<Saint iFrancifl o£ 'JXnmni. lo; 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



JIo7a Saint Francis converted the Sultan of 

 Babylon to the Faith, 



SAINT FRANCIS, led by zeal for the 

 faith of Chrift and by his longing for 

 martyrdom, went upon a time acrofs the 

 feas with twelve of his moft Holy Compan- 

 ions, bent upon going ftraight to the Sultan 

 of Babylon ; and coming into a region of 

 Saracens, where the roads were guarded 

 by certain men fo cruel, that no Chriftian 

 who paffed that way could efcape death, it 

 pleafed God that they were not flain, but 

 captured, beaten, and bound, and were led 

 before the Sultan. And being before him, 

 Saint Francis, taught of the Holy Ghoft, 

 preached fo divinely concerning the faith 

 of Chrift, how that for that faith he would 

 even walk through fire. Upon which the 

 Sultan began to feel exceeding great admi- 

 ration for him, both for the Steadfaftnefs 

 of his Faith, and for the Contempt for the 

 World which he perceived in him, — inaf- 

 much as he would receive no gift from him, 

 being yet moft poor, — and as well for the 



martyr's 



