<Saint iFtancis of ^nninu 59 



certain town and being very hnngry, they 

 begged their bread as they went, accord- 

 ing to the rule of their Order, for the love 

 of God ; and Saint Francis went through 

 one quarter of the town and Brother Maxi- 

 mus through another. But forafmuch as 

 Saint Francis was a man mean and low of 

 ftature, and hence was reputed a vile beg- 

 gar by fuch as knew him not, he only begged 

 a few fcanty crufts and mouthfuls of dry 

 bread ; but to Brother Maximus, inafmuch 

 as he was great and well-favored, were 

 given good pieces and large, and an abun- 

 dance of bread, yea, whole loaves. Hav- 

 ing begged, they met together without the 

 town to eat, at a place where there was a 

 clear well, and befide it was a fair large ftone, 

 upon which each fpread forth the alms 

 which he had begged ; and Saint Francis 

 feeing that the pieces of bread begged by 

 Brother Maximus were more and better 

 and bigger than his own, rejoiced greatly, 

 faying, '* O Brother Maximus, we are not 

 worthy of fo great a treafure;" and repeat- 

 ing thefe words many times, Brother Maxi- 

 mus replied, " Father, how can you talk of 

 treafures, where there is fuch great pov- 

 erty and fuch lack of all things needful ? 



Here 



