cSaint jfvantin of ^nnini. 157 



ap^ain unto him, if haply God may touch 

 his heart and move him to go along with 

 us to enter upon the fervice of God ; and 

 meantime we will pray God that He may 

 breathe this defire into his heart, and give 

 him grace to execute it." Wonderful to 

 relate ! A few days thence. Saint Francis 

 having prayed, our Lord breathed this de- 

 fire into the heart of that gentleman. And 

 Saint Francis fpake to his Companion, fay- 

 ing : ** Let us go forth, my Brother, to the 

 abode of that courteous man ; forafmuch 

 as I have firm faith in God, that he in the 

 Courtefy of temporal things Ihall give him- 

 felf to us and become our Companion." 

 And they went forth ; and drawing nigh 

 to his houfe, Saint Francis fpake to his 

 Companion, faying : " Await me here a 

 little, forafmuch as I am fain firft to pray 

 to God that it may pleafe Him to profper 

 our journey ; that it may pleafe Chrift 

 Jefus to grant unto us poor weak men the 

 noble prey which we hope to capture from 

 the world through the virtue of His moft 

 Holy Paffion." And faying this, he began to 

 pray at a place whence he might be feen of 

 the faid courteous man ; hence, as it pleafed 

 God, that fame, gazing hither and yon, 



foon 



