All that you said. In all honesty, the son
Of Peter Bernardone ought to put up with that without demur."
By these means and others, unabashed and forthright,

¹²⁵He puts to flight all that flatters the human mentality.
As he waits for the day of the Lord which reveals the secrets
Of hearts, he cannot be drawn to perform any good
For some day of human approval. ^{1 Cor 4:3} Thus disentangled
He completed six years of his soldierly deeds.^a

¹³⁰His resolve aimed only at heaven. And if one fortune remains
To try his courage, no power has it to make him waver
From coming through all that befalls, with flying colors.
Brief moments are ages to the eyes of the saintly man,
And small he counts his achievement for all his days.^b

¹³⁵Albeit unceasingly for him mirth was moan
And moan was mirth, feeding meant fasting, fasting was food
To him, toil was rest to him, rest was an effort—
Unsatisfied still was he till he'd start further attacks
On his carnal self, and at the cost of his own blood

¹⁴⁰Be willing to fight for the name of Christ. ^{Acts 15:26}
A noble impulse within him restlessly burned with desire
Of death, and wearied of waiting. But so as to find
An angry prince,^c a savage sergeant, or a worthy cause,
He makes up his mind to cross the sea, and for the saving

¹⁴⁵Of idolaters preach to them what must be believed. ^{Heb 11:6} Thus
Either they, who only live for this world in a kind of death,
Will be won for Christ, or he himself, who is dead to this world,
Will share life with Christ, ^{Gal 2:20 Phlm 1:21} the only true life worth living.
With a martyr's death, therefore, longing to crown his labors,

¹⁵⁰He sets his mind on making for Parthian regions.^d
But with the Church's house in flames within, what is its
Watchman ^{Ps 127:1 [Vulgate, Ps 126:1]} looking outside it for? Italians, more than Parthians,

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Omnia quae dicis; nec enim decet ut tollerare
Filius ista Petri de Bernardone recuset ".

¹²⁵His aliisque modis fugit impudibundus et effrons
Humanam quaecumque solent extollere mentem;
Exspectansque diem Domini, quae corda revelat,
Nullo pertrahitur voto bona quaeque gerendi
Humano placitura die.Talisque vacando

¹³⁰Militiae gestis sextum compleverat annum,
Nil praeter caeleste vovens; fortunaque forti
Una manet, nullasque vices exercet in illum
Quin indistanter casus intervolet omnes.
Tempora parva viro caelesti longa videntur,

¹³⁵Seque parum censet tot profecisse diebus,
Cui licet assidue visum sit triste iocari,
Tristarique iocus, pasci ieiunia, pastus
Ieiunare, quies sudare, quiescere sudor;
Non tamen est contentus eo, quin praelia carni

¹⁴⁰Ulteriora suae moveat; propriique cruoris
Impensa certare velit pro nomine Christi.
Mortis enim desiderio flagrat: anxia mentis
Nobilitas, taedetque morae. Neu principis ira,
Lictoris feritas, aut causae desit honestas,

¹⁴⁵Propositi mens est ut transfretet, et revocandis
Praedicet idolatris credi quid oporteat, unde
Vel tantum mundo viventes, quod quasi mors est,
Christo lucretur, vel mundo perditus ipse
Cum Christo vivat, quod solum vivere verum est.

¹⁵⁰Martyrio cupiens ita consummare labores,
Parthorum partes proponit adire. Sed intus
Ecclesiae flagrante domo, quid quaereret extra
Qui custodit eam? Fidei doctore diserto
Plus Italus quam Parthus eget: de plebe loquendo,