Chapter I. In the name of Jesus Christ our crucified Saviour, and Mary his Virgin Mother. In this book are contained certain Little Flowers - to wit, miracles and pious examples of the glorious servant of Christ St Francis, and of some of his holy companions; to the glory and praise of Jesus Christ. Amen

Chapter II. Of Brother Bernard of Quintavalle, the first companion of St Francis

Chapter III. How St Francis, having allowed an evil thought to arise in his mind against Brother Bernard, ordered him to place his foot three times upon his neck and his mouth

Chapter IV. How the angel of God put a question to Brother Elias, guardian of Val di Spoleto, and how, when Brother Elias answered proudly, the angel departed from him, and took the road to San Giacomo, where he met Brother Bernard and told him what follows

Chapter V. How the holy Brother Bernard of Assisi was sent by St Francis to Bologna, and how he founded a convent there

Chapter VI. How St Francis, when about to die, blessed the holy Brother Bernard, naming him Vicar of the Order

Chapter VII. How St Francis passed the time of Lent in an island, on the lake of Perugia, where he fasted forty days and forty nights, eating no more than half of one loaf

Chapter VIII. How St Francis, walking one day with Brother Leo, explained to him what things are perfect joy

Chapter IX. How St Francis would teach Brother Leo what to answer, and how the latter could never say aught but the contrary to what St Francis wished

Chapter X. How Brother Masseo told St Francis, as in jest, that the world was gone after him; and how St Francis answered that it was indeed so, to the confusion of the world and through the grace of God

Chapter XI. How St Francis made Brother Masseo turn round and round like a child, and then to go to Siena

Chapter XII. How St Francis gave to Brother Masseo the office of porter, of almoner and of cook; and how, at the request of the other brethren, he afterwards took these duties from him

Chapter XIII. How St Francis and Brother Masseo placed the bread they had begged upon a stone near a fountain; and how St Francis praised the virtue of holy poverty, praying St Peter and St Paul to make him love holy poverty greatly. And how St Peter and St Paul appeared to him

Chapter XIV. How the Lord appeared to St Francis and to his brethren as he was speaking with them

Chapter XV. How St. Clare ate with St Francis and his companions at St Mary of the Angels

Chapter XVI. How St Francis, having been told by St Clare and the holy Brother Silvester that he should preach and convert many to the faith, founded the Third Order, preached to the birds, and reduced to silence the swallows

Chapter XVII. How a little child who had entered the Order saw St Francis in prayer one night, and saw also the Saviour, the Virgin Mary, and many other saints talk with him

Chapter XVIII. Of the wonderful chapter held by St Francis at St Mary of the Angels, at which more than five thousand friars were present

Chapter XIX. How the vine of the priest of Rieti, whose house St Francis entered to pray, was trampled under foot by the great numbers who came to see him, and how it yet produced a greater quantity of wine than usual, as St Francis had promised; and how the Lord revealed to the saints that heaven would be his portion when he left this world

Chapter XX. Of a beautiful vision which appeared to a young man who hated the habits of St Francis so greatly, that he was on the point of leaving the Order

Chapter XXI. Of the most holy miracle of St Francis in taming the fierce wolf of Gubbio

Chapter XXII. How St Francis tamed the wild doves

Chapter XXIII. How St Francis delivered the brother who, being in sin, had fallen into the power of the devil

Chapter XXIV. How St Francis converted to the faith the Sultan of Babylon

Chapter XXV. How St Francis healed miraculously a leper both in his body and in his soul, and what the soul said to him on going up to heaven

Chapter XXVI. How St Francis converted certain robbers and assassins, who became friars; and of a wonderful vision which appeared to one of them who was a most holy brother

Chapter XXVII. How at Bologna St Francis converted two scholars who became friars, and how he delivered one of them from a great temptation

Chapter XXVIII. Of an ecstasy which came to Brother Bernard, and how he remained from Matins until Noon in a state of rapture

Chapter XXIX. How the devil often appeared to Brother Ruffino in the form of a crucifix, telling him that all the good he did was of no avail, seeing he was not of the number of the elect of God; which being revealed to St Francis, he made known to Brother Ruffino the error into which he had fallen

Chapter XXX. Of the beautiful sermon which St Francis and Brother Ruffino preached at Assisi

Chapter XXXI. How St Francis was acquainted with the secrets of the consciences of all his brethren

Chapter XXXII. How Brother Masseo obtained from Christ the virtue of humility

Chapter XXXIII. How St Clare, by order of the Pope, blessed the bread which was on the table, and how on each loaf appeared the sign of the holy cross

Chapter XXXIV. How St Louis, King of France, went in person in a pilgrim’s garb to visit the holy Brother Giles

Chapter XXXV. How St Clare, being ill, was miraculously carried, on Christmas night, to the church of St Francis, where she assisted at the Office

Chapter XXXVI. How St Francis explained to Brother Leo a beautiful vision that he had seen

Chapter XXXVII. How Jesus Christ, the blessed one, at the prayer of St Francis, converted a rich nobleman who had made great offers to St Francis, and inspired him with a wish to become a religious

Chapter XXXVIII. How it was revealed to St Francis that Brother Elias was damned, and was to die out of the Order; and how at the desire of the said brother he prayed to Christ for him, and how his prayer was granted

Chapter XXXIX. Of the wonderful discourse which St Anthony of Padua, a Friar Minor, made in the Consistory

Chapter XL. Of the miracle which God performed when St Anthony, being at Rimini, preached to the fishes of the sea

Chapter XLI. How the venerable Brother Simon delivered a brother from a great temptation, on account of which he was on the point of leaving the Order

Chapter XLII. Of several wonderful miracles which the Lord performed through the means of Brother Peter of Monticello, and Brother Conrad of Offida. How Brother Bentivoglio carried a leper fifteen miles in a very short time; how St Michael spoke to another brother, and how the Virgin Mary appeared to Brother Conrad and placed her divine Son in his arms

Chapter XLIII. How Brother Conrad of Offida converted a young brother, who was a stumbling-block to the other brothers; and how after death his soul appeared to Brother Conrad, begging him to pray for him; and how through his prayers he was delivered from the great pains of Purgatory

Chapter XLIV. How the Mother of Christ and St John the Evangelist appeared to Brother Conrad, and told him who had suffered the greatest sorrow at the Passion of Christ

Chapter XLV. Of the conversion, life, miracles, and death of the holy Brother John Della Penna

Chapter XLVI. How Brother Pacifico, being in prayer, saw the soul of Brother Umile, his brother in the flesh, go up to heaven

Chapter XLVII. Of a holy brother to whom the Mother of Christ appeared when he was ill, and brought him three vases of healing ointments

Chapter XLVIII. How Brother James Della Massa saw in a vision all the Friars Minor in the world in the form of a tree; and how the virtues, the merits and the vices of all were made known to him

Chapter XLIX. How Christ appeared to Brother John of Alvernia

Chapter L. How Brother John of Alvernia, when saying Mass on the day of All Souls, saw many souls liberated from Purgatory

Chapter LI. Of the holy Brother James of Fallerone, and how, after his death, he appeared to Brother John of Alvernia

Chapter LII. Of the vision of Brother John of Alvernia, by which he became acquainted with all the order of the Holy Trinity

Chapter LIII. How, while he was saying Mass, Brother John of Alvernia fell down, as if he had been dead

Of the Sacred and Holy Stigmata of St. Francis and Certain Considerations Thereon

Of the First Consideration

Of the Second Consideration

Of the Third Consideration

Of the Fourth Consideration

Of the Fifth and Last Consideration

Chapter LIV. How a holy friar, having read in the legend of St Francis of the secret words spoken to him by the seraph, prayed so earnestly to God that St Francis revealed them to him

Chapter LV. How St Francis appear, after his death, to Brother John of Alvernia, while he was in prayer

Chapter LVI. Of a holy friar who saw a wonderful vision of a companion who was dead

Chapter LVII. How a noble knight who was devout to St Francis was assured of his death and of the sacred stigmata

Chapter LVIII. How Pope Gregory IX, who had doubted of the stigmata of St Francis, was assured of their truth

Part II: The Life of Brother Juniper

Chapter I. How Brother Juniper cut off the foot of a pig to give it to a sick brother

Chapter II. An instance of Brother Juniper’s great power against the devil

Chapter III. How, by the contrivance of the devil, Brother Juniper was condemned to the gallows

Chapter IV. How Brother Juniper gave all that he had to the poor for the love of God

Chapter V. How Brother Juniper took certain little bells from the alter, and gave them away for the love of God

Chapter VI. How Brother Juniper kept silence for six months

Chapter VII. His remedy for temptations of the flesh

Chapter VIII. How Brother Juniper made himself contemptible for the love of God

Chapter IX. How Brother Juniper, in order to be despised, played at see-saw

Chapter X. How Brother Juniper once cooked for the brethren enough to last for a fortnight

Chapter XI. How Brother Juniper went one day to Assisi for his own confusion

Chapter XII. How Brother Juniper fell into an ecstasy during the celebration of Mass

Chapter XIII. Of the sorrow which Brother Juniper felt at the loss of his companion Brother Amazialbene

Chapter XIV. Of the hand which Brother Juniper saw in the air

Chapter XV. How St Francis commanded Brother Leo to wash the stone

Part III: The Life of the Blessed Brother Giles, Companion of St Francis

Chapter I. How Brother Giles, with three companions, was received into the Order of Friars Minor

Chapter II. How Brother Giles went to St James the Great

Chapter III. Of Brother Giles’s manner of life when he went to the Holy Sepulchre

Chapter IV. How Brother Giles praised obedience more than prayer

Chapter V. How Brother Giles lived by the labour of his hands

Chapter VI. How Brother Giles was miraculously assisted in a great necessity when, by reason of a heavy fall of snow, he was hindered from going out to quest

Chapter VII. Of the day of the holy Brother Giles’s death

Chapter VIII. How a holy man, being in prayer, saw the soul of Brother Giles pass to eternal life

Chapter IX. How, by the merits of Brother Giles, the soul of the friend of a Friar Preacher was delivered from the pains of Purgatory

Chapter X. How God gave special graces to Brother Giles; and of the year of his death

Part IV: The Chapters of Certain Instructions and Notable Sayings of Brother Giles

Chapter I. Of vices and virtues

Chapter II. Of faith

Chapter III. Of holy humility

Chapter IV. Of the holy fear of God

Chapter V. Of holy patience

Chapter VI. Of sloth

Chapter VII. Of the contempt of temporal things

Chapter VIII. Of holy chastity

Chapter IX. Of temptations

Chapter X. Of holy penance

Chapter XI. Of holy prayer

Chapter XII. Of holy spiritual prudence

Chapter XIII. Of knowledge useful and useless

Chapter XIV. Of good and evil speaking

Chapter XV. Of holy perseverance

Chapter XVI. Of true religious life

Chapter XVII. Of holy obedience

Chapter XVIII. Of the remembrance of death