and closed. And then the same friar came to Bo

logne, and found that the same day, and the same hour, St. Dominic died.

St. Francis, Founder of the Friars Minors.

Francis, servant and friend of Almighty God, was born in the city of Assyse, and was made a merchant unto the 25th year of his age, and wasted his time by living vainly, whom our Lord corrected by the scourge of sickness, and suddenly changed him into another man; so that he began to shine by the spirit of prophecy. For on a time, he, with other men of Peruse, was taken prisoner, and were put in a cruel prison, where all the other wailed and sorrowed, and he only was glad and enjoyed. And when they had repreved1 him thereof, he answeredKnow ye, said he, that I am joyful: for I shall be worshipped as a saint throughout all the world.

On a time as this holy man was in prayer, the devil called him thrice by his own name. And when the holy man had answered him, he said, none in this world is so great a sinner, but if he convert him, our Lord would pardon him; but who that sleeth himself with hard penance, shall never find mercy. And anon, this holy man knew by revela1 reproved.

tion the fallacy and deceit of the fiend, how he would have withdrawn him fro to do well. And when the devil saw that he might not prevail against him, he tempted him by grievous temptation of the flesh. And when this holy servant of God felt that, he despoiled' his cloaths, and beat himself right hard with an hard cord, saying, " Thus, brother ass, it behoveth thee to remain and to be beaten." And when the temptation departed not, he went out and plunged himself in the snow, all naked, and made seven great balls of snow, and purposed to have taken them into his body, and said, "This greatest is thy wife; and these four, two ben thy daughters, and two thy sons; and the other twain, that one thy chambrere, and that other thy varlet or yeman; haste and clothe them: for they all die for cold. And if thy business that thou hast about them, grieve ye sore, then serve our Lord perfectly. And anon, the devil departed from him all confused; and St. Francis returned again unto his cell, glorifying God.

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miracles *

He was enobled in his life by many and the very death, which is to all men horrible and hateful, he admonished them to praise it. And also he warned and admonished death to come to him, and said, "Death, my sister, welcome be you." And when he came at the last hour, he slept in our

Lord; of whom a friar saw the soul, in manner of a star, like to the moon in quantity, and the sun in clearness.

St. Bernard,

Was born in Bourgoyne, in the castle of Fontaines, of noble lineage and much religious, whose father hyght Celestyn, and was a noble knight of the world, and much religious to God. And his mother was named Aleth; and she had seven children, six males, and one female. And the men children, she nourished all for to be monks, and the daughter for to be a nun, &c. And as she bare the third son in her belly, which was Bernard, she saw in her sleep, a dream, which was a demonstrance of things to come. Her seemed that she had in her belly, a whelp all white and red upon the back, barking in her belly. And when she had told her dream to an holy man, he answered to her prophesying. "Thou art mother of a right noble whelp, which shall be a warden to the house of God,, and shall give great barkings against the enemies: for he shall be a noble preacher, and shall guarish1 by the grace of his tongue.

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And when the ancient enemy saw the good pur

'guerir; cure?

pose of the child full of health, he bent against him many gins of temptation. And on a time, when that he had holden eyen, and fixed them upon a woman, he had anon shame in himself, and was a cruel venger of himself: for he lept anon into a pond full of water and frozen; and he was therein so long, that almost he was frozen, and by the grace of God, he was cooled from the heat of carnal concupi

scence.

About that time, by instigation of the devil, a maid laid her in his bed by him, all naked, there where he slept. And when he felt her, he let her lye in the same side of the bed that she had taken, and turned him to that other side, and slept. And she tarried a space of time, and felt him, and ketylde' him, and would have drawn him to her entent. And at the last, when she felt him unmoveable, tho' she were unshamefast, yet she was ashamed, and all confused arose and went her way.

Another time, as he was harboured in the house of a lady, she considered the beauty of this young man, and was greatly chafed, and strongly desired his company. And then she ordained a bed out from the other; and in the night she arose without shame, and came secretly to him. And when he felt her, he cried, "thieves! theives!" And she fled and light a candle herself, and sought the thief;

' tickled?

and none was found.

And then each man went to

his bed again; but this unhappy woman rested not; but she arose again, and went to the bed of Bernard, as she did tofore. And he cried again, "thieves! thieves!" And the thief was sought, but he was not found, ne published of him, which knew her well. And yet was she chafed the third time; and then with great pain she ceased, what for dread and de. spair. And on the morrow, as they went by the way, his fellows repreved him of that he had so dreamed of thieves, and inquired of him what it was? And he answered, verily, I have suffered this night, the assailings of a thief: for mine hostess enforced to take away fro me, treasure not recoverable.

These extracts will suffice to give the reader an idea of the ignorance and superstition which prevailed in the dark ages. Such were the tales invented and propagated by the monks, partly with pious, and partly with politic de-' signs, which they imposed upon the people as genuine history, and which were received by them with eager and devout credulity.

VOL. 1.