Before the Bishop of Assisi

And now his father according to the flesh, having despoiled him of his money, brought this son (no longer his, but the child of Divine grace) before the Bishop of Assisi, to compel him to renounce in his hands all his inheritance, and whatsoever he had received from him, which this true lover of poverty was most ready and willing to do. As soon, therefore, as he came into the Bishop’s presence, without a moment’s delay, neither waiting for his father’s demand nor uttering a word himself, he laid aside all his clothes, and gave them back to his father. Then it was seen, that under his fair and costly garments the holy man wore a hard and rough hair-shirt. With marvellous fervour he then turned to his father, and spoke thus to him in the presence of all: “Until this hour I have called thee my father on earth; from henceforth, I may say confidently, my Father who art in Heaven, in whose hands I have laid up all my treasure, all my trust, and all my hope.”

When the Bishop, who was a man of great virtue and piety, heard this, he marvelled at the exceeding fervour of the holy man of God, and rising from his seat he embraced him with many tears, covering him with his mantle, and he commanded his servants to bring some garment wherewith to clothe him. There was brought to him a poor mantle, belonging to a certain labourer of the Bishop, which Francis received with exceeding joy; and with a piece of chalk, which he found lying there, he made the sign of the cross upon it, as a garment well befitting a poor half-naked man, crucified to the world.

And thus did this most faithful servant of the great King of Heaven and Earth strip himself of all things, that so he might follow the Lord, whom he so truly loved, who died naked on the cross for him; and thus did he arm himself with the sign of the cross, committing his soul to that sacred wood of our salvation, to escape thereby from the fearful shipwreck of the world.