d chapter of Pisa, held in 1272, St. Bonaventure
introduced into the Order the solemn annual celebration of the day of
his death. Mindful of his old-time friendship, our Saint secured this
favour from Gregory X, as the first act of grace on the occasion of
his coronation.

The following incident reveals the unreserve {89} with which Louis IX.
confided in his Franciscan friend. On the death of his eldest son, the
French King, in spite of the great love he had ever borne him, was
thoroughly resigned to what he recognized as the will of God. He told
St. Bonaventure that since God had willed the heir apparent should die
he himself would not, even if he could, have his son live. "Sire," our
Saint made answer, "how can that be?" St. Louis replied, "I believe
and I know that such was the will of God. Seeing that it is God's
will, on no account ought I to will the contrary; rather ought I
cheerfully to accept God's good pleasure and not prove disloyal to His
supreme will." "How much I suffer," he continued, "you can scarcely
credit. Yet though I feel this loss so keenly, I must force myself not
to manifest it." As he said, so he did, as the whole nation was
witness.

On another occasion the King told St. Bonaventure that someone had
approached him saying, "The Lord our God has three crowns, one of
gold, one of thorns and the other incorruptible--the crown of Eternal
Life. Two of these He has bestowed on you. I earnestly recommend you,
however, that after the example of Jesus Christ, you strive to acquire
by your good works the crown of Eternal Life. What will the two crowns
you have avail you, if you secure not the third?" "Now it seems to
me," was the pious King's comment, "that he spoke with very much
wisdom. {90} His words entered my very heart." This lesson, our Saint
adds, he also impressed on his court.

St. Louis once sought St. Bonaventure's opinion on an abstruse
philosophic-theological question. "May a man," queried the King,
"choose rather to be annihilated than to remain in everlasting
torments? or ought he to prefer eternal torture to non-existence?"
"Sire," answered Bonaventure, "endless torments presuppose sin and
God's undying wrath against sin; and as no one may choose to remain
for ever at enmity with God, non-existence is to be preferred to
endless suffering." "I hold with Brother Bonaventure," the pious King
exclaimed. Then turning to his courtiers he continued, "I assure you I
would far rather cease to