Chapter CI. And Firstly, how he Predicted that Peace would be Made Between the Bishop and Podesta of the City of Assisi, when the Canticle was Heard which he had Made to the Praises of the Creatures

After blessed Francis had composed the aforesaid Praises of the Creatures, which he called the "Canticle of Brother Sun/' it happened that a great discord arose between the Bishop and the Podesta of the city of Assisi, so that the Bishop excom municated the Podesta of the city, and the Podesta warned every one that no one should buy or sell anything with him, or make any contract with him.

Blessed Francis, although he was sick when he heard this, was moved with compassion on them, especially as no one interfered to make peace between them. And he said to his fellows, "It is great shame to us, servants of God, that the Bishop and the Podesta should hate one another thus, and that no one should concern himself with their peace." And so he made immediately a verse in the aforesaid Praises on that occasion and said:

Be Thou praised, my Lord, of those who pardon for Thy love and endure sickness and tribulations.

Blessed are they who will endure it in peace, for by Thee, Most High, they shall be crowned.

Afterwards he called one of his fellows, and said to him, "Go to the Podesta and tell him on my part to go to the Bishop's palace with the magnates of the city and what others he may take with him." And when that brother had gone, he said to two others of his fellows, "Go and sing the Canticle of Brother Sun before the Bishop and the Podesta and the others who are with them, and I trust in the Lord that He will immediately humble their hearts, and they will return to their first love and friendship." But when they were all gathered together in the

' 276 open court of the cloister of the Bishop's palace, those two friars arose, and one of them said, "Blessed Francis has made in his weakness the Praise of the Lord concerning his Creatures, to the praise of the said Lord, and the edification of his neighbour. Whence he asks of you that you should hear him with great devotion." And thus they began to speak and to sing. But the Podesta immediately rose and with joined hands and arms listened intently to those verses as to the Gospel of the Lord with very great devotion and even with many tears, for he had great faith and devotion to blessed Francis. When the Praises of the Lord were finished, the Podesta said before them all, "In truth, I say unto you, that not alone my Lord the Bishop, whom I wish and ought to have for my Lord, but if any one should have slain my blood-friend or my son I will forgive him," and so saying he threw himself at the feet of the Bishop and said to him, "Behold, I am ready to make satisfaction for every thing as it shall please you, for the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and of His servant blessed Francis." But the Bishop taking him with his hands, raised him and said to him, "My office bids me be humble, yet because I am naturally prompt to wrath, it behoves that thou shouldst pardon me." And thus with much benignity and love they embraced and kissed each other. But the friars seeing what the blessed man had predicted of their concord fulfilled to the letter, were amazed and rejoiced. And all the others who were present held this for a very great miracle, ascribing the whole to the merits of the blessed man; because the Lord had so quickly visited them, and that they had turned away without the uttering of any word from such discord and scandal to such harmony. But we who were with the blessed Father bear testimony that when he said of any one, tl thus it is," or, "thus it will be," always it happened thus to the letter. And we have seen so often and so much of this that it would be long to write or to tell it.