Chapter XXXV How he was minded to give a poor man a piece of cloth by stealth Anothertime a certain poor man came to the place where the Blessed
Complete three-work composite: CCEL Fioretti; Salter 1904 Life and Miracles; Evans 1899 / Goretti 2025 Mirror
Chapter XXXV How he was minded to give a poor man a piece of cloth by stealth Anothertime a certain poor man came to the place where the Blessed
Francis was, and asked of the brethren a piece of cloth for the love of
God. Which when he heard, the Blessed Francis said unto one of the brethren: “Make search through the house and see whether thou canst find a piece, or any cloth, and give the same unto the poor man.” And the brother ran all over the house and said he could not find any.
But so that the poor brother should not go back empty-handed, the Blessed Francis went secretly because of the warden, lest he should forbid him, and took a knife, and sitting down in a secret place began to cut off a piece of his habit that was sewn on the inner side, meaning to give it to the poor man secretly. But the warden, perceiving the same, straightway went to him and forbade him to give it, and the more for that the cold at that time was great and he himself was sick and exceeding cold. Wherefore the Blessed Francis said unto him: “If so be that thou wilt I should not give him this piece, thou must by all means make be given some other piece to our poor brother.” And so the brethren gave the poor man some cloth from their habits at the instance of the Blessed Francis.
When he went about the world preaching, whether he were afoot or on an ass after he began to be sick, or on horseback in very great and extreme necessity, for otherwise he would not ride, and this but a little before his death, if it were that any brother lent him a mantle, he would only accept the same on such condition as that he might give it to any poor person that he met or that might come unto him, so only that his spirit should bear witness that it was necessary unto him.