X. Item de humilitate ejus

X. Item de humilitate ejus

Ultimately, it speaks to the praise of his humility that he determined in his final will and commanded to be written that no curiosity or lavish excess should take place over his burial, so that just as he had shown himself as an example of humility while alive, he would also demonstrate it in death. He always held his confessors in great reverence, so much so that sometimes, after he had already sat before his confessor to confess, if he wanted any door or window to be closed or opened, he would hastily rise from the place of confession, as if anticipating the confessor, and would humbly go to close it or to do something of that sort. When he was reproached by his confessor about this, he humbly responded, 'Amen, you are the father, and I am the son.' Another testament to his humility is that he often and without shame, indeed, with great pleasure, recounted how he was captured by the Saracens at Massora, how he behaved while with them, and the manner of his liberation. If anything was said to him or happened that displeased him, he knew how to dissimulate it very well and carefully. Besides his confessors, he would also choose someone or some people to whom he affectionately asked to inform him of anything they saw or heard from others that was worthy of reproach in him, and he wanted them to do so without holding back in any way. He indeed accepted such charitable admonitions kindly and with great patience.