About Padre Fra Ludovico, when the barigello caught by surprise in a palazzo near Fossombrone

154 Why God allows his servants tribulations 155 Padre Ludovico takes refuge in Fossombrone 156 He is freed from his enemies by a new stratagem 157 The impossibility of going to the Pope 158 The sack of Rome 159 Padre Ludovico is advised to organise a Reform outside the Order 160 The life of the first Friars 161 Padre Ludovico before the Duke of Urbino

(154) It is quite obvious to anyone who considers the foundation of the Holy Church that it was greatly molested by the infernal serpent and that together with the Holy Apostles all those who founded the holy faith met with obstacles. The initiators of all the Orders we no less hindered. And if consider the matter we see that all good works face some difficulty. The Lord God allows this and is pleased to see his servants battle. This is what Saint Anthony said. After he had been beaten by demons who left him almost dead a great light came. On seeing it the man of God knew that the great light, the Saviour of the world, was present. With a loud voice he said, “O good Jesus, where were you when the demons were hitting me so hard?” That Infinite Goodness answered, “Know, Anthony, that I was here present waiting to see with how much fervour you fought them for the sake of my love.” It seems that He delights to see us in such combat. And the more that servants of God have loved Him, the greater the temptations He allows them. For although all good works please him, they please him much more when the one who does them is accompanied by the cross and does them with greater difficulty.

(155) That is how it happened to the servant of God Fra Ludovico da Fossombrone. When he knew that Fra Giovanni da Fano was opposed to him so much that he did not leave him in peace even at night, he entered into such a fear that he didn’t trust himself. By day he hid in caves and in great fear walked at night when the saw the great influence that Fra Giovanni had in the Court and the favour he enjoyed among seculars. For at the time he was regarded as one of the first Fathers of the Order, so much so that any who could do him some service considered himself blessed.

Having left Pascelupo he decided to go back home so as to take advantage of the support of his relatives. And so he arrived at Fossombrone at night. He let one of his relatives know that he would go to speak with him. He pleaded with him to arrange to let him have the keys of a friend’s small palazzo near Fossombrone. It was closer to the wilderness than to town. So if a mob came he could easily save himself in the woods. The noble owner of that mansion willingly let have him the keys and let him stay there at his pleasure. Therefore he stayed hidden there with his brother Fra Raffaello for many days. At night his relatives brought him something to eat.

This came to the knowledge of Fra Matteo and another Friar. So one night they too transferred to that palazzo. In this way the little family of Christ came together and remained there in great peace.

(156) However, the infernal enemy who never sleeps had it made known to the adversaries that Fra Ludovico was there in that palazzo. Someone immediately wrote to Fano who desired nothing else than to know where he was so to have him taken. He went straightaway to Macerata to obtain from the Monsignor permission to use of his court. He did not do this in person, otherwise it would not have been granted. He did it through his lieutenants who were know about the earlier episode. He got the barigello and many guards. Accompanied by some Friars, agents of Fra Giovanni, they left for the palazzo. Some friends of Fra Ludovico became aware of this and warned him well before the others arrived. And since the residence was quite remote and not many seculars frequented it, they went there the middle of the day. As soon as he heard of it, Fra Ludovico gathered everyone together and sought their advice on what they should do so as not to fall into the claws of the lion. There they all knelt before a crucifix that was in a room there. They had recourse to the only refuge for servants God, which was holy prayer. Beginning to weep, Fra Ludovico began to speak so highly of the patience of the Holy Apostles, of our Father Saint Francis and of many others, that their kind hearts were completely filled with fervour and devotion. This grew so much in them that they did not care about suffering even death. So they decided not to flee but to stay and see what would happen. They hoped nothing would be done to them except what God permitted, and that the Lord would not give such strength to the enemy to be able to extinguish compèletely the poor little family that had gathered together in the name of Christ out of zeal for the honour of God and the true observance of their Rule.

They remained silent a long time and commended themselves to the Lord with many tears. One of them went to a window and saw the mob. Fra Ludovico was already expert in battle and with other ruses had eascaped at other times. He had all the doors locked and they retreated upstairs where he had them prepare some pieces of wood. Since the owner often stayed in that residence for as long as fifteen to twenty days he kept the rooms supplied. Fra Ludovico saw that there were lots of red and white night caps as well as many other hats of different colours. He had them all prepared in a passageway which faced outwards. When he saw the mob approach he had the others pick up the pieces of wood. They walked around talking in such a way that no one could see them. They dragged the pieces of wood past one window and then another. Then they lowered them and one of them put on a red hat and paraded so that those outside could only see the hat. Another did the same with a white hat. With deep voices they said, “Let them come and see what will happen.”

When the barigello arrived and heard the sound he thought it was Fra Ludovico’s uncle who was one of the feared men of the city. He had fought three times in the ring and everyone feared him. The barigello turned to the Friars and said to them, “This is bad for us. This man is clever. He will have known that we were coming and would have notified his uncle. He will be here with fifty ruthless men. From the hats you have seen you know that there are more than Friars here. They will come out. It is a shameful thing for us to flee. We will join in a skirmish and you will have us all cut to pieces.” When the Friars heard this they too began to be afraid, the more so because it was day time. Once the noise grew the whole town would come running. Terrified they decided to return by the way they had come. They looked back many times worrying that Fra Ludovico would pursue them with his uncle and the whole crowd.

When those servants of God saw this they assembled before that crucifix again and stayed their until night as if in ecstasy without speaking to one another. They pondered the kindness of God who had freed them with a little ruse. Their courage grew to such a degree that they were determined not to fear anyone any more. If they had to, they would give their lives a thousand times to advance the Reform. Their adversaries, to the contrary, were so afraid that they decided to be bothered any more with Fra Padre Ludovico, especially since the Friars and guards reported to Padre Fra Giovanni that they had been nearly killed. They said to him, “Reverend Father, if you do not stop with these barigelli we will scandalise the whole world and you will be the cause of many murders. Do what you can with the Court of Rome. Meanwhile let Fra Ludovico go because he knows everything that happens. He as been a soldier and is very courageous. Do not bother with his matters. Let him go.”

(157) From then on they no longer involved guards but sought out other means. Nonetheless with his few companions Fra Ludovico commended himself to the Lord God. They persevered in the woods and they retired at night to some cave. When they had been there for some days there was no shortage of zealous Friars who kept him informed; and they said how Padre Fra Giovanni was already beaten. “Stand firm and not worry. See to getting a Bull or Brief so that when we come we will not incur excommunication. Then we will follow you immediately.”

So from then on Fra Ludovico carefully tried to find a way to able to go safely to His Holiness and not be captured on the road. This struggle lasted many days. However, he did not fail to write to different friends of his, both Friars and seculars. These however kept him informed about different Friars who wanted to come to the Reform and everything Fano was saying against Fra Ludovico. Thanks to them he knew about these things straight away. This was a great help to him. The seculars kept him informed about everything done against him with His Holiness. After this plotting lasted for some months he decided to continue no longer in that way. So commending himself to God he called together all those few Capuchins who until then had taken up the habit. They took counsel together and decided to make use of their friends, particularly the Most Illustrious Lady Caterina Cibo, by now the Duchess of Camerino. However because His Holiness was in great strife with Cardinal Colonna, when he wrote to Rome he was told that there was no time because His Holiness gave few audiences and the whole Court was in great turmoil. When they heard this Fra Matteo withdrew with his companion to the mountains of Fabriano. There he was well known and there was no danger that we would be badly treated. With his brother, Fra Raffaello, Fra Ludovico withdrew to the Fratta di Perugia to escape the clutches of Fra Giovanni Fano. That Superior and persecutor of the Capuchins was doing all he could in virtue of a Brief that he had obtained from His Holiness. This allowed him to pursue them as excommunicated apostates wherever they were. Although Fossombrone was in the state of the Duke of Urbino, when he had shown His Excellency the Brief, the Duke gave him permission. Therefore he withdrew to Montecorona where he was cherished by those Reverend Fathers and he stayed there incognito.

(158) The tumult at Court lasted until 1527. On the seventeenth of May the Duke of Bourbon came to Florence with a great army. The Florentines disliked Pope Clement and had chased out all the House of Medici. Therefore when the Duke came they gave him a lot of money and they urged him on to Siena. The Sienese quickly urged them on to Rome, giving them support. Therefore on the 17 May 1526 that tyrant entered Rome with his army and sacked it. However he didn’t derive any benefit from it because he died in the barrage. His Holiness was forced to flee to Orvieto and there he sheltered and until the wars were ended. Because of this Padre Ludovico was unable to go to Rome straightaway.

(159) While he was staying with those Venerable Fathers one of them, the Very Reverend Padre Fra Girolamo da Sessa said to Fra Ludovico, “Father, I have often told you the path you should follow if you want your Reform to go ahead.” Fra Ludovico answered, “What you say is true Father. But as you know His Holiness is in turmoil. Because of that I know this is not the time. I need to bide my time until things quieten down. But I value your counsel and appreciate that you give it to me in writing.” That Father said to him, “You need to ask from His Holiness to do a Reform that is completely separate completely from the Order and you will have nothing to do with them any more.” Because Fra Ludovico had told him all about everything that had happened to him at Fossombrone the good Father said to him, “Get a Bull that will enable you to observe the Rule of Saint Francis under the title of Hermits, the moreso since you have already taken up that habit that no one else in the Order wears. By removing the name ‘Friar Minor’ that they will have nothing more to do with you. Nonetheless you will observe the Rule of Saint Francis. That is what we have done who. Although we live according to the Rule of Father Saint Benedict, nonetheless we are called Hermits and not Monks.”

Fra Ludovico liked this very much. In the first Brief obtained it was under the title of Capuchin Friars of the Eremitical Life. And that is the way he put it out in the first Constitutions.

(160) Thus he bided his time waiting for His Holiness to return to Rome. In the meanwhile the poor Congregation did not grow much since the zealous Friars who wanted to join Fra Ludovico were very afraid that the matter would not eventuate. Those few Capuchins suffered the greatest trials because the poor fellows didn’t dare go out in public. They slept almost always in the forest and most of the time satisfied their hunger with herbs and fruit. On the other hand the mercy of God did not fail to comfort them. They gloried in that suffering so much that it seemed as though they fed upon it. And sometimes when they came out of the forest, anyone who could see them considered himself blessed because they looked more like Angels than men. Yet it continued to increase as the Lord put it into the heart of someone to go and be numbered among them. This was the case with the holy man Fra Matteo da San Leo, Fra Bernardo da Fossombrone and many others. Many came and the went back. However when they saw that a Bull had been obtained they returned again. Therefore you can see how the holy Reform began amid so many difficulties. The time came when things calmed down and Fra Ludovico obtained the Bull, as will be said below. Then the vehemence of Giovanni da Fano ended and the poor Capuchins appeared in the open.

During this time these Friars had revelations from God and quite often they were visibly comforted by apparitions and special consolations. Otherwise they could never have lasted. all by the grace of God who never fails anyone who wants to serve him faithfully. Even in the Order many things were done in support of the poor Capuchins. It was amazing, that as soon as Fra Ludovico was able to go about publicly the whole world became his friend. Anyone who could help in favour of the Reform called himself blessed. He only had to speak once with a Cardinal or a Lord and that person made himself a slave.

I have all this from the holy man Padre Fra Giovanni da Viterbo who was Padre Fra Ludovico’s companion in the beginning, though the substance and not all the words he said he had heard from Padre Fra Ludovico and from the others who were there.

(161) Therefore once Padre Fra Ludovico was freed from this snare of the devil, he went to see the Illustrious Lord Duke of Urbino. That Lord listened warmly as he told him about what he had received from Padre Fra Giovanni, and the reason why he had taken up that habit so as to better observe his Rule. On hearing this, he regretted ever having allowed Padre Fra Giovanni to persecute Fra Ludovico in his realm. From that time onwards he supported him very much, and not only His Lordship but all his realm and the country round about where the seculars knew about that persecution and they developed a great dislike for the adversaries of the Capuchins. Above all everyone felt compassion for Padre Fra Ludovico and cherished him. What happened is what the Apostle Paul says about those who love God: all things turn out for the best. Thus at the beginning of our Reform everything our adversaries did against her turned out in its favour and in its growth. Therefore the Lord our God was showing that this was his work. Amen.