where he found Friar Bernard and told him this story

9

V.

How the Holy Friar Bernard of Assisi was sent by St. Francis to Bologna, and there founded a monastery

14

VI.

How St. Francis blessed the holy Friar Bernard, and left him as his vicar, when he came to pass from this life

17

VII.

How St. Francis passed a Lent in an island of the lake of Perugia, where he fasted forty days and forty nights, and ate no more than one half loaf

19

III.

How while St. Francis and Friar Leo were on a journey, he expounded unto him those things which are perfect joy

21

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IX.

How St. Francis taught Friar Leo to make answer; and how he was never able to speak save the contrary to that which St. Francis desired

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X.

How Friar Masseo, as if in raillery, said to St. Francis that all the world followed after him, and he replied that that was to the confusion of the world and grace of God

26

XI.

How St. Francis made Friar Masseo turn round and round many times, and thereafter gat him to Siena

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XII.

How St. Francis laid upon Friar Masseo the service of the gate, of alms-giving, and of the kitchen; and thereafter at the prayer of the other friars, relieved him of them

30

XIII.

How St. Francis and Friar Masseo placed the bread which they had begged upon a stone hard by a fountain, and St. Francis praised poverty much. Thereafter, he prayed God and St. Peter and St. Paul, that He would cause him to be enamoured of holy Poverty; and how St. Peter and St. Paul appeared to him

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XIV.

How while St. Francis and his friars spake of God, He appeared in the midst of them

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XV.

How St. Clare ate with St. Francis and with the friars, his companions, in Santa Maria degli Angeli

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XVI.

How St. Francis received the counsel of St. Clare, and of the holy Friar Sylvester, that he ought by preaching to convert much folk; and how he founded the Third Order and preached to the birds and made the swallows keep silence

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XVII.

How a boy friar, while St. Francis was praying by night, saw Christ and the Virgin Mary and very many other saints hold converse with him

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XVIII.

Of the marvellous chapter which St. Francis held at Santa Maria degli Angell, where there were more than five thousand friars

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XIX.

How from the vineyard of the priest of Rieti, in whose house St. Francis prayed, the grapes were taken away and gathered by the much folk which came unto him, and how thereafter that priest miraculously made more wine than ever before, even as St. Francis had promised him. And how God revealed to St Francis that he would have Paradise for his portion

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XX.

Of a very beautiful vision which was seen by a young friar, who held the cowl in so great abomination that he was minded to put off the habit and to leave the Order

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XXI.

Of the most holy miracle which St. Francis wrought when he converted the very fierce wolf of Agobio

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XXII.

How St. Francis tamed the wild turtle-doves

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XXIII.

How St. Francis set free the friar who was in sin with the demon

59

XXIV.

How St. Francis converted the Soldan of Babylon to the faith

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XXV.

How St. Francis miraculously healed one who was a leper both in soul and body; and that which the soul said unto him as it went into heaven

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XXVI.

How St. Francis converted three robbers which were murderers, and how they became friars; and of the very noble vision which one of them, who was a most holy friar, saw

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XXVII.

How St. Francis converted at Bologna two scholars, who became friars; and afterwards delivered one of them from a great temptation

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XXVIII.

Of an ecstasy which came to Friar Bernard whereby he abode from morning even until nones without coming to himself

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XXIX.

How the devil in the form of Christ Crucified appeared many times to Friar Ruffino, telling him that he was losing the good which he did, because he was not among those elected to eternal life. Whereof St. Francis

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knew by revelation of God, and made Friar Ruffino to perceive the error which he had believed

79

XXX.

Of the beautiful sermon which St. Francis and Friar Ruffino preached in Assisi, when they preached naked

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XXXI.

How St. Francis knew, in their order, the secrets of the hearts of all his friars

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XXXII.

How Friar Masseo obtained from Christ the virtue of his humility

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XXXIII.

How St. Clare, at the bidding of the Pope, blessed the bread which was upon the table; whereby the sign of the holy Cross appeared on every loaf

89

XXXIV.

How St. Louis, King of France, in the garb of a pilgrim, went in person to Perugia to visit the holy Friar Giles

90

XXXV.

How, on Christmas Eve, St. Clare being sick was miraculously carried to the Church of St. Francis and there heard the office

92

XXXVI.

How St. Francis expounded unto Friar Leo a fair vision which he had seen

93

XXXVII.

How Jesus Christ the blessed, at the prayer of St. Francis, caused a rich man to be converted and to become a friar, the which had shown great honour and liberality unto St. Francis

94

XXXVIII.

How St. Francis knew in spirit that Friar Elias was damned and would die out of the Order; wherefore, at the entreaty of Friar Elias, he prayed to Christ for him, and was heard

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XXXIX.

Of the marvellous sermon which St. Antony of Padua, a minor friar, preached in the Consistory

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XL.

Of the miracle which God wrought, when St. Antony, being at Rimini, preached to the fishes of the sea

101

XLI.

How the venerable Friar Simon delivered from a great temptation a friar, who for this cause was minded to depart out of the Order

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XLII.

Of beautiful miracles which God wrought through the holy friars, Friar Bentivoglia, Friar Peter of Monticello and Friar Conrad of Offida; and how Friar Bentivoglia carried a leper fifteen miles in a very short time; and how to the other St. Michael spoke; and to the third the Virgin Mary came and placed her Son in his arms

106

XLIII.

How Friar Conrad of Offida converted a young friar, who annoyed the other friars. And how the said young friar, after his death, appeared to the said Friar Conrad, beseeching him to pray for him; and how by his prayer he delivered him from the very grievous pains of purgatory

110

XLIV.

How the Mother of Christ and St. John the Evangelist appeared to Friar Conrad, and told him which of them suffered the greater grief for the Passion of Christ

112

XLV.

Of the conversion, life, miracles and death of the holy Friar John of Penna

113

XLVI.

How Friar Pacificus, while he was praying, beheld the soul of Friar Humilis, his brother, going up to heaven

119

XLVII.

Of that holy friar to whom the Mother of Christ appeared, when he was sick, and brought him three boxes of electuary

120

XLVIII.

How Friar James of Massa, saw in a vision all the minor friars of the world. in a vision of a tree, and knew the virtue and the merits and the faults of each of them

123

XLIX.

How Christ appeared to Friar John of Alvernia

127

L.

How, as he said Mass on the day of the dead, Friar John of Alvernia saw many souls liberated from Purgatory

132

LI.

Of the holy Friar James of Fallerone; and how after his death he appeared to Friar John of Alvernia

133

LII.

Of the vision of Friar John of Alvernia whereby he understood all the order of the Holy Trinity

136

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LIII.

How, while he was saying Mass, Friar John of Alvernia fell down as if he were dead

137

OF THE MOST HOLY STIGMATA OF ST. FRANCIS AND OF THEIR CONSIDERATIONS

142

BEGINNETH THE LIFE OF FRIAR JUNIPER

I.

Friar Juniper cut off the foot of a pig, only to give it to a sick man

199

II.

Ensample of the great power of Friar Juniper against the devil

203

III.

How, through procurement of the devil, Friar Juniper was condemned to the gallows

203

IV.

How Friar Juniper gave whatever he could to the poor, for the love of God

208

V.

How Friar Juniper plucked off certain bells from the altar, and gave them away for the love of God

209

VI.

How Friar Juniper kept silence for six months

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VII.

Ensample against the temptations of the flesh

252

VIII.

How Friar Juniper abased himself for the glory of God

213

IX.

How Friar Juniper, to abase himself, played at see-saw

214

X.

How Friar Juniper once cooked for the friars food enough for fifteen days

215

XI.

How Friar Juniper once went to Assisi for his confusion

217

XII.

How Friar Juniper was rapt in ecstasy during the celebration of the Mass

218

XIII.

Of the grief which Friar Juniper had for the death of his companion, Friar Amazialbene

259

XIV.

Of the hand which Friar Juniper saw in the air

220

BEGINNETH THE LIFE OF FRIAR GILES, THE COMPANION OF ST. FRANCIS

I.

How Friar Giles and three companions were received into the Order of the Minors

221

II.

How Friar Giles went to St. James the Greater

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III.

Of the manner of life which Friar Giles led when he went to the Holy Sepulchre

225

IV.

How Friar Giles praised obedience more than prayer

226

V.

How Friar Giles lived by the labour of his hands

227

VI.

How Friar Giles was miraculously provided for in his great need, when by reason of the snow he could not go to beg alms

229

VII.

Of the day of the death of the holy Friar Giles

231

VIII.

How a holy man, being in prayer, beheld the soul of Friar Giles go to the life eternal

235

IX.

How through the merits of Friar Giles, the soul of a friend of a certain Preaching Friar was delivered from the pains of Purgatory

232

X.

How God had given graces unto Friar Giles, and of the year of his death

233

HERE BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF CERTAIN TEACHINGS AND NOTABLE SAYINGS OF FRIAR GILES

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ADDENDA TAKEN FROM THE MANUSCRIPTS

I.

An ensample of Friar Leo, how St. Francis bade him wash the stone

275

II.

How St. Francis appeared to Friar Leo

276

III.

How Friar Leo saw a terrible vision in a dream

277