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Blessed Francis then said: "Bring me paper and a pen, and write to her what I tell you." And the brother started writing:
To Lady Jacoba, servant of the Most High, from Brother Francis, Christ's poor little one, greetings and fellowship with the Holy Spirit in the Lord Jesus Christ! You should know, my very dear one, that the blessed Christ by His grace has revealed to me that the end of my life is near. So, if you want to find me alive, come quickly to Saint Mary of the Angels as soon as you read this letter. For if you do not come before such-and-such a day, you will not be able to find me alive. Bring with you a piece of hair-shirt in which you may wrap my body, and wax for the burial. I ask you also to bring me some of those things to eat which you used to give me when I was sick in Rome.a
20 While this was being written, it was revealed to Saint Francis in the Holy Spirit that Lady Jacoba was on her way to him, bringing with her all the things he mentioned. So he suddenly said to the brother who was writing: "Don't write any more. It's not necessary. Put the letter away." They all wondered why he did not allow the letter to be finished. A short time later Lady Jacoba rang at the door.b When the porter went to the door, he found Lady Jacoba the most noble Roman lady, who had come to Saint Francis with her two sons, the senators, and a very large escort of knights.c She brought with her all those things which Saint Francis wrote in the letter. God had revealed to Lady Jacoba while she was in Rome praying both that the death of Saint Francis was near and also those things he requested in the letter. Moreover, she brought such a large supply of wax that it abundantly supplied everything not only for the burial but also during the Masses and over the body of the saint for many days.
25 When that Lady went inside to Saint Francis, who was still alive, the sight of each other gave them both the greatest consolation. Falling at his feet, stamped with divine markings, she received there such consolation, grace and abundance of tears, that just as the Magdalene washed the feet of the Lord with tears her faithful lips were pressing kisses all over the feet of one like another Christ, as she was
- Cf. FA:ED II 418 b.
- According to A Book of Exemplary Stories, the description of Lady Jacoba's arrival comes from Brother Leo, cf. "Liber exemplorum Fratrum Minorum Saeculi XII," ed. Livarius Oliger, Antonianum 2 (1927): 67.
- Cf. FA:ED II 419 b. In his Nova Vita di San Francesco, Arnaldo Fortini identifies the other son as Graziano, cf. Arnaldo Fortini, Nova Vita di San Francesco, II (Assisi: Edizioni Assisi, 1958-60), 453-4.