Chapter XXIII. Of the famine which he foretold would come after his death

52. Holy men are sometimes compelled by impulse of the Holy Ghost to utter wondrous things about themselves; that is to say, either when God's glory requires such a revelation to be made, or when the law of charity demands it for the edification of their neighbour. Hence it is that one day the blessed father imparted to one of the brethren whom he greatly loved this word which he had at that time brought from the council-chamber (familiar to him) of the Divine Majesty: "To-day there is on the earth a servant of God for whose sake as long as he shall live God will not allow famine to rage against men".

Here was no vanity, but a holy recital which for our edification holy Charity, she that 's seeketh not her own," uttered in holy, modest words: nor was the privilege of such wondrous love shown by Christ toward His servant to be passed over in unprofitable silence. For all we who were witnesses of it know how quietly and peacefully the times passed during which the servant of Christ lived, and how they abounded in fruitfulness of all good things. For there was no famine of God's word at that time when the preachers' words were most full of power and all the hearers' hearts were most acceptable to God. Patterns of holiness shone forth in religious semblance :¹ the hypocrisy of whited men had not yet tainted so many holy ones, nor had the learning of dissemblers brought in such nicety. Temporal goods therefore deservedly abounded, since the eternal were so truly beloved by all. 53. Accordingly when he was removed the state of things was utterly reversed, and all was changed: for wars and seditions prevailed everywhere, and many kingdoms were suddenly laid low by divers kinds of death. Moreover, the horror of famine spread far and wide, whose cruelty, surpassing all other bitternesses, consumed very many. For need then turned everything into food, and compelled human teeth to chew things that brutes were not wont to eat. Accordingly nutshells and the bark of trees were made into bread; and, to use the gentlest expression, a father's tenderness, urged by famine, grieved not for a child's death; as became manifest by the confession of a certain man. But that it may appear more plainly who that faithful servant was, for whose sake Divine chastisement stayed its hand from vengeance, the blessed father Francis a few days after his death plainly revealed to that same brother to whom he had foretold when alive the destruction to come, that he was that servant of God. For one night, when that brother was sleeping, S. Francis called him with clear voice, saying: "Brother, now is coming the famine which, so long as I was alive, God did not suffer to come on the earth". The brother awoke at these words and afterwards related the whole in order. Three nights afterwards the Saint appeared to him a second time and uttered similar words.