Chapter LXXXVII. How a certain brother was freed from temptation

124. A certain spiritual brother of long standing in the Order was afflicted by sore tribulation of the flesh, and seemed sunk in the depth of despair. And his grief was doubled daily, for his conscience, which was more tender than discerning, drove him to make confession about nothing; for such zeal ought to be shown in confessing, not the fact of being tempted, but the having yielded to temptation, even if but a little. But this brother was so shy that he feared to disclose the whole (which amounted to nothing) to one priest, and so he divided his cogitations, and imparted some to one and others to others. But one day when he was walking with S. Francis the latter said to him: "Brother, I tell thee that thou art not bound to confess thy tribulation any more to any one, and fear not, because that which besets thee without thy being the cause of it shall redound to thy glory, not to thy guilt. And as often as thou shalt be troubled say the Lord's Prayer seven times on my authority." The brother marvelled how the Saint knew of his trouble, and was filled with the utmost joy, and before long escaped from all tribulation.