Transcriber's Note: Obvious printer errors have been corrected. Hyphenation has been rationalised. Small capitals have been replaced by full capitals. Italics are indicated by _underscores_. A list of other books from the same publisher, and a preface to them, have been moved to the end of the book. ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI BY G. K. CHESTERTON [Illustration: H&S] HODDER AND STOUGHTON LTD. LONDON TORONTO _Contents_ PAGE CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM OF ST. FRANCIS 7 CHAPTER II THE WORLD ST. FRANCIS FOUND 18 CHAPTER III FRANCIS THE FIGHTER 40 CHAPTER IV FRANCIS THE BUILDER 58 CHAPTER V LE JONGLEUR DE DIEU 74 CHAPTER VI THE LITTLE POOR MAN 94 CHAPTER VII THE THREE ORDERS 113 CHAPTER VIII THE MIRROR OF CHRIST 133 CHAPTER IX MIRACLES AND DEATH 153 CHAPTER X THE TESTAMENT OF ST. FRANCIS 172 _Chapter I_ _The Problem of St. Francis_ A sketch of St. Francis of Assisi in modern English may be written in one of three ways. Between these the writer must make his selection; and the third way, which is adopted here, is in some respects the most difficult of all. At least, it would be the most difficult if the other two were not impossible.