to La Verna. He brought some of the bloody cotton with him and gave it to the brothers.

¹⁶ Out of devotion and with great tearful reverence he also visited Saint Mary of the Angels and all the places associated with Saint Francis. In fact, wherever he was able to find anything that was associated with the deeds and effects of Saint Francis, he would burst into such devout tears that he made even others weep.

¹⁸ He also spoke about these miracles before many Lesser Brothers at La Verna and Assisi, but only in the absence of his associates, lest perhaps he bring opprobrium on his own Order. By the merits of Saint Francis this brother became so friendly with Francis's brothers that, just as he was not able to see them sometimes, so later strengthened by the love of God, he venerated them with the affection of brotherly love.

To the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.

LXVI
THE MIRACULOUS WORD SPOKEN BY BROTHER GILES OF PERUGIA^a

¹ When the saintly Brother Giles was staying at Perugia, Lady Jacoba of Settesoli, a noble woman and very devoted to the Lesser Brothers, came to see him. Later Brother Guardian^b of the Order of Lesser Brothers, a very spiritual man, came to listen to some good advice from him. In the presence of many other brothers, Brother Giles said this in the vernacular language: "Because of what a man can do, he arrives at what he does not wish to do."

³ To make Brother Giles speak further, the Brother Guardian said: "I am surprised, Brother Giles, that man because of what he can do, arrives at what he does not wish to do, since man of himself can do nothing. I can prove this by many arguments: first, because 'to be able' to do something presupposes 'to be' something. Therefore, the operation of something depends on its essence, just as fire warms because it is hot. But man of himself is nothing. For this reason the Apostle says: If anyone thinks that he amounts to something, when in fact he is nothing, he is only deceiving himself. Therefore, if man is nothing, he

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