<SaCnt jFrancis oC ^nnini. 23 



to the door of that place wherein he ftaycd, 

 and knocked fo often and fo loud and for 

 fo long a fpace, that much the broth- 

 ers marvelled among themfelves at fuch 

 unwonted noife. Brother Maximus went 

 out and oped the door and faid to that 

 youth, " Whence come you, O Son, fmce it 

 feems you never did come hither yet, inaf- 

 much as you knock thus contrary to all 

 ufe ? " The youth made anfwer : " And how 

 Ihould I knock ? " Then faid Brother Max- 

 imus, " Knock thrice, the one knock follow- 

 ing flowly after the other ; then wait fo long 

 as until the Brother fhall have faid a Pa- 

 ternoster and come unto you ; and if after 

 that fpace he come not, knock yet once 

 again." The young man anfwered, ** My 

 hafte is exceeding great, forafmuch as I 

 have a long journey to make, and am come 

 hither to fpeak with Brother Francis ; but 

 he now is in the wood loft in a mufe, and 

 hence I will not vex him ; but go call me 

 hither Brother Elias, to whom I would put 

 but one queftion only, fmce I hear that 

 he is very wife." Brother Maximus went 

 in and bade Brother Elias go out to the 

 young man ; and he waxed angry and 

 would not go. At which thing Brother 



Maximus 



