The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, the grace to begin to do penance in this manner: because I walked in sin, it seemed all too bitter to me to look upon lepers, but the Lord led me among them, and with them I practiced the quality of mercy. And when I departed from them, that which had seemed so bitter to me was converted into sweetness of mind and body. Then I delayed a short while, and abandoned the world.
And the Lord gave me such faith in His churches that I adored Him in all simplicity and said: "We adore Thee, most holy Lord Jesus Christ, who are in all the churches of the world, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world."
Furthermore the Lord gave me and gives me such faith in the priests who live according to the form of the Holy Roman Church, in respect to their Orders, that even if they should persecute me, I would have recourse to them. And if I were to have as much wisdom as Solomon and were to find poor secular priests, I would not preach in their parishes against their will. And I will fear them and all the others, love and honour them as my masters; and I will not see any sin in them, because I see in them the Son of God, and I look upon them as my masters. This I do, because I can see nothing else with my bodily eyes in this world of the most high Son of God save His most holy Body and Blood, which they consecrate and they alone administer to others. And I wish that these most holy mysteries be honoured above all other things and venerated and placed in precious places. And we must honour and venerate all theologians and those that announce the most holy words of God, as those who administer to us the Life and the Spirit.
And after the Lord had given me the care of the brethren and there was none to show me what I should do, He the Highest revealed to me that I must live according to the rule of the Holy Gospel. This I had written down in few and simple words, and the Lord Pope confirmed it for me. And those who came to embrace this way of life divided among the poor all they possessed, and they were content with a single tunic, patched inside and out (those who wanted it), with a cord and a pair of breeches, and they did not desire to have anything more.
Those of us who were clerics said the office like other clerics, and the laymen said the Paternosters. And very happily we stayed in poor abandoned churches, and we were ignorant and subject to all men. And I worked with my hands and still wish to work; and it is my firm will that all the other brothers should do some manual labour which belongs to an honest way of life. And those who do not know how to work should learn; not out of cupidity to receive the price of their labour, but in order to give a good example, and to banish idleness. And if we should not be given the reward for our labour, then let us have recourse to the bounty of the Lord and beg our bread from door to door. The Lord has revealed to me that we should employ this salutation: "The Lord give you peace."
Let the brethren beware that they do not accept, in any manner whatever, any church, habitation or other thing constructed for them, unless it conforms to the observance of holy poverty which we have vowed in our Rule, ever taking shelter like wanderers and strangers.
I strictly command by holy obedience that all brethren, wherever they may be, should beware of asking for any letters (of privilege) from the Court of Rome, either themselves or through another person, neither for a church nor for any other place, neither under the pretext that it is needed for preaching or to escape the persecution of their persons. But if they should not be received in any place, let them flee elsewhere and do penance there with the blessing of God.
And I will strictly obey the Minister General of this Fraternity and the guardian he pleases to assign me; and I desire to be placed into his hands in such a manner that I many not go anywhere or do anything against his will, because he is my master.
And do not let the brothers say "This is another Rule," because this is a reminder, an admonition and an exhortation, and my last will and testament, which I, your lowly little brother Francis, make for you, my blessed brothers, so that we should in true Catholic fashion better observe the rule which we have promised to observe before the Lord.
And the Minister General, and all the other Ministers and Custodians shall be held by holy obedience to add nothing to these words not to take anything away from them. And let them always carry this writing with them, together with the Rule, and in all the Chapters they will hold let them read these words as well when they read the Rule.
And to all my brethren, clerics and laymen, I strictly command by holy obedience that they shall make no gloss to the Rule or to these words, saying "Thus we want them to be understood." But as the Lord has given me the grace to write the Rule and these words purely and simply, you are to understand them just as purely and simply without any gloss, and observe them by saintly deeds unto the end.
And whoever shall observe these things, will be filled with the blessing of the highest Heavenly Father in heaven, and on earth with the blessing of His beloved Son and the most holy Paraclete, with all the Virtues of the heavens and all the Saints.
And I, Brother Francis your most lowly servant in the Lord, as far as I can, confirm you inwardly and outwardly in this most holy blessing.
So be it.
