Chapter II And first, in what wise the Blessed Francis declared the will and intention which he had from the beginning to the end as regards the observance of poverty BrotherRicher of the March, noble of lineage and noble by his ho-
Complete three-work composite: CCEL Fioretti; Salter 1904 Life and Miracles; Evans 1899 / Goretti 2025 Mirror
Part II The Second Part, of the Perfection of Poverty Chapter II And first, in what wise the Blessed Francis declared the will and intention which he had from the beginning to the end as regards the observance of poverty BrotherRicher of the March, noble of lineage and noble by his ho-
liness, whom the Blessed Francis did love with great affection, on a
certain day visited the Blessed Francis in the Bishop’s palace of Assisi, and among other things whereof he spoke with him as concerning the state of the Religion and the observance of the Rule, he made question specially of this: “Tell me, Father, the intention that thou hadst from the beginning when thou didst begin to have brethren, and the intention that thou now hast and lookest to have even unto the day of thy death, so as that I may be able to bear witness to thy intention and to thy first will and thy last; to wit, whether we clergy-brethren that have so many books can in truth have them, albeit we say that they be the books of the Religion?” The Blessed Francis made answer unto him: “Brother, I say unto thee that this was and is my first intention and my last will, if only the brethren would have believed me, that no brother ought to have anything save his habit as our Rule alloweth, with girdle and hosen.”
But if any brother may be minded to say: “Why, then, did not the Blessed Francis in his own time make his Rule and the poverty thereby enjoined to be so strictly observed by the brethren as he said unto brother Richer, nor commanded it thus to be observed?” we that were with him make answer unto this according as we have heard from his own mouth, inasmuch as he himself said these and many other things to the brethren, and even made many things be written in the Rule, the which, with earnest prayer and meditation, he besought of the Lord as being useful to the Religion, affirming the same to be altogether according to the will of God; nevertheless, after he showed them unto the brethren, they seemed unto them heavy and not to be borne, seeing that they knew not what things should come to pass in the Religion after his death. And for that he was sore afraid of scandal, both as concerning himself as well as the brethren, he was not minded to contend with them, but did unwillingly condescend unto their wishes, and did excuse himself thereof before the Lord.
But that the word which the Lord did put into his mouth for the benefit of the brethren might not return unto Him empty, he willed to fulfil the same in himself, that he might thereby earn his wages of the Lord, and at the end his spirit did herein find rest and comfort.