Chapter XIX. Of S. Francis' watchful guarding of the brethren; of his self-contempt and true humility

51. The most blessed man Francis came back in the body to his brethren, from whom (as has been said) he never withdrew himself in the spirit. He would search out the deeds of all with careful and diligent examination, being ever moved toward his subjects by a fruitful curiosity and leaving nothing unpunished where he found that anything wrong had been done. And his practice was first to decide concerning spiritual vices, next to give judgment on corporal vices, and lastly to root out all occasions which are wont to give entrance to sin.

With all zeal and with all carefulness did he guard holy Poverty, his Lady, and in order that he might never attain to superfluity he would not allow any vessel to be found in the house if without it he could by any means avoid being subject to the extremity of need. For he used to say that it was impossible to satisfy need without yielding obedience to pleasure. He hardly ever, or most rarely, allowed himself cooked food; and if he did, he would often mix it with ashes, or quench its flavour with cold water. O how often, when walking through the world to preach the Gospel, if invited to dinner by great Princes (who revered him K cV,-./, with wondrous affection) would he taste a little meat (to observe the holy Gospel), and then, making a show / - of eating, put his hand to his mouth and drop the

~ remainder into his bosom, so that none might notice what he was doing!

What shall I say as to his drinking of wine, when he would not even allow himself to drink his fill of water when consumed by thirst? 52. Wherever he received hospitality he would allow no coverlet or clothes to be put over his resting-place; but the bare ground, his tunic only interposed, received his bare limbs; and when at times he refreshed his slight frame with the benefit of sleep, he would often sleep in a sitting posture, not otherwise reclining, and using a piece of wood or stone for a pillow. If appetite (as it is wont) had craved for some particular food, he could hardly be persuaded to eat it afterwards. It happened once that he was entering Assisi when he had somewhat recovered his strength after an illness during which he had eaten a little flesh of chicken; and on reaching the city gate he bade a brother who was with him tie a rope round his neck and drag him thus like a robber all through the city, shouting like a crier, and saying, "Come, look at the glutton who has been battening on poultry that he has been eating when you did not know it! "Many therefore flocked to see so strange a sight, and said as they wept together and heaved repeated sighs, "Woe to us wretches whose whole life is spent in bloodshed, who nourish our hearts and bodies in wantonness and drunkenness! "And so they were pricked in heart, and urged by so signal an example to a better way of life. 53. Many such-like things he often did in order both to attain perfect self-contempt and to invite others to attain perpetual honour. He was become unto himself as a rejected vessel: encumbered by no fear nor anxiety for the body he most strenuously exposed it to affronts, that he might not be driven by love for it to covet any temporal thing. A true despiser of himself, he profitably instructed all by word and example to despise themselves.

For what did he do? While he was being magnified, and, with praiseworthy judgment, extolled by all, he alone counted himself the vilest of men, he alone most fervently despised himself. For oftentimes while all men were paying him honour he was wounded by exceeding grief, and, casting out the favour of men, he would, contrariwise, get some one to rebuke him. He would call one of the brethren to him and say, "On thy obedience I bid thee revile me harshly and tell me the truth in opposition to the lies of these men". And when that brother, though unwillingly, called him a boor, and a venal and unprofitable wretch, he would answer smiling and heartily applauding him, "The Lord bless thee, because thou art saying what is most true, for such things it is meet for the son of Peter di Bernardone to hear". Speaking thus he would recall his humble origin. 54. And that he might perfectly show himself to be contemptible, and afford to the rest an example of true confession, he was not ashamed, when he had offended in anything, to confess it when he was preaching before all the people. Nay more, if he chanced to have any evil thought about any one, or happened to let fall an angry word, he would straightway confess the sin to him against whom he had thought or said anything evil, and beg his pardon. His conscience (witness of all innocence) guarded itself with all solicitude and did not let him rest until soothing words had healed the mental wound. Assuredly in his noteworthy deeds of every kind he craved not notoriety but profit, avoiding admiration by every means that he might never fall into vanity.

Alas for us who thus have lost thee, worthy father, pattern of all well-doing and humility! Surely by a just judgment have we lost him whom when we had him we cared not to know!