Page:Goldenlegendlive00jaco.djvu/242

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228
S. Francis

his fellow and said: 'The poverty of this woman doth to us shame, and reproveth strongly our poverty, for, for my riches I have chosen my lady poverty, and she shineth more in this woman than in me.' When on a time a poor man passed tofore him, and the holy man was moved with inward compassion, his fellow said to him: 'Though this man be poor, peradventure there is not a richer of his will in all the province.' Then S. Francis said to him anon: 'Despoil thee of thy coat and give it to the poor man, and knowledge thyself culpable and kneel down to his feet'; to whom anon he obeyed and did so.

On a time as he came to the city of Arezzo, and a mortal battle was moved in the city, this holy man saw within the burgh, on the ground, the devils making joy and were glad. Then he called his fellow named Silvester, and said to him: 'Go to the gate of the city and command to these devils in God's name, that is Almighty, that they go out of the city.' Then he went hastily and cried strongly : 'All ye devils depart from hence in the name of God and by the commandment of Francis our Father.' And they went away, and then the citizens anon became to accord.

The foresaid Sylvester when he was yet a secular priest saw in his sleep a golden cross issue out of the mouth of S. Francis, of the which the over end touched heaven and the arms of the cross stretched forth from that one to that other part of the world. Then this priest had compunction and left the world, and followed perfectly this holy man Francis.

And on a time as this holy man was in prayer, the devil called him thrice by his own name, and when