The Little Flowers and the Life of St. Francis, with the Mirror of Perfection

Complete three-work composite: CCEL Fioretti; Salter 1904 Life and Miracles; Evans 1899 / Goretti 2025 Mirror

Table of Contents

Part IHere Beginneth the Mirror of Perfection of the

State of a Brother Minor, to wit, of the Blessed

Francis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1How the Blessed Francis made answer unto the ministers that

would not be bound to the observance of the Rule that he made . . . . 1

Part IIThe Second Part, of the Perfection of Poverty. . . 3 2And 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3How he made answer to a minister that would fain have books

by his licence, and how the ministers without his knowledge

made the clause concerning the prohibition of the Gospel be

removed from the Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4Of the novice that would fain have a psalter by his licence . . . . . . . 5 5Of maintaining poverty in books, beds, buildings, and appli-

ances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6How he made all the brethren go out of a certain house that

was said to belong to the brethren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7How he was fain to destroy a certain house that the folk of

Assisi had made at S. Mary of the Little Portion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 8How he chided his vicar for that he caused be made there a little

house for saying the Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9How the Blessed Francis would not stay in a cell curiously

wrought, or if it were said to be his own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 10Of the manner of taking places in cities and building therein,

according to the intention of the Blessed Francis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 11How the brethren, and more notably they that had authority

and they that had most of human learning, were against the

Blessed Francis about making the places and dwelling places

sorry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 12How he held it a theft to obtain alms or to make use thereof

beyond what is necessary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 13How Christ said unto him that He would not the brethren

should have aught, neither in common nor in special . . . . . . . . . . 14 14Of his execration of money, and in what wise he punished a

brother on this account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 15Of avoiding coddling, and of the multiplication of habits, and

of having patience in times of need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 16That he would not satisfy his body with aught whereof he

thought that other brethren were in want . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 17That he was ashamed to see any man poorer than himself . . . . . . . 17 18How he did induce and teach the first brethren to go forth for

alms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 19That he would not the brethren should be anxious to make

provision for tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 20How he did rebuke by word and example those brethren that

had made ready the table sumptuously on the day of the Lord’s

Nativity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 21How the Lord Bishop of Ostia wept and was edified at the

poverty of the brethren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 22How the soldiers found things necessary by asking an alms from

door to door, according to the counsel of the Blessed Francis . . . . 21 23How he went for alms before he would go in to the Cardinal’s

table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 24Of the brother that did neither pray nor work, but did eat well . . . 24 25How he went forth with fervor to a certain poor man that went

with alms praising God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 26How it was revealed unto him of the Lord that they should

be called Friars Minor, to wit, Lesser Brethren, and should

announce peace and salvation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Part IIIThe Third Part, of Charity and Compassion and

Condescension to One’s Neighbor. . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 27And, first, how he condescended to a brother that was dying

of hunger, eating with him and admonishing the brethren that

they should do penance discreetly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 28How he condescended to a sick brother by eating grapes with

him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 29How he made strip himself and his companion that he might