_ 91 _ and praising God for bringing them to a place where they could see me. They all asked for confession, with many entreaties, and after they had confessed, they wished for nothing other than death or, if they lived, to do harsh penance to save themselves and serve God, some in the order of St Francis, some in that of St Dominic, others as hermits, others in the hospital. They all wept a great deal with much love, and I embraced them, bidding them take comfort in the Lord, and saying that I would do what I could, but that I could not hear them all, for there were 400 including those who were in their houses, and that the Fathers would help me, among whom were five confessors and I made six. But they replied that they would only confess to me, because they came as damned souls, and they would rather die without confession. 0 dearest brethren and Fathers, what a pitiful thing it was for me to see so many hopeless men, some sighing, some delirious, others fatally wounded, others who would not leave me on the ground like people whom God had touched. What was more, all or most of them were making confession of their whole lives and could not stop confessing, never did I see such contrition, praise the Lord. They all wept when they saw me, like sons do who have
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy