A MEDIAEVAL SELBORNIAN. 
20 7 
St. Francis rejoiced, and was glad with them, and marvelled 
much at such a multitude of birds, and at their beautiful variety, 
and their attention and familiarity ; for all which he devoutly 
praised their Creator in them. Finally, having finished his 
sermon, St. Francis made the sign of the cross over them, and 
gave them leave to depart ; and thereupon all those birds arose 
in the air, w T ith wonderful singing. And after the fashion of the 
sign of the cross which St. Francis had made over them, they 
divided themselves into four parts ; and one part flew towards 
the East, and another to the West, another to the South, and 
another to the North, and all departing went their way singing 
wonderful songs ; signifying by this, that as St. Francis, standard- 
bearer of the Cross of Christ, had preached to them, and made 
on them the sign of the cross, after which they had divided 
themselves, going to the four parts of the world ; so the preach- 
ing of the cross of Christ, renewed by St. Francis, should be 
carried by him and by his Brothers to the whole world : and 
that these Brothers, after the fashion of the birds, should possess 
nothing of their own in this world, but commit their lives solely 
to the providence of God.” 
Treat this as a legend if you will, it is surely a very beautiful 
one ; but those who know how “ wild nature ” can be “ tamed 
by kindness” may be pardoned for accepting its main features 
as fact. If we go back much earlier, indeed, we shall find a 
somewhat similar occurrence in thelifeof St. Guthlac, the hermit 
of Crowland, which dates at the latest from 749. “ It happened 
on a time”— we quote Mr. Goodwin’s translation — “that there 
came a venerable brother to him whose name was Wilfrith, 
who had of old been united with him in spiritual fellowship. 
Whilst they discussed in many discourses their spiritual life, 
there came suddenly two swallows flying in, and behold they 
raised their song rejoicing ; and after that they sat fearlessly on 
the shoulders of the holy man Guthlac, and then lifted up their 
song ; and afterwards they sat on his bosom and on his arms 
and knees. When Wilfrith had long wondering beheld the birds, 
he asked him wherefore the wild birds of the wide waste so sub- 
missively sat upon him. The holy man Guthlac answered him 
and said : ‘ Hast thou never learnt, brother Wilfrith, in holy 
writ, that he who hath led his life after God’s will, the wild 
beasts and wild birds have become the more intimate with him. 
And the man who would pass his life apart from worldly men, 
to him the angels approach nearer.’ ” 
Here is Miss Katherine Tynan’s rendering of St. Francis’s 
sermon, in which much of the simplicity of the original is 
preserved : — 
St. Francis to the Birds. 
Little sisters, the birds, 
We must praise God, you and I — 
You with songs that fill the sky, 
I with halting words. 
