the Lord God!" Afterwards he must say: "Give us alms for the love of the Lord God."

The lord bishop was greatly edified by the holy father's words of instruction.^a He said to him: "My son, do what seems good in your eyes, for the Lord is with you and you with Him."

For the will of blessed Francis, as he often said, was that no brother should procrastinate in going for alms, so that he not be ashamed to go later on. Indeed, the greater and nobler a brother had been in the world, so much the more, therefore, was he pleased and happy when he went for alms and did servile work of this sort because of good example. Thus it was in the early days.

[3]

At the religion's beginning, when the brothers were staying at Rivo Torto, there was a brother among them who prayed little, did not work, and did not want to go for alms because he was ashamed; but he would eat heartily. Giving the matter some thought, blessed Francis knew through the Holy Spirit that the man was carnal. He therefore told him: "Go on your way, Brother Fly, because you want to feed on the labor of your brothers, but wish to be idle in the work of God, like Brother Drone that does not want to gather or work, yet eats the work and gain of the good bees."

So he went his way. And because he lived according to the flesh, he did not ask for mercy.

[4]

When blessed Francis lay gravely ill in the palace of the bishop of Assisi, to comfort his soul and ward off discouragement in his severe and serious infirmities, he often asked his companions during the day to sing the Praises of the Lord which he had composed a long time before in his illness. He likewise had the Praises sung during the night for the edification of their guards, who kept watch at night outside the palace because of him.

When Brother Elias reflected that blessed Francis was so comforting himself and rejoicing in the Lord in such illness, one day he said to him: "Dearest Father, I am greatly consoled and edified by all the joy which you show for yourself and your companions in such affliction and infirmity. Although the people of this city venerate you as a saint in life and in death, nevertheless, because they firmly believe

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"Laudatus et benedictus sit Dominus Deus", ²¹postea debet dicere: "Facite nobis helemosinam amore Dei Domini" ».
²²Et plurimum fuit edificatus dominus episcopus de collatione verborum sancti patris ²³et dixit ad eum: « Fili, quod bonum est in oculis tuis, facias, quoniam Deus tecum est, et tu cum ipso ».

²⁴Nam voluntas beati Francisci fuit, et etiam multotiens dixit, quod frater non deberet diu stare, quin iret pro helemosina, ut non verecundaretur postea ire. ²⁵Immo quanto frater magis fuisset nobilis et magnus in seculo, tanto magis ideo erat edificatus et letabatur, cum iret pro helemosina et faceret huius[modi] servilia opera propter bonum exemplum. ²⁶Quod ita fiebat in antiquo tempore.

[3]

¹Unde in primordio religionis, cum manerent fratres apud Rigum Tortum, erat quidam frater inter eos, qui parum orabat et non laborabat et pro helemosina ire nolebat, quoniam verecundabatur, sed bene comedebat; ²quapropter considerans hoc beatus Franciscus cognovit per Spiritum Sanctum, quod erat carnalis homo ; ³unde dixit ad eum: « Vade viam tuam, frater musca, quoniam vis comedere laborem fratrum tuorum, et tu vis esse otiosus in opere Dei, sicut frater apone, qui non vult lucrari et laborare et comedit laborem et lucrum bonarum apium ». ⁴Et sic ivit viam suam et, quia carnalis erat, non imploravit misericordiam.

[4]

¹Cum in palatio episcopatus Assisii beatus Franciscus iaceret valde infirmus, ad consolandum tamen spiritum suum, ne deficeret aliquando ex magnis et diversis suis infirmitatibus sepe de die suos socios [Laudes Domini] cantare faciebat, quas ipsemet longo tempore ante in sua infirmitate fecerat, ²similiter etiam de nocte; maxime ad hedificationem illorum custodum, qui de nocte extra palatium propter ipsum evigilabant. ³Cumque consideraret frater Helias, quod beatus Franciscus ita se confortaret et gauderet in Domino in tanta infirmitate positus, quadam die dixit ad ipsum: ⁴« Carissime pater, de omni letitia, quam pro te et pro sociis tuis in tanta afflictione et infirmitate ostendis sum plurimum consolatus et edificatus; ⁵sed licet in vita et in morte homines istius civitatis te venerentur pro sancto, quia tamen credunt firmiter propter tuam magnam et incurabilem infirmitatem te in proximo moriturum,