not necessarily argue the possession of this spirit--and yet, every
real Tertiary desires nothing more than to acquire the poor, humble,
loving spirit of St. Francis. This spirit can scarcely be acquired,
unless the life of St. Francis be well known, meditated upon and
imitated as far as practicable. The Life and Legends of St. Francis
of Assisi by Father Candide Chalippe, O.F.M., is peculiarly adapted
to help Tertiaries to perform this task; the spirit of St. Francis
breathes in every page. Not once, but several times may Tertiaries
read this book to great advantage. With every reading new items of
interest will be discovered, new lessons will present themselves to
be learnt, new inspirations will be imparted to the soul from above.
The more this book is read, the more it will be loved; the more it is
studied, the more it will be admired. For Tertiaries a book of this
kind is a necessity; it is as necessary for them as a text-book is
for a scholar.

May this wonderful work spread in the future even more rapidly than
before, may it receive the hearty welcome it deserves among the
innumerable Tertiaries and clients of St. Francis of Assisi and be to
them a sure guide to God's abundant graces in this world and to life
everlasting in the next.




PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR

WHEREIN THE PREJUDICES OF CERTAIN PERSONS AGAINST MIRACLES WHICH ARE
RECORDED IN THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS ARE SHOWN TO BE BOTH UNREASONABLE
AND DANGEROUS, AND THAT THE MIRACLES ATTRIBUTED TO SAINT FRANCIS ARE