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 Heresy and the Friars 387 shall dare to intercede with us for any such, and should any one presume to do this, we shall properly direct the darts of our indignation against him, too. . . . All who shall receive, trust, aid, or abet the Patarins in Penalties for any way, seeking to shield others from a penalty which they those wno f- i 11 i i r 11 harbor or aid rashly do not fear for themselves, shall be deprived of all heretics, their goods and banished forever. Their sons shall there- after be excluded from all honors whatsoever and shall be branded with perpetual disgrace. They shall not be per- mitted to act as witnesses in any case, but shall be rejected as infamous. But if any one of the sons of such harborers or fautors Premium on shall point out a Patarin, whose guilt shall be thus proven, delatlon - he shall, by the imperial clemency, be freed from the oppro- brium and restored to his full rights, in view of the good faith which he has 154. How St. Francis came to undertake his mission. (From the first Life of St. Francis, by Thomas of Celano, written in 1228, condensed.) VI. LIFE AND CHARACTER OF ST. FRANCIS Until his twentieth year Francis wretchedly wasted his days. He astonished every one, for he sought to exceed all others in pomp and vain display. He was full of jests, quips,ancT light words; he dressed in soft flowing gar- ments, for he was very rich ; yet he was not avaricious, only profligal, and squandered" instead of saving his money. He was withal a man of gentle manner, friendly and very courteous. In the midst of the joys and sins of his youth suddenly the divine vengeance, or grace, came upon him, which began to recall him to the right way by bringing anguish to his mind and suffering to his body, according to the saying of the prophet, "Behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will encompass it with afflictions." When he had long been afflicted by bodily sickness as the sinful man merits, since he will not amend his ways except by punishment he began to turn his thoughts to other things than had been his wont. When he had somewhat mended, he once more wandered about the house, supported by a staff, in order to hasten his