70 Kf\t ILittlt Jf^lomvu of 



the Order, fell into deep thought and into 

 grave doubt as to what he fhould do, — 

 whether he fhould devote himfelf wholly 

 to prayer, or whether indeed he fhould fome- 

 times preach ; and on this fubje6l he greatly 

 defired to know the will of God. And 

 forafmuch as the Saintly Humility which 

 was in him would not let him truft to him- 

 felf or to his own prayers alone, he ftrove 

 to feek out the Divine will through the 

 prayers of others ; hence he called Brother 

 Maximus, and fpake to him thus: "Go to 

 Sifter Clara and tell her from me that fhe, 

 with certain of her moft fpiritual compan- 

 ions, fhall pray devoutly to God that it 

 may pleafe Him to reveal to me whether 

 it is better that I fhould devote myfelf 

 to preaching, or merely to prayer. And 

 then go to Brother Sylvefter and fay the 

 fame words." This was that fame Mafter 

 Sylvefter who had feen a golden crofs come 

 forth from the mouth of Saint Francis, 

 which was as high as the heavens and as 

 broad as the confines of the globe. And 

 fuch were the devotion and the fandity of 

 this fame Brother Sylvefter, that whatfo- 

 ever he afked of God, even that fame he 

 obtained, and his prayer was granted, and 



many 



