Before going to the church, however, they called for another friend of
theirs--a learned man called Peter Cathanii, who also wanted to serve
God perfectly, and had been trying humbly to learn how from St. Francis.

But St. Francis, though holy, and Bernard, though rich, and Peter,
though clever at his books, did not any of them know their way about in
the big Bible that was kept open in the church for all to read (for
there were no printed books in those days, and a Bible was very costly,
so that few people had a copy of their own).

So St. Francis prayed that he might come on the right place, and then he
opened the book. This was what he read out: "If thou wouldst be perfect,
go, sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matt. xix. 21).

That seemed just right! But perhaps Our Lord had still another message.
So he shut the big book, and opened it again, just anywhere, and it
said: "Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor scrip, nor
bread, nor money; neither have two coats" (Luke ix. 3).

Splendid! "Just _one_ more, please, Lord," he said in his heart, as he
opened the book for the third time. And Our Lord told him something very
wonderful and hard to follow, which was really the explanation of all
the others:

"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow Me" (Matt. xvi. 24).

So the three friends left the church very happy. And Bernard sold all
his rich stuffs and his house and his land; and Peter sold all his
precious books; and they carried all the gold to a square in front of
the old church of St. George, and St. Francis sat on the steps with his
lap full of money, and gave away great glittering handfuls to all the
poor people who crowded round.

When none was left, the three poor brothers, smiling with delight at
being really poor and true followers of Christ, went off to the dear
little chapel in the woods and began the life of the Friars.

Not long after, a third recruit turned up, and I _must_ tell you about
him. He was a simple working-man called Giles. When he heard about St.
Francis and his two Friars, and of this new way of learning to serve God
perfectly, he laid down his tools, and left the vineyards and tramped
into the town. He went to an early Mass at St. George's Church, hoping
to find St. Francis there, as it was St. George's Day; but not doing
so, he set out for the Portiunc