<Saint iFtancis of Assist, ^-j 



other Brothers flumbered, he arofe and 

 found his girdle thus bound, and loofed it 

 pioufly, fo that the child was not awakened ; 

 and Saint Francis ftraightway went out 

 into the Wood, which was hard by that 

 place, and entered into a tiny cell which 

 was there and fell to praying. And after 

 a certain fpace the child awoke, and finding 

 the girdle loofed and Saint Francis arifen, 

 he alfo rofe up and went about feeking 

 him; and finding the door open whence 

 he had iffued forth into the Wood, he imag- 

 ined that Saint Francis had gone thither, 

 and he alfo followed after into the Wood. 

 And having drawn near to the fpot where 

 Saint Francis was at prayer, he began to 

 hear the murmur of many voices ; and 

 drawing ever nearer to fee and to under- 

 ftand that which he heard, he beheld a 

 great and wondrous light which fhone 

 round about Saint Francis, and therein he 

 faw Chrifl, and the Virgin Mary, and Saint 

 John the Baptift, and Saint John the Evan- 

 gelift, and a vaft multitude of Angels, who 

 difcourfed with Saint Francis. Seeing and 

 hearing thefe things, the child fell to the 

 earth in a fwoon ; then, the Myftery of 

 this holy apparition completed, and Saint 



Francis 



