Iacobus de Voragine: LEGENDA AUREA

Franciscus servus et amicus altissimi in civitate Assisii ortus et negotiator effectus fere usque ad vicesimum aetatis suae annum tempus suum vane vivendo consumpsit. Quem dominus infirmitatis flagello corripuit et in virum alterum subito transformavit, ita quod iam spiritu prophetico pollere coepit. Nam cum quadam vice ipse cum plurimis a Perusinis captus diro fuisset carceri mancipatus, dolentibus aliis hic solus exsultat et redargutus super hoc a concaptivis respondit: "ideo me exultare noveritis, quia adhuc sanctus per totum saeculum adorabor." Quadam vice Romam causa devotionis proficiscens vestimenta sua deposuit et pauperis cuiusdam vestimenta induens ante ecclesiam sancti Petri inter pauperes sedit et cum iis velut unus ex illis avide mendicavit et saepius simile fecisset, nisi notorum verecundia impedivisset.

Francis, servant and friend of the Most High, born in the city of Assisi and having become a merchant, consumed his time by living vainly almost up to the twentieth year of his age. The Lord corrected him with the scourge of infirmity and suddenly transformed him into another man, such that now he began to be endowed with a prophetic spirit. For when on a certain occasion he himself, captured with very many others by the Perugians, had been consigned to a dire prison, while the others were grieving he alone exulted; and when he was rebuked for this by his fellow captives he replied: "Know that I exult for this reason, because even yet, as a saint, I shall be adored through the whole world." On a certain occasion, setting out to Rome for the sake of devotion, he laid aside his own garments and, putting on the garments of a certain pauper, sat among the poor before the church of Saint Peter and greedily begged with them as one of them; and he would have done the like more often, had not modesty before acquaintances impeded him.

Quadam die dum audiret ea, quae dominus discipulis suis ad praedicandum missis locutus est, statim ad universa servanda tota virtute consurgit, solvit calceamenta de pedibus, tunica una, sed vili induitur et pro corrigia mutavit funiculum. Multi nobiles et ignobiles, clerici et laici spreta saeculari pompa eius vestigiis adhaeserunt, quos pater sanctus docuit evangelicam perfectionem implere, paupertatem apprehendere et per viam sanctae simplicitatis incedere. Scripsit praeterea evangelicam regulam sibi et suis fratribus habitis et habendis, quam dominus papa Innocentius confirmavit.

On a certain day, while he was hearing the things which the Lord spoke to his disciples sent to preach, at once he rises up with all his strength to observe all things: he looses the shoes from his feet, is clothed with a single, but cheap, tunic, and in place of a belt he exchanged a cord. Many nobles and ignobles, clerics and laymen, despising secular pomp, adhered to his footsteps; the holy father taught them to fulfill evangelical perfection, to lay hold of poverty, and to walk by the way of holy simplicity. Moreover, he wrote an evangelical rule for himself and for his brothers, those had and those to be had, which Lord Pope Innocent confirmed.

Coepit extunc ferventius verbi Dei semina spargere et civitates et castella fervore mirabili circuire.

Thenceforth he began to scatter more fervently the seeds of the Word of God and to go about cities and castles with marvelous fervor.

In visione servus Dei supra se Seraphim crucifixum adspexit, qui crucifixionis suae signa sic ei evidenter impressit, ut crucifixus videretur et ipse. Consignantur manus et pedes et latus crucis charactere, sed diligenti studio ab omnium oculis ipsa stigmata abscondebat. Quidam tamen haec in vita viderunt, sed in morte plurimi conspexerunt.

In a vision the servant of God beheld above him a Seraph crucified, who so plainly impressed upon him the signs of his crucifixion that he too seemed crucified. The hands and the feet and the side are sealed with the character of the cross, yet by diligent care he hid the stigmata themselves from the eyes of all. Some, however, saw these in his life, but in his death very many beheld them.

Quod autem haec stigmata per omnia vera exstiterint, multis miraculis ostensum est.

But that these stigmata proved true in all respects has been shown by many miracles.

Beatus Franciscus columbina simplicitate plenus omnes creaturas ad creatoris hortatur amorem, praedicat avibus, auditur ab iis, tanguntur ab ipso nec nisi licentiatae recedunt; hirundines, dum eo praedicante garrirent, ipso imperante protinus conticescunt. Apud Portiunculam iuxta eius cellam cicada in ficu residens frequenter canebat; quam vir Dei manum extendens vocavit dicens: "soror mea cicada, veni ad me." Quae statim oboediens super eius manum adscendit. Cui ille: "canta, mea soror cicada, et dominum tuum lauda!" quae protinus canens nonnisi licentiata recessit.

Blessed Francis, full of dovelike simplicity, urges all creatures to the love of their Creator; he preaches to the birds, he is heard by them, they are touched by him, nor do they depart unless licensed; the swallows, while they were chattering as he preached, at his command straightway fall silent. At the Portiuncula, near his cell, a cicada, sitting in a fig tree, was frequently singing; the man of God, stretching out his hand, called her, saying: "my sister cicada, come to me." She, immediately obedient, climbed upon his hand. To whom he said: "sing, my sister cicada, and praise your Lord!" and she at once, singing, did not depart except with leave.

Parcit lucernis, lampadibus et candelis, nolens sua manu deturpare fulgorem.

He spares the oil‑lamps, lampads, and candles, unwilling to disfigure the effulgence by his own hand.

Super petras reverenter ambulat intuitu eius, qui dicitur petra legis divinae; vermiculos, ne transeuntium pedibus conculcentur, levat et apibus, ne inedia pereant glacie hiemali, mel et optima vina iubet apponi, fraterno nomine animalia cuncta vocabat. Miro et ineffabili gaudio replebatur ob creatoris amorem, cum solem, lunam et stellas intuebatur et eas ad creatoris amorem invitabat. Coronam sibi magnam fieri prohibebat dicens: "volo, quod fratres mei pulices partem habeant in capite meo".

He walks reverently upon rocks out of regard for him who is called the rock of the divine law; he lifts up little worms, lest they be trampled by the feet of passers-by, and for the bees, lest they perish from starvation in the winter ice, he orders honey and the best wines to be set before them; he used to call all animals by a fraternal name. He was filled with wondrous and ineffable joy on account of love of the creator, when he gazed upon the sun, the moon, and the stars, and he invited them to the love of the creator. He forbade a great corona to be made for himself, saying: "I want that my brothers the fleas may have a share on my head".

Cum apud castrum Alvianum praedicaret, propter garritus hirundinum ibidem nidificantium audiri non poterat. Quibus ille: "sorores meae hirundines, iam tempus est, ut loquar ego, quia vos satis dixistis; tenete silentium, donec verbum domini compleatur." Cui continuo oboedientes protinus conticuerunt.

While he was preaching at the castle of Alviano, he could not be heard because of the chatter of the swallows nesting there. To whom he said: "my sister swallows, now it is time that I speak, since you have said enough; keep silence, until the word of the lord is completed." Obedient to this at once, they immediately fell silent.

Transeunte aliquando viro Dei per Apuliam unam bursam magnam repperit in via denariis tumentem, quam socius videns accipere voluit, ut pauperibus erogaret, sed ille nullatenus permisit dicens: "non licet, fili, alienum auferre." Sed cum ille vehementer instaret, Franciscus paululum orans iubet, ut bursam tollat, quae iam colubrum pro pecunia continebat. Quod videns frater timere coepit, sed oboedientiae volens implere mandatum, bursam manibus capit et inde magnus serpens protinus exilivit. Et ait Franciscus: "pecunia servis Dei nihil aliud est quam diabolus et coluber venenosus."

As the man of God was once passing through Apulia, he found in the road a large purse swollen with denarii, which his companion, seeing it, wished to take, that he might distribute to the poor; but he by no means permitted it, saying: "it is not allowed, son, to carry off what is another's." But when he pressed vehemently, Francis, praying a little, orders him to lift the purse, which now contained a coluber instead of money. Seeing this, the brother began to fear; but wishing to fulfill the mandate of obedience, he takes the purse in his hands, and from it a great serpent immediately leapt out. And Francis said: "money for the servants of God is nothing other than the devil and a venomous coluber."

Cum vero ad dies iam appropinquaret extremos, longa infirmitate confectus super nudam humum nudum poni se fecit fecitque omnes fratres ibidem assistentes ad se vocari et manus singulis imponens omnibus ibi praesentibus benedixit et instar cenae dominicae singulis bucellam panis divisit. Invitabat, ut moris sui erat, omnes creaturas ad laudem Dei; nam et mortem ipsam cunctis terribilem et exosam hortabatur ad laudem eique laetus occurrit et ad suum invitabat hospitium dicens: "bene veniat soror mea mors." Ad extremam igitur horam veniens dormivit in domino. Cuius animam quidam frater vidit in modum stellae similis lunae in quantitate, soli in splendore.

When indeed he was now approaching his last days, worn out by a long infirmity, he had himself placed naked upon the bare ground, and he had all the brothers then standing by be called to him; and, laying his hands upon each, he blessed all there present, and, after the likeness of the Lord’s Supper, he divided to each a morsel of bread. He invited, as was his custom, all creatures to the praise of God; for even death itself, dreadful and odious to all, he exhorted to praise, and he gladly went to meet her and invited her to his lodging, saying: “welcome, my sister death.” Therefore, coming to the last hour, he fell asleep in the Lord. A certain brother saw his soul in the manner of a star, like the moon in size, like the sun in splendor.