feltro; in the which castle there was at that time a great company
of gentlefolk.... Among them a wealthy gentleman of Tuscany, by name
Orlando da Chiusi of Casentino, who by reason of the marvellous things
which he had heard of St. Francis, bore him great devotion and felt an
exceeding strong desire to see him and to hear him preach. Coming to the
castle St. Francis entered in and came to the courtyard, where all that
great company of gentlefolk was gathered together, and in fervour of
spirit stood up upon a parapet and began to preach.... And Orlando,
touched in the heart by God through the marvellous preaching of St.
Francis ... drew him aside and said, 'O Father, I would converse with
thee touching the salvation of my soul.' Replied St. Francis: 'It
pleaseth me right well; but go this morning and do honour to thy friends
who have called thee to the feast, and dine with them, and after we will
speak together as much as thou wilt.' So Orlando got him to the dinner;
and after he returned to St. Francis and ... set him forth fully the
state of his soul. And at the end this Orlando said to St. Francis, 'I
have in Tuscany a mountain most proper for devotion, the which is called
the Mount La Verna, and is very lonely and right well fitted for whoso
may wish to do penance in a place remote from man, or whoso may desire
to live a solitary life; if it should please thee, right willingly would
I give it to thee and thy companions for the salvation of my soul.' St.
Francis hearing this liberal offer of the thing that he so much desired,
rejoiced with exceeding great joy; and praising and giving thanks first
to God and then to Orlando, he spake thus: 'Orlando, when you have
returned to your house, I will send you certain of my companions, and
you shall show them that mountain; and if it shall seem to them well
fitted for prayer and penitence, I accept your loving offer even now.'
So Orlando returned to Chiusi, the which was but a mile distant from La
Verna.

"Whenas St. Francis had returned to St. Mary of the Angels, he sent one
of his companions to the said Orlando ... who, desiring to show them the
Mount of La Verna, sent with them full fifty men-at-arms to defend them
from the wild beasts of the forest; and thus accompanied, these brothers
climbed up the mountain and searched diligently, and at last they came
to a part of the mountain that was well fitted for devotion and
contemplation, for in that part there was some level gr