Part
I
|
Here
Beginneth the Little Flowers
of Saint Francis of Assisi
|
| Chapter
I |
In
the name of Jesus Christ our crucified Saviour, and Mary
his Virgin Mother. In this book are contained certain Little Flowers -
to wit, miracles and pious examples of the glorious servant of Christ
St Francis, and of some of his holy companions; to the glory and praise
of Jesus Christ. Amen |
| Chapter
II |
Of
Brother Bernard of Quintavalle, the first companion of St Francis |
| Chapter
III |
How
St Francis, having allowed an evil thought to
arise in his mind against Brother Bernard, ordered him to place his
foot three times upon his neck and his mouth |
| Chapter
IV |
How
the angel of God put a question to Brother Elias,
guardian of Val di Spoleto, and how, when Brother Elias answered
proudly, the angel departed from him, and took the road to San Giacomo,
where he met Brother Bernard and told him what follows |
| Chapter
V |
How
the holy Brother Bernard of Assisi was sent by St Francis to Bologna,
and how he founded a convent there |
| Chapter
VI |
How
St Francis, when about to die, blessed the holy Brother Bernard, naming
him Vicar of the Order |
| Chapter
VII |
How
St Francis passed the time of Lent in an island,
on the lake of Perugia, where he fasted forty days and forty nights,
eating no more than half of one loaf |
| Chapter
VIII |
How
St Francis, walking one day with Brother Leo, explained to him what
things are perfect joy |
| Chapter
IX |
How
St Francis would teach Brother Leo what to answer,
and how the latter could never say aught but the contrary to what St
Francis wished |
| Chapter
X |
How
Brother Masseo told St Francis, as in jest, that
the world was gone after him; and how St Francis answered that it was
indeed so, to the confusion of the world and through the grace of God |
| Chapter XI |
How
St Francis made Brother Masseo turn round and round
like a child, and then to go to Siena |
| Chapter XII |
How
St Francis gave to Brother Masseo the office of
porter, of almoner and of cook; and how, at the request of the other
brethren, he afterwards took these duties from him |
| Chapter XIII |
How
St Francis and Brother Masseo placed the bread they
had begged upon a stone near a fountain; and how St Francis praised the
virtue of holy poverty, praying St Peter and St Paul to make him love
holy poverty greatly. And how St Peter and St Paul appeared to him |
| Chapter
XIV |
How
the Lord appeared to St Francis and to his brethren as
he was speaking with them |
| Chapter
XV |
How
St. Clare ate with St Francis and his companions at St
Mary of the Angels |
| Chapter XVI |
How
St Francis, having been told by St Clare and the holy
Brother Silvester that he should preach and convert many to the faith,
founded the Third Order, preached to the birds, and reduced to silence
the swallows |
| Chapter XVII |
How
a little child who had entered the Order saw St
Francis in prayer one night, and saw also the Saviour, the Virgin Mary,
and many other saints talk with him |
| Chapter XVIII |
Of
the wonderful chapter held by St Francis at St Mary
of the Angels, at which more than five thousand friars were present |
| Chapter
XIX |
How the vine of the priest of Rieti, whose house St
Francis entered to pray, was trampled under foot by the great numbers
who came to see him, and how it yet produced a greater quantity
of wine
than usual, as St Francis had promised; and how the Lord revealed to
the saints that heaven would be his portion when he left this world |
| Chapter XX |
Of
a beautiful vision which appeared to a young man who
hated the habits of St Francis so greatly, that he was on the point of
leaving the Order |
| Chapter XXI |
Of
the most holy miracle of St Francis in taming the
fierce wolf of Gubbio |
| Chapter XXII |
How
St Francis tamed the wild doves |
| Chapter XXIII |
How
St Francis delivered the brother who, being in sin,
had fallen into the power of the devil |
| Chapter XXIV |
How
St Francis converted to the faith the Sultan of
Babylon |
| Chapter XXV |
How
St Francis healed miraculously a leper both in his
body and in his soul, and what the soul said to him on going up to
heaven |
| Chapter XXVI |
How
St Francis converted certain robbers and assassins,
who became friars; and of a wonderful vision which appeared to one of
them who was a most holy brother |
| Chapter
XXVII |
How at Bologna St Francis converted two scholars who
became friars, and how he delivered one of them from a great temptation
|
| Chapter
XXVIII |
Of
an ecstasy which came to Brother Bernard, and how he
remained from Matins until Noon in a state of rapture |
| Chapter XXIX |
How
the devil often appeared to Brother Ruffino in the
form of a crucifix, telling him that all the good he did was of no
avail, seeing he was not of the number of the elect of God; which being
revealed to St Francis, he made known to Brother Ruffino the error into
which he had fallen |
| Chapter XXX |
Of
the beautiful sermon which St Francis and Brother
Ruffino preached at Assisi |
| Chapter
XXXI |
How
St Francis was acquainted with the secrets of the
consciences of all his brethren |
| Chapter XXXII |
How
Brother Masseo obtained from Christ the virtue of
humility |
| Chapter XXXIII |
How
St Clare, by order of the Pope, blessed the bread
which was on the table, and how on each loaf appeared the sign of the
holy cross |
| Chapter XXXIV |
How
St Louis, King of France, went in person in a
pilgrim’s garb to visit the holy Brother Giles |
| Chapter XXXV |
How
St Clare, being ill, was miraculously carried, on
Christmas night, to the church of St Francis, where she assisted at the
Office |
| Chapter XXXVI |
How
St Francis explained to Brother Leo a beautiful
vision that he had seen |
| Chapter XXXVII |
How
Jesus Christ, the blessed one, at the prayer of St
Francis, converted a rich nobleman who had made great offers to St
Francis, and inspired him with a wish to become a religious |
| Chapter XXXVIII |
How
it was revealed to St Francis that Brother Elias
was damned, and was to die out of the Order; and how at the desire of
the said brother he prayed to Christ for him, and how his prayer was
granted |
| Chapter XXXIX |
Of
the wonderful discourse which St Anthony of Padua, a
Friar Minor, made in the Consistory |
| Chapter XL |
Of
the miracle which God performed when St Anthony, being
at Rimini, preached to the fishes of the sea |
| Chapter XLI |
How the venerable Brother Simon delivered a brother from a
great temptation, on account of which he was on the point of leaving
the Order |
| Chapter XLII |
Of
several wonderful miracles which the Lord performed
through the means of Brother Peter of Monticello, and Brother Conrad of
Offida. How Brother Bentivoglio carried a leper fifteen miles in a very
short time; how St Michael spoke to another brother, and how the Virgin
Mary appeared to Brother Conrad and placed her divine Son in his arms |
| Chapter
XLIII |
How
Brother Conrad of Offida converted a young brother,
who was a stumbling-block to the other brothers; and how after death
his soul appeared to Brother Conrad, begging him to pray for him; and
how through his prayers he was delivered from the great pains of
Purgatory |
| Chapter XLIV |
How
the Mother of Christ and St John the Evangelist
appeared to Brother Conrad, and told him who had suffered the greatest
sorrow at the Passion of Christ |
| Chapter XLV |
Of
the conversion, life, miracles, and death of the holy
Brother John Della Penna |
| Chapter XLVI |
How
Brother Pacifico, being in prayer, saw the soul of
Brother Umile, his brother in the flesh, go up to heaven |
| Chapter
XLVII |
Of
a holy brother to whom the Mother of Christ appeared
when he was ill, and brought him three vases of healing ointments |
| Chapter
XLVIII |
How
Brother James Della Massa saw in a vision all the
Friars Minor in the world in the form of a tree; and how the virtues,
the merits and the vices of all were made known to him |
| Chapter XLIX |
How
Christ appeared to Brother John of Alvernia |
| Chapter L |
How
Brother John of Alvernia, when saying Mass on the day of
All Souls, saw many souls liberated from Purgatory |
| Chapter LI |
Of
the holy Brother James of Fallerone, and how, after his
death, he appeared to Brother John of Alvernia |
| Chapter
LII |
Of
the vision of Brother John of Alvernia, by which he
became acquainted with all the order of the Holy Trinity |
| Chapter LIII |
How,
while he was saying Mass, Brother John of Alvernia
fell down, as if he had been dead
Of
the Sacred and Holy Stigmata of St. Francis and Certain
Considerations Thereon |
| Chapter LIV |
How
a holy friar, having read in the legend of St Francis
of the secret words spoken to him by the seraph, prayed so earnestly to
God that St Francis revealed them to him |
| Chapter LV |
How
St Francis appear, after his death, to Brother John of
Alvernia, while he was in prayer |
| Chapter
LVI |
Of
a holy friar who saw a wonderful vision of a companion
who was dead |
| Chapter LVII |
How
a noble knight who was devout to St Francis was
assured of his death and of the sacred stigmata |
| Chapter LVIII |
How
Pope Gregory IX, who had doubted of the stigmata of
St Francis, was assured of their truth
|
Part
II
|
The
Life of Brother Juniper
|
| Chapter I |
How
Brother Juniper cut off the foot of a pig to give it to
a sick brother |
| Chapter II |
An
instance of Brother Juniper’s great power against the
devil |
| Chapter III |
How,
by the contrivance of the devil, Brother Juniper was
condemned to the gallows |
| Chapter IV |
How
Brother Juniper gave all that he had to the poor for
the love of God |
| Chapter V |
How
Brother Juniper took certain little bells from the
alter, and gave them away for the love of God |
| Chapter VI |
How
Brother Juniper kept silence for six months |
| Chapter VII |
His
remedy for temptations of the flesh |
| Chapter VIII |
How
Brother Juniper made himself contemptible for the
love of God |
| Chapter
IX |
How
Brother Juniper, in order to be despised, played at
see-saw |
| Chapter X |
How
Brother Juniper once cooked for the brethren enough to
last for a fortnight |
| Chapter XI |
How
Brother Juniper went one day to Assisi for his own
confusion |
| Chapter XII |
How
Brother Juniper fell into an ecstasy during the
celebration of Mass |
| Chapter XIII |
Of
the sorrow which Brother Juniper felt at the loss of
his companion Brother Amazialbene |
| Chapter XIV |
Of
the hand which Brother Juniper saw in the air |
| Chapter XV |
How
St Francis commanded Brother Leo to wash the stone
|
Part
III
|
The
Life of the Blessed Brother Giles,
Companion of St
Francis
|
| Chapter I |
How
Brother Giles, with three companions, was received into
the Order of Friars Minor |
| Chapter II |
How
Brother Giles went to St James the Great |
| Chapter
III |
Of
Brother Giles’s manner of life when he went to the Holy
Sepulchre |
| Chapter IV |
How
Brother Giles praised obedience more than prayer |
| Chapter V |
How
Brother Giles lived by the labour of his hands |
| Chapter VI |
How
Brother Giles was miraculously assisted in a great
necessity when, by reason of a heavy fall of snow, he was hindered from
going out to quest |
| Chapter VII |
Of
the day of the holy Brother Giles’s death |
| Chapter VIII |
How
a holy man, being in prayer, saw the soul of Brother
Giles pass to eternal life |
| Chapter IX |
How,
by the merits of Brother Giles, the soul of the friend
of a Friar Preacher was delivered from the pains of Purgatory |
| Chapter X |
How
God gave special graces to Brother Giles; and of the
year of his death
|
Part
IV
|
The
Chapters of Certain Instructions
and Notable Sayings of
Brother Giles
|
| Chapter I |
Of
vices and virtues |
| Chapter II |
Of
faith |
| Chapter
III |
Of
holy humility |
| Chapter IV |
Of
the holy fear of God |
| Chapter V |
Of
holy patience |
| Chapter VI |
Of
sloth |
| Chapter
VII |
Of
the contempt of temporal things |
| Chapter
VIII |
Of
holy chastity |
| Chapter IX |
Of
temptations |
| Chapter X |
Of
holy penance |
| Chapter XI |
Of
holy prayer |
| Chapter XII |
Of
holy spiritual prudence |
| Chapter XIII |
Of
knowledge useful and useless |
| Chapter XIV |
Of
good and evil speaking |
| Chapter XV |
Of
holy perseverance |
| Chapter XVI |
Of
true religious life |
| Chapter XVII |
Of
holy obedience |
| Chapter
XVIII |
Of
the remembrance of death |
