S. FRANCIS.
Francis, servant and friend of Almighty God, was born in the city of Assisi, and was made a merchant unto the twenty-fifth year of his age, and wasted his time by living vainly, whom our Lord corrected by the scourge of sickness, and suddenly changed him into another man. The old enemy the devil enforced him to let him of his holy purpose. But he was comforted of our Lord, which heard a voice saying to him: 'Francis, take the bitter things for the sweet, and despise thyself if thou desire to know me.'
On a time he met a leper, whom naturally men abhor, but he remembered him of the word that was said of God, and ran to him and kissed him, and anon the lazar vanished away; wherefore he went to the habitation of the lazars and kissed devoutly their hands, and gave to them money, and let them have no need of such as he might do.
On a time he entered into the church of S. Damian for to make his prayers, and the image of Jesu Christ spake unto him and said: 'Francis, go and repair my house which is all destroyed as thou seest' And from that hour the soul of him liquefied, and the passion of Jesu Christ was marvellously infixed in his heart. And then he did great pain and was busy in repairing the church, and sold all that he had, and gave the money thereof to a priest; and he durst not
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