The more unpretending were the neophytes, the more tenderness he
had for them. Like his Master, he had a partiality for those who were
lost, for men whom regular society casts out of its limits, but who with
all their crimes and scandals are nearer to sainthood than mediocrities
and hypocrites.

One day St. Francis, passing by the desert of Borgo San Sepolcro
came to a place called Monte-Casale,[20] and behold a noble and
refined young man came to him. "Father," he said, "I would
gladly be one of your disciples."

"My son," said St. Francis, "you are young, refined, and noble;
you will not be able to follow poverty and live wretched like
us."

"But, my father, are not you men like me? What you do I can do
with the grace of Jesus." This reply was well-pleasing to St.
Francis, who, giving him his blessing, incontinently received
him into the Order under the name of Brother Angelo.

He conducted himself so well that a little while after he was
made guardian[21] of Monte-Casale. Now, in those times there
were three famous robbers who did much evil in the country. They
came to the hermitage one day to beg Brother Angelo to give them
something to eat; but he replied to them with severe reproaches:
"What! robbers, evil-doers, assassins, have you not only no
shame for stealing the goods of others, but you would farther
devour the alms of the servants of God, you who are not worthy
to live, and who have respect neither for men nor for God your
Creator. Depart, and let me never see you here again!"

They went away full of rage. But behold, the Saint returned,
bringing a wallet of bread and a bottle of wine which had been
given him, and the guardian told him how he had sent away the
robbers; then St. Francis reproved him severely for showing
himself so cruel.... "I command thee by thine obedience," said
he, "to take at once this loaf and this wine and go seek the
robbers by hill and dell until you have found them, to offer
them this as from me, and to kneel there before them and humbly
ask their pardon, and pray them in my name no longer to do wrong
but to fear God; and if they do it, I promise to provide for all
their wants, to see that they always have enough to eat and
drink. After that you may humbly return hither."

Brother Angelo did all that had been commanded him, while St.
Fra