^aint jfvantin o£ ^amnu 71 



many times he fpake with God ; and yet 

 Saint Francis alfo had great piety. Brother 

 Maximus went forth, and according to the 

 command of Saint Francis he fulfilled his 

 errand firft to Saint Clara and then to 

 Brother Sylvefter ; who, when he had re- 

 ceived it, incontinently fell to praying, and 

 praying he heard the Divine voice, and turn- 

 ing to Brother Maximus he faid : " Thus 

 faith the Lord, which you fliall repeat to 

 Brother Francis, — that God did not call 

 him unto this ftate for himfelf alone, but 

 that he might reap a harveft of fouls, and 

 many through him fhall be faved." Having 

 this anfwer, Brother Maximus returned to 

 Saint Clara to know that which fhe had 

 obtained of God. And fhe made anfwer 

 that fhe and her Companions had had 

 from God the felfsame anfwer which 

 Brother Sylvefter had had. With this 

 Brother Maximus returned to Saint Fran- 

 cis ; and Saint Francis received him with 

 the utmoft Affe6lion, wafhing his feet and 

 laying the cloth for him to dine. And 

 after eating. Saint Francis called Brother 

 Maximus into the thick wood ; and there 

 he knelt before him, and drawing down his 

 Cowl over his face, he croffed his arms and 



afked 



