He thought it foolish in Francis when, instead of leaving the friars to give themselves unceasingly to prayer, he sent them out in all directions to wait upon lepers.[41] His own ideal was the life of the hermits of the Thebaide, as it is related in the then popular legends of St.Anthony, St.Paul, St.Paconius, and twenty others.

He once passed Lent in one of the grottos of the Carceri.

Holy Thursday having arrived, Francis, who was also there, summoned all the brethren who were dispersed about the neighborhood, whether in grottos or huts, to observe with him the memories to which this day was consecrated.

Rufino refused to come; "For that matter," he added, "I have decided to follow him no longer; I mean to remain here and live solitary, for in this way I shall be more surely saved than by submitting myself to this man and his nonsense." Young and enthusiastic for the most part, it was not always without difficulty that the Brothers formed the habit of keeping their work in the background.

Agreeing with their master as to fundamentals, they would have liked to make more of a stir, attract public attention by more obvious devotion; there were some among them whom it did not satisfy to be saints, but who also wished to appear such.
FOOTNOTES: [1] 1 Cel., 44; 3 Soc., 55.
[2] 3 Soc., 56; _Spec._, 32b; _Conform._, 217b, 1; _Fior.