|)rcCace» vii 



brother, and a dear friend of Francis, 

 delcribes him thus: " He was of mid- 

 dle flature, rather under than over, 

 with an oval face and full but low 

 forehead, his eyes dark and clear, 

 his hair thick, his eyebrows clofe, a 

 flraight and delicate nofe, a voice foft 

 yet keen and fiery ; clofe, equal, and 

 white teeth ; lips modeft yet fubtle ; a 

 black beard not thickly grown ; a thin 

 neck, fquare flioulders, fhort arms, 

 fmall hands and feet, delicate fkin, 

 and little flefh." So elegant was his 

 drefs, and fo luxurious were his taftes, 

 that his parents often faid, " He is 

 more like the fon of a prince than like 

 our fon." Still, they were proud of 

 his fplendor, and grudged him noth- 

 ing, though his charities were as lavifli 

 as his pleafures : no beggar ever afked 

 of him in vain. 



When he had reached the age of 

 twenty-four, however, a war broke out 

 between Affifi and Perugia. Francis 

 was taken prifoner, and for a year 

 languiflied in captivity. Returning 



