Francis was praying, he began to hear a great sound of voices. Going closer so that he might see and understand what he heard, he saw a wonderful light surrounding Saint Francis on all sides, and in it he saw Christ and the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist and the Evangelist and a great multitude of angels speaking with Saint Francis. When the boy saw and heard this, he fell to the ground as if dead. Then, when the mystery of that holy apparition ended, Saint Francis was returning to the place. And his foot bumped into the boy lying almost dead on the path. Out of compassion, he lifted him up, took him in his arms and carried him back, as a good shepherd does with his little sheep.

Learning from him later about how he saw the vision, he ordered him never to tell anyone, that is, while he lived. The boy, growing in the grace of God and devotion to Saint Francis, was an important man in the Order, and, after the death of Saint Francis, he revealed that vision to the brothers.

To the glory of Jesus Christ
and the little poor man Francis.
Amen.

Chapter 18
THE MARVELOUS GENERAL CHAPTER THAT SAINT FRANCIS HELD AT SAINT MARY OF THE ANGELS WHERE THERE WERE MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND BROTHERS

The faithful servant of Christ, Saint Francis, once held a General Chapter at Saint Mary of the Angels, and at that chapter five thousand brothers gathered. Saint Dominic came there, the head and foundation of the Order of Brother Preachers, as he was then going from Burgundy to Rome. Hearing of the gathering of the General Chapter that Saint Francis was holding on the plain of Saint Mary of the Angels, he went to see it with seven brothers of his Order. Also at that Chapter there was a cardinal very devoted to Saint Francis whom he had prophesied would become pope, and that is what happened. That cardinal had come especially to Assisi from Perugia, where the Court was staying. He came every day to see Saint Francis and his brothers, and he sometimes sang Mass and sometimes preached a sermon to the brothers in the Chapter. And that Cardinal experienced great delight and devotion when he came to visit that holy gathering. He saw the brothers sitting on that plain around Saint Mary of the Angels, group by group, forty here, there a

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