Francis with great faith. Shortly the water-filled boat floated up to the surface and, with the saint guiding it, safely reached the shore with them in it.

Similarly a brother from Ascoli was saved by the merits of Saint Francis when he fell into a river.

Also some men and women who were in similar danger on the Lake of Rieti safely escaped a dangerous shipwreck in the midst of many waters ^{Ps 32:6 [Vulgate, Ps 31:6]} by calling on the name of Saint Francis.

⁵Some sailors from Ancona were caught in a violent storm and knew they were in danger of sinking. In desperation for their lives, they humbly invoked Saint Francis. A great light appeared on the ship,^a and with the light a heaven-sent calm, as if the holy man, through his admirable power, could command the winds and the sea.

I do not believe it possible to tell one by one
all the outstanding miracles
by which this holy Father has been and is still glorified
on the sea,
or how often he has brought help
to those in desperate straits there.
But it is not surprising
that authority over the waters has been granted to him
now reigning in heaven,
when, even while he was in this mortal life,
all earthly creatures served him marvelously,
restored to their original condition.^b

Chapter V
THOSE SET FREE FROM CHAINS AND IMPRISONMENT

¹In Romania^c it happened that a Greek servant of a certain lord was falsely accused of theft. His lord ordered him to be shut in a narrow prison and heavily chained. The lady of the household, however, had pity on the servant, for she had no doubt that he was innocent of the crime of which he stood accused, and with devout prayers entreated her husband to free him. But her husband remained firm and rejected her request. The lady turned humbly to

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²Cum autem de lacu miseriae misericordem Patrem Franciscum invocarent cum multa fiducia, superenatavit subito aqua plena navicula, et cum eis, Sancto praebente ducatum, salubriter devenit ad portum.

³sic et quidam frater de Esculo, submersus in flumine, sancti Francisci meritis exstitit liberatus.

⁴Sed et in lacu Reatino cum quidam viri et mulieres in consimili essent periculo constituti, ad invocationem nominis sancti Francisci de aquarum multarum periculoso naufragio salubriter evaserunt.

5 ¹Quidam nautae Anconitani, procellosa tempestate iactati, submersionis periculum iam videbant. ²Cumque sic desperati de vita sanctum Franciscum suppliciter invocarent, lumen in navi magnum apparuit, et cum ipso lumine tranquillitas concessa divinitus, ac si beatus vir sua miranda virtute et ventis imperare posset et mari.

³Quantis autem miraculorum prodigiis
beatus hic Pater
in mari claruerit
et clarescat,
quoties ibidem opem tulerit desperatis,
nullatenus credo possibile per singula enarrare.
⁴Nec mirum,
si iam regnanti in caelis
collatum est imperium super aquas,
cui et in hac mortalitate
degenti omnis corporea creatura
ad suam refigurata originem mirabiliter serviebat.

V
De liberatis a vinculis et carceribus.

1 ¹In Romania Graecum cuiusdam domini servientem contigit de furto fallaciter accusari. ²Quem dominus terrae in arcto carcere mandavit includi et graviter vinculari, domina vero domus miserta servi, quem indubitanter credebat a culpa sibi imposita innocentem, pro liberatione ipsius apud virum precibus insistebat devotis. ³Verum non acquiescente viri sui duritia obstinata, recurrit domina supplexad sanctum Franciscum et eius pietati voto commendavit insontem.