The Life of St. Francis of Assisi · 18 of 27

Miracles II. Of the dead that were raised

1.In the town of Monte Marano, near Benevento, a certain woman that had an especial devotion unto Saint Francis went the way of all flesh. Now, when the clergy had come together at night to perform the funeral rites and vigils, and to chant the Psalms, on a sudden, in the sight of all, that woman rose up upon the bier, and called one of the priests that stood by, who was her confessor, saying: “I am fain to confess, Father; hear my sin. I, when dead, was delivered over to be straitly imprisoned, for that I had never made confession of the sin that I will now disclose unto thee. But, (saith she), by the prayers offered for me by Saint Francis, whom, while I lived, I served with a devout mind, it hath now been vouchsafed me to return unto the body, to the end that, having revealed that sin, I may merit everlasting life. And lo! yourselves shall see how that, after I have disclosed the same, I shall hasten unto the promised rest.” Trembling, then, she confessed unto the trembling priest, and, after receiving absolution, laid herself quietly down on the bier, and in blessed wise fell on sleep in the Lord.

2.In the town of Pamarco, that is set among the mountains of Apulia, a father and mother had one only daughter, of tender age, and tenderly beloved beyond all else. And she was brought unto death by a grievous sickness, and her parents, having no hope of another child to take her place, deemed themselves as dead when she died. Their kinsfolk and friends gathered together for this right piteous burial, but the ill-fated mother lay filled with woe unspeakable, and wrapt in her supreme sorrow, so that she perceived no whit of aught that befell. Meanwhile Saint Francis, accompanied by but one other, appeared, and deigned to visit the desolate woman, whom he knew had been devoted unto him, and addressed her with kindly words: “Weep not;” saith he, “for the light of thy lamp, whose quenching thou bewailest, shall be restored unto thee by my prayers.” Forthwith the woman arose, and, revealing unto all that which the Saint had said unto her, would not suffer the dead body to be borne forth; but, calling on the name of Saint Francis with great faith, and laying hold on her dead daughter, she raised her up, alive and sound, while all looked on and marvelled.

3.The Brethren at Nocera once begged the loan of a certain cart, whereof they stood somewhat in need, from a man named Peter, but he, after the manner of a fool, answered them with abuse instead of with the help they sought, and in place of the alms craved in honour of Saint Francis, blasphemed his name. At once, the man repented him of his foolishness, for the fear of God came upon him, lest perchance the vengeance of the Lord might follow, even as it did speedily follow. For forthwith his firstborn son fell sick, and, after a short space, gave up the ghost. The unhappy father rolled on the ground, and called without ceasing on Francis, the Saint of God, crying with tears: “It is I who sinned, it is I who spake in evil wise, thou oughtest to scourge me in mine own person. O Saint, restore unto me, that am now penitent, that which thou didst take from me when I wickedly blasphemed. I give myself unto thee, I offer myself for ever unto thy service, for I will ever offer unto Christ a devout sacrifice of praise for the honour of thy name.” O marvel! At these words, the boy arose, and, forbidding his mourning, declared that as he died, and had left the body, by the Blessed Francis he had been brought back and restored.

4.A certain notary in the city of Rome had a little son scarce seven years old, who once, when his mother was going unto the church of Saint Mark, was fain, as children be, to go with her; when he was bidden by his mother to tarry at home, he threw himself from a window of the palace, and, his bones broken by the final concussion, breathed his last on the spot. His mother, who had not yet gone far, at the sound of a fall feared it might be that of her child, and returned with all speed; then, when she found her son thus suddenly taken from her by this pitiable accident, she forthwith began to lay vengeful hands upon herself, and with woeful cries roused the whole neighbourhood to mourn with her. Then a certain Brother, named Ralph, of the Order of Minors, who had come thither to preach, drew nigh the child and, full of faith, said unto the father: “Dost thou believe that Francis, the Saint of God, can avail to raise up thy son from the dead, by the love that he ever had for Christ Who was crucified to restore life unto men?” When he made answer that he firmly believed and faithfully confessed it, and would be for evermore a servant of the Saint if by his merits he might be found meet to receive from God so great a benefit,—that Brother prostrated himself in prayer, together with the Brother that was his companion, stirring up the rest that were present unto prayer. This done, the boy began to gape a little and, opening his eyes and stretching his arms, raised himself, and at once, in the presence of all, walked, whole and sound, restored by the wondrous might of the Saint unto life and health at the same time.

5.In the city of Capua, while a boy was playing with many others on the bank of the river Voltorno, he heedlessly fell into deep water, and the rushing river swiftly engulfed him, and buried him, dead, beneath its sand. At the shouts of the other boys, who had been playing with him nigh the river, a great crowd of people gathered together there. The whole multitude invoked, with devout supplication, the merits of the Blessed Francis, that he would behold the faith of his parents that had a devotion for him, and would deign to snatch their offspring from the peril of death; then lo! a certain man that had been standing afar off, hearing their shouts, came up, and he was a swimmer. After a long search, at length, calling upon the help of the Blessed Francis, he found the place wherein the river slime had formed as it were a tomb for the child’s body, the which he dug out and drew therefrom, and, to his sorrow, saw that he was dead. But the folk that stood round, albeit they saw the child was dead, did nevertheless, weeping and crying aloud, exclaim: “O Saint Francis, restore the boy unto his father!” Yea, even some Jews that had come up, moved by natural compassion, cried: “O Saint Francis, restore the boy unto his father!” On a sudden, the boy, to the wonder and delight of all, rose up unscathed, and begged and implored that he might be taken unto the Church of the Blessed Francis, that he might devoutly pay his thanks unto him by whose might he knew that he had been miraculously raised up.

6.In the city of Sessa, in the district that is called “At the Columns,” a house suddenly fell, and buried a youth, killing him on the spot. Men and women ran together from all sides, agitated by the sound of the fall; they cleared away from one place and another the beams and stones, and brought unto his ill-fated mother her dead son. Then she, choked with bitterest sobs, cried, as best she might, in piteous tones: “O Saint Francis, Saint Francis, restore unto me my son!” And not she only, but all that were present, besought the protection of the blessed Father. Yet, as there was neither voice nor sense in the body, they laid it upon a bier, intending to bury it on the morrow. Howbeit, the mother had confidence in the Lord by the merits of His Saint, and made a vow that she would cover the altar of the Blessed Francis with a new linen cloth, if he would recall her son to life for her. And lo! about midnight the youth began to gape, his members waxed warm, and he rose up alive and well, and brake forth into praises. Yea more, he incited the clergy who had assembled together, and the whole folk, to pay lauds and thanks unto God and unto the Blessed Francis, with glad minds.

7.A certain youth, named Gerlandino, a native of Ragusa, went forth in the vintage season unto the vineyards, and placed himself in the wine vat under the wine-press, to fill his skin bottles. On a sudden, some immense stones,—the wooden supports collapsing,—crashed upon his head with a deadly blow. At once his father hastened unto his son, and, in his despair, succoured him not as he lay encumbered, but left him under the load even as it had fallen upon him. The vinedressers ran together right speedily as they heard the woeful utterance of his loud cries, and, like the father of the boy, were filled with great sorrow, and drew forth the youth, already dead, from the ruin. But his father, falling at the feet of Jesus, humbly prayed that, by the merits of Saint Francis, whose feast-day was then at hand, He would deign to restore unto him his only son. He continued to sigh forth prayers, and to vow to perform many pious ministries, and promised to visit the tomb of the holy man, together with his son, if he were raised from the dead. Then a sure miracle befell. For forthwith the boy, whose whole body had been crushed, was restored unto life and sound health, and stood up rejoicing before them all, reproving them that mourned, and declaring that by the intercession of Saint Francis he had been restored unto life.

8.In Germany, he raised up another dead man, concerning whom the lord Pope Gregory,—at the time of the translation of the Saint’s body,—by Apostolic letters assured and gladdened all the Brethren, that had gathered together for the translation and the Chapter. The manner of that miracle I have not related, being ignorant thereof, and deeming the Papal attestation to be better than the record of all other assertions.