⁴A woman was near to childbirth in Viterbo, but considered nearer to death. She had severe abdominal pains and suffered the misfortunes that befall women. As her natural strength was collapsing, and all the efforts of medicine failed, the woman called upon the name of blessed Francis. She was immediately healed and gave birth in good health. But when she got what she wanted, she forgot the favor she received, not returning it to the honor of the saint, and she stretched out her hand to servile work on his birthday.^a Suddenly she was unable to draw back the right arm she had extended to work; it remained rigid and withered. When she tried to pull it back with the other arm, it too withered with a similar punishment. Struck with fear of God the woman reaffirmed the vow, and through the merits of the merciful and humble saint to whom she vowed herself again, deserved to regain the use of her limbs, which she had lost because of ingratitude and contempt.

⁵A woman from the region of Arezzo bore the pains of labor through seven days, and was turning black. As people had despaired of her, she made a vow to blessed Francis and began calling on his aid as she was dying. But when she had made her vow, she quickly fell asleep, and saw in a dream blessed Francis. He spoke sweetly to her and inquired whether she recognized his face, and if she could recite that antiphon of the glorious Virgin, the "Salve, Regina misericordiae" in honor of the same glorious Virgin. When she answered that she recognized both, the saint said, "Start the holy antiphon, and before you finish you will safely give birth." At this cry, the woman woke up and anxiously began "Salve regina misericordiae." When she reached the words "illos misericordes oculos," and "fructum," commemorating the fruit of the virgin's womb, she was immediately freed from all her labor pains, and gave birth to a lovely child, giving thanks to the "Regina misericordiae," who through the merits of blessed Francis was kind enough to have mercy on her.

Chapter VII
THE BLIND WHO RECEIVED SIGHT

¹A brother named Roberto of the convent of the Lesser Brothers in Naples had been blind for many years. Excess flesh grew in his eyes and impeded the movement and use of his eyelids. Many brothers from other places had gathered there on their way to different parts of the world. Blessed father Francis, that mirror and

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4 ¹Apud Viterbium partui propinqua mulier morti propinquior censebatur, visceralibus tormentata doloribus et tota calamitosa infortuniis mulierum. ²Cumque naturae succumbente virtute, omnis deficeret artis industria, invocato beati Francisci nomine, liberata confestim mulier, partum salubriter terminavit; ³sed assecuta quod voluit et oblita beneficii, quod accepit honori Sancti non deferens, die natalis ipsius ad opera servilia manus extendit. ⁴Et ecce, subito dextrum brachium ad laborem extensum inflexibile remansit et aridum. ⁵Quod cum studeret ad se revocare cum altero, ultione consimili et illud exaruit. ⁶Timore igitur divino correpta, mulier redintegravit votum usumque membrorum, quem propter ingratitudinem amiserat et contemptum, per misericordis et humilis Sancti merita, cui se iterato devovit, recuperare promeruit.

5 ¹Mulier quaedam de partibus Aretinis, cum. per septem dies partus discrimina sustineret, et iam in nigredinem versa, desperata esset ab omnibus, votum fecit beato Francisco et eius coepit moriens auxilium invocare. ²Emisso autem voto, celeriter obdormivit viditque in somnis beatum Franciscum se dulciter alloquentem ac requirentem, utrum faciem ipsius agnosceret, et an antiphonam illam Virginis gloriosae: « Salve, Regina misericordiae » sciret ad honorem eiusdem Virginis recitare. ³Qua respondente, se habere notitiam de utrisque: « Incipe », ait Sanctus, « antiphonam sacram, et antequam compleas, paries cum salute ». ⁴Ad hanc vocem evigilavit mulier et cum timore coepit dicere: « Salve, Regina misericordiae ». ⁵Cumque illos misericordes oculos precaretur fructumque commemoraret uteri virginalis, continuo cunctis, liberata pressuris, infantem, peperit speciosum, gratias agens Reginae misericordiae, quae per beati Francisci merita ipsius dignata fuerat misereri.

VII
De caecis illuminatis.

1 ¹In conventu fratrum Minorum de Neapoli, cum quidam frater Robertus nomine, caecus annis plurimis exstitisset, crevit in oculis eius caro superflua, motum et usum impediens palpebrarum. ²Cum igitur fratres forenses, ad diversas mundi partes tendentes, ibidem plurimi convenissent, beatus Pater Franciscus speculum obedientiae sanctae,