life, he sent Bernard and Peter into Emilia, and set out himself with
Giles for the March of Ancona.

These apostolic men preached everywhere the grandeur and goodness of
God, the obligation of each one to love Him, to obey His love, and to
do penance. When they wanted the necessaries of life, they rejoiced,
as if it were a treasure that they had purchased at the price of all
they had possessed. Some persons received them obligingly, and did
them good offices; but the singularity of their dress, and the rigor
of their mode of life, shocked most of those who saw them. They were
even frequently insulted, covered with mud, dragged by their hood, and
severely beaten: this they joyfully bore, judging from the interior
profit which they derived from it, that it was greatly to their
advantage.

Their virtue, nevertheless, caused them to be treated at times with
respect, and honors were even rendered to them. This mortified them,
Giles in particular, who only gloried in the mortifications which he
suffered for Jesus Christ's sake, and could not bear to be so honored.
He said to his father: "When men honor us, we lose our glory." He also
expressed to him his dissatisfaction that the mode of greeting which
he had taught them, "May the Lord grant you His peace," was ill received
by the men of the world. "Pardon them," replied Francis, "for they
know not what they do. I verily assure you that hereafter there will
be many nobles and princes who will respect you and your brethren,
when you shall address those words to them." He foretold to him likewise
that his Institute would spread, and that it might aptly be compared
to a net which a fisherman casts into the river, with which he catches
a multitude of fish.