Chi potrìa gia mai narrare?”
—Jacopone da Todi.
HERE BEGINNETH THE HOLY COMMERCE OF THE BLESSED FRANCIS WITH THE LADY POVERTY:
I
IN PRAISE OF POVERTY[18]
Among the cardinal excelling virtues which prepare a place and mansion for God in the Soul of Man, and show a more excellent and ♦1 Cor. xii. 31.♦ a speedier way of approaching and attaining unto Him, Holy Poverty shines resplendent in her authority, and excels all others by her peculiar Grace. For she is the Foundation and Guardian of all the Virtues, and holds the Primacy among the Evangelical Counsels. Wherefore let not the other ♦Matt. vii. 25.♦ Virtues fear should the rain descend, and the floods come, and the winds blow, threatening destruction, if only they have been founded upon the Rock of Poverty. And justly; for the Son of God, the Lord of Hosts and King of Glory, loved this Virtue with a special love, sought this Virtue, found her, and by her wrought Salvation ♦Ps. lxxiii. 12.♦ in the midst of the Earth. Her, in the beginning of His preaching, He placed as a Beacon to lighten those entering the Haven of the Faith, and as chief corner-stone of His House. The Kingdom of Heaven which He promised hereafter to all the Virtues, He openeth to Poverty even in this life. For “Blessed,” He ♦Matt. v. 3.♦ has said, “are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”[19] They are worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven who have freely renounced all Earthly Things out of Love and Desire for Heavenly Things. He must needs live by Heavenly Things who takes no thought of Earthly Things, and counts ♦Phil. iii. 8.♦ them but as dung: even in this our Exile shall he feed on the honied crumbs which fall from the table of the Holy Angels, that he may taste and ♦Ps. xxxiii. 8.♦ see how sweet the Lord is. This is truly to find the Kingdom of Heaven; ’tis the Pledge of an Eternal Mansion therein, and, as it were, a foretaste of the Blessedness to come.
II
HOW THE BLESSED FRANCIS MADE DILIGENT SEARCH FOR THE LADY POVERTY
Wherefore the Blessed Francis, as a true Follower and Disciple of the Saviour, gave himself up from the beginning of his Conversion with all his Heart, with all his Strength, and with all his Mind, to seek and to find, to have and to hold the Lady Poverty, dreading no Adversity, fearing no Evil, sparing no labour, shunning no suffering of the body, so only that he might come unto her to whom the Lord had given the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Like an eager explorer he began to go about the highways and by-ways of the City, diligently seeking ♦Cant. iii. 2.♦ her whom his Soul did love. He asked of those who stood about, he questioned those who met him, saying: Saw ye her ♦Cant. iii. 3.♦ whom my Soul loveth? But his speech was dark to them as an alien tongue, and, not understanding him, they answered: We know not what thou sayest: speak to us in our own tongue, and we will answer thee. For there was not at that time any word or sign in the language, by which the Children of Adam could discourse together of Poverty. They hated her then as they hate her now, nor could they speak with patience to one who sought her. So they answered him that this thing was unknown to them, and that they had no knowledge of what he sought. Then, said the Blessed Francis, I will go unto the Great and the Wise, and ask them, for they know the Ways of the Lord ♦Jer. v. 5.♦ and the Judgments of God. But these only answered him yet more roughly, saying: What is this new doctrine which thou bringest to our ♦Acts xvii. 20.♦ ears? May that Poverty which thou seekest always abide with thee, and with thy children, and with thy seed after thee. As for us, we had rather enjoy the delights of life and abound in riches, for the span of our ♦Wisdom ii. 1.♦ Life is short and tedious, and in the end of a man there is no remedy. Therefore we know nothing better than to eat and ♦Luke xii. 19.♦ drink and be merry while there is still time.