CONTENTS 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 6 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 VIII. How while St. Francis and Friar Leo were on a journey, he expounded unto him those things which are perfect joy 21 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 24 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 got him to Siena 28 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 32 XIV. How while St. Francis and his friars spake of God, He appeared in the midst of them 36 XV. How St. Clare ate with St. Francis and with the friars, his companions, in Santa Maria degli Angeli 37 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 39 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 43 XVIII. Of the marvellous chapter which St. Francis held at Santa Maria degli Angeli, where there were more than five thousand friars 45 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 49 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 52 XXI. Of the most holy miracle which St. Francis wrought when he converted the very fierce wolf of Agobio 54 XXII. How St. Francis tamed the wild turtle-doves 58 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 60 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 63 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 66 XXVII. How St. Francis converted at Bologna two scholars, who became friars ; and afterwards delivered one of them from a great temptation 75 XXVIII. Of an ecstasy which came to Friar Bernard whereby he abode from morning even until nones without coming to himself 78 XXIX. How the devil in the form of Christ Crucified appeared many times to Friar Rufimo, telling him that he was losing the good which he did, because he was not among those elected to eternal life. Whereof St. Francis 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 83 XXXI. How St. Francis knew, in their order, the secrets of the hearts of all his friars 85 XXXII. How Friar Masseo obtained from Christ the virtue of his humility 87 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 97 XXXIX. Of the marvellous sermon which St. Antony of Padua, a minor friar, preached in the Consistory 100 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 103 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 no 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 Frair 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 LIII. How, while he was saying Mass, Friar John of Alvemia 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 212 VII. Ensample against the temptations of the flesh 212 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 219 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 224 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 231 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 Savings of Friar Giles 234 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 Digitized by Google.