put in his tender flesh from his ear unto his eyelids, and he felt no pain.
He was strongly sick in the desert of S. Urban, and when he felt that nature failed in him he asked for to drink wine, and there was none. And they brought to him water, and he blessed it and made the sign of the cross thereon, and it was converted and turned into right good wine. And the holy man gat of our Lord that which the poverty of the desert might not get. And as soon as he had tasted it, he became strong and was all whole.
He had liefer hear blame of himself than praising, and for because that the people praised him anything of merit of holiness, he commanded to some brother to say to him in his ear some villainy in blaming him and defouling. And when such a brother, so constrained against his will, called him villain merchant, and unprofitable fool, then was he glad and blessed him, and said: 'God bless thee, for thou sayest right very true words, and this thing appertaineth to me for to hear.'
And this holy S. Francis would never be more master ne governor, but he would be more subject, ne so willingly command as obey. And therefore he left for to be general, and demanded to be under the warden, to whose will he always submitted himself in all things. He promised always obedience to the friar with whom he went, and kept it.
He went on a time by the morass of Venice and found there a great multitude of birds singing, and he said to his fellows: 'Our sisters, these birds, give laud to their Maker; let us go in the middle of them,
