The Little Flowers
OF THE GLORIOUS
Messer St. Francis and of his friars
DONE INTO ENGLISH WITH NOTES BY
W. Heywood
with an Introduction by A. G. Ferrers Howell
METHUEN & CO.
36 ESSEX ST. W.C. LONDON
[1906]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, August 2007. Proofed and formatted by John Bruno Hare. This text is in the public domain in the United States because it was published prior to 1923.
The Little Flowers is a traditional collection of tales of St. Francis and the early Franciscans. The legend of St. Francis (b. 1181, d. 1226), the patron saint of animals, birds, and the environment, greatly expanded as time went by, and accumulated in this work.
The Little Flowers is a much-loved spiritual classic. This translation by W. Heywood has recently been republished by Vintage, introduced by Madeline L’Engle.
¶ Index
- Introduction
- Translator’s Note
- The Little Flowers
- The Little Flowers — Chapter I to V.
- Chapter I.
- Chapter II. Of Friar Bernard of Quintavalle, first companion of St. Francis
- Chapter III. How for an evil thought which St. Francis had against Friar Bernard. . .
- Chapter IV. How the Angel of God proposed a question to Friar Elias. . .
- Chapter V. How the Holy Friar Bernard of Assisi was sent by St. Francis to Bologna, and there founded a monastery
- The Little Flowers — Chapter VI to X.
- Chapter VI. How St. Francis blessed the holy Friar Bernard, and left him as his vicar. . .
- Chapter VII. How St. Francis passed a Lent in an island of the lake of Perugia. . .
- Chapter VIII. How while St. Francis and Friar Leo were on a journey . . .
- Chapter IX. How St. Francis taught Friar Leo to make answer. . .
- Chapter X. How Friar Masseo, as if in raillery, said to St. Francis . . .
- The Little Flowers — Chapter XI to XV.
- Chapter XI. How St. Francis made Friar Masseo turn round and round many times, and thereafter gat him to Siena
- Chapter XII. How St. Francis laid upon Friar Masseo the service of the gate . . .
- Chapter XIII. How St. Francis and Friar Masseo placed the bread which they had begged upon a stone . . .
- Chapter XIV. How while St. Francis and his friars spake of God, He appeared in the midst of them
- Chapter XV. How St. Clare ate with St. Francis and with the friars . . .
- The Little Flowers — Chapter XVI to XX.
- Chapter XVI. How St. Francis received the counsel of St. Clare . . .and preached to the birds . . .
- Chapter XVII. How a boy friar, while St. Francis was praying by night, saw Christ and the Virgin Mary . . .
- Chapter XVIII. Of the marvellous chapter which St. Francis held at Santa Maria degli Angeli . . .
- Chapter XIX. How from the vineyard . . . the grapes were taken away . . .
- Chapter XX. Of a very beautiful vision which was seen by a young friar . . .
- The Little Flowers — Chapter XXI to XXV.
- Chapter XXI. Of the most holy miracle which St. Francis wrought when he converted the very fierce wolf of Agobio
- Chapter XXII. How St. Francis tamed the wild turtle-doves
- Chapter XXIII. How St. Francis set free the friar who was in sin with the demon
- Chapter XXIV. How St. Francis converted the Soldan of Babylon to the faith
- Chapter XXV. How St. Francis miraculously healed one who was a leper both in soul and body . . .
- The Little Flowers — Chapter XXVI to XXX.
- Chapter XXVI. How St. Francis converted three robbers which were murderers . . .
- Chapter XXVII. How St. Francis converted at Bologna two scholars, who became friars. . .
- Chapter XXVIII. Of an ecstasy which came to Friar Bernard . . .
- Chapter XXIX. How the devil in the form of Christ Crucified appeared . . .
- Chapter XXX. Of the beautiful sermon . . . when they preached naked
- The Little Flowers — Chapter XXXI to XXXV.
- Chapter XXXI. How St. Francis knew . . . the secrets of the hearts of all his friars
- Chapter XXXII. How Friar Masseo obtained from Christ the virtue of his humility
- Chapter XXXIII. How St. Clare, at the bidding of the Pope, blessed the bread . . .
- Chapter XXXIV. How St. Louis, King of France, in the garb of a pilgrim . . .
- Chapter XXXV. How, on Christmas Eve, St. Clare being sick was miraculously carried . . .
- The Little Flowers — Chapter XXXVI to XL.
- Chapter XXXVI. How St. Francis expounded unto Friar Leo a fair vision . . .
- Chapter XXXVII. How Jesus Christ . . . caused a rich man to be converted
- Chapter XXXVIII. How St. Francis knew in spirit that Friar Elias was damned . . .
- Chapter XXXIX. Of the marvellous sermon which St. Antony of Padua, . . . preached
- Chapter XL. When St. Antony . . . preached to the fishes of the sea
- The Little Flowers — Chapter XLI to XLV.
- Chapter XLI. How the venerable Friar Simon delivered from a great temptation a friar . . .
- Chapter XLII. Of beautiful miracles which God wrought through the holy friars . . .
- Chapter XLIII. How Friar Conrad of Offida converted a young friar . . .
- Chapter XLIV. How the Mother of Christ and St. John the Evangelist appeared . . .
- Chapter XLV. Of the holy Friar John of Penna
- The Little Flowers — Chapter XLVI to L.
- Chapter XLVI. Friar Pacificus and Humilis
- Chapter XLVII. Of that holy friar to whom the Mother of Christ appeared . . .
- Chapter XLVIII. How Friar James of Massa saw in a vision all the minor friars . . .
- Chapter XLIX. How Christ appeared to Friar John of Alvernia
- Chapter L. How . . . Friar John of Alvernia saw many souls liberated from purgatory
- The Little Flowers — Chapter LI to LIII.
- The Little Flowers — Chapter I to V.
- Of The Most Holy Stigmata of St. Francis
- The Life of Friar Juniper
- Life of Friar Juniper — Chapter I to V.
- Chapter I. How Friar Juniper cut off the foot of a pig to give it to a sick man
- Chapter II. Great power of Friar Juniper against the devil
- Chapter III. How, through procurement of the devil, Friar Juniper was condemned to the gallows
- Chapter IV. How Friar Juniper gave whatever he could to the poor, for the love of God
- Chapter V. How Friar Juniper plucked off certain bells from the altar, and gave them away for the love of God
- Life of Friar Juniper — Chapter VI to X.
- Chapter VI. How Friar Juniper kept silence for six months
- Chapter VII. Ensample against the temptations of the flesh
- Chapter VIII. How Friar Juniper abased himself for the glory of God
- Chapter IX. How Friar Juniper, to abase himself, played at see-saw
- Chapter X. How Friar Juniper once cooked for the friars food enough for fifteen days
- Life of Friar Juniper — Chapter XI to XIV.
- Chapter XI. How Friar Juniper once went to Assisi for his confusion
- Chapter XII. How Friar Juniper was rapt in ecstasy during the celebration of the Mass
- Chapter XIII. Of the grief which Friar Juniper had for the death of his companion, Friar Amazialbene
- Chapter XIV. Of the hand which Friar Juniper saw in the air
- Life of Friar Juniper — Chapter I to V.
- Life of Friar Giles
- Life of Friar Giles — Chapter I to V.
- Chapter I. How Friar Juniper cut off the foot of a pig to give it to a sick man
- Chapter II. How Friar Giles went to St. James the Greater
- Chapter III. Of the manner of life which Friar Giles led when he went to the Holy Sepulchre
- Chapter IV. How Friar Giles praised obedience more than prayer
- Chapter V. How Friar Giles lived by the labour of his hands
- Life of Friar Giles — Chapter VI to X.
- Chapter VI. How Friar Giles was miraculously provided for in his great need . . .
- Chapter VII. Of the day of the death of the holy Friar Giles
- Chapter VIII. How a holy man, being in prayer, beheld the soul of Friar Giles go to the life eternal
- Chapter IX. How through the merits of Friar Giles, the soul of a friend of a certain Preaching Friar was delivered from the pains of Purgatory
- Chapter X. How God had given graces unto Friar Giles, and of the year of his death
- Life of Friar Giles — Chapter I to V.
- Teachings and Sayings of Friar Giles
- A Chapter of Vices and of Virtues
- Chapter of Faith
- Chapter of Holy Humility
- Chapter of the Holy Fear of God
- Chapter of Holy Patience
- Chapter of Sloth
- Chapter of the Irksomeness of Temporal Things
- Chapter of Holy Chastity
- Chapter of Temptations
- Chapter of Holy Penance
- Chapter of Holy Prayer
- Chapter of Holy Spiritual Prudence
- Chapter of Profitable and Unprofitable Knowledge
- Chapter of Good and Evil Speaking
- Chapter of Good Perseverance
- Chapter of the True Religion
- Chapter of Holy Obedience
- Chapter of the Remembrance of Death
- Addenda Taken From the Manuscripts