Chapter XCI. And Firstly, how he Took No Care of his Own Infirmities on Account of his Love of the Passion of Christ

So great was the fervour of love and compassion of blessed Francis for the pains and sufferings of Christ, and so much was he daily afflicted on account of that passion, within and without, that he took no care of his own infirmities. Whence, though for a long time, up to the day of his death, he had suffered ailments of the stomach and liver and spleen, and from the time when he returned from over-sea he had had very great pains of his eyes continually, yet he would not on that account take any pains to make himself be made whole. Whence my Lord of Ostia, seeing that he was and ever had been austere to his body, and especially as he had now begun to lose the light of his eyes; and because he would not be made whole, admonished him with great pity and compassion, saying, "Brother, thou dost not well, because thou dost not get thyself cured, though thy life and health be very useful to friars and seculars, and the whole church. For if thou hadst compassion on thy infirm brethren, and wert always pious and merciful to them, thou shouldst not be cruel to thyself in so great a necessity. For which reason I command thee to cause thyself to be cured and assisted." (For that most holy Father ever took that which was bitter for sweet, because he drew immense sweetness from the humility and footsteps of the Son of God.)