avizing them among other matters how for their sins God suffered
such things to be, and pestilences also: and how far more parlous is the
flame of hell, the which must vex the damned eternally, than is the fury
of the wolf that can but slay the body; how much then should men fear
the jaws of hell, when such a multitude stands sore adread of the jaws
of one so small a beast? Then turn ye, beloved, unto God, and work out a
fit repentance for your sins; and God will set you free from the wolf in
this present time, and in time to come from out the fires of hell. And
done the preaching, St. Francis said: "Give ear, my brothers: brother
wolf, who standeth here before ye, hath promised me and plighted troth
to make his peace with you, and to offend no more in any thing; and do
ye promise him to give him every day whate'er he needs: and I am made
his surety unto you that he will keep this pact of peace right
steadfastly." Then promised all the folk with one accord to give him
food abidingly. Then quoth St. Francis to the wolf before them all: "And
thou, brother wolf, dost thou make promise to keep firm this pact of
peace, that thou offend not man nor beast nor any creature?" And the
wolf knelt him down and bowed his head: and with gentle movements of his
body, tail, and eyes, gave sign as best he could that he would keep
their pact entire. Quoth St. Francis: "Brother wolf, I wish that as thou
hast pledged me thy faith to this promise without the gate, even so
shouldest thou pledge me thy faith to thy promise before all the people,
and that thou play me not false for my promise, and the surety that I
have given for thee." Then the wolf lifting up his right paw, laid it in
the hand of St. Francis. Therewith, this act, and the others set forth
above, wrought such great joy and marvel in all the people, both through
devotion to the saint, and through the newness of the miracle, and
through the peace with the wolf, that all began to lift up their voices
unto heaven praising and blessing God, that had sent St. Francis unto
them, who by his merits had set them free from the jaws of the cruel
beast. And thereafter this same wolf lived two years in Agobio; and went
like a tame beast in and out the houses, from door to door, without
doing hurt to any or any doing hurt to him, and was courteously
nourished by the people; and as he passed thuswise through the country
and the houses, never did any dog bark behind him. At length, after a
two y