t the
first coming of King John, King Harry the second's son, into Ireland.
Upon whose tombs these verses following were written: Hic jacent in Duno
qui tumulo tumulantur in uno, Brigida, Patricius atque Columba pius,
which is for to say in English: In Duno these three be buried all in one
sepulchre: Bride, Patrick, and Columba the mild.

Men say that this holy bishop, St. Patrick, did three great things. One
is that he drove with his staff all the venomous beasts out of Ireland.
The second, that he had grant of our Lord God that none Irish man shall
abide the coming of Antichrist. The third wonder is read of his
purgatory, which is more referred to the less St. Patrick, the Abbot.
And this holy abbot, because he found the people of that land rebel, he
went out of Ireland and came in to England in the Abbey of Glastonbury,
where he died on a St. Bartholomew's day. He flourished about the year
of our Lord eight hundred and fifty.

OF SAINT FRANCIS

HOW HE RECEIVED THE COUNSEL OF ST. CLARE AND OF BROTHER SILVESTER, AND
HOW HE PREACHED UNTO THE BIRDS

The humble servant of Christ, St. Francis, a short while after his
conversion, having already gathered together many companions and
received them into the order, fell into deep thought and much doubting
as to what he ought to do: whether to give himself wholly unto prayer,
or some time also unto preaching: and on this matter he much desired to
learn the will of God. And for that the holy humility that was in him
suffered him not to trust over much in himself nor in his own prayers,
he thought to search out the will of God through the prayers of others:
wherefore he called Brother Masseo, and bespake him thus: "Go unto
Sister Clare and tell her on my behalf, that she with certain of her
most spiritual companions, should pray devoutly unto God, that it may
please Him to show me which of the twain is the better: whether to give
myself to preaching or wholly unto prayer. And then go unto Brother
Silvester and tell the like to him." This was that Brother Silvester who
when he was in the world had seen a cross of gold proceeding from the
mouth of St. Francis, the which reached even unto heaven and the arms
thereof unto the ends of the world, and this Brother Silvester was of
so great devotion and so great sanctity, that whatsoe'er he asked of God
was granted him, and oftentimes he spake with God; wherefore St. Francis
had a great devotion unto him.

So Brother Masseo