CHARITY AND HOSPITALITY.

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in trust for those who were ill and poor; and, as it would seem, these were administered in a thoroughly Christian spirit, so that the poor and sick of all the country about blessed these monks. Besides this, in the way of hospitality they gave free lodging and food to all honest travellers or visitors for three days. The fifth part of all their revenues they devoted to the hospital. The laws of their order not permitting women to enter the monastery, they built a house expressly for them, for sick, poor, and visitors, where all the obligations of charity and hospitality were performed. So the monastery became celebrated everywhere, and every one sang its praises. "Vallombrosa," says Ariosto

For their motto they had, says De Franchi, "Obedience to one's elders, community of life

*Cant. 22, st. 36.

and property, concord between the brothers, and love to one's neighbours."

Besides keeping up the monastery at Vallombrosa, the Abbot San Giovanni applied the revenues of this property, which had now become very large, to the erection and establishment of a number of other monasteries under similar regulations, and of restoring still others which had fallen into decay. The utmost efforts of the abbot were specially directed against simony, and to insure decorum and honesty of life and doctrine. Despite his ill-health, he travelled much in search of good works to do, and to succour the poor. "Præcipuus paupertatis amicus" was the title given him by the writers of his time. "Well though he knew that riches are thorns" (spine), says De Franchi, “and that it is far better to be without them than not fitly to employ them, he ever feared, although his brethren monks held them in common, that their hearts would be impelled by them to

THE FRIEND OF THE POOR.

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There

courses averse from peace and purity. fore he resolved to deprive them of a portion of their riches, reserving only what sufficed for a tranquil and a happy life, and thus blessing, with the gifts that they had received from the laity, the laity and the people. In order to supply the wants of the needy, he laboured himself with his old and infirm body to cultivate the land and the gardens around, thus setting an example to all other monks, and would not allow his own monastery to have riches which were not used in common and with humility of spirit." O si sic omnes! may we cry with De Franchi, "O vicissitudine delle antiche virtù ! O vestigie smarrite!"

Well

Plague and famine, and earthquake and tempest, at this time came upon Italy, and San Giovanni made a tour of visits to the various monasteries subject to his authority, to see that the hospitals were well furnished, and open to all who needed aid, reproving severely those in

which he found a surplus of provisions set aside, and praising those wherein the monks had exposed themselves to suffering in order to expend their utmost means in charity. "Cur, inquit, adeo abundamus, cum multos egere videamus ? To these noble sentiments and acts the world responded, and the more that was given away, the more was brought to his door. One day the monks found themselves without anything to eat except three loaves of bread. By order of the abbot a sheep was killed, and the meat was placed on the table. But all refused to eat of it, and satisfied themselves with the crumbs of bread that remained. The next morning, a number of sacks of corn and grain, and other comestibles, were brought to their gate, and the drivers would say nothing but that it was a gift, sent by gentlemen whom they would not name. The gates of the monastery were then surrounded by the poor, and everything was given away. On another occasion, when the fail

SAN GIOVANNI'S DEATH.

41

ure of the harvest had brought much suffering to the poor, he ordered the granaries of the monastery of St Salvi to be opened, and every one who was in need to be supplied to the last grain. In another season of famine he sold all the sacred vases and utensils of the church, and all the priestly ornaments and dresses, to give their proceeds to the hungry. I give these particulars to show the spirit which animated this noble abbot; and between then and now the reader himself may make the comparison, and see how far we have improved on his administration.

Many are the miracles attributed to San Giovanni, but these we will leave aside. The great miracle was the goodness of the man, and the noble work he did. In the year 1073 he died, at the good old age of eighty-eight years.

The same spirit which had animated San Giovanni continued to govern the Order, and