answered humbly: "May the Lord reward you for your good will." That man, however, hearing that the brothers were unable to find lodging, took them to his house, saying: "Look, this is the lodging the Lord has prepared for you. Stay in it according to your pleasure." Giving thanks to God, they stayed with him several days, edifying him in the fear of the Lord, more by example than by word. Afterwards, he gave much to the poor.

⁴⁰Although they were treated kindly by that man, they were considered good-for-nothings, so that many, the small and the great, abused and harmed them, at times taking away from them even the cheapest clothing they had. Whenever the servants of God remained naked, because they wore only one tunic, ^{Lk 6:29} according to the pattern of the Gospel, they did not demand back what had been taken from them. If some, moved by piety, did want to return what was taken from them, they willingly accepted.

They did these and similar things to them, regarding them as so worthless that they brazenly afflicted them as they chose. In addition, they endured immense hardship and suffering from hunger and thirst, from cold and nakedness. Suffering all these things steadfastly and patiently, as blessed Francis had admonished them, they did not become dejected or disturbed, nor did they curse those who brought evil upon them. On the contrary, as perfectly evangelical men, placed at a great advantage, they greatly exulted in the Lord, considering it pure joy when they fell into temptations and trials of this sort. According to the word of the Gospel, they prayed carefully and enthusiastically for their persecutors.

Chapter XI
THE RECEPTION OF FOUR OTHER BROTHERS
AND THE MOST BURNING CHARITY THEY HAD FOR EACH 
OF THE FIRST BROTHERS, OF THEIR EAGERNESS IN WORKING
PRAYING AND THEIR PERFECT OBEDIENCE

⁴¹People then saw that the brothers rejoiced in their tribulations, persisted in prayer with eagerness and devotion, neither accepted nor carried money, and possessed a great love for one another; and through this they were known to be really the Lord's disciples. Many came to them with heartfelt sorrow, asking pardon for the offenses they had committed against them. They forgave them from their hearts, saying: "May the Lord forgive you," and encouraged them soundly about their eternal salvation.

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¹⁰Cui fratres humiliter responderunt: « Dominus tibi retribuat i pro bona voluntate ». ¹¹Praedictus autem vir, audiens quod fratres non potuerant invenisse hospitium, duxit eos in domum suam dicens: « Ecce hospitium vobis a Domino praeparatum. Manete in eo secundum beneplacitum vestrum ». ¹²At fili, gratias Deo agentes, manserunt apud illum diebus aliquot, aedificando eum tam exemplo quam verbo in timore Domini, ita quod postea multa pauperibus erogavit.

40 ¹Licet autem sic benigne tractarentur ab isto, apud alios tamen intantum vilissimi habebantur ut multi, parvi et magni, exprobarent et iniuriarentur eis, auferentes illis quandoque etiam vestimenta vilissima quae habebant. ²Cumque servi Dei remanerent nudi, quia secundum formam evangelii unam tantum tunicam portabant, non repetebant ablata sibi restitui. ³Si qui vero, pietate moti, reddere volebant eis ablata, libenter recipiebant.

⁴Quidam autem lutum super eos iactabant, alii vero ponentes taxillos in manibus eorum invitabant ipsos si ludere volebant, alii capientes capucia eorum a tergo post dorsum suum sic suspensos eos portabant. ⁵Haec et similia faciebant illis, reputantes eos tam viles quod audacter affligebant eos sicut volebant. ⁶Insuper, in fame et siti et frigore et nuditate immensas tribulationes et angustias tolerabant. ⁷Quae omnia constanter et patienter, ut a beato Francisco fuerant moniti, sustinentes non tristabantur nec turbabantur nec maledicebant inferentibus eis mala. ⁸Sed, sicut viri perfecte evangelici et in magno lucro positi, exultabant vehementer in Domino, omne gaudium existimantes cum in tentationes et tribulationes huiusmodi incidebant, atque, iuxta verbum evangelii, pro suis persecutoribus orabant m sollicite et ferventer.

Caput XI
De receptione aliorum quatuor fratrum
et de ardentissima caritate quam habebant
ad invicem primi fratres, et de sollicitudine laborandi et orandi,
et de perfecta oboedientia ipsorum.

41 ¹Videntes igitur homines quod fratres in suis tribulationibus exuItabant, orationi sollicite et devote instabant et non recipiebant pecuniam nec portabant et maximam caritatem ad invicem habebant, per quam noscebantur vere esse discipuli a Domini, multi corde compuncti veniebant ad eos, de offensis quas eis fecerant veniam postulantes. ²Ipsi vero ex corde remittebant dicentes: « Dominus parcat vobis », atque eos de salute sua salubriter admonebant.