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How the angel of God proposed a question unto Brother Elias, guardian of a House in the valley of Spoleto, and because Brother Elias answered him proudly, departed and went along the road to S. James’s, where he found Brother Bernard and told him this story
At the beginning and commencement of the Order, when as yet there were few brothers and the Houses had not been taken into possession, S. Francis for his devotion went to S. James's of Galicia, and took with him certain of the brothers, among whom one was Brother Bernard; and as they went thus together on the way, he found in a certain place a poor sick man, and having compassion upon him, said to Brother Bernard: ” Little brother, I will that thou stay here to tend on this sick man; " and Brother Bernard humbly bowing the knee and bending the head received the obedience of the holy father, and stayed in that place; and S. Francis with the other companions went on to S. James's. Having won thither, while he was spending the night in prayer in the church of S. James, it was revealed by God unto S. Francis, that it behoved him to take possession of many places throughout the world, because his Order must needs grow and increase into a vast multitude of brothers: so upon this revelation, S. Francis began to take possession of places in all those countries. And when S. Francis was returning by the same way, he found Brother Bernard and the sick man, with whom he had left him, fully restored to health; wherefore S. Francis the next year gave leave unto Brother Bernard to go to S.James's. So S. Francis returned to the valley of Spoleto and abode in a solitary place, he and Brother Masseo and Brother Elias and others; and they all took right good heed not to let or hinder S. Francis from prayer; and this did they for the great reverence that they bore him, and because they knew that God revealed unto him wondrous high matters in his prayers. Now it befell on a day that, S. Francis being in prayer in a wood, a fair youth, arrayed for a journey, came to the door of the House, and knocked with such haste and violence and for so long a space that the brothers greatly marvelled at such unwonted knocking. Went Brother Masseo, and oped the door, and said to the youth: "Whence art thou come, little son, for it seemeth thou wast never here before, in such unwonted fashion hast thou knocked p " The youth replied: " And how then should one knock ì " Quoth Brother Masseo: “ Give three knocks, one a brief space after the other; then wait so long that the brother may have said the Paternoster and come unto thee; and if in this space he does not come, knock once again." The youth replied: ”I am in great haste and therefore I knock so loudly because I have a longjourney to make, and am come here to speak with Brother
Francis; but he is now wrapt in contemplation in the wood, wherefore I wish not to disturb him; but go, tell Brother Elias that I would fain ask him a question, for I hear that he is very wise." Then went Brother Masseo and told Brother Elias that he should go to the youth: but he waxed wroth thereat and would not go. Wherefore Brother Masseo knew not what to do nor what to answer him; in that if he said, Brother Elias cannot come, it were a lie; and should he tell how he was wroth and would not come, he feared to set before him an evil ensample. When Brother Masseo was so long delaying to return, the young man knocked again as at the first, and a short while after Brother Masseo returned to the door and said unto the youth: " Thou hast taken no heed unto my instruction in the matter of knocking” Replied the youth: and tell Brother Francis that I am come to speak with him; but since I would fain not hinder him from prayer, tell him to send unto me Brother Elias." Then Brother Masseo got him to S. Francis, who was praying in the wood with his face uplifted towards heaven, and set forth to him the message of the youth and the answer of Brother Elias: now that youth was an angel of God in the form of a man. Therewith S. Francis, nor moving from his place nor bending down his head, spake to Brother Masseo: " Go thou and tell Brother Elias for obedience sake to go forthwith unto that youth." Brother Elias receiving the obedience of S. Francis, went to the door much disquieted, and opened it with great noise and violence, and said to the youth: “ What is thy will? " Replied the youth: '* Take heed, brother, that thou be not wroth, as thou dost seem to be; for anger weigheth down the soul and suffereth it not to see the truth." Said Brother Elias: ” Tell me what thing thou wilt of me." Replied the youth: "I ask thee if it be • lawful for the followers of the Holy Gospel to eat that which is set before them even as Christ bade His disciples; and I ask thee moreover if it be lawful for any man to put forward aught contrary to the liberty of the Gospel." Brother Elias made answer haughtily: ” I know full well, but will not answer thee, so go thy ways." Quoth the youth: "Ishould know better to answer this question than canst thou." Then in a fury and great rage Brother Elias shut to the door and was away. Anon began he to muse upon the question aforesaid and doubt within himself, and knew not how to resolve it; for he was vicar of the Order and had commanded and made an ordinance out and beyond the Gospel and beyond the Rule of S. Francis, to wit, that no brother in the Order should eat flesh; so that the said question was expressly aimed at him. Wherefore, not knowing how to clear himself, and thinking on the modesty of the youth, and how he had said that he should know better how to answer that question than could he, Brother Elias went back again to the door and opened it for to ask the youth touching the question aforesaid; but he was already away, in that the pride of Brother Elias was not worthy to hold converse with the angel. This done, S. Francis, to whom the whole had been revealed by God, came back from out the wood, and sharply with loud voice rebuked Brother Elias saying: " You do ill, proud Brother Elias, to drive away the holy angels that come to teach us. I tell thee that much I fear lest thy pride will make thee end thy days outside the Order” On that same day, in the very hour that the angel went away, appeared he in the selfsame form to Brother Bernard, who was on his way back from S. James's, and had won the bank of a great river; and saluted him in his own tongue, saying: " God give thee peace, good brother; " and good Brother Bernard marvelled exceedingly, and noting the beauty of the youth and the language of his native land, together with his salutation of peace and his joyful countenance, he asked: "Whence art thou come, good youth?" Replied the angel: '* I come from the place where S. Francis dwells, and went there to have speech with him; and this I could not attain, for that he was in the wood contemplating things divine, and I wished not to disturb him. And in that place dwell Brother Masseo and Brother Giles and Brother Elias; and Brother Masseo taught me to knock at the door as the brothers use; but Brother Elias, because he would not answer the question that I set him, went away afterwards, and would fain have heard me and seen me, but he could not." After these words, said the angel to Brother Bernard: " Wherefore dost thou not cross over? " Brother Bernard made answer: ” Because I fear the danger for the depth of the waters that I see." Quoth the angel: '* Let us cross over together, and be not doubting; " and he took his hand and in the twinkling of an eye set him on the other side of the stream. Then Brother Bernard knew that he was the angel of God,, and with great reverence and joy cried in a loud voice: " O blessed angel of God, tell me thy name." Replied the angel: " Wherefore askest thou my name, the which is Wonderful? " And this said, the angel vanished out of sight and left Brother Bernard much comforted, in such sort that all that way he journeyed with great joy; and bethought him of the day and hour that the angel had appeared to him. And coming to the place where S. Francis was with the companions aforesaid, he set forth unto them the whole matter in order; and they knew of a surety that the self-same angel on that day and on that hour had appeared unto them and unto him.