Chapter CXXIII. That Straightway, when he Heard that he should Die so Soon, he Caused the Praises which he had Made to be Sung to him

After these things a certain friar said to him, "Father, thy life and conversation was and is a light and a mirror, not only to thy brethren, but also to the whole Church, and thy death shall be the same. And though thy death will be a matter of sadness and grief to thy brethren, and to many others, yet it will be to thee consolation and infinite joy. For thou shalt pass from great labour to the greatest rest, from many pains and tempta tions to eternal peace, from the earthly poverty which thou hast ever loved and perfectly observed to endless true riches, and so from temporal death to perpetual life, where thou shalt see thy Lord God face to face, Whom thou hast loved in this life with so much fervour and desire." And having said these things, he said openly to him, "Father, thou knowest in truth except the Lord should send thee His medicine from heaven thine infirmity is incurable, and thou hast little longer to live, as the physicians but now foretold thee. Now I have said this to thee, that thy spirit may be made strong, and that thou mayst rejoice in the Lord within and without, so that thy brethren and the others who visit thee may find thee always rejoicing in the Lord, and that to those who see, and to others who hear it after 'thy death, thy death may be a perpetual memorial, as thy life and conversation was and ever shall be." Then blessed Francis, even though his infirmities were more than usually heavy upon him, was seen from these words to derive a new joy to his mind, hearing that Sister Death threatened him so nearly, and with great fervour of spirit he praised the Lord, saying to him, "Therefore, if it pleases my Lord that I must quickly die, call to me Brother Angelo and Brother Leo, that they may sing to me of Sister Death." And when those two brethren had come to him, they sang, with many tears, the "Song of Brother Sun," and of the other created things of the Lord, which the saint himself had made. And then before the last verse of the Canticle he added some verses of Sister Death, saying:

Be Thou praised, my Lord, of our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no man living can escape, woe to those who die in mortal sin:

Blessed are they who are found in Thy most holy will, for the second death shall not work them ill.

Praise ye, and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks, and serve Him with great humility.