cSaint iFrancis of ^unitiL 145 



fpirit wandered on, weeping, fighing, groan- 

 ing, and befeeching with ardent longing 

 that God would grant him that divine vir- 

 tue : and forafmuch as the Lord gladly 

 hears the prayers of the contrite and the 

 lowly, Brother Maximus being thus forlorn, 

 a Voice came down from Heaven, and the 

 fame called him twice: " Brother Maximus, 

 Brother Maximus ! " And he, having fpirit- 

 ual knowledge that this was the Voice of 

 Chrift, replied : " My Lord ! " And Chrift 

 faid to him : " What will you give to have 

 this Grace that you afk ? " Brother Maxi- 

 mus replied : " Lord, I will give the eyes 

 out of my head." And Chrift faid to him : 

 " And I defire that you have the Grace, 

 and likewife the eyes." And faying this, 

 the Voice vanifhed ; and Brother Maximus 

 was left behind filled with fo much grace 

 of the defired virtue of meeknefs and of the 

 Light of God, that from that time forth he 

 went ever rejoicing ; and ofttimes when he 

 prayed, did rejoice aloud, making a dull noife 

 like that of a dove, — 00, 00, 00, — and with 

 a fhining countenance and a light heart he 

 would linger thus loft in contemplation ; 

 and withal, being become very meek, he 

 held himfelf to be lefs than all other men. 



Being 

 10 



