the way, and mockin[;ly cried out to him, 

 *' Wherefore after thee ? Wherefore after 

 thee? Wherefore after thee?" Saint Fran- 

 cis afked, "What fay you?" Then faid 

 Brother Maximus, " I fay, wherefore fol- 

 loweth the whole world after thee, and 

 why doth every man defire to fee and to 

 hear and to obey thee ? Thou art not fair 

 to fee, thou haft no great learning, neither 

 art thou noble ; wherefore, then, doth the 

 whole world follow after thee ? " Hearing 

 this, Saint Francis, greatly rejoiced in fpirit, 

 lifting his face to Heaven, fhood for a fpace 

 with his mind fixed on God, and then 

 coming back to earth he knelt and gave 

 praife and glory to God, and then with 

 very fervent fpirit he turned to Brother 

 Maximus and faid, "Would you know 

 wherefore men follow after me ? Would 

 you know wherefore men follow after me ? 

 Would you know wherefore men follow 

 after me ? This grace I have from the 

 eyes of the Moft High God, which in all 

 places behold the godly and the ungodly : 

 forafmuch as thofe moft holy eyes never 

 yet beheld of finners one more vile, nor 

 more infufficient, nor a greater finner than 

 am I ; nor yet to do that marvellous work 



which 

 4 



