Part 2

And when he had heard these Counsels, the Blessed Francis chose unto himself a few faithful Companions, with whom he set out for the Mountain. And he said unto his brothers: Come {Isa. ii. 3.} ye, let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the House of the Lady Poverty, that she may teach us her Ways, and we will walk in her Paths. And when they beheld the Ascent from every side, and saw how exceeding high and steep it was, they began to say one to another: Who shall ascend this Mountain, and who shall reach unto the Mountain’s top? The which, when Blessed Francis heard, he said unto them: Strait is the Way, and {Matt. vii. 14.} narrow the Gate, which leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it. Be strong in the {Eph. vi. 10.} Lord, and in the power of His Might, and all things difficult will become easy unto us. Lay down the Burden of your own Will, cast away the heavy Weight of your Sins, and gird yourselves like Strong Men. Forget those things {Phil. iii. 13.} which are behind, and reach forth to those which are before. I say unto you that every {Deut. xi. 24.} place that your foot shall tread upon shall be yours. For as a Spirit before our face is Christ the Lord, drawing us to the Mountain’s summit by the Bonds of Charity. Wonderful, O Brethren, are the Espousals of Poverty, but we may hope to enjoy her embraces, {Lament. i. 1.} for the Mistress of Nations is become as a Widow, the Queen of all Virtues is become contemptible. There is none in all the Land who dares call upon her, none who will stand over against us, none who by right can forbid this Blessed Union. All her {Lament. i. 2.} Friends have despised her, and are become her Enemies.

V

HOW THE BLESSED FRANCIS AND HIS COMPANIONS FOUND THE LADY POVERTY ON THE MOUNTAIN

And when he had thus spoken, they followed after the Blessed Francis. And as with light feet they hastened to the summit of the Mountain, they beheld my Lady Poverty on the topmost Pinnacle gazing down the Mountain. And when she saw them climbing thus valiantly, nay, as it were, rather flying towards her, she marvelled exceedingly, and said to herself: Who are these that {Isa. lx. 8.} fly like the Clouds and as Doves to their windows? It is long since I saw such as these, or looked upon men so free from trammels. Therefore will I speak to them of the things which I ponder in my Heart, lest, like the rest, they should repent them of their hardy ascent when they behold the dizzying abyss below. I know they cannot possess me without my consent, but I shall find Favour before my Heavenly Father if I give them the Counsels of Salvation. And behold a Voice spoke unto her, saying: Fear not, Daughter of Sion, {John xii. 15.} for these are of the Seed which the Lord hath blessed. He hath elected them in Charity {2 Cor. vi. 6.} unfeigned. So from the Throne of her Neediness, the Lady Poverty presented them with {Ps. xx. 4.} Blessings of Sweetness, and said unto them: Tell me the cause of your Advent, my Brothers, and why you hasten thus speedily from the Valley of Tears to the Mountain of Light. Can it indeed be that you seek me who am poor and needy, tossed by the tempest, {Isa. liv. 11.} and bereft of all consolation?

VI

THE BLESSED FRANCIS AND HIS COMPANIONS, EXALTING HER VIRTUES IN DIVERS WAYS, BESEECH THE LADY POVERTY TO ABIDE WITH THEM FOREVER

And the Blessed Francis and his Companions answered her, saying: Yea, we have indeed come out to seek thee, Lady, and we beseech thee to receive us in Peace. We desire to become the Servants of the Lord of the Virtues,[20] for He is the {Ps. xxiii. 10.} King of Glory. We have heard that thou art the Queen of the Virtues, and we have proved it by experience. Wherefore, prostrate at thy Feet, we humbly beseech thee to abide with us, and to light our Way to the King of Glory, as thou wast unto Him the Way, when, a Day-Spring {Luke i. 78, 79.} from on High, He humbled Himself to visit them that sat in Darkness and the Shadow of Death. For we know that thine is the Power, thine the Kingdom, that thou art constituted Mistress and Queen of the Virtues by the King of Kings Himself. Therefore, we entreat thee, make Peace with us and we shall be saved, and He will receive us through thee, Who through thee did redeem us. Do but elect to save us, and we shall be made free. For the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Himself, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, desired thy Comeliness {Ps. xliv. 11.} and thy Beauty. When the {Cant. i. 11.} King was at His Rest, rich and glorious in His Kingdom, He left His House, and forsook His inheritance, the Glory {Jer. xii. 7.} and Riches of His House, and His Royal Seat, and sought {Ps. cxi. 3.} thee with gracious words. Great therefore is thy Dignity, and there is none so exalted as thee, since He could leave all Angelic Delights and the great Abundance of Celestial Virtues, to seek thee in the nethermost parts of the Earth, in the miry {Ps. xxxix. 3.} Clay, in the Darkness and the Shadow of Death. Thou {Ps. lxxxvii. 7.} wast hated by all the Children of Men, and all fled at thy Coming, or strove, as they could, to drive thee from them. And though some could not fly thee altogether, yet not for that reason wert thou less hated and loathed by them.

But then came the Lord, the Lord God, and took thee for Himself, and lifted up thy Head among the Tribes of the people, crowning thee His Bride, and exalting thee above the Highest Heavens. And although, of a surety, many still hate thee, not knowing thy Virtue and thy Glory, yet hast thou nothing lost thereby, for thou dwellest in Freedom in thy holy Mountains, in the most firm habitation of the {Exod. xv. 17.} Glory of Christ. Thus the Son of the Most High, having become a Lover of thy Beauty, {Wisdom viii. 2.} dwelt only with thee in the World, and found thee most faithful in all Things. Even before He left His bright Realms for the Earth, thou hadst prepared Him a fitting place, a Throne on which to sit, a Couch in which to rest, a most poor Virgin from whom He sprung, and shone upon the World. At His Nativity thou didst run to meet Him, so that He might find comfort in thee, and not in soft places. Thou didst lay Him in a {Luke ii. 7.} Manger, as saith the Evangelist, for there was no room in the Inn. And thus didst thou always inseparably accompany Him, so that during His whole Life, while He dwelt among Men, though the Foxes had {Matt. viii. 20.} Caves, and the Birds of the Air Nests, He had no place to lay His Head. And when He Who in the Past had opened the lips of the Prophets opened His own Lips to preach, among the many things which He spake, He first praised, first exalted thee, saying: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, {Matt. v. 3.} for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. And when He chose Witnesses to His Holy Preaching and to His glorious Work for the Salvation of Man, He did not take rich Merchants, but poor Fisherfolk, that by this choice He might show forth that thou wert to be loved by All. And finally that thy Goodness, thy Greatness, thy Power, might be made manifest to All, and how thou art above all the Virtues, and how without thee there is no Virtue, and how thy Kingdom {John xviii. 36.} is not of this World but from Heaven, thou alone didst remain with the King of Glory when all His Elect and Beloved had fled from Him in Affright.

Like unto a most dear Mistress and faithful Spouse, thou didst not leave Him for an instant. The more He was despised by All, the more didst thou cleave to Him. For if thou hadst not been with Him, He could never have been so despised by All. Thou wast with Him when the Jews reviled, the Pharisees scoffed, and the High Priests reproached Him. Thou wast with Him when He was struck, when He was spat upon, when He was scourged. He Who should have been reverenced by All, was derided by all, and thou alone didst minister unto Him. Thou wast with Him unto Death, {Phil. ii. 8.} even the Death of the Cross. And on the Cross itself, His Body being stripped, His Arms extended, His Hands and Feet pierced, thou didst suffer with Him, so that nothing did seem more glorious in Him than thou.

When He ascended into Heaven, He left to thee the Seal of the Kingdom of Heaven, that thou might’st seal the Elect, that whosoever should aspire to Eternal Life might come to thee, pray to thee, and enter by thee, for if he be not sealed with thy Seal, no man may enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, O Lady, have compassion upon us, and seal us with the Seal of thy Grace. For who is there so craven-spirited and foolish as not to love thee with all his Heart, thee who hast been chosen by the Most High, and prepared from all Eternity? Who is there that does not reverence and honour thee, when He Whom all the Heavenly Host adore hath clothed thee with such Honour? Who would not readily adore thy Footsteps, to whom the Lord of Majesty so humbly inclined, whom He so intimately embraced, to whom he was joined in so great a Love? We therefore beseech thee, O Lady, by Him and through Him, despise not our petitions {Antiphon at Compline in the Office of the B.V.M.} in our Necessities, but deliver us at all Times from all Dangers, O Glorious and ever blessed Lady!

VII

THE ANSWER OF MY LADY POVERTY

To these Words my Lady Poverty, with joyful Heart, and cheerful Mien, and most sweet Voice, made answer, saying: I confess to you, my Brothers and most dear Friends, that from the moment you began to speak, I was filled with Gladness and exceeding great Joy, for I acknowledge your Fervour, and already know your Holy Intent; your words are dearer to me than Gold and Precious {Ps. xviii. 11.} Stones, and sweeter far than Honey and the Honeycomb. For it is not you that speak, {Mark xiii. 11.} but the Holy Ghost that speaketh in you, and it is His {1 John ii. 27.} Unction that inspires you in all the things which you have spoken concerning the Most High King, Who by His Grace alone chose me as His Beloved, taking away my Reproach {Luke i. 25.} among Men, and glorifying me among the Highest in Heaven. Therefore I desire, if it will not weary you, to tell you the story of my Estate. It is a long Story, but not less useful, and will teach you how to walk with God and please {Gen. v. 22.} Him, giving heed that you who wish to put your hands {Luke ix. 62.} to the plough in no wise look back.

I am not new,[21] as many think, but old and full of years, knowing the nature of Things, the Varieties of Creatures, the mutability of Time. I know the vacillations of the Heart of Man, in part by the experience of Ages, in part by subtlety of Nature, in part by the Merit of Grace. In the beginning I dwelt in the Paradise of God, where Man was naked. Or rather, I was in Man, and of his Essence when he was naked, walking with him in that spacious Paradise, fearing nothing, doubting nothing, thinking no Evil. I thought to have stayed with him forever, for he had been created by the Most High, just, good, and wise, and placed in a most beautiful and delectable Place. I was joyful exceeding, entertaining him at all Times, for possessing Nothing, he belonged wholly to God. But, woe is me, he succumbed to Evil, which had been unknown from the beginning of the Creation, and the unhappy Spirit of Evil, who, through Vainglory, had lost Wisdom, entered the body of a Serpent because he could not inhabit Heaven, and treacherously assailed Man, that like himself he might become a transgressor of the Divine Law. Unhappy Man, giving ear unto his evil Counsellor, acquiesced and consented, and having forgotten God, his Creator, followed the Example of the first Transgressor. In the beginning, says Holy Writ, Man was naked but not {Gen. ii. 25.} ashamed, for he was perfect in innocence. But having sinned, he knew that he was naked, and being ashamed, he hastily made himself an apron of the leaves of the fig-tree.[22]

When, therefore, I saw that my Companion had sinned, and was dressed in leaves (for he had nothing else), I left him. And standing afar off, I beheld him through my Tears, and waited for Him Who should save me from Faintness of Spirit in so great {Ps. liv. 9.} a Storm. And suddenly there came a Sound from Heaven {Acts ii. 2.} that shook the whole of Paradise, and a most bright Light shone from Heaven. And I looked and beheld the Lord of {Gen. iii. 8.} Majesty walking in Paradise in the cool of the day, resplendent in ineffable Glory. A mighty Host of Angels was in His Train, crying with a loud Voice: Holy, Holy, Holy, {Isa. vi. 3.} Lord God of Sabaoth, the Earth is full of the Majesty of Thy Glory. Thousands of {Dan. vii. 10.} Thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand[23] stood before Him. Then in Fear and Trembling, overcome with Dread and Amazement, my Body chill, my Heart fast beating, I cried out of the Depths: {Ps. cxxix. 1.} Mercy, Lord--have Mercy! Enter not into Judgment with {Ps. cxlii. 2.} Thy Servant, for in Thy Sight shall no Man living be justified. But He said unto me: Go, hide thyself for a while, until Mine Anger be overpast. And {Isa. xxvi. 20.} straightway He called my Companion, saying: Adam, where art thou? Who answered: I heard Thy Voice, {Gen. iii. 9, 10.} and was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. Naked indeed! The man who {Luke x. 30.} went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among Thieves was stripped of this World’s Goods, but Adam had been robbed of the Likeness of God. But that King Who is Most High and yet most Gracious, awaited his Repentance, and gave him the Opportunity of returning to Him. Yet in his wretchedness he inclined his {Ps. cxl. 4.} Heart to evil Words, and to making excuses for Sin. And thus he increased his guilt, and heaped up punishment, treasuring {Rom. ii. 5.} up unto himself Wrath against the day of Wrath and Revelation of the just Judgment of God. For he spared not himself nor his seed after him, delivering up All to the terrible Curse of Death.

And all the Angels that were present condemned him, and the Lord cast him forth {Gen. iii. 23.} from Paradise by a just but not less merciful Judgment, and bade him return to the Earth from whence he was taken, greatly tempering the Curse He had laid upon him. And being stripped of his robe of Innocence, God made him garments of skins, therein signifying that Death had come into the World. And when I saw my Companion clothed with the skins of dead beasts, I left him altogether, for he had been cast forth to multiply his labours, whereby he might become rich. I went forth a {Gen. iv. 12.} fugitive and wanderer upon the Earth, weeping and mourning exceedingly, and I found not {Gen. viii. 9.} where to rest the sole of my Foot. When Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the other Patriarchs, received in promise Riches and a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, I sought Rest among {Eccli. xxiv. 11.} them, but found none. A Cherub with a Flaming Sword {Gen. iii. 24.} stood before the Gates of Paradise until the Most High came down from the Bosom of the Father, Who sought me out most graciously. And when He had fulfilled all those Things of which you have spoken, and desired to return to the Father Who had sent Him, He made me a Testament to His Elect, and confirmed it by irrefragable Decrees: Lay not up Gold nor {Matt. x. 9.} Silver, nor Money. Carry neither Purse, nor Scrip, nor {Matt. x. 10 and Luke x. 4.} Bread, nor a Staff, nor Shoes, nor two Coats. And if any {Matt. v. 40.} Man will contend with thee and take away thy Coat, let go thy Cloak also. And whoever {Matt. v. 41.} shall compel thee to go a Mile, go with him other twain. {Matt. vi. 19.} Lay not up unto yourselves Treasures upon Earth, where Rust and Moth doth corrupt, and where Thieves break through and steal. Take no {Matt. vi. 31.} thought, saying: What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed? And take no Thought of the Morrow, for the Morrow will take Thought {Matt. vi. 34.} for itself. Sufficient unto the Day is the Evil thereof. Whosoever doth not renounce {Luke xiv. 33.} all that he hath, cannot be my disciple.... And many the like sayings, which are all to be found in the Gospels.

VIII

OF THE APOSTLES

All which Things the Apostles and all the Disciples most diligently observed, nor did they ever fail to fulfil the Things they had heard from the Master. They bore themselves as most valiant Knights and Judges of the Earth, carrying the Message of Salvation everywhere, the Lord working with them, and {Mark xvi. 20.} confirming the Word with Signs that followed. They glowed in Charity, abounded in Piety, and endured every Want, taking care that it should not be said of them: These men preach but do not practise. Hence one of them speaketh boldly, saying: For {Rom. xv. 18, 19.} I will not dare to speak of any of those Things which Christ hath not wrought by me by Word and Deed, and by the Power of the Holy Ghost. And yet another speaketh thus: Silver and Gold have I {Acts iii. 6.} none. Thus did they, one and all, in Life and in Death, exalt me by the highest Praises. And those who heard these Masters, gave heed to their Preaching, selling all their {Acts ii. 45.} goods and substance, and dividing them according as every man had need. And they were all together and had {Acts ii. 44.} all things in common, praising God and having favour with all the People. {Acts ii. 47.}

IX

OF THE SUCCESSORS OF THE APOSTLES

{Acts ii. 47.} Wherefore the Lord increased daily such as should be saved. Indeed for long the Truth of their Words remained among many, more especially while the Blood of the Crucified Poor One, Jesus Christ, was warm in their memory, and the Noble Chalice of His Passion inebriated their Hearts. For if any of them sought to leave me at any time because of my too great Rigours, they would remember the Wounds of the Lord by which He made manifest His loving Compassion, and bitterly repent of the Temptation, clinging to me more closely, and embracing me more eagerly than ever. And I abode in them all, ever striving to impress upon their Memory the Dolours of the Passion of the Eternal King. So strengthened by my Words, they cheerfully encountered the cruel Sword which shed their holy Blood. And this Triumph continued and endured a long while, so that daily a thousand thousand were sealed with the Seal of the Most High King.

X

THAT TIMES OF PEACE ARE UNPROPITIOUS TO POVERTY

But alas! after a while Peace was made, a Peace more hurtful than any War. In the beginning of that long Peace but few were sealed, in the middle of it yet fewer, at the end fewer still. And behold! of a surety in {Isa. xxxviii. 17.} this Peace is my Bitterness most bitter; for All fly from me or drive me from them; by none am I sought, by All forsaken. This Peace was the work of Enemies, not of Friends; of Strangers, not of my Sons. I indeed nourished {Isa. i. 2.} and raised up Sons, but they contemned me. In that Time when the Lamp of the Lord {Job xxix. 3.} shone upon my Head, and I walked by His Light through the Darkness, Satan was raging in many who were with me, the World was enticing them, and the Concupiscence of the Flesh, so that many of {1 John ii. 15.} them ended by loving the World and the Things of the World.

XI

OF PERSECUTION

But the Crown of all the Virtues, and that is the Lady Persecution, to whom the Lord, equally with me, delivered the Kingdom of Heaven, was by my side, and in all things a faithful Helper, a strong Champion, and a prudent Counsellor. She, when she saw any grow lukewarm in Heavenly Charity, or forgetting it a while, or fixing their Hearts on Earthly Things, she straightway sounded the Trump and moved her Armies, and made their faces to be ashamed, that they might seek {Ps. lxxxii. 17.} the Name of the Lord. But now my Sister has left me, the Light of my Eyes is not with me, for while my Sons are at rest from the Persecutors, they are most cruelly torn by civil and intestine War, envying each other, and struggling for the acquisition of Wealth and an abundance of luxuries.

After a while some began to breathe again, and wished of their own accord to walk in the right Road, which once they had walked in of necessity. All these came to me with prayers and tears, and entreated me to make a perpetual League of Peace with them, and to abide with them as I formerly did in the days {Job xxix. 4.} of my Youth, when the Lord was with me, and my Children were round about me. These were men of virtue, peaceful men, without Rebuke before the Lord, constant in brotherly Love, so long as they remained in the Flesh, poor in Spirit, poor in this World’s Goods, rich in Holiness, abounding in the Gifts of Heavenly Grace, fervent in Spirit, rejoicing in Hope, patient in Tribulation, meek and humble of Heart, and keeping Peace in their Souls, Harmony in their Ways, Steadfastness in their Hearts, and a joyful Unity in their Walk through Life. These men were indeed devoted to God, pleasing to the Angels, beloved of Men, unsparing to themselves, merciful to Others, devout in Deed, modest in Demeanour, cheerful of Countenance, earnest of Heart, humble in Prosperity, high-minded in Adversity, temperate of Life, sober in Dress, sparing of Sleep, modest and devout, shining before all Men in the Light of their Good Works. My Soul was joined unto these my Sons, and there was one Faith and one Spirit within us.[24]

XII

OF THE FOLLOWERS OF A SPURIOUS POVERTY

{1 John ii. 19.} Finally there rose up among us Men who were not of us, certain Sons of Belial speaking Vain Things, working Iniquity, calling themselves Poor Men when they were not Poor, despising and dishonouring me who had been loved with Whole-heartedness by those glorious Men of whom I have spoken, following the Way of Balaam, the Son {2 Pet. ii. 15.} of Bosor, who loved the Wages of Sin, Men of a corrupt {1 Tim. vi. 5.} Mind, devoid of Truth, supposing Gain to be Godliness, Men who in assuming the Habit of Holy Religion, did not put on the New Man, but sought to hide the Old. They derided their Elders, and in secret scoffed at the Life and Character of those who had begun the Way of Holy Conversation, saying that they were imprudent, merciless, and cruel, and that I, whom these holy ones had taken into their Company, was idle, empty, base, rude, lifeless, and feeble. ’Twas my great Rival who zealously worked all this, hiding under a Sheep’s Clothing the Cunning of a Fox and the Fierceness of a Wolf.

XIII

OF AVARICE