The Capucin Treated, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of the humility, and incomparable patience of St. Francis; and of his moſt notable actions.
DIvers have written the life and actions of St. Francis. Vincent in his Mirrour of Hiſtory writes it at large. Matthew Paris, an Engliſh Monk, in the life of Henry the Third, deſcribes the actions of St. Francis, and ſets down his Rule. Theſe two Hiſtorians wrote about thirty years after St. Francis's death. James de Voragine hath written his Legend. We have alſo the Chronicles of St. Francis, upon the ſame ſubject. But the Authors of greateſt authority are firſt St. Bonaventure, a General of St. Francis's Order, and a Cardinal, who wrote about forty years after St. Francis's death. This Bonaventure, the Church of Rome placeth amongſt her Saints, and Principal Doctors. This is that St. Bonaventure, who compoſed the Pſalter of the Virgin Mary, This Pſalter of Bonaventure, was printed at Paris by Claude Chapelet, in St. James's ſtreet at the ſign of the Unicorn, anno. 1601.containing one hundred and fifty Pſalms, which are nothing elſe but the hundred and fifty Pſalms of David, out of which Bonaventure hath taken the word God, and hath put the word Virgin in its ſtead; for example, he thus begins the 109. Pſalm, (which according to the Hebrew, is the 110) The Lord ſaid unto our Lady, ſit thou at my right hand, &c. And in Pſal. 90. inſtead of, He that dwelleth in the ſecret place of the moſt High, he hath put, He that dwelleth in the help of the Mother of God. And in the 129. Pſalm, Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee, O our Lady, hear my voice. And ſo throughout the Pſalms. By this means the true honour which all Chriſtians owe to the holy, and bleſſed Virgin, turns to her reproach, by transforming her into an Idol, and by putting her in the place of God. This is that St. Bonaventure, to whom the Capucin Joſeph would have us give credit, and would have us believe that deſcription of S. Francis's life, which he gives us.
After this St. Bonaventure, we have St. Antonine, Archbiſhop of Florence, Canonized by Pope Clement the Seventh, Anno Domini. 1523, with the approbation of his Doctrine, and great Indulgences granted to thoſe who ſhall ſhall viſit his Sepulchre. I ſpeak this, becauſe no body may think that ſuch paſſages as I ſhall quote out of theſe Authors, are things which the Church of Rome believes not; or that I have invented them; or that they are forged by perſons of ſmall authority. I alledge ſuch Saints as are prayed unto, and adored in the Church of Rome.
Saint Francis his Father was named Peter Bernardo, A Citizen of Aſſiſe, in the Dutchy of Spolete in Italy.
Saint Francis's name, when he was young, was John Bernardo, but he changed his name, and would be called Francis, becauſe he ſpake French when he was moved by the Holy Ghoſt to utter the praiſes of God; as Bonaventure tells us, in the life of St. Francis.This Life, written by St. Bonaventure, you may find in Surius, in the month of October. p. 30.
When he was but young, and a Lay-perſon, he demonſtrated a grand Humility, even to the kiſſing of Lepers: and one day alighting from his horſe to kiſs a Leper, it was revealed unto him, that this Leper was Jeſus Chriſt.
His fellow-Citizens ſeeing him a greaſie and dirty fellow, and that he did wild and extravagant actions, judged him to be out of his wits; and running after him, threw ſtones at him, and covered him all over with dirt. Which when his Father ſaw, he fetcht him home, and kept him ſhut up a long time, whipping him cruelly, as mad folk are whipt for their cure. But his Mother taking pity on him, did, in the abſence of her Husband, ſet him at liberty.
When his Father returned home, he brought him before the Biſhop, and made him diſclaim his right of Inheritance: To which Francis very willingly conſented; yea, pulling off his Breeches, and the reſt of his cloaths, he made himſelf ſtark naked, being (as St. Bonaventure ſaith) drunk with the Holy Ghoſt. Then he ſaid to his Father, Hitherto I have called thee my Father; but henceforward I will ſay, Our Father which art in Heaven. Antonine reports the ſame in the Life of St. Francis.
Being thus naked, he went into a Spittle where Lepers were kept, and tended them, kiſſing their feet, and wiping and kiſſing their ſores with an admirable devotion, as St. Bonaventure tells us.
In thoſe dayes St. Francis wore ſhooes, and walked with a ſtaff, and girded himſelf with a leather-girdle: But afterwards, judging this equipage exceſſive, and too delicate, he left his ſhooes and his ſtaff, and in humility girded himſelf with a Cord.
Being tempted with unchaſt deſires, he plunged himſelf over head and ears in a ditch full of ice. And one day, the Devil having breathed on him, he felt the fire of carnal luſt kindled within him: Whereupon this bleſſed Saint ſtript himſelf ſtark naked, and whipt himſelf terribly with his Cord, ſaying, Eja frater aſine, decet te manere, & ſic ſubire flagellum; that is, Go eo, brother aſs, thou muſt ſtay there, and be whipt thus. Antonine and James de Voragine report the ſame.
The hard ground was his ordinary bed, and a ſtone his pillow. But one day, by reaſon of a pain in his head, taking a feather-pillow, and repoſing himſelf thereupon, the Devil got into it, and extremely troubled his brain, and diſturbed his devotion: At which St. Francis being incenſed, took hold of the pillow, and threw away both it and the Devil.
Finding that his carnal concupiſcence continued, he ran to his garden, and gathering a great heap of ſnow, he plunged himſelf in it over head and ears, ſtark naked, as St. Bonaventure ſaith. But St. Antonine ſaith, that he plunged himſelf in it onelyonly ſo high as his privities. Then he made ſeven ſnow-balls, ſaying of one, This is my Mother; and of another, This is my Daughter, &c. whereupon the Devil went away very much aſhamed.
He preſented his Rule to Pope Innocent the Third; who for a while rejected it, and ſome of the Cardinals oppoſed it, ſaying, That it propoſed novelties, and things impoſſible to be done: But at laſt, St. Francis wallowing in the mire with Swine, obtained his requeſt.
Sometimes he had a mind to hear himſelf reviled;Bonavent. p. 39. Legenda Antonin. p. 725. Legenda. and to this purpoſe he once ſaid to a Monk, Rail on me. Which ſtrict command the Monk not daring to diſobey, ſaid to him, Thou art an idle, lazie Lubber, a mercenary fellow, an ignorant ſott, and a worthleſs raſcal. Whereat St. Francis greatly rejoycing, anſwered, God bleſs thee, my Son; for what thou haſt ſaid is vory true.
Bonavent. pag. 39. Antonin. pag. 726.One day he had a mind to feed bette… then ordinary; for which reſolving to ma… ſatisfaction, as having committed a great ſ… he cauſed himſelf to be dragged to the Ga… lows, with a halter about his neck, and … body naked, only he had a pair of Drawe… on; and there ſtanding on a great ſtone, … confeſſed that he was a glutton, a fleſ… eater, and moſt worthy of ſcorn and co… tempt. St. Antonine ſaith, that a Monk we… before him, crying aloud, Friends, beho… this glutton, this eater of Pullets fleſh, whic… he hath eaten ſecretly without our knowledg…
Bonavent. pag. 41. The Legend ſaith the ſame.The Devils whipt him ſo cruelly, th… they left him half-dead. And one day multitude of Devils running on the top … his houſe with a horrible noiſe, he called … them with a ſweet and pleaſing voice, i… treating them to come down, and to be… and torment him; ſaying to them, Com… and avenge me of my adevrſary, which is my fleſh.
Legend. pag. 72.Not being content with the torments the Devils inflicted on him, he whipt himſelf cruelly, taking delight in this exerciſe. And once he hid himſelf in a Cave a whole month, without any ones knowledge, as St. Antoni… teſtifies.
St. Antonine and the Legend put this amongſt the proofs of St. Francis's holineſs;pag. 721. Antonin. Tit. 24 c. 1. ſ. 2. That being once at dinner at an honeſt mans houſe, a Capon of ſeven years old was brought to the table, and that he ſent a leg of this Capon for an Alms to a poor paſſenger, who was a*One that believes amiſs. Legenda Antonin. pag. 725. Bonavent. miſcreant, and a perverſe fellow. But the next day, when St. Francis was in the Pulpit preaching, this miſcreant, thinking to jeer St. Francis, ſaid to the people; I will ſhew you what ſort of meat Francis uſeth to feed on: and then going to ſhew the people the Capons leg, he found it turned into Fiſh; whereupon this miſcreant was much confounded.
When any one gave him roaſt-meat, he dragged it through the aſhes,Antonin. pag. 726. or laid it a ſoaking in cold water, for fear of breaking his Vow of poverty and abſtinence. An invention which Jeſus Chriſt and his Apoſtles, when they were eating the Paſſeover, did not think of.
St. Antonine ſaith,Antonsn. in vitâ S. Franciſci, pag. 723. that St. Francis divided his Diſciples into three Companies; whereof two ſpent their time in contemplation, and the third in action. This third ſort of Monks were called Pinzocgori, and were permi…ed to marry.
Legenda Jacobi de Voragine. Antonin. p. 724.Some Greek Monks having prepared dinner for him, when he came to the houſ… and ſaw clean linnen and glaſſes on t… table, he preſently got to the door, a… ran out into the ſtreet, where meeting … beggar who had a very bad hat, he took th… hat, and putting it on his own head, ſat down at the door of the houſe, begging.
Legenda Jacobi de Voragine Antonin. in vitâ Franciſci.Being weary, he got up upon an aſſe but having with him one Leonard a Monk who was on foot, this Leonard grumble… at it; which St. Francis perceiving, alighted from the aſſe, and ſaid to Leonard; Brother get up upon the aſſe, for thou art of better a family than I.
Legenda Antonin.He honoured Prieſts ſo much, that h… ſaid, If I ſhould meet together on the way a Prieſt, and a Saint that came down from heaven, I would firſt go and kiſs the Prieſt's hands, and would ſay to the Saint, ſtay thou there a while.
The Legend and Antonin. p. 726. & 727. Bonavent. p. 44 & 50In humility he preached to the birds. And being once in a Caſtle called Albian, while he was preaching to the people, a multitude of Swallows flockt about him; which by their ſinging hindred the people from hearing him: W…upon turnin… to the Swallows, he ſaid, …ters, ye ha… talked enough, now it is hig… time for me to ſpeak. At which words the Swallows were ſilent untill the Sermon was ended. And pittying a Hare,Bonavent. page 44. which ſuffered it ſelf to be taken, he ſaid to it, Brother Hare, why didſt thou ſuffer thy ſelf to be ſo deceived? A live Tench was preſented to him,Antonin. page 727. Bonavent. page 44. The Legend. Bonavent. pag. 44. on which taking pitty, he threw it again into the River. Hearing a Graſhopper ſing, he ſaid to it, Sing, ſiſter Graſhopper, and praiſe the Creator with rejoicing.
Being in the Church of St. Mary, called Portiuncula, ſome body gave him a ſheep, to which he gave inſtructions; and the ſheep in obedience to him, preſently ſell a bleating, while the Monks were ſinging in the Choir: and this creature did very humbly kneel down when the hoſte was held up. Whereupon Surius puts in the Margin, O that hereticks would learn henceforward to adore the Euchariſt!
Travelling through the Marquiſate of Ancona, Antonin. p. 727.he met on his way a Country fellow carrying two Lambs to Market to ſell them, which did bleat moſt pittifully; Whereupon St. Francis, being touched with brotherly compaſſion, ſaid to the Country fellow, Why d…ſt thou torment my Brethren ſo? The Country man anſwered, I carry them to the Market to ſell them to ſome body that will eat them. Then the holy man ſaid to him, God forbid; rather take the cloak which I have on my ſhoulders. So he gave him his cloak, and ſaved the lives of his brethren, which he carried away on his ſhoulders with a brotherly Charity.
Antonin. pag. 727.Remembring that it is written in the two and twentieth Pſalm, I am a worm, and no man, he would not ſuffer a worm to be troden upon.
One of his Monkes having ſpoken ſomwhat roughly to a poor man, he commanded him to ſtrip himſelf, and to go ſtark naked before this poor man, and to kiſs his feet.
Antonin. in vitâ Franciſci cap. 2. ſ. 6. Bonavent. page 47.He was very devoutly preſent at a Chriſtmaſs mid-night Maſs, to which according to the Cuſtome of the Church of Rome in thoſe days, and uſed ſtill in ſome places, an Oxe, and an Aſſe were led, and hay was carried for them.
It is obſervable that Bonaventure ſaith, That Francis had no learning,page 48. nor knowledg of the holy Scriptures, acquired either by ſtudy or inſtruction from others but that by the irradiation of the eternal ſplendour, he penetrated even to the very bottome of the Holy Scripture. Hence it is, that in his Rule he alledgeth Scripture ſo dexterouſly, and pertinently, as we ſhall ſee anon.
At laſt brother Francis dyed, having acted a Comedy both before God and man.