ecies of
epidemic, so frequent in those days, may have broken out in the city,
and that our Saint in his infirm state of health fell an easy victim
to it. Incidentally, we learn that one of the symptoms of his last
illness was a complete inability to retain even the least particle of
food. This is recorded [Footnote 45] in connection with the following
truly marvellous occurrence. On his death-bed our Saint longed with
all the ardour of his seraphic soul for the sweet intercourse of
Sacramental Communion. But the cause just mentioned made this
impossible. Still, as far as possible to appease his pious longing,
the Consecrated Host was brought into his room and placed beside him,
so that his eyes might rest upon it. This only intensified his desire,
until it would appear that the Lord could no longer withstand the
ardour of his pleadings. A wonderful thing was then seen to happen.
Without any visible agency the Sacred Host left the ciborium and,
moving through the air towards the dying Saint, vanished within his
breast!

[Footnote 44: Cf. "Opera Omnia," Tom. X, p. 67. No.4.]

[Footnote 45: Wadding, "Annals," Tom. IV, Anno 1274. No. 18.]

At an earlier period in his life a somewhat similar occurrence is
recorded. Bartholomew of Pisa and the author [Footnote 46] of the
Chronicles of the Twenty-four Generals relate that, on a certain
occasion, the pious {109} General, thinking himself unworthy,
abstained for a long time from saying Holy Mass. But the Lord was
touched by his humility, and one day as he was devoutly hearing Mass,
a particle of the Consecrated Host, solely at the command of the
Saviour, left the altar and entered his mouth, filling his soul with
divine sweetness. It may be that both records are but different
versions of the same fact, and we may doubt which of them is
authentic. But if Bonaventure's malady were such as described, we
should like to think that the Lord, pitying the loneliness and
extremity of His dying servant, afforded him, even by a miracle, the
supreme consolation which his passing spirit sighed for.

[Footnote 46: Cf. "Analecta Franciscana," Tom. III, p. 334.]

Another incident which touchingly illustrates the absolute poverty in
which the Saint died is recorded by Wadding. Although Bishop and
Cardinal, his sole possession on his death-bed was his breviary.
Everything else he had distributed to the poor, and even the breviary
he regarded not as his own but as belonging to his Order, an