be known and beloved in every village and feudal castle and walled town
among the hills between Rome and Florence. At first, indeed, they were
mocked and derided and rudely treated, but in a little while it was
seen that they were no self-seekers crazed with vanity, but messengers
of heaven, and pure and great-hearted champions of Christ and His poor.

In those days of luxury and rapacity and of wild passions and ruthless
bloodshed, it was strange to see these men stripping themselves of
wealth and power--for many of the brethren had been rich and noble--and
proclaiming the Gospel of the love and gentleness and purity and
poverty of Christ. For not only were the brethren under vow to possess
nothing whatever in the world, and not only were they forbidden to
touch money on any account, but the Order itself was bound to poverty.
It could not own great estates or noble abbeys and convents, but was as
much dependent on charity and God's providing as the humblest of its
friars.

Was it a wonderful thing that a great affection grew up in the hearts
of the people for these preachers of the Cross, and especially for the
most sweet and tender of them all, the Little Bedesman of Christ, with
the delicate and kindly face worn by fasting, the black eyes, and the
soft and sonorous voice? Greatly the common people loved our Lord, and
gladly they listened to Him; and of all men who have lived St. Francis
was most like our Lord in the grace and virtue of His humanity. I do
not think that ever at any time did he say or do anything till he had
first asked himself, What would my Lord have done or said?

And certain it seems to me that he must have thought of the Thief in
Paradise and of the divine words Christ spoke to him on the cross, when
Brother Angelo, the guardian of a hermitage among the mountains, told
him how three notorious robbers had come begging; "but I," said the
Brother, "quickly drove them away with harsh and bitter words." "Then
sorely hast thou sinned against charity," replied the Saint in a stern
voice, "and ill hast thou obeyed the holy Gospel of Christ, who wins
back sinners by gentleness, and not by cruel reproofs. Go now, and
take with thee this wallet of bread and this little flask of wine which
I have begged, and get thee over hill and valley till thou hast found
these men; and when thou comest up with them, give them the bread and
the wine as my gift to them, and beg pardon on thy knees for thy fault,