Chapter VII. How he delivered the men of Greccio from wolves and from hail

35. The Saint was fond of st? zing in the "place" of the brethren of Groccio, both because he saw that it was rich in poverty and because in a secluded cell hewn out of a projecting rock he could more freely devote himself to heavenly discipline. (This is the place wherein long ago he revived the birthday of the Child of Bethlehem, becoming a child with the Child.) Now it came to pass that the inhabitants were being plagued with manifold evils: for a multitude of ravening wolves were devouring¹ not only brutes but men, and yearly storms of hail were laying waste the cornfields and vineyards. But one day, as S. Francis was preaching to them, he said: u To the honour and praise of Almighty God, listen to the truth which I announce to you. If each one of you confesses his sins and brings forth worthy fruits of penitence, I pledge my word to you that this plague shall wholly depart, and that the Lord shall look upon you and multiply you in temporal goods. But hear this also: Again I announce to you that if ye shall be ungrateful for His benefits and return to your vomit, the plague shall be renewed, the punishment doubled, and greater wrath shall prevail against you." 36. And so by the holy father's merits and prayers it came to pass that from that hour the destruction ceased, the dangers passed away, nor did wolves nor hail cause any further mischief. Nay, what is more, whenever hail came over their neighbours' land, as it approached their own borders it either ceased there or passed off elsewhere. Repose having been granted them they were multiplied exceedingly and filled exceedingly with temporal goods. But prosperity did what it is wont to do: for their faces became covered with the grossness and fat of temporal things, or rather, they were blinded with dung. At last they fell back into worse, and forgot God who had saved them; but not with impunity, for God's judgment punishes the lapsed less heavily than the relapsed. The fury of God was aroused against them, and the evils that had departed returned, and there was added to them the sword of man; a pestilence ordained from heaven consumed very many of the people, and at length the whole fortress was burnt up with avenging flames.

Verily it is just that those who turn their backs on benefits should come to destruction.