buried in the monastery of St. Juste, soon became celebrated by the number of prodigies which the Lord wrought through his intercession, and by the growing number of pilgrims which flocked to his grave from all parts. His feast is celebrated on the 27th of February.

ST. LUQUESE, RETAILER.

I.

NoT far from Sienna, in a village called Caggiani, our saint, who was the son of decent parents, saw the light. What education he received from them is unknown, as also what sort of life he led in his childhood, though we may suppose it was edifying. The first thing we learn from his biographers is that while yet very young he contracted marriage with Bonadona, a girl of good reputation and better morals. Luquese was a man of noble aspect, affable, modest, urbane, and possessed of a good heart. The newly-married pair dedicated themselves to the business of retail dealers; and although the young man abhorred and avoided fraud and deceit, which many in his trade are accustomed to practise, yet, as he wished to rise in the world, he yielded to a reprehensible avarice in heaping up wealth, sometimes forgetting the divine service, and, above all, the relief of the poor. Caggiani, and, indeed, nearly all Italy, was in his time divided

into factions, called Guelphs and Gibellines, who hated each other to death. Whether on account of these divisions, as some say, or from motives of envy and resentment, Luquese found himself so persecuted in word and deed by an adversary, that to escape from him and live in peace he had to remove to a place where he should be less exposed to the shafts of his enmity, and consequently took up his residence in Poggi-bouzi. Here he followed his trade of retailer, absorbed in worldly gains, and caring little for the eternal. However, when thinking one day on the admirable beauty and order of the Universe, drawn from nothing by the omnipotent will of the Creator; comparing the brevity and uncertainty of the goods of this life with the eternity of the rewards or chastisements it entails, and, above all, admiring the infinite mercy of the Lord, who at all hours awaits with open arms the return of the strayed sheep, he was illuminated by a ray of divine grace, and clearly discerned the nets which the devil spreads for the incautious who allow themselves to be dazzled by the fugitive brilliancy of honours and riches. He closed not his ears and his heart to the divine call; he indulged in hope, and resolved to immediately abandon his present business, which, considering his natural bent, was to him a deadly rock, and seek another means of living less exposed to danger and sin. He became a grain merchant. In the beginning he was far from committing the slightest injustice, being loyal and sincere in all his bargains, sometimes even generously opening his hand to the needy. But as avarice had cast so deep roots in his heart, he began, little by little, to allow himself to be so mastered by the hunger for gold that he lost no chance of monopolising the wheat in order to more securely increase his gains. He was not as far from danger as he imagined. Not all are suited for all businesses, though they be indifferent and easily harmonised

with virtue. And so it is no way strange that one may meet with death where others find life. Observing, then, that his heart was easily attached to the fleeting goods of this life, to the detriment of his soul, Luquese resolved to entirely abandon that line of trade, to him so dangerous, and completely dedicate himself to the service of the Omnipotent. Moved, then, by these salutary thoughts and resolutions, which were knocks the Lord gave at the door of his soul to possess Himself entirely of it, he began to frequent the churches, to take pleasure in good conversations, and to avoid vain and dangerous meetings. In fine, the heart of Luquese was gained by the Lord, to serve whom is to reign.

To divest himself the quicker of his love of riches and serve God with less embarrassment, he sold all he possessed; and purchasing a farm sufficient for the support of his family, he divided the remainder among the poor. He had first told his wife of his resolution, who received the news with eyes bathed in tears of consolation, blessing God for having inspired him with such thoughts, and assuring him she was delighted at the prospect of their new life. Thus encouraged, he reduced, as we said, his resolutions to practice, and in future thought only of avoiding the dangers of the world, and pleasing the Lord God daily more and more. He alternated the cultivation of his farm, for the support of himself and the indigent, with various exercises of piety, mingled with prayer and fervent aspirations. At this time the zealous St. Francis of Assisium happened to pass by the place, with the object of extending his Institute, and forming congregations of Tertians, in which married people could, to a certain degree, follow the evangelical counsels, and participate in some of the graces granted to the religious. The first whom the holy Founder enlisted in his ranks were Luquese and his wife, who immediately enrolled. themselves in an institution so salutary. Our retailer

distinguished himself among the members, not only by his faithful observance of the rules, but also by the exercise of all virtues. But among his other virtues-his humility, his patience, his modesty, his meekness-the first place was taken by his charity to the poor, and his piety to God.

II.

In place of the idle amusements which he had formerly ndulged in with such relish, his delight was now to visit the hospitals, to console and comfort the sick, to tenderly wash their hands, and assist with a father's anxiety in the cure of their most repugnant sores. Attentive and diligent was he in the cultivation of his farm, not for the purpose of heaping up wealth, but in order to have wherewith to entertain pilgrims, and provide necessaries for the poor of Jesus Christ. He was so prodigal to the indigent, that, forgetful of his own necessities, he had eyes only for those of his neighbours; and he rested not till he saw them satisfied, though for the purpose he should fast and reduce himself to misery. His wife, though she was a fervent Christian, and rejoiced at her husband's change of life, yet, as she looked with human eyes on that apparent waste, began to complain of his excessive liberality, and to call him a rash and imprudent man. The charitable farmer was silent under the rebuke, for a grain of peace and grace is worth a sackful of mundane reputation; but the Lord took up his defence. It happened one day that a crowd of poor having come to his door and received each his

usual piece of bread, the provisions were completely exhausted. In a few hours another indigent crowd appeared. Luquese told his wife to give them their customary allowance. "God bless you," said she, "where shall I get it when not a crumb remains?" Luquese answered with a smile, "You shall get it in the cupboard." "Not a bit," said she. "Don't say so,' answered he; "for He who fed in the desert so many thousands on five loaves and two fishes will not fail to provide something for our brethren." Bonadona went grumbling to the cupboard for the purpose of confounding him; but finding it unexpectedly full, she ran and threw herself at her husband's feet, asking pardon for her obstinacy, and blessing the providence of the Lord, so generous to His own. Animated by this prodigy, these charitable spouses ever after rivalled each other in liberality and mercy to the poor, and served them as they would Jesus Christ, convinced that He would remunerate them in heaven, where He rewards even a cup of water given in His name.

Luquese was not content with what his farm supplied; but generously trampling on human respect, he went himself from door to door to ask alms to relieve the needy, particularly those ashamed to beg. Nor did he refuse toil and fatigue when necessary for the alleviation of the poor. Knowing that on the banks of the Umbron, in the height of summer, there were many sick, and almost destitute, he went to their relief with a donkey laden with medicines and provisions; and such the tenderness and sweetness with which he treated hem, that, his excesses of charity being already known in that neighbourhood, many recovered at the very sight of the saint. Not seldom he returned from these expeditions laden with spoils. Sometimes he carried a sick child in his arms, caressing it like a father, sometimes carrying a poor man in fever, or conducting several to