Chapter V. How he was received at Rieti by the Lord Hugo, Bishop of Ostia; and how the Saint proclaimed that that bishop would be bishop of all the world

99. Now it came to pass that when many were coming to help him with their medicines without any remedy being found, he went to the city of Riet¹ where dwelt a man said to be very skilful in the cure of that disease. And when he got there he was most kindly and honourably received by the whole Roman Court which was then residing in that same city, but with especial devotion by the Lord Hugo, Bishop of Ostia, who far outshone the rest in virtuous behaviour and holiness of life. By the will and consent of the Lord Pope Honorius Blessed Francis had chosen this man as father and lord over the whole Religion and Order of his brethren because blessed Poverty was very pleasing to him and he held holy Simplicity in the greatest reverence. That lord conformed himself to the behaviour of the brethren, and in his longing for holiness was simple with the simple, humble with the humble and a poor man with the poor. He was a Brother among the Brethren, among the Lesser Least, and strove so far as might be to bear himself in life and conduct just like one of the rest. He was watchful to plant the holy Religion everywhere? and the illustrious report of his still more illustrious life greatly enlarged the Order in distant parts. The Lord gave him a learned tongue whereby he confounded the adversaries of the truth, refuted the enemies of the Cross of Christ, brought back wanderers to the way, made peace between those who were in discord, and bound together those who were in concord by a stronger bond of charity. He was a "burning and a shining lamp" in the Church of God and a "chosen arrow "x prepared in due season, (ioo) O how often would he put off his costly garments, and arrayed in mean ones, going barefoot like one of the brethren, would he entreat for the things that make² for peace! And this he was careful to do between a man and his neighbour as often as was meet; between God and man, always. Wherefore God chose him not long after to be Pastor in His holy Church Universal and "lifted up his head among the tribes of the people". And that it may be known that this election was inspired by God and effected by the will of Christ Jesus, the blessed father Francis long before predicted it by words and marked it by a sign. For when by the operation of God's grace the Order and Religion of the brethren was beginning to be much enlarged and, like a cedar in the Paradise of God, was lifting its top (that is, its holy merit) to heaven, and even as a choice vine was stretching its sacred branches over the breadth of the earth, S. Francis came to the Lord Pope Honorius who was then set over the Church of Rome and humbly begged him to appoint the Lord Hugo, Bishop of Ostia, father and lord of him and his brethren. The Lord Pope granted the Saint's prayer and in gracious compliance therewith made over to the bishop his own authority over the Order of the Brethren, which the bishop received with reverence and devotion, and, like a faithful and wise servant set over the Lord's household he strove by all means to minister the food of eternal life in due season to those committed to his charge. Wherefore the holy father submitted himself to him in all ways and revered him with wondrous and respectful affection. He was led by the Spirit of God wherewith he was filled and therefore beheld long before what was afterwards to be accomplished in the sight of all as he had foreseen it. For whenever he would write to the Bishop of Ostia, being urged by business of his religious family, or rather constrained by the charity of Christ wherewith he burned towards him, he would by no means allow him in his letters to be called "Bishop of Ostia "or "of Velletri "according to the customary greeting employed by others, but after fixing on his subject he would begin "To the right reverend father (or lord) Hugo, bishop of the whole world". And often he would greet him with unheard-of blessings; and, though he were a son in devout submission, yet at the Spirit's prompting he would sometimes comfort him with fatherly intercourse, that he might "confirm upon him the blessings of the fathers, until the desire of the eternal hills should come".1 (101) The said lord for his part burned with exceeding love toward the holy man and therefore whatever the blessed man said or did pleased him, and he was often deeply stirred by the mere sight of him. He himself bears witness that however disturbed or vexed he might be, on seeing S. Francis and talking with him all mental clouds were dispersed, serenity returned, melancholy was put to flight and joy breathed on him from above. He ministered to S. Francis as a servant to his lord; and as often as he saw him paid him reverence as to an apostle of Christ; and bowing down outwardly and inwardly would often kiss his hands with his consecrated mouth. He sought with watchful and devoted care how the blessed father might recover the former soundness of his eyes, knowing him to be a holy man and a just, and exceedingly necessary and profitable to the Church of God. He had compassion on the whole congregation of the brethren concerning him, and in the father pitied the sons. He warned the holy father therefore to take care of himself and not to cast away the things necessary for his infirmity, lest the neglect of these things should be accounted sinful rather than meritorious. And S. Francis humbly attended to what so reverend a lord and so dear a father told him, and thenceforth took the measures necessary for his cure with greater care and confidence. But meantime the disease had so much increased that for its healing in any degree it required the most skilled advice and demanded the most severe treatment. And so they cauterised his head in several places, cut open his veins, put on plasters and applied eye-washes, but he made no progress and was almost continuously getting worse.