LETTER XVII.
To the Lady Jacoba of Settisoli.
To the Lady Jacoba, handmaid of the Most High, Brother Francis, the little poor one of Jesus Christ, wishes health, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost in Our Lord Jesus Christ Know, my beloved, that Christ the Blessed has revealed to me by His grace that the end of my life is close at hand. If, therefore, thou dost wish to see me alive, hasten as soon as thou hast read this letter to come to St. Mary of the Angels, for if thou come later than Saturday thou wilt not find me in this world. Bring with thee a coarse cloth or shroud in which to envelope my body, and some wax tapers for my burial. I also beg thee to bring some of the food thou wert accustomed to give me when I was ill in Rome.