Life of St. Francis of Assisi by Paul Sabatier (best historical biographies txt) 📕

and a half, as these worthy anchorites believed. This is said
for the benefit of tourists ... and pilgrims.

[5] The forest has been preserved as a relic. Alexander IV.
fulminated excommunication against whomever should cut down the
firs of Verna. As to the birds, it is enough to pass a day at
the monastery to be amazed at their number and variety. M. C.
Beni has begun at Stia (in Casentino) an ornithological
collection which already includes more than five hundred and
fifty varieties.

[6] 1 Cel., 91; Bon., 188; Fior. i., consid.

[7] Fior. i., consid.; Conform. , 176b, 1.

[8] Cel., 2, 15; Bon., 100. Fior. i., consid.

[9] Bon., 118. Fior. i., consid.

[10] 2 Cel., 100.

[11] Fior. ii., consid.

[12] The ruins of the castle of Chiusi are three quarters of an
hour from Verna.

[13] Fior. iv. and v. consid. These two considerations appear
to be the result of a reworking of the primitive document. The
latter no doubt included the three former, which the continuer
has interpolated and lengthened. Cf. Conform. , 231a, 1;
Spec. , 91b, 92a, 97; A. SS., pp. 860 ff.

[14] In current language we often include under the word
mysticism all the tendencies--often far from Christian--which
give predominance in the religious life to vague poetic
elements, impulses of the heart. The name of mystic ought to be
applied only to those Christians to whom immediate relations
with Jesus form the basis of the religious life. In this sense
St. Paul (whose theologico-philosophical system is one of the
most powerful efforts of the human mind to explain sin and
redemption) is at the same time the prince of mystics.

[15] He did not desire to institute a religion, for he felt the
vanity of observances and dogmas. (The apostles continued to
frequent the Jewish temple. Acts, ii., 46; iii., 1; v., 25;
xxi., 26.) He desired to inoculate the world with a new life.

[16] 2 Cel., 3, 29; cf. 1 Cel., 115; 3 Soc., 13 and 14; 2 Cel.,
1, 6; 2 Cel., 3, 123 and 131; Bon., 57; 124; 203; 204; 224; 225;
309; 310; 311; Conform. , 229b ff.

[17] 1 Cel., 91-94; Bon., 189, 190.

[18] See the annotations of Brother Leo upon the autograph of
St. Francis (Crit. Study, p. 357) and 1 Cel., 94, 95; Bon., 191,
192, 193 (3 Soc., 69, 70); Fior. iii. consid. Cf. Auct. vit.
sec. ; A. SS. p. 649. It is to be noted that Thomas of Celano (1
Cel., 95), as well as all the primitive documents, describe the
stigmata as being fleshy excrescences, recalling in form and
color the nails with which the limbs of Jesus were pierced. No
one speaks of those gaping, sanguineous wounds which were
imagined later. Only the mark at the side was a wound, whence at
times exuded a little blood. Finally, Thomas of Celano says that
after the seraphic vision began to appear, coeperunt apparere
signa clavorum . Vide Appendix: Study of the Stigmata.

* * * * *


CHAPTER XVII

THE CANTICLE OF THE SUN

Autumn, 1224-Autumn, 1225


The morning after St. Michael's Day (September 30, 1224) Francis quitted Verna and went to Portiuncula. He was too much exhausted to think of making the journey on foot, and Count Orlando put a horse at his disposal.

We can imagine the emotion with which he bade adieu to the mountain on which had been unfolded the drama of love and pain which had consummated the union of his entire being with the Crucified One.

Amor, amor, Gesu desideroso,
Amor voglio morire,
Te abrazando
Amor, dolce Gesu, meo sposo,
Amor, amor, la morte te domando,
Amor, amor, Gesu si pietoso
Tu me te dai in te transformato
Pensa ch'io vo spasmando
Non so o io me sia
Gesu speranza mia
Ormai va, dormi in amore.

So sang Giacopone dei Todi in the raptures of a like love.[1]

If we are to believe a recently published document,[2] Brother Masseo, one of those who remained on the Verna, made a written account of the events of this day.

They set out early in the morning. Francis, after having given his directions to the Brothers, had had a look and a word for everything around; for the rocks, the flowers, the trees, for brother hawk, a privileged character which was authorized to enter his cell at all times, and which came every morning, with the first glimmer of dawn, to remind him of the hour of service.[3]

Then the little band set forth upon the path leading to Monte-Acuto.[4] Arrived at the gap from whence one gets the last sight of the Verna, Francis alighted from his horse, and kneeling upon the earth, his face turned toward the mountain, "Adieu," he said, "mountain of God, sacred mountain, mons coagulatus, mons pinguis, mons in quo bene placitum est Deo habitare ; adieu Monte-Verna, may God bless thee, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; abide in peace; we shall never see one another more."

Has not this artless scene a delicious and poignant sweetness? He must surely have uttered these words, in which suddenly the Italian does not suffice and Francis is obliged to resort to the mystical language of the breviary to express his feelings.

A few minutes later the rock of the ecstacy had disappeared. The descent into the valley is rapid. The Brothers had decided to spend the night at Monte-Casale, the little hermitage above Borgo San-Sepolcro. All of them, even those who were to remain on the Verna, were still following their master. As for him, absorbed in thought he had become entirely oblivious to what was going on, and did not even perceive the noisy enthusiasm which his passage aroused in the numerous villages along the Tiber.

At Borgo San-Sepolcro he received a real ovation without even then coming to himself; but when they had some time quitted the town, he seemed suddenly to awake, and asked his companion if they ought not soon to arrive there.[5]

The first evening at Monte Casale was marked by a miracle. Francis healed a friar who was possessed.[6] The next morning, having decided to pass several days in this hermitage, he sent the brothers back to the Verna, and with them Count Orlando's horse.

In one of the villages through which they had passed the day before a woman had been lying several days between death and life unable to give birth to her child. Those about her had only learned of the passage of the saint through their village when he was too far distant to be overtaken. We may judge of the joy of these poor people when the rumor was spread that he was about to return. They went to meet him, and were terribly disappointed on finding only the friars. Suddenly an idea occurred to them: taking the bridle of the horse consecrated by the touch of Francis's hands, they carried it to the sufferer, who, having laid it upon her body, gave birth to her child without the slightest pain.[7]

This miracle, established by narratives entirely authentic, shows the degree of enthusiasm felt by the people for the person of Francis. As for him, after a few days at Monte-Casale, he set out with Brother Leo for Città di Castello. He there healed a woman suffering from frightful nervous disorders, and remained an entire month preaching in this city and its environs. When he once more set forth winter had almost closed in. A peasant lent him his ass, but the roads were so bad that they were unable to reach any sort of shelter before nightfall. The unhappy travellers were obliged to pass the night under a rock; the shelter was more than rudimentary, the wind drifted the snow in upon them, and nearly froze the unlucky peasant, who with abominable oaths heaped curses on Francis; but the latter replied with such cheerfulness that he made him at last forget both the cold and his bad humor.

On the morrow the saint reached Portiuncula. He seems to have made only a brief halt there, and to have set forth again almost immediately to evangelize Southern Umbria.

It is impossible to follow him in this mission. Brother Elias accompanied him, but so feeble was he that Elias could not conceal his uneasiness as to his life.[8]

Ever since his return from Syria (August, 1220), he had been growing continually weaker, but his fervor had increased from day to day. Nothing could check him, neither suffering nor the entreaties of the Brothers; seated on an ass he would sometimes go over three or four villages in one day. Such excessive toil brought on an infirmity even more painful than any he had hitherto suffered from: he was threatened with loss of sight.[9]

Meanwhile a sedition had forced Honorius III. to leave Rome (end of April, 1225). After passing a few weeks at Tivoli, he established himself at Rieti, where he remained until the end of 1226.[10]

The pope's arrival had drawn to this city, with the entire pontifical court, several physicians of renown; Cardinal Ugolini, who had come in the pope's train, hearing of Francis's malady, summoned him to Rieti for treatment. But notwithstanding Brother Elias's entreaties Francis hesitated a long time as to accepting the invitation.[11] It seemed to him that a sick man has but one thing to do; place himself purely and simply in the hands of the heavenly Father. What is pain to a soul that is fixed in God![12]

Elias,