.Saint iFrancifl of ^nninu 191 



gout, and many other ills ; but that which 

 troubled him moil; was, that a Demon flood 

 before him and held in his hand a great 

 parchment infcribed with all the fms which 

 he had ever finned or conceived, and faid 

 to him : " For thefe fins which you have 

 wrought in thought, and with your tongue, 

 and in deed, you are condemned to the 

 loweft depths of Hell." And he was not 

 mindful of any good thing which he had 

 ever done, neither that he was in the Order, 

 neither that he had ever been ; but believed 

 verily that he was damned even as the 

 Demon faid. Whence, when he was afked 

 how he did, he replied : *' Very ill, foraf- 

 rauch as I am damned." The Brethren 

 feeing this, they fent for a very ancient 

 Brother, Brother Matthew of Mount Rub- 

 biano by name, which was a holy man and 

 very dear to this Brother John ; and the 

 faid Brother Matthew, coming to him on 

 the feventh day of his tribulation, greeted 

 him, and afked him how he fared. He 

 made anfwer that he fared but ill, becaufe 

 he was damned. Then faid Brother Mat- 

 thew : " Remember you not that many 

 times you have confeifed to me and I have 

 abfolved you wholly of all your fins .'' and 



yet 



