Therefore he told the brother who did the cooking for the brothers, that when he wanted the brothers to eat beans, he should not put them in warm water in the evening for the next day, as people usually do. This was so the brothers would observe the words of the holy Gospel: "Do not be concerned about tomorrow. ^{Mt 6:34} " So that brother used to put them in water to soften after the brothers said matins.

Because of this, for a long time many brothers observed this in a great many places where they stayed on their own, especially in cities. They did not want to collect or receive more alms than were enough for them for one day.

[53]
[HE EATS GRAPES WITH A SICK BROTHER]

One time when blessed Francis was at that same place, a certain brother, a spiritual man, an elder in religion, was staying there. He was very sick and weak. Considering him, blessed Francis was moved to piety toward him. The brothers back then, sick and healthy, with cheerfulness and patience took poverty for abundance. They did not take medicines in their illnesses, but more willingly did what was contrary to the body. Blessed Francis said to himself: "If that brother would eat some ripe grapes early in the morning, I believe it would help him."

One day, therefore, he secretly got up early in the morning, and called that brother and took him into the vineyard which is near that same church. He chose a vine that had grapes that were good and ready for eating. Sitting down with that brother next to the vine, he began to eat some grapes so that the brother would not be ashamed to eat alone, and while they were eating them, that brother praised the Lord God. As long as he lived, he always recalled among the brothers, with great devotion and flowing tears, the mercy the holy father had done to him.

[54]
[A SURPRISING VISIT FROM THE BISHOP OF ASSISI]

One time when blessed Francis was at that same place, he stayed at prayer in the cell that was in the back, behind the house. One day while he was staying in it, the bishop of Assisi came to see him. It happened that as he came into the house, he knocked on the door to approach blessed Francis. He opened the door himself, and immediately entered the cell in which there was another small cell made of

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²Unde prohibuit fratri, qui fratribus faciebat coquinam ut, cum vellet fratribus dare legumina ad manducandum, non premitteret ea in sero in aqua calida, sicut est consuetum, pro alio die, ut observarent fratres illud verbum sancti Evangelii: « Nolite solliciti esse de crastino a ». ³Et ita frater ille, postquam fratres dixerant matutinum, mittebat illa ad mollificandum.

⁴Quapropter etiam per longum tempus multi fratres in pluribus locis, ubi per se morabantur, et maxime in civitatibus, hoc observaverunt nolentes plures helemosinas acquirere vel accipere nisi quot sufficerent eis per unum diem.

[53]

¹Quodam tempore, cum esset beatus Franciscus apud eundem locum, quidam frater spiritualis homo et antiquus in Religione manebat ibi, qui erat valde debilis et infirmus. ²Considerans igitur ipsum beatus Franciscus pietate motus est super eum a. ³Sed quia fratres tunc infirmi et sani cum hilaritate et patientia, paupertate pro habundantia utebantur, et in suis infirmitatibus medicinis non utebantur, sed magis que erant contraria corpori libentius faciebant, dixit ad seipsum beatus Franciscus: ⁴« Si frater iste summo mane manducaret de uvis maturis, credo quod prodesset illi ».

⁵Et ideo surrexit quadam die summo mane secreto et vocavit fratrem illum et duxit illum in vineam que est iuxta eandem ecclesiam, et elegit quamdam vitem, in qua erant bone et sane uve ad manducandum. ⁶Et sedens cum illo fratre iuxta vitem, cepit de uvis comedere, ut non verecundaretur solus comedere; ⁷et manducantibus illis laudavit Dominum Deum frater ille. ⁸Et illius misericordie quam fecit propter eum sanctus pater, toto tempore, dum vixit, cum magna devotione et lacrimarum effusione sepe recordatus est inter fratres.

[54]

¹Quodam tempore, cum esset beatus Franciscus apud eumdem locum, manebat ad orationem in cella, que erat retro post domum. ²Cumque quadam die staret in ea, ecce episcopus Assisii venit ad videndum eum. ³Et factum est, dum intraret domum, pulsavit ostium ut ingrederetur ad beatum Franciscum. ⁴Et aperto sibi ostio statim intravit cellam, in qua erat facta parva alia cellula de storiis,