At the beginning of the year 1213, the fever of which Francis had been
cured at the bishop's palace of Assisi recurred; sometimes it was
tertian, sometimes quartan, but always with great severity. He bore
the suffering with great equanimity, because of the hatred he felt for
his body, and from the patience taught by Jesus Christ. The violence
of the fever which burned his body, was, in his opinion, a lesser evil
than the fire of temptations which inflame the soul; his sufferings
appeared to him a gain. All the saints have had a like way of thinking,
and the principles of Christianity admit of no other. The only
uneasiness the sickness gave to the holy man, was its having prevented
him putting in force the intentions he had in view for the salvation
of souls. But charity, which is ever active, suggested to him to exhort
the faithful in writing, as he could not do so in person; he therefore
addressed them a short letter, couched in the following terms:--

"O how happy are all those who love God, and who worthily practise all
that Jesus Christ has taught in His holy gospel. Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and thy
neighbor as thyself. Let us love and adore God with great purity of
mind and heart; for that is what He seeks for above all things. He has
said that the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in
truth, and that they who adore Him, must adore Him in spirit and truth.
I salute you in our Lord."

This short letter was still fresh from his hand, when an infinity of
copies were made of it, so anxious were all people to see anything
that came from the hand of so holy a person. In this simple and brief
exhortation they admired the candor of his soul and the extent of his
charity, and, in reading it, they were moved by a power which penetrated